[Fate Admin]

Opening one kitten blue eye, Robinkit peered over at her sister, curled up soundly against their mother, fast asleep. Blinking open both eyes, she cautiously raised her head to turn and look at their mother to find Firebird’s eyes closed as well, her breathing even and relaxed as she slumbered. That hadn’t taken long at all. She was supposed to be napping as well, but she just wasn’t tired at all! She stood and stumbled forward on paws still learning to walk properly, pausing to glance behind her to see if her mother had woken.

She hadn’t. The tiny one moon old kit’s tail shot up triumphantly and she turned toward the nursery entrance. She and her sister and her mother were the only occupants right now. She scrambled toward the nursery entrance excitedly. Firebird had only just let her and Dovekit go outside for the first time yesterday and Robinkit hadn’t been able to do half the things she had wanted to do. There was just so much STUFF and so many cats outside the nursery! So many different scents to follow and places to explore. There was no way she could have done everything she wanted to even she had stayed outside all day and all night.

She was determined to explore some more today. She shook out her fur as she stepped into the sunlight outside the nursery, purring as it warmed her fiery ginger pelt. She looked around with wide, innocent blue eyes as a warrior passed by. He hadn’t seen her, it seemed. She started to follow after him on young, clumsy paws until he disappeared into another den. She wrinkled her nose; she didn’t want to go into a den. She imagined them to be just like the nursery, shaded and cooped up and boring. She sat, thinking for a moment, and looked around at the rest of camp. Her eyes widened with interest as a strange creature fluttered into camp, landing on a long grass stalk and resting there, its bright wings opening and closing slowly.

Immediately she dropped into a crouch and wiggled her haunches, then took off running as fast as her little paws would take her, leaping up with outstretched paws for the butterfly and squeaking with excitement. Her first prey! But she landed clumsily and tumbled a tail length before she realized she hadn’t caught the creature. She stood, shaking debris from her fur as she turned to see it fluttering farther on, landing on another grass stalk farther away. She dropped into a crouch again. She would catch it this time for sure!

[Fawn]

Darkcloud

75 Moons. Senior Warrior. Tom. LightningClan.

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    There was always one in every single litter he and Firebird had; one litter that had inherited the brilliant ginger flame of his mate's pelt, and Darkcloud was always stricken by it, as a moth to a fire. Flameshadow had been the first, then Kindleflare, Emberkit and now tiny Robinkit, scarcely a moon old. They were his fires, though, to protect and look after through all stages of their life; gradually, the shadow-marked tom would withdrawal a little of his support with each passing moon, the stronger they stood on their own four legs and discovered who they were and who they were meant to be.

Watching his daughter unsuccessfully pounce upon a butterfly, the vibrant insect pirouetting through the air as though it weighed next to nothing, a short purr rumbled in his throat like distant thunder, though none were close enough to hear it. Rising, the distance between himself and Robinkit was devoured under large white paws, Darkcloud paying only marginal attention to any respectful nods sent his way from passing warriors. Green leaf had been fair to LightningClan; though the nursery was hardly bursting with kits, the presence of new life was always welcomed - especially after the illness that had decimated them so severely but a few short seasons ago. It felt like ages, and yet like yesterday all at once; a strange paradox.

Completely without the intention of disrupting Robinkit's second attempt, he stayed a foxlength behind her, the all-too-familiar milkscent mixed in with the soft fragrance of his mate wafting along the breeze from the nursery nearby; both smells were imprinted upon him, it seemed. Though hardly what any cat would call sentimental - both those who knew him and those who thought they knew him - if asked to describe the scent of family, this thrice expanded rabbit warren would be the first thing that settled on the tongue of the detached senior warrior. Keeping an eye and ear out for the other prominent members of his family, he studied the similarities of himself and his progeny for a second time; it was pleasing, to know that certain traits were dominant enough to be passed on for four generations. Dovekit, Cloudkit and Brightpool had inherited the achromatic fur of his father, Birchbark; only Nightstep and Shadewhisker carried the white and black of Darkcloud's own pelt, his remaining children being, as stated earlier, very red.

