[Deleted]

Jolting awake from another uneasy sleep, the young apprentice opened her eyes reluctantly, relived to see that she was in the apprentice den, curled up in the same old nest. Her moss green eyes darted around the area, skimming to see if anyone was still in there, but it seemed they were all out getting on with their daily training sessions, or out patrolling. Spottedpaw quickly pulled herself into a sitting position, silently scolding herself for not awaking sooner. By the way the sun was held in the sky it seemed she had slept past dawn, once more. She tilted her head back and began lapping at her ruffled and messy pelt, this was no way to start off the day. She looked like she had just been dragged through a thorn bush backwards.

Spottedpaw continued the grooming until she was sure it was decent. All though completely groomed, she looked even smaller than the newborn kits in the Nursery. She got to her paws, shaking her damp pelt, and allowing it to fluff up a bit. At least this way she looked a bit more larger, or at least the average size of an apprentice.. Sighing in annoyance at her petite size, she padded her way out into the clearing. The young she cat sat down towards the edge of the warriors den, gazing out to watch the daily duties take place. As far as she knew, she had nothing to do today, so she simply sat down, wrapping her speckled tail over her paws neatly, and awaited what ever needed to be done. Or simply another cat to bring on friendly conversation.

[Phoenix]

Gustkit

- - -

He was bored. The camp was boring. His siblings were boring, particularly Mudkit. Everything was boring. He had nothing to do, nothing with which he could occupy his mind, and someone was going to pay for it. The miniature version of Windstrike cast his yellow-green gaze around camp from the shadowed entrance to the nursery, paws kneading the ground as he sat, an impatience filling him as though he were waiting for something important, when, in fact, there was nothing important for which he had to wait. Bright eyes rested upon the lone form of a tortoiseshell she-cat who sat by the warrior’s den, and having found the next cat who would entertain him – Goldenflower had been the last one, who had worked with him to perfect his hunting crouch and pounce – he grinned. Paws carried him over to the small feline, and it took him a moment before he recognized the young apprentice as Spottedpaw.

”Hey Spottedpaw!” Gustkit called out as he approached her in leaps and bounds, skidding to a halt right before he could collide with her side. Hind legs folded as he lowered his haunches to the ground, sitting in a position that nearly mirrored hers as he invited himself to join her. With a quick lick of striped chest fur, the young tom gave himself a moment to consider what he wanted to do. Ultimately, he already knew that he wanted to leave camp, to go adventuring into the wild beyond, which enticed him both because of all the discoveries that could be made and its forbidden nature. The chances of him convincing a warrior were slim, but perhaps an apprentice could be persuaded better. If worst came to worst, he could always recruit his siblings; despite the way Mudkit would obviously disapprove, he knew Blazekit would be up to the challenge.

However, he did not particularly want to simply ask if she would take him outside camp because that would probably result in a resounding, negative answer. Starting a conversation was never that hard though, and as his mind lit upon the first thought that crossed it, he asked brightly, ”So, what’s it like being an apprentice? Fun, I bet, because you get to leave camp and learn how to fight and hunt and become a strong warrior.”

- - -

[Deleted]

The she cats ears perked slightly at the sound of tiny paws skirting along the ground, along with her name being called out. Allowing her gaze to move in the direction of the sound, she met the gaze of a small, silver colored kit. Her tail swayed slightly from her paws, a quiet gesture that invited the tom kit to her side. Spottedpaw watched as he slowed his pace just in time before crashing into her and she let out a small purr of amusement. She absolutely adored kits, assuming one day she would have a couple of her own, running along the clan, making their mother and father proud. But she quickly gave her head a curt shake, clearing the thought of mates and kits from her mind. She was only an apprentice, and one that wanted to be a deputy at that. She had no time for a mate, nor kits.



Normally, the tortoiseshell would need to raise her head to speak to another cat, but for once she got the chance to lower it to the kit. Gustkit. She allowed his name to slip through her mind and she smiled faintly, another small purr rumbling in her throat.   "Hello, Gustkit." She purred, her green gaze falling onto the kit's head as he groomed his striped fur. Her mind slipped back into when she was a kit. Tumbling and getting into a ton if mischievous with her littermates and the other kits in the nursery. They were all apprentices now, and she hardly saw them around.  Spottedpaw was snapped out of her thoughts when Gustkit spoke once more. What was it like to be an apprentice? She hadn't really thought of it. She spent most of her time simply cleaning bedding, fetching moss, grooming and plucking ticks off the elders. Not that she was complaining, but it was hardly something to be jealous of.


