The birds and rodents that nested in the reeds began to chirp and chatter as, with a brief rosy blush that flooded the twilight and snuffed out the stars, the sun emerged from beyond the horizon. Dawn broke golden that day, filtering steadily through dusky blue.
The morning light felt pure and clean on Splashpaw's pelt, and she took a moment to appreciate it's warmth before meandering in the direction of breakfast. A few sleepy warriors had begun to slink out of the reeds, but there was no line at the Fresh-kill pile, which meant that the young molly had first pick. She hummed as a cool breeze flowed through camp and towards the river. Colder days would follow, the older warriors had warned. The young apprentice took a moment to consider this before turning her attention to a much more pressing matter. A perch, perhaps? But there was a vole available as well, and she knew that those were quite rare. They were difficult to find, let alone catch, and she'd only seen one once while on patrol–
Patrol! "Foxdung!" She'd completely forgotten that Willowbreeze had signed her up for the morning patrol. Splashpaw cursed under her breath, abandoning the prey pile and trotting hurriedly towards the entrance to camp where her patrolmates were already waiting. "Sorry," The tortoiseshell mewed, casting a longing glance behind her as warriors and apprentices began to select their breakfasts. She wondered morosely if there would be anything fresh left when they got back. "I forgot."
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