in bed i lie [O]

Birdstar

Birdstar was tired. The early moons of new-leaf had turned the forest to a crawl. Life was not without its outbursts– Falconmoon’s, though some time ago now, still troubled her –but things had been… surprisingly quiet as the weather warmed. It would have been a blessing, If Birdstar didn’t have the feeling there was a storm just beyond their horizon.

But right now, she would focus on the idea of a blessing. The sun was bright, the skies clear and blue and cloudless. The breeze whistled softly through camp, tugging some of the heat away. It was the perfect day. Surely, she could find an extra patrol to join, enjoy the pleasant day from the trees, or…

Or she could lay down. Resting was still a strange thought. But, it was a tempting one, and it took very little silent convincing before Birdstar was settling in a patch of sunlight near the fresh-kill pile. Resting… wouldn’t be terrible. She was tired, the forest had been quiet, and today had the perfect weather for taking a break. Birdstar folded her large paws under her chest and tucked her chin down, watching camp bustle through half-lidded eyes.

Birdstar

Though it wasn’t long before pawsteps approached, Birdstar’s eyes were already closed when they did. Blinking them half-open, she glanced over to watch Creamsky settle down nearby. The hint of a smile appeared on her muzzle, and her whiskers twitched in silent greeting. And another cat joined her, with Stormwatcher quietly rolling over into the sun, too. I didn’t think I would be so popular to take a nap with, Birdstar thought fondly. She would have voiced it, but the quiet was peaceful, and she didn’t want to disturb it. She was content to let it privately warm her while she shifted and closed her eyes again.

While she was fine with staying quiet, another voice piped up a few breaths later. This time, Birdstar opened her eyes fully when she angled her head back to blink up at her third guest. “Hello, Juniperheart,” she greeted softly, a purr rumbling in her throat. Tipping her head quickly to the side in invitation, Birdstar mewed, “You should lie down with us. I doubt Creamsky would mind. Stormwatcher can mind if he wants,” a laugh following the last words.

And just as she was nodding to Juniperheart, yet another cat joined. Birdstar started to sit up when Plumleaf approached, but she remained in place when her sister settled next to her. Leaning over, she gently headbutted the medicine cat’s shoulder. “Hello to you, too. I’m glad you’re doing well, Plumleaf.” She whispered, warmth in her voice. Pulling back, she glanced around, and her earlier realization came back to her. “We’ve got quite a crowd, don’t we?” She mused softly, looking between the four others. “I think that’s a good thing. I suppose we all need the rest.”