She lowered her muzzle to the silver tomkit and gave him a tender lick between the ears. "You will be one soon enough." She purred once again, licking the kits ears before raising her head. "Oh, it's awesome. You get to clean out the old moss and bring in the new, be the servents of the Clan. But you know what the best part is? You get to pluck those nasty old ticks off the elders!" Spotted paw playfully jumped at the kit, swatting a gently paw at his ears to playfully cuff him, before landing softly on her paws. "But of course, we get to go on hunting and border patrols. That's fun, too. I mean, if you're into that." The she cat was only sweetly teasing the tom, getting a thrill for herself going on. Though when she sat back down, another purr was rumbling in her throat.

[Phoenix]

Gustkit

- - -

Sensitive ears flicked as a sandpaper tongue came between them, its rasp as gentle as the way Dovesong groomed him when she could get them to sit still for long enough. Having lowered his head in response to the fond action, he simply peered up at her for a moment before ducking away with a sheepish grin as he remembered that he was a tom and toms did not do stuff like that. They wrestled and shouted and hunted and pounced, the way he enjoyed tumbling around with Blazekit in their mock fights, though he would win, of course. She-cats, like Spottedpaw and his sister, Galekit, and even his mother, could groom each other all they liked, but he looked fine the way he was, and even if he didn’t, he did not need their assistance to fix the problem. ”You’re just like Mom,” He complained, though his tone was too warm for him to sound truly irritated. ”She likes doing that, too, and I don’t know why. You she-cats are strange.”

Despite his whining, the young tom could hardly be distracted from the answer to his question, and yellow-green eyes, which had widened at first, narrowed slightly as he was disillusioned and exposed to the reality of being an apprentice. His nose crinkled and his face scrunched up in disgust at the idea of picking ticks off of the elders, whose old, frail bodies were already unappealing on their own. ”Ew. That’s gross.” He stuck out his tongue and looked at Spottedpaw with something akin to sympathy in his gaze. It disappeared as soon as she continued, replaced with brief shock as her paws suddenly came swinging out of nowhere, and acting on instinct, he ducked, dropping himself to the ground even as his mind registered the playful attitude with which she had performed the move.

Gustkit did not spend long flattened to the dirt beneath him, and soon enough, he had leapt up on his paws at the prospect of hunting and border patrols. Eyes had widened once more and his face lit up, curiosity evident in his tone as he questioned, ”What’s it like outside camp, then, where you can hunt and go on border patrols?” A thought struck him, and his jaw dropped slightly, body quivering in anticipation of the answer. ”Have you seen any of the other clans?”

- - -

[Deleted]

Spottedpaw purred in amusement at the way the young tom kit would duck and groan at the way she had licked his head. His whine did have a point to it. Why did she have the urge to groom 24/7 and lick the young kits head. Though she assumed it was just her mother-like nature coming out. She was a she cat, it was what she did. She was there to protect, nurture, and bring new life into the world, of course, along with fighting, hunting, and providing for her Clan. Eventually, the tortoiseshell forced herself to stop purring. She was hardly an apprentice herself, she didn't need to be acting all motherly. She had plenty of time before she became a queen and had kits of her own. Pushing away the instinct, a playful smirk rose on the she cats face as she watched the kit press himself against the dirt to get away from the surprise attack.

Though it didn't take long before he was back on his paws at the exciting sound of patrols. Oh boy, the patrols. Spottedpaw loved them. It was a chance to be free of the camps confiding walls and explore the territory. All though she had been sneaking out and doing those things since she was Guskit's age. It was never any fun to be locked up in the nursery, though she remembered the days quite clearly. The she cat almost missed them. Being able to retreat to her mothers side when she was tired, playing whenever she wanted, and not having to worry about the chores that needed to be done in that day, or the days to come.

