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| - The chilling breeze awoke Flame That Shines Like Sun, ruffling her ginger tabby fur and whistling in her ears. A bright orange leaf settled beside her in her nest and she promptly batted it away, before getting up and stretching each leg. Her jaws opened wide in a yawn, the watery dawn sunshine streaming through the branches of the warriors’ den and doing little to warm her. Leaf-fall was nearly over. Wistfully she thought back to her old home, where she would have safely been tucked away in her room at this hour, snoring peacefully. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had been human back then, but now she was a warrior of BlogClan. She had to remember that. Her Clan would need every scrap of prey it could get in the coming moons. As she stepped outside, she noted how everything was a shade of crimson or gold or brown, the rich hues plastered across everything it could be plastered across: trees, the dens, the leaves that blanketed the camp floor. In the light of the rising sun, it looked stunning. There are a few benefits to being a cat, I guess. I never would have seen this if I was still human, she thought as she fluffed out her thick fur to keep away the biting cold. She guessed it was late October, maybe even early November- not that she had any way of telling. November. What happened in November again? She felt as if she was forgetting something. Eventually, more cats filtered out of their dens as the gloomy sun rose, half-obscured by the dove-grey clouds until Flame was sure most of the Clan was awake and active by now. Had she still been a Twoleg she would be fast asleep, she thought grumpily. She gave her paw a quick lick as the patrols were arranged; her ears twitched as she was put on a hunting patrol with Fernpaw, Duskpaw, Jetclaw and Flowerstream. She followed them out of camp. She still couldn’t shake that feeling that something important was happening today. November. Lots of stuff happens in November. A stick crunched under her paws, consequently scaring away the mouse she had been tracking. ‘Mouse dung!’ she hissed. She pricked her ears and scented the air, hoping for a new piece of prey to catch, although she doubted it- fresh-kill was becoming scarcer as time went on. But a completely different scent reached her nose instead. Twolegs. Odd. They almost exclusively visited the forest during Greenleaf, but she could scent them faintly. But they must have left by now, she realized as she scanned the clearing. Cleared up their stuff and left. Well, almost all of their stuff. They had left something red and white in the grass, dripping with the morning dew but not completely ruined. Creeping closer as silently as a snake, Flame realized it was a calendar. It was opened on the second-to-last page. She could no longer read thanks to turning into a cat, but she could work it out. November. November. November the...? She studied it for a few more minutes. The fourth square was circled. November the fourth. Yes, it must be November the fourth. What happened on November the fourth that she was forgetting? She scanned through it again and again, until it came to her. Today it was Cakestar’s birthday. With a yowl, she picked up the calendar and ran back to the others, only just stopping herself from tripping. She showed them the Twoleg object and watched happily as their eyes went round with wonder. Quietly, they began to discuss the plan. ------- The sun was only just setting as, at last, the BlogClan gathered in the clearing. Flame listened as Cakestar herself padded out of her den, confusion and curiosity obvious across the regal red she-cat’s features. ‘You said you all wanted to tell me something?’ Cakestar rested her feathery tail across her paws. BlogClan was silent for just a moment longer, suspense rising in the frost-cool air. Whiskers twitching with anticipation, Flame watched as her breath came out as steam. Finally, the Clan rang out in unison: ‘Happy birthday!’ The joyful cries filled the air and, one by one, each cat took out a bundle, wrapped in leaves and tied together with a piece of ivy or sorrel. Birthday presents. Cakestar stood up in surprise. ‘It’s my birthday today?’ The cats of BlogClan had long since lost track of time since becoming cats. How long had it been now? Two moons, two seasons, two years or more? Holidays couldn’t be celebrated, as no cat knew when they were. Copperclaw nodded to confirm. ‘It is.’ The brown-spotted tabby rose and leapt onto a tree stump to speak, amber eyes gleaming. ‘We learned it’s November the fourth today. And so, we organized a party, with presents and all. This can hardly make up for all you do for us, but it certainly can say ‘’thank you.’’ I think I can speak for the whole of BlogClan when I say how much you mean to us, how much we care about you. You’ve helped us all, and we’d like to say... happy birthday.’ Murmurs of agreement rippled around the gathered crowd, a million different pelts nodding their approval. As the party began, each cat took a piece of food from the fresh-kill pile, which was plentiful in prey of all types. The Clan had worked hard when they had learned it was Cakestar’s birthday, neglecting border patrol to stock the pile for a feast. And what a feast it was! Instead of eating in little groups, BlogClan ate together for once, scoffing down as much as they could and cheerfully talking regardless of age. The moon shone down on them like a watchful eye as they enjoyed their lavish dinner. As they finished eating, the cats watched as Cakestar carefully unwrapped presents. Bright pink berries, fragrant flowers, daisy chains, cotton-soft feathers and wool, honey, sparkling pebbles and seashells; each one varied greatly in size and appearance. Flame couldn’t stop smiling, nor could anyone else. And last but not least, after a hectic but memorable day, the Clan began to stretch their limbs with drowsiness. And so BlogClan settled down to sleep under the endless night sky littered with stars, Cakestar in the middle of it all on her special day. But the party only ended after the Clan had sung... ‘Happy birthday to you,
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