foraging for ferns (open)

Silverflower’s rump protruded out from under a large, leafy fern bush. The she-cat’s tail lashed and flicked this way and that with concentration as her forepaws dug at the dirt close to the fern’s base. She could never forget the smell of chervil, nor how it had helped her when she had been kitting her litter eight moons ago. She knew it had other uses, but for the life of her, Silverflower couldn’t remember what they were. Nevertheless, she didn’t imagine Brackenfang would object to some additional herbs for his supply.

Struggling for several more moments, the tiny she-cat’s needle sharp teeth prick at the uncovered root, and all at once the plant gives way. Mmrrrnrl? Silverflower squeaks as she stumbles backwards and into the dappled patches of sunlight that filtered through the overhanging branches of the trees above. With her forepaws covered in dirt and her ordinarily immaculately groomed coat a mess with the task at paw, she was certainly a different sight than where she could usually be found inside of Thunderclan’s camp.

”I- guess I’ll just have to, ah… tell him about the roots…” Silverflower murmured to herself, sitting back on her haunches for a moment to collect herself. No more than a few mouse lengths from the overgrown fern, several leafs had been chewed free and set aside. As her eyes drifted over to the collection, the light-furred queen forced herself to blink to try and rid the memories of her friend coaxing her through the worst of those old pains with chervil pulp mixed with other herbs… Perhaps if another she-cat came to be expecting—it couldn’t be long now, she saw the looks and frequent departures that went on between many of her clan mates—she would be given the same thing.

Sighing softly, Silverflower dipped her head down and brought up one of her forepaws to cleans the dirt out from between her toes.