Spottedpaw shook her head in slight amusement at how questions just seemed to bubble out of the silver kits mouth. Before responding, she lowered her paws down to the sand, laying down. She flicked her tail along Gustkit's back, indicating for him to sit or lay, beside her. When he was settled, she allowed her gaze to flick toward the exit from the camp, into the world beyond. "Well, I haven't come to terms with any of the other Clans. But sometimes, when we do border patrols, we can catch glimpses of the other Clans patrols a little ways off, re scenting their own border markers." She stopped a moment before continuing, trying to gather every little bit of detail she could before continuing on with what she knew. Sometimes she could end up like the elders, telling stories so deeply that you would feel like you were there, even if it was the most boring story, you would feel like you were in it, like you were there. "As for being outside the camp. It's more amazing than you could ever believe. You can literally hear the prey scuffling around in their dens. You can smell everything. And I mean everything. The nature, the two-legs, and sometimes, if the wind is blowing in the right direction, you can even smell the other Clans. Faintly, but it's there." She paused once more to allow the kit to take in her words, before she flicked his ear gently with her tail tip. "But being out there makes you feel like the free cats we really are. We don't have to worry about the night sky coming and being dragged into some two-leg den. We can sit out there and watch StarClan come out and dance in the sky. It's beautiful and free. Like you don't need a care in the world."

Spottedpaw fell silent, taking in everything she had said and letting the memories flow into her mind. She lowered her small head onto her tri-color paws, as she gazed out into the clearing. It was a wonderful thing, and one day, Gustkit would experience it for himself.

[Phoenix]

Gustkit

- - -

Spottedpaw made herself comfortable, settling down as though she prepared to tell him a story like the elders enjoyed doing. Their stories were interesting the first time, if they were lucky, but they were downright painful to listen to a second, third, or even fourth time. Gustkit had never been one who could simply sit still and listen anyway, and he had never gotten the feeling that the elders appreciated his presence disrupting the otherwise relative peace of their den. It was hardly his fault that freshly delivered moss made for a pastime far more amusing and attention-keeping than their dull recollections about their apprentice days, stories of a time long gone. If they told more tales of battles and unsheathed claws, then perhaps he would appreciate them more, but until they did, the elder’s den was one he avoided. The old hags were no fun anyway.

The tail brushing along his spine indicated that the she-cat wanted him to mirror her action, and slightly grudgingly, he complied. Laying down reminded him too much of hearing boring stories in a moss-padded den, so he decided to sit, tail flicking by his side and paws already kneading the ground. His attention, however, was soon grabbed by her descriptions of the outside world. The thought of simply seeing cats from a different clan was fascinating, and he tried to picture what a cat from ForestClan – or something like that, right? – looked like. Surely there had to be something different about them; otherwise they’d be in LightningClan with him and his family.

A grin spread across his lips as he imagined the world beyond the camp walls, as vivid and brilliant as she described it. His gaze fell on the prey pile toward the middle of camp, and he pictured the rabbits and mice on the pile alive, animated and full of the spark that fueled both him and the she-cat beside him. So far, the only non-feline animals he had seen alive were the various insects that made for good pouncing practice and the occasional birds that flew over camp. He tried to imagine all of the scents and the sights, attempted to feel the sense of incredible freedom she described. Leaving camp sounded amazing, and if he really could hear the prey in their dens and smell the clans on the wind, then there was so much more he could do outside of camp than inside it.

He wanted to leave now. He had to.

Awe clear in his voice, his grin gained a mischievous air and his eyes glinted with the prospect of adventure. Lowering his voice, he leaned in closer, heart thudding, and commented casually, ”That sounds amazing, Spottedpaw, but do you think you could really describe it all? Maybe it’s something you have to go see for yourself, you know?” His tail flicked and he rose to his paws in anticipation. ”Do you think maybe we could go exploring out there? Just for a little bit, and it doesn’t have to be for too long. Please?! I bet you know it –“ He gestured with a vague flick of the tail toward the exit of camp ” – really well, too. We won’t get lost, I promise.” Putting on his most endearing expression, he asked, ”Please?”

