[Silver]

                       TreeClan - Kit - 3 Moons

Tiny paws moved as quietly as they were able along a path she'd never before bothered to tread. For Ravenkit, getting away from the Nursery and the chaos therein was something she'd had to do for the sake of her sanity. It was too noisy in there with all the kits and Apprentices running in and out and the Queens squabbling or even when they got along. It was much too cutesy for her liking. So the first chance she'd gotten when she'd snuck out; using her dark pelt to her advantage to disappear into the shadows. Her siblings were just bothersome and not very interesting to play with, and besides that sneaking out seemed much more of a fun adventure to the inquisitive little she-cat. Really though, if fully grown Warriors couldn't keep track of a single kit, they deserved to have to worry about her when they finally realized she was gone. It would just serve them right.

It wasn't like she'd wandered off too far either, she wasn't that stupid. She was still small and a lot of things could try to eat her if she went off on her own too far from the Nursery. She didn't have a death wish by any means, she'd merely wanted to some peace and quiet in a place not surrounded by idiots. So she'd wandered to the next closest den over. She'd never really been in this place, but she believed it belonged to their leader. Not that she cared, but it was still a good piece of information to know. Sniffing delicately at the currently empty den, she sneezed at the scents she was picking up. Oh for Star Clan's sake, did Lionstar never air out his den at all? It smelled like a dead rabbit! Urg, why did her clanmates have to be so stupid! Some of them were simply too disturbing to live, but it wasn't like she could do anything about it at her current size. Oh well, hopefully none of them would breed and that would save the clan from being overrun with all the stupidity of the previous generation.

Still, it was curious that something that was supposed to be so important as the leader's den smelled so much like something had died in it then started to rot. How lazy must that make Lionstar, she had to wonder. And why was she still here when the smell of this place was seriously beginning to offend her? The answer to that was simple, she didn't want to go back to the crowded Nursery. Oh well, can't win them all.

I know I'd better stop trying - You know that there's no denying - I won't show mercy on you now

Word Count | 436 - Tags | Fawn

[Fawn]

LionstAr

blinded by the light of a new sun
take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem

Lionstar preferred to fetch his own moss for the leader's den. It wasn't out of some kind of misplaced arrogance - no one should be allowed to enter the leader's den uninvited - but rather the opposite. It kept him humble. It served as a reminder that he wasn't above doing things like this, just because he had a den all to myself and the guardianship of TreeClan. With fresh moss in his jaws, Lionstar ducked his head in, prepared to scrape out the old bedding (it was lined with rabbit fur for added comfort, ever since he had caught Fawnkit and Amberkit curled up here, he'd added just a bit more in case there was ever a repeat incident).

The moss in his jaws had muffled Ravenkit's scent. His golden eyes narrowed, making out the small dark shape of Mockingbird and Magpiewing's daughter. Grayowl's kin. Lionstar set the moss down, ignoring the spark of annoyance he felt just at the sight of her; stop blaming her for her grandsire's treachery. She's just a kit. Ravenkit was probably a sweet kitten, just like the others; he hadn't bothered to find out before now, his interests being more in Silentsong's and Moonfeather's litters than Mockingbird's.

"Exploring, Ravenkit?" He mewed, voice gentle. "I was just about to change the bedding. Would you like to help?" No reason not to give her a taste of apprenticeship duties even before they began in leafbare. It must feel like such a far-off time, to one so young. Besides, not every kit was lucky enough to get one-on-one time with a clan leader. Doubting that Mockingbird was frantically searching for her offspring, the golden warrior stepped further inside, careful not to squish the kit as he sought shelter in the ancient stump. The tree it had once supported was the Clan camp, so while there was room enough for two more cats his size and a pawful of youngsters, he was still mindful of his steps.

Large paws had a habit of treading on little tails.

leader of TreeClan

338 Words | Silver | notes: xD boy is he in for a surprise.

so alive | background image | table by phoenix

[Silver]

TreeClan - Kit - 3 Moons

She scented him immediately, of course. After all, it was hard to miss the stench of wet moss and musty old tom even if he had been attempting to hide it. Urg, what had she gotten herself into? The tiny black kit slunk closer to the shadows she'd come from and eyed the leader like the foreign object he was. He wanted her to...help him? Oh for StarClan's sake, he wasn't capable enough to do it himself, did she look like his Apprentice or something? Sheesh! Did he think she was some simple-minded idiot like all the other kits she'd met? Well she certainly was not, stupid tom thinking he knew anything. Oh well, at least he might be some form of entertainment for her. Hmmm...now that thought certainly held some merit to it.

