Early to Rise [closed]

It had taken quite some time for the crass injuries that marred Brindlestar's throat to heal, but the agonizing process of healing seemed to be within its final stretches. It was pure luck that she had managed to heal at this time as well, because she had finally taken up the arduous process of training a new Apprentice. It's been quite some time since you've trained an Apprentice, the voice within her mind eagerly chimed in, wasn't the last one Elmpaw? The early morning sky was still stained heavily with the rich colors of the previous night, with only the faintest watery streaks of the predawn, fire-like colors of the rapidly rising sun. Freshly healed scar atop the tender flesh of her throat twisting awkwardly as Brindlestar bent down to get a proper glimpse of the slumbering forms of the many Apprentices, the pale-furred molly's paw was quite gentle as she prodded a familiar tortoiseshell pelt. "Mosspaw," Her voice was a raspy summon, "It's time for us to head out." She had tried to give the young molly as much sleep as possible, but the ferocious heat of Greenleaf often resulted in patrols leaving earlier and earlier with each rise of the sun.

OOC: Sorry for not being able to reply sooner! I've been away this past week, and my mind has gone blank with exhaustion, so I apologise if this post isn't as good as it could be. ;;

IC:
As the faint streaks of pale vermilion smeared the sky with a pleasant, glowing warmth, the newly-named apprentice arose instantly. Mosspaw jerked into a seated position with a blur of crimson and sooty fur, her eyes immediately attentive and clearly eager. After briefly glancing at the open sky and its ethereal tints, the tortoiseshell fixed her enthusiastic eyes on her leader - and her mentor - a grin gradually forming on her face. Her tail lashed keenly, sending a storm of moss whirling everywhere. It wasn't until a paused moment of silence that she was aware of the mess she had created. "Oops," she breathed, in a now-hushed tone, "Sorry, I'll clean that up! Would that be fine?"
Mosspaw waited, unexpectedly tense, her face showered with the slightest shame, too. Her first uneasy thoughts were of her missing this day of training, because of how recklessly excited she had been. The poor apprentices, still in a sleeping state, had also now been disturbed by her.
Still, the young apprentice wouldn't allow this uncomfortable feeling to ruin her day, so a twinge of optimistic hope flickered brightly in her chest.

Withdrawing a pace or two, Brindlestar's features were obscured by the sticky shadows that yawned forth from the prickly edges of the gorse barrier that most cats resided beneath. Watching as Mosspaw hastily scrambled into the waking word, and accidentally drawing several of her unfortunate denmates along with her, the pale-furred molly merely blinked with something akin to faint humor. "You may clean it." She relented, raspy voice struggling to be properly heard among her low tone of voice, "But try to hurry, we can't waste much more daylight." Ignoring the fiery sparks that ignited within the fresh scars that laced their way through the tender flesh of her throat, the Leader settled down to wait for another moment or so for the young she-cat to pull the shredded contents of her bedding back together.

ooc: i thought I had posted in this! i'm so sorry for the wait!

Eyes softening with an indistinct concern for the leader's healing wounds, Mosspaw hastily sprung to gather the crumbly moss scattered around. The bedding crinkled softly when her paws made contact, and the tortoiseshell merely blinked with satisfaction when all the pieces had neatly reformed an oddly shaped mass. The intense, blazing heat had already scorched her pelt by the time she had finished her short task. The rays that illuminated their open camp had turned mercilesslly blistering, and the she-cat had found this heat unwelcome. Mosspaw, with her unusual stout build and fluffy and thick brindled coat, often found it difficult to endure the previous days without retracting into the shadows. She'd just have to tolerate it today.

Swollen pupils retracting briefly, Brindlestar continued to watch Mosspaw hurriedly pull together the scattered array of moss that had been strewn across the shallow dip in the earth that comprised the Apprentice's den. Slender ears giving an absent twitch, the pale-furred molly retreated another pace or two so that the young tortoiseshell had enough space to follow after her. "We'll try to avoid the worst heat of the day," She began, the uncomfortable tremor working its way down her throat once more, "But it'll still be quite unpleasant. We have very little to protect us from the elements." The older molly's words were laced with the faintest remnant of a sympathetic warning as she eyed her younger counterpart's thick, unruly fur. How unusual. WindClan cat's rarely had fur such as that. Sweeping her tail in a wide arc that gestured for Mosspaw to follow, Brindlestar's paws tread lightly upon the dry, dust laden earth as she began to make her way towards the slight gap in the gorse.

OOC: Again, so sorry for not replying sooner!

---

Genuinely glad that the pair would attempt to avoid the blistering heat, Mosspaw trailed after her mentor, her tail buoyantly swishing with relish. She paused momentarily as she extended her head to tame her wild fur, the saliva cooling her thick pelt. She had heard that the territory was slightly harsh, with not much to shield them from the powerful elements, but that meant that they endured more than other Clans, making them strong. Acknowledging the gesture, Mosspaw nodded enthusiastically and marched, forcing herself to not bounce, behind Brindlestar towards the prickly gorse barrier.
Although the heat's sweltering, this will be an enjoyable training experience!

Prickly thorns brushed and caught in Brindlestar's pelt awkwardly as she pushed her way through the thick barrier, but she had grown quite used to the slightly unpleasant sensation after many seasons- not even the gorse catching upon the thin flesh of her ears really invited a reaction on her behalf. The breeze, strengthened by the lack of undergrowth to slow it, was quite strong once the pair of molly's escaped the well-sheltered dip in the moorland. The air was hot and stagnant and unpleasantly dry, dashing her hopes of a well-needed storm. Pausing to allow Mosspaw to scurry up the rather steep cleft that protectively encircled the sandy clearing, her gaze lifted to the clear, cloudless sky that pressed down all around them. "We'll head to Fourtrees first, and then make our way to the Gorge. As you know, that's the border we share with RiverClan- but you'll come to learn that they rarely pass through, especially during the hot moons."