- - -

[Deleted]

Spottedpaw let out a small, quiet, and almost unnoticeable purr at the way Gustkit acted like he was being punished, but as she got further into the story, she could tell he was getting more and more interested. As she finished up and got lost in her own little world, managing to jump slightly when the small kits voice filled her ears. He was practically begging for her to take him out of the camp, if only it was just for a little while. The tortoiseshell knew it should be a simple answer, a simple no, and the whole thing would be settled. But she could see the look in the silver kit's eyes, the one that meant he wasn't going to take no for an answer, and even if he did, it would come up again and be a never ending question.

Whether anyone believed it or not, she was a kit once too, only about half a moon ago. And she was causing about as much trouble as two kits in a fox den. She was one of the most troublesome kits that had been around. Who was she to deny Gustkit's question when she had once been the queen of all the pranks, all the sneaking out. Without saying anything, she rose to her paws, eyes quickly skirting around the camp which seemed to be clear at the moment. The she cat turned her attention to the now intense gazed Gustkit and nodded her head. "Alright, I'll take you out. But not a word of this to your mother or siblings. Or anyone for that matter. Your little jaws better stay clamped." Her meow was no more than that of a whisper and as quick as she could, she picked the little kit up and raced out of the entrance, waiting until they were hidden from the camps patrols. When she was sure it was safe, she bounded back, covering Gustkits scent with her own. Just in case a patrol came by, they would most likely catch her scent over the kits. 

She quickly made her way back to the small kits side, crouching beside him. She knew she was taking a risk bringing a helpless kit out here with nothing but a newly made apprentice, but what could she do? He needed to see it she knew that much. And what was a kit-hood if you never got to explore. After a few tense moments, she turned her head toward the kit, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "So Gustkit, what would you like to see first?"   

[Phoenix]

Gustkit

- - -

She said yes! That single thought reverberated through his mind, making up for the indignity of being scooped up and carried from camp like the kit he was by a she-cat only a few moons older than himself. He didn’t even mind not being able to brag about it to his siblings, and that part of the deal was insignificant compared to what he was about to do. He had hoped, but never really expected that she would take him exploring, and now that it was actually happening, all of the excitement that had rushed through his veins seemed to have given way to shock. He was leaving camp! He was leaving camp!

And then the excitement hit, and he raised his head and gazed for the first time at the whole new world stretched out before him. Never had he felt so small, but never had he ever felt so excited. Limbs trembling with anticipation, he grinned up at Spottedpaw, practically glowing, struck speechless, before turning to gaze out at LightningClan’s territory. Rolling hills, grass, bushes. He took a deep breath, breathing in everything on the air in hopes of catching a hint of those foreign clans. The scents! The smells! The sights! It was all so overwhelming, but so incredibly awesome; he couldn’t get enough of it, and he knew in that instant that he would be returning soon, with or without Spottedpaw. There was so much to do, everything to explore!

Her question interrupted his awestruck daze, and yellow-green eyes found the apprentice again. ”Everything,” Gustkit breathed, the grin on his lips so wide he didn’t think he could smile any bigger. How could he pick? He wanted to do everything, to experience everything. It was all so fascinating, and the world was so much larger than camp. Everything. ”What’s the coolest part?” He would leave it up to her to choose; after all, she did know the terrain better than himself. Even the consequences they would face if they were caught could not put a dampener on his glee.

- - -

[Deleted]

Spottedpaw let out a mrrow of laughter when they got out of camp and Gustkit simply stared off into space, his little mind lost and probably overwhelmed at everything that was going on right now. He probably didn't even expect a yes out of the apprentice. Everything. Was what he wanted to see, and she was going to show it to him. "Alright then, let's see everything." A mischievous grin replaced her smile as she turned around into the bushes, allowing her tail to hang back as a guideline for the small kit behind her. She planned to take him to the flooded grasses first. It wasn't her favorite part, but if Gustkit ever decided for medicine cat training, he would need to know the place well. Or, if he needed a good hunting spot.

When they got to the marsh-like land, Spottedpaw slowed her pace, waiting for the silver get to catch up and see what she was seeing. Then she crouched low, her ears flicking at the scent of prey, and the sound of them scurrying around under the undergrowth. She pressed her spotted tail on Gustkit's back, indicating that she wanted him to crouch low as well. "Look over there," Her mew was no more than a whisper as she flicked her tail toward a group of undergrowth, pointing toward a thing of fur. By the smell, it was probably a vole, but it was well hidden, but if he looked close enough he would be able to catch tints of it's brown fur. "What do you smell?" 