As with every litter, he took a stab at what the next batch would look like, but there was no need to make any kind of mental wager this time. He and Firebird had discussed it at length; this was to be their last. They had been blessed with many things, many kits they had been more than proud of, to have lived long enough to see his oldest become senior warriors in their own right was a gift he did not think he would receive a second time around. It was important then, to cherish Dovekit and Robinkit for the final treasures that they were, and to ensure that all of his kits were doing well enough that he and Firebird could retire with their hearts at ease.

[Fate Admin]

Digging her claws into the soft earth, Robinkit propelled herself forward, pushing herself to be faster than before, then for sure she would be able to catch the butterfly! The creature lifted into the air as she neared and leaped again, catching it with one paw and batting it to the ground. She managed to land on her paws this time, tail bushed out triumphantly as she looked down at the bright, delicate wings of her very first prey. She lowered her head, nose twitching, only for those wings to flutter in her face, making her jump back with a squeak of surprise as the butterfly lifted into the air and floated away on a gust of wind.

Frowning slightly, Robinkit sat heavily in disappointment. She hadn’t caught it after all? She looked around for something else to play with and instantly perked up as she spotted a familiar black and white pelt a short distance behind her. Leaping to her paws, she scrambled over to the much larger tom, “Daddy! Did you see? I got it! Well, almost… but I got it! Like THIS!” and she leaped up in front of him and batted one of her paws at an imaginary butterfly.

She tumbled to her side as she landed, rolling over and leaping back to her paws, full of energy and excitement; already her disappointment was forgotten. “Will you play with me? Momma and Dovekit are sleeping and I’m bored.” She bounced around his paws, unable to sit still. Her ears twitched with a sudden idea, “Can we go to the Star Field? The apprentices said it’s really pretty! Oh… but that’s only at night… can we go then? I wanna see it! Please?” She looked up at her father pleadingly. She had asked one of the apprentices to take her but they had said she was too little. That conversation was all but forgotten now, she was too curious about the Star Field to just let it go. They said it looked like stars came down from the sky to play there, and she wanted to see it more than anything.

[Fawn]

Darkcloud

75 Moons. Senior Warrior. Tom. LightningClan.

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    Darkcloud was not the sort of parent who saw potential where there wasn't any; he did not gush or preen over how special his offspring were. That being said, his judgment was generally very sound when it came to assessing their skills, and he was pleased to note that Robinkit was right where she should be, developmentally. Three litters having come and gone, he could recognize an extroverted personality within the first moon, and Robinkit gave off an impressionable vibe, Darkcloud predicting her to make a valuable hunter to the Clan in her own time. For now, her life contained no training (apart from any sort of moral lesson he could impart upon his offspring), and there was importance in developing social skills and the ability to play well with others.

He had contented himself with batting her gently to and fro, alternating paws as necessary, the silky kittenish fur she was covered in as soft as downy feathers against his age and environment-roughened pads. Her question did not catch him by surprise, though he did wonder which of the Clan apprentices would have had the time to discuss sightseeing with Robinkit and Dovekit, but that wasn't worth dwelling on. So long as they didn't give the two she-kittens any bright ideas involving adventures beyond the camp borders. "Not to the Star Field, perhaps another time." Rising neatly, Darkcloud wore a smile that was reserved for family and family alone - the kind of gentle, fatherly smile not even his own apprentices ever saw hanging from his muzzle. "Have you heard of the crystal creek?" It would not surprise him if another, apparently chatty apprentice had spoken about this as well; with the creek not being deep enough for fish to dwell in it, he would bring her there (after alerting his mate of their whereabouts) so that she might chase a few water bugs and play along the bank.

Perhaps, for the sake of safety, he would let her wade through the shallowest ends; other fathers may not have wanted their offspring to learn the tricks and lifestyles of another Clan, but Darkcloud did not believe in 'Clan traditions'; versatility was always going to be granted high marks, in his eyes. It would absolutely not hurt if Robinkit learned how to swim, climb trees and make use of LightningClan's tunnels.