DawnStorm's Apprentice Challenge

I sprang from my soaked moss. I lifted my paw in disgust and examined the mushy, drenched moss that had once been so comfy. I shuddered. It was like putting your paws in..... I don't know, but it was awful!

The muffled crunching of moss and twig influenced me to lumber out of the musty den. The camp was mostly deserted, and the few cats that remained were obviously freezing and paralyzed from the cold. They're pelts were heavy with the thing that had once seemed so nice when it started last night; rain. They greedily snatched any dry moss from the medicine cat's den and crankily galloped to their dens, spraying clumps of mud into my face. I saw a few little heads huddled by the nursery entrance, peering at me. They caught my gaze and whimpered, struggling to dismount each other and slide back into the nursery.

I padded over with high paws to the medicine cat Mudleaf's den. I shook off my pelt when the dry, cold stone embraced my paw pads. Mudleaf emerged from the shadows and tilted his head at me. Not a drop of water was on his sleek, shining pelt. I lumbered over to him more. "Hey, Mudleaf," I mewed.

Mudleaf sought over to his herbs and began organizing. "Rainpaw, it's nice to see you," he said through a herb bundle. The only reason I heard him was because his echo bounced from the walls of the cave-like den. "This rain is awful, don't you think?" he added, placing another herb bundle somewhere. I padded closer and craned my head to watch his sorting. "It seems like you've taken no share of the stress. Your in here smugly putting away herbs, warm and dry," I replied, trying to sound as un-snappy as possible. Mudleaf shrugged while putting away his herb. "Yes," he tried. "But it does not please me to see sick cats everywhere."

He silenced me. I tilted my head and padded out into the rain again. I was bored.