Spottedpaw smiled faintly as she would let him answer then would sit up, watching the creature dart away at the sight of a cat. "This place is the flooded grasses. It's a good spot for hunting. Prey is at almost every turn. Also, the medicine cats come here for herb picking. It's not my favorite place, but you won't see that till last." The she cat gave him another warm smile before she gazed slightly around the clearing her tail raised up slightly as she let Gustkit take in the view. When he was all set, she would take him to the next destination. 

[Phoenix]

Gustkit

- - -

With minimal difficulty, he could have followed the black tail tip guiding him if he had not been as nearly distracted as he was by all of his new surroundings. The scents were far stronger, and the world had suddenly grown from the camp, which he realized was fairly small in comparison, to the massive expanse that was LightningClan’s territory. Granted, most of it was blocked by the grass which seemed to close down around him, but they would occasionally go over a rise that would allow him to see the landscape from a better vantage point. His jaw seemed to have come unhinged and adopted a perpetually loose manner, for every time he gained an awareness of it and clicked his mouth shut, it fell open again one his attention was diverted by something far more interesting. A flicker of frustration flashed through him as he realized that the area into which he was currently being led had thicker undergrowth, meaning his chances of seeing something had lessened considerably. He hated being small.

It was not until he flicked some mud from his paw and proceeded to watched it splatter across a nearby rock that Gustkit realized why the grass around him had become denser. This was a wet part of the territory, he noted, not quite sure what to think of it. Water really only collected in camp after rain left puddles behind, and even those were usually gone within the next few days; the water here must have been sitting for a while because there hadn’t been any rain recently. Pleased with his reasoning, the kit did not realize that his escort had stopped until he almost walked into her, and muttering an apology, he obeyed the tail pressing down on his back. The tom lowered into the hunting crouch Goldenflower had shown him, deciding that now would be as good a time as ever to practice it. Yellow-green eyes followed the direction she indicated, narrowing slightly as he peered toward a clump of grass and tried to determine the significance of it. Something different, stronger, had made its way into the air, but it was unfamiliar. Looking back at the apprentice, confusion in his gaze, the tom lifted striped shoulders in a slight shrug.

By chance, he had returned his attention to the clump of grass, silently trying to figure out what made it so notable, when Spottedpaw sat up, alerting the creature to their presence. A gasp escaped him as the other animal fled, scurrying away, and with wide eyes, Gustkit turned back to the she-cat as she began informing him about the location they were in. ”Did you see that?” Hardly any of the words made an imprint on his startled mind, which had begun churning with questions and ideas as the shock dissipated, and he kneaded the ground impatiently until she finished. The instant the final word had left her mouth, he began, ”What was that? Is it prey? Did you see that?”

- - -

[Deleted]

When the kit began to flood her with questions, Spottedpaw uttered a small purr before flicking her tailtip in slight amusement against Gustkit's shoulder. "I believe it was a vole. Yes, I saw it. But I smelt it first. When you're a bit older and you learn how to cast your senses and block everything else out, you will be able to do it too." She smiled faintly. For once in her short life, she felt like she was the mentor, while Gustkit was her apprentice. Teaching him everything she knew was fun and she enjoyed it nonetheless. Her tail swayed slightly, in an almost relaxed manner before she gathered her paws and hauled herself up. "Alright, you want to see everything right? We've got a lot to see. Come along." With that, the tortoiseshell she cat began to lead her way through the undergrowth once more, her tail out to guide the kit as she did so.

As she continued through the undergrowth and brambles, eventually the land cleared out once more. It gave way to a small, clear creek. As if her paws were light as feathers, the apprentice bounded toward it, all though she kept a slight gaze behind her to make sure that Gustkit wasn't too far behind. As she reached the waters edge, Spottedpaw lowered her head, gazing at her blurry apparition clearly in the water below. She could see herself clearly in the pure waterbed and after a moment, turned her head to make sure the silver kit was still close. When she was convinced he was, she lowered her muzzle and lapped delicately at the liquid, before licking her paw and drawing it over thin whiskers. She mewed a small yawn before arching her back in a stretch. Spottedpaw waited a few moments to let Gustkit take in the area before explaining to him what it was, her tail curling over her tri-colored paws. 

