The crisp autumn wind blew against Ivy's fur as she walked among the forest floor sniffing the air. She was a scavenger apprentice in The Sunwatchers, and she needed to do well on this final test. The Sunwatchers were a group of cats living in the forest together. There were three ranks that you could be as a Sunwatcher, scavengers, hunters, and healers. Scavengers are cats that forage for edible berries and plants. They get trained to identify and sniff out the plants that are safe to eat and not poisonous. Hunters also find food, but they are responsible for catching the meat like small animals. Then lastly, the healers. They are more rare than the first two, and use plants and herbs to heal cats in need. They can cure anything from a broken bone to a deadly cough. When you are first born, you aren't a type yet. When you become six months old, you choose your path and become an apprentice. Then you get a mentor that helps teach you along that path until you become a complete member of the Sunwatchers. And this was Ivy's final test before she could be named a full scavenger by their leader, Glade. Okay, I got this. Remember what Juniper said. Ivy's mentor, Juniper wanted her to bring back 3 different types of non-poisonous berries. It was tricky, because berries were some of the hardest forgery to differentiate from edible, and downright deadly. Though Ivy had already found elderberries and salmonberries. She still needed one more. Maybe the Cloverfield? It sometimes has berries growing in the bushes. Ivy crossed off the path she was on, and headed to where the Cloverfield was. The colorful plants dangled in her jaws as she jumped over a fallen log and walked through the forest. There were tons of dry leaves everywhere from the trees, and Ivy tried not to make a big ruckus so she wouldn't scare away the prey for Hunters that might be hunting nearby. As Ivy reached the Cloverfield, she scanned for berries. They come in many colors, but most were bright and stood out against the dark green trees and bushes. Ivy didn't see any right away. Then she checked the bushes and some vines growing on an oak tree. She realized there were probably no berries in the clearing. But Ivy could smell the sweet musky scent wrapped up with the clover. She remembered a strategy Juniper mentioned once. There was a tactic used by scavengers where the cat watched the birds and used them to lead them to a certain plant. There were lots of birds in the trees so she was able to watch and see if one would come down. She plopped down on the clover and started watching the birds. Ivy sighed. She and her sister Hazel used to go to this field and search for 4 leaf clovers when they were kits. Hazel had chosen the path of a hunter, even though for generations their family had been all scavengers. But she was always rebellious and she seemed happy, so Ivy wasn't trying to force her sister to do anything. It just would've been less lonely to train with a familiar face, and the two roles do their assessment at different times. Ivy snapped back into the present as a small robin flew down from the trees. But it didn't go to the bushes like Ivy thought. Instead it flew down to the clovers. Confused, Ivy walked to where the bird landed scaring it away. She brushed away the weeds to find a small patch of bright orange clumped berries previously hidden by the clover. Of course! Cloudberries! The rare berries were not commonly found in the clearing Ivy was currently standing in, so it made sense that she didn't spot them right away. Ivy quickly nipped a few berries and picked them up in her jaws with the other plants. She picked up the pace and started running back to where Juniper told her to meet when she completed the task. There was a big oak tree in the forest that Ivy was supposed to go to. She arrived and opened her mouth, dropping the berries on the roots of the tree. “I did it!” Ivy meowed into the branches. A slender white speckled black cat who was resting on a strong branch leaped down next to her. “Well done, salmonberries, elderberries, and cloudberries. I'd say you passed!” “Yay! Thanks Juniper!” Ivy exclaimed. “Now, let's take these back to camp so you can get ready for the ceremony.” Juniper picked up some berries in her jaw and motioned for Ivy to do the same.