Her head tilted sideways consideringly as she eyed the large tom as he spoke to her. He really had no idea what she was like, did he? How amusing. Perhaps it was time to educate him. "I was exploring, actually. I also wanted to see if I could sneak out without any of them noticing me. Pity that, it seemed like I can. Some protectors they all turned out to be." She turned orange eyes up to regard the large tom in silence for a long moment before a small smirk lit her face and she calmly let him know just what she thought of his little idea regarding the moss.

"Also, if you think I'm going to put my mouth anywhere near that nasty stuff you are sorely mistaken. You have an Apprentice to do menial labor for you if you so desire, so don't think you can turn it into my job. And it is work, don't think I don't know that. I'm young, not stupid. Trying to turn it into something fun just so you don't have to do it is so lazy. Humph, and to think here I was of the opinion you were actually someone important all alone here in your den that smells like something died inside it. Oh so impressive you are. Whatever." Her nose moved delicately, the stench beginning to seriously offend her. Her tail puffed up, her ears tilted around and she went completely motionless before slowly turning her orange gaze around the room. Seriously, what had died in here?

She didn't mean to speak her honest thoughts aloud, but the came anyway. "What in StarClan's name has died in this den. The stench of it is beginning to offend me. How can he not smell it? Maybe the scent of fresh moss is blocking the stench from him. Boy this is annoying, but now I need to find the source of that stench before it really starts to get to me." She started moving slowly around the room as if stalking prey, and her expression was very serious. For Ravenkit, finding the source of the stench and removing herself of it was of the utmost importance.

I know I'd better stop trying - You know that there's no denying - I won't show mercy on you now

Word Count | 502 - Tags | Fawn

[Fawn]

LionstAr

blinded by the light of a new sun
take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem

As if stuck on a flat stretch of rock in the sun and wind, Ravenkit's seemingly nonstop barrage of insulting and derisive words swept over him like a scorching blast of heat, ruffling his fur metaphorically. The kitten seemed to go back and forth between normal interaction and biting insult; if she had been anyone else's offspring, he would have been surprised. Astonished. But there was something off about Magpiewing and Mockingbird... Mockingbird had Grayowl for a sire; of course Ravenkit was a little piece of work.

Angry despite his many moons' superiority, Lionstar's tail lashed. What a rude little... But that anger ebbed, as maturity beat it back down into the box of juvenile reactions leftover from his youth. Now that he'd set the moss down, Ravenkit's disgusted tone about the smell actually made sense; his nose wrinkled, watching her sift through his bedding before he moved in to do likewise.

"You're right about the smell. I think," there was a pause, and a twitch of the whiskers as Lionstar uncovered a rotten rabbit's foot tucked into the corner where he wouldn't have found it easily. "There is an apprentice or a young warrior who thinks they're funny." Lionstar growled under his breath, and began to bat the rabbit's foot out of his den, swiping it hard.
"Thornstrike," he mewed to one of the camp guards. "Take this out and bury it."

The dark warrior looked confused - and then dismayed - at his new task, but he nodded and gingerly took the rotten foot away. With that done, Lionstar went back into the den. "You were right." He mewed to Ravenkit, feeling a small petty reluctance to say those words aloud, as if he were giving Grayowl more credit than he'd ever deserved, but Lionstar pushed on through. "Apprentice duties aren't very much fun. With good company, however, they can go a lot faster and feel a lot less unpleasant. Are you good company, Ravenkit? If you are, then feel free to lend a paw. If not, then I would appreciate it if you sat outside so I could clean up this mess."

She was intelligent, sharp, and Lionstar had made the mistake of treating her like a normal kit. Sometimes it wasn't a cat's natural inclination for mischief that drove them into the leader's den without permission - but a show of their intelligence. Ravenkit was bored, and though Lionstar was not about to give the kitten an early apprentices' ceremony, he knew he could break up the boring routine of her nursery days simply through interacting. So he gave her the option, the choice to stay or to go.

leader of TreeClan

447 Words | Silver | notes

so alive | background image | table by phoenix

[Silver]

TreeClan - Kit - 3 Moons

Orange eyes widened in surprised shock at the mention that she'd been right about something. She had expected him to snap at her and refuse to acknowledge the stench that offended her so, but he had simply started looking for it with her; even finding it and making an unsuspecting Warrior do away with it for him. That bit had been highly amusing, but she was still surprised by the behavior of this adult next to her. She noted that he'd realized and then acknowledged that she wasn't like other kits. She wasn't here in this place to cause trouble, she was just bored was all and that he'd noticed was...curious.