She was aware the description was the most boring part of the trip, but if he wanted to know the territory, he would listen up. The she cat tried to make it as short and sweet as possible, as not to bore the kit too much. "Crystal Creek. It's too shallow for fish, but every once in a while you can find a water vole, if you're skill enough to catch it that is. If you look up there, you can see the hill that makes our camp." Spottedpaw paused, flicking her tail in the direction of which a hill was, defying out their camp-site. "So this is technically our main source of water." She finished, allowing the kit to sight see as much as she wanted, before she planned to bring him to their next destination.

[Phoenix]

Gustkit

- - -

A vole? The word sounded somewhat familiar, though he didn’t think that those brown blurs were as common on the prey pile as mice or rabbits. He could picture those creatures just by thinking of them, he noted, standing slightly taller as the thought crossed his mind. An ear flicked as the apprentice revealed that she had identified the presumed prey animal by scent rather than sight, and with a flash of competitiveness striking his heart, he knew that he wanted to be able to do that too. He would be able to do that. He would learn.

The small striped form bounded after the she-cat as she leapt away, and he reveled in the challenge of having to keep up with a larger cat. Far from the fastest cat in LightningClan and even farther from the most graceful, he raced after her with the coordination expected of a kit, stumbling occasionally on unexpected rocks. Alerting any nearby prey to their presence, the light sound of pattering paws echoed after him, and the tempo slowed as he reduced his speed, eyes falling upon the clear surface. Yellow-green eyes wide, he approached its shore boldly, shoving away any tentativeness that might reveal itself in his actions and moving to stand beside his escort. The young kit mirrored Spottedpaw’s motion, leaning forward to peer at his own reflection.

Staring back at him with eyes full of awe was a young silver tom with black stripes. But for his eyes, he was a perfect replica of his father, Windstrike. He quivered with excitement, and a grin stretched across lips, widening even as he stared at his reflection. The kit in the water blinked when he did, touched the surface when he did, and copied his actions exactly. Lowering his head, he lapped up some of the water before grinning into its surface. A plan formed in his head, but before he could act on his impulse, the she-cat continued one. Forcing a suspiciously neutral expression across his features, he sat up and turned to face her, appearing for all the world an attentive feline. At her gesture, he cast a glance toward camp, recognizing it easily against the relative flat terrain that appeared to make up most of their territory.

And finally, Spottedpaw was done. The mischievous grin that replaced the even look on his face acted as a moment’s notice before Gustkit turned back to the stream, dipped a paw in and splashed the apprentice, spraying water droplets everywhere as laughter escaped his grinning maw.

- - -

[Deleted]

Spottedpaw

~*~

The she cats ears flicked and she let out a squeal of surprise as the kit scattered crystal droplets everywhere, including on her. After giving her smooth pelt a hard shake, she pretended to gaze off into space again, before she pounced into the shallows, all four paws landing and sending a small wave of water toward Gustkit. Satisfied, Spottedpaw shook her pelt once more as she raised her head toward the darkening sky. "Oh, come on, there's one more place I want to show you before we go home." The apprentice's voice was more of an awestruck meow than anything, and instead of bounding off like last time, she kept at a smooth pace. She allowed the sky to turn dark over the two young cats heads, a small sunset brimming in the distance. 

As she neared her surprise destination, she slowed her pace once more, stopping completely when she reached the middle of what appeared to be a simply meadow. But as the sky grew darker, in front view of the two, a purple and orange sunset lit up what remained. The fireflies were beginning to come out, dancing around the field and the two small figures that sat in the middle of it. Spottedpaw found this as a safe spot, and probably to Gustkit's relief, she kept her jaw shut, allowing the nature itself to do the talking, and to explain itself. Her own bright green eyes were lost in the sunset, at the way the insects of the night danced. Her tail draped slightly over the small kit's shoulders, not really a motherly move, or protective, just a simple, friendly gesture. A somewhat comforting one at that if he would accept it. Every once in a while the tortoiseshell apprentice would sneak a glance at the kit, watching his reactions. But most of all she was at peace with herself, just flat out enjoying the moment. 

