The cracks of dawns light aroused Maplestar from her slumber. She stretched lightly and quickly groom her unkempt fur. Her ears twitched at the morning birds and she pricked her ears fro any sign of her clanmates. Hearing nothing Maplestar smiled wistfully to herself and then padded out of her den. *Border patrols are needed and the prey pile needs more prey* she noted to herself.
Maplestar lifted her head, "All cats old enough to cat their own prey, gather here at the fallen log!" she yowled from her perch. The dark ginger she-cat watched proudly as her clan-mates assembled beneath her. "As I have yet to appoint a deputy I will be organizing patrols!" She glanced at her cats. "Please step forwards if you are available for a patrol, if no cat does then I will start assigning cats to patrols," Maplestar kept her voice even. Her sharp green gaze scanned her cats below, waiting for some volunteers.
Galesmoke sighed. She was half hoping she would be put on border patrol. "Well let's hope I find an elderly mouse hiding in the bushes," she mewed to Ashleaf, half joking. Hunting this early in the morning was quite the task for the she-cat. She was clumsy on her paws, but if her leader decided so, she would follow her command.
Maplestar nodded back to the she-cat, "Thank you Galesmoke," she meowed gratefully. "Any other cat?" she meowed, hesitant that her warriors were unsure, "I understand that it is early but we don't want the other clans to think we are lazy do we?" she called out. A chorus of meowed answered her and she lifted her head higher, "then we must prove we are strong, we need to protect our borders, if they think we are lazy they will take our prey!" Maplestar rested her firm gaze on her warriors. More yowls of defiance came up around her and she smiled, her clan was strong.
Ashleaf stepped forwards beside the other molly. "Ill go with her Maplestar!" she called out to her leader. Ashleafs multi coloured tail swished in the dust around her and slowly other cats also stepped forwards, volunteering for border patrols. She leaned over to Galesmoke and meowed, "I guess we are a hunting patrol then," she meowed softly.
Maplestar looked down proudly at her warriors, "Very good Ashleaf, you and Galesmoke will be a hunting patrol, the rest of you, divide yourselves and do the borders," she decided. "Any left over as you only need four in a patrol can train apprentices or more hunting patrols, but I need five cats to stay in camp in case," she meowed over the commotion.
Galesmoke heard her leader's voice ring and echo from the inside of the warriors den. She stretched in her nest and stumbled drowsily from her comfortable bedding, ducking her head to slither through the entrance. The gray and white she-cat blinked as some of the early light showered over the horizon. She made her way to gather alongside her clanmates to the foot of the log where Maplestar called them. She wasn't particularly in the mood to patrol, but she glanced around at similar hesitant faces. She found herself to be the first to step forward. She suppressed a tired sigh, but said nothing and dipped her head to the she-cat.