[Phoenix]

Gustkit

- - -

Glee rushed through him as he saw that his surprise attack with the water had been a success, his gaze finding the glittering droplets of water now littering her tortoiseshell fur. Apart from shaking them from her fur and spraying him with water in return, she seemed unlike to retaliate, and he found himself relaxing enough to glance away. That was his mistake. A wave of water crashed on top of him, soaking him and for a long moment, his face held a priceless expression, the combination of surprise and indignation. Then it was gone, replaced by a mischievous grin that only faded slightly when she cut their would-be water fight short. Determined to pay her back somehow, even if it wasn’t on that day, he conceded, flicking an ear and shaking out his fur as best he could, shivering slightly as a breeze – suddenly cold to his wet body – blew through his fur.

Obediently, he followed her into the gathering gloom, distracted from peering around at his surroundings by the need to lick the water from his chest fur with a small, sandpaper tongue. Before long, however, the incessant curiosity caught up with him, and his head was raised once more, turning in every direction as he tried to make out distinct shapes among the silhouettes that came with the setting sun. An air of mystery seemed to emerge even as the sunlight disappeared, he realized, coming to sit beside the she-cat, unwilling to break the silence that almost felt as though it had taken on a sacred feel. Yellow-green eyes glanced at the apprentice, and the sunset was reflected in her moss colored eyes. Shifting slightly, unable to sit still even at the worst of times, he turned his attention toward the sunset, part of him acknowledging the beauty of the scene but the other part wholly unimpressed. It was just a sunset. The sun set every day. But it seemed to mean something special to his companion, who had been nice enough to take him out of camp, so he bit his tongue and kept his mouth shut.

In the end, the dancing light show captured his attention for the longest. The way they flickered in and out of sight, only visible when they glowed and wrapped in darkness the instant their light went out, intrigued him. He saw them there one moment, and the next, the very same insect was over there. They had to be insects – they were too small to be anything else, right? – but he did not have a name on the tip of his tongue which he could use to identify them. Sending a brief glance at the she-cat, he silently voiced his question – what are they? – before returning his interest toward the small, flying creatures. Striped paws kneaded the ground and his tail flicked, eyes flicking from one spot to the next. It was a miracle that he had sat still for so long and so silently, he mused idly.

- - -

[Deleted]

Spottedpaw

~*~

When the sunset had faded, the she cat blinked for a few moments, her eyes moving away from the sky and toward the kit beside her. "Fireflies," She purred quietly, flicking her tail toward the insects of the night that were there once second and gone the next. "Thanks for coming with, I know most  kits don't seem so interested in flying light-up bugs and sunsets." She smiled faintly and pulled herself to her paws, nudging Gustkit to his as well. "Come on, we'd better get you home before your mother has a heart attack, or you fall over from exhaustion." The spotted apprentice could feel her own paws beginning to ache and she made her way at a simple pace through the trees and back toward the camp. Her tail fell back, allowing the kit to use it as a guide once more, for the moon wasn't full tonight and the light was almost to nothing. Her steady pace never faultered and every once in a while she would turn her head back to make sure the silver furred kit was keeping up. It would be too dangerous out by now to have a cat that small out of the camp.

She was tempted to carry him by the scruff, but knew much better than to upset him anymore with that. He would be getting enough of it from his mother when he got back. And plus she respected him for keeping so still and quiet to allow her to watch the sunset. She had never brought another cat there before, so she was glad he hadn't messed it up. As they made their way up the hill to the camp, Spottedpaw slowed her pace, ears perked up to catch the sound or scent of the patrols, or a passing cat. When all was clear, she continued, but at a slower, more cautious pace. 

Spottedpaw slid through the entrance, her tail wrapping back to her own body when she knew that Gustkit was safe back in the camp. She walked with the small kit back to the nursery, lowering her nose to touch the middle of his head. "I know I talk a lot, but you should know the history. I hope you had fun. We can do it again any time. Sleep well." She dipped her head to the tom kit, her fur brushing his as she made her way to her own den. It was late and most cats that weren't on patrol would be calling it a night as well. Settling into the moss-made bed, she was thankful someone had cleared out the old for her. She settled in neatly and lowered her head to her paws, her thin furred tail wrapping over her nose slightly as she waited for sleep to come.