Black ears tilted forward at the mention of Apprentice duties once more and a small, surprised sound left her. Words left her mouth before she could think of a way to make them snarky and rude first. "Y-you...you're giving me a choice? Really? You aren't just going to demand I return to the Nursery so you can do whatever it is everyone else finds more important than stopping for half a second to actually listen to me? Why? What for? I don't get it!" Her words rang with a sense of sadness that spoke of the many times she'd been rejected by others simply because she was young and because of whom her parents were. Wasn't he going to be the same as them? He didn't like her, right?

He couldn't like her, right? Because she was the kit of Magpiewing and Mockingbird. No one really liked her. They thought she was just the same as her parents and they thought she couldn't hear them speak of how terrible she would be once she was grown. They expected her to cause trouble, and she wasn't really interested in doing so, she just wanted them to listen! What was so wrong about that?

I know I'd better stop trying - You know that there's no denying - I won't show mercy on you now

Word Count | 315 - Tags | Fawn

[Fawn]

LionstAr

blinded by the light of a new sun
take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem

That she was so surprised to be treated like an apprentice rather than a kit, to be treated like someone whose voice and opinions mattered, was a testament to perhaps how... unfriendly some of their Clanmates were being. Lionstar, for all his grudges against her grandsire and his own personal issues with Mockingbird & Sootmask, felt a protectiveness roused within him. It didn't matter what he thought of her kin; she still deserved to be treated like a member of TreeClan - because that's what she was.

"Because you have a voice, Ravenkit." He mewed, fluctuating between seriousness and humor. "A voice that deserves to be heard, and if our conversation thus far has been any indication, a sharp mind. I will always give credit where credit is due. You are a part of this Clan, whether very young or very old, all cats deserve to be treated with respect." While waiting for the kit to come to a decision, Lionstar began to tackle the messy moss situation.

Wadding up the stale vegetation, he used his wide paws to push it all together, bits of dried up dirt crumbling to the floor of his den as he worked. Though his paws were obviously kept busy, so too were his thoughts. He would have to pay better attention to those kits from now on; if they were being mistreated, then he was going to put a stop to that abuse faster than Ravenkit could say 'mouse'.

The smart thing to do would be to approach Mockingbird or Magpiewing, to ask them if they've noticed any mistreatment towards their kits on behalf of the other queens, kits or even visiting warriors and apprentices. He was a little reluctant to speak to Mockingbird. Magpiewing, however, though he seemed to have flaws all his own, seemed a bit more approachable. He would talk to him.

leader of TreeClan

308 Words | Silver | notes

so alive | background image | table by phoenix

[Silver]

TreeClan - Kit - 6 Moons

Bright orange eyes stared at the tom before her as he began to work on his task, and she really didn't know what to say for once. He thought she...mattered? That her opinion mattered? She didn't...that was to say...No one else had ever thought that way about her. Her brothers tried to act like they were so cute and cuddly and like all the other kits, but for Ravenkit she just couldn't. She wanted...so much. And none of them really saw her, not at all. Maybe that was why her parents let her sneak away from the Nursery so often; because she didn't doubt that at least one of them had seen her doing so as observant as they were. So she wasn't sure how she felt about Lionstar treating her so...nicely. It made her heart clench and filled her with an emotion she didn't want to name. She was sort of...upset about it. Not at Lionstar but at the thought that he was actually being kind to her.

Eventually she made a choice, and what she did next was more the action of a lonely kit than anything else. Her ears flattened to her skull and her tail dropped as she moved slowly, cautiously, towards Lionstar. Her steps were silent as ever and after a long moment of staring at him she leaned forward and licked his shoulder before rubbing her little head against him as a tiny, broken purr left her. She was quick to back away from him, her head down and eyes downcast as if expecting a reproach for being affectionate in any way towards him. She didn't normally do things like this, after all. Orange eyes were wide and a sort of caution was clear in them; giving him a hint as to just how badly she was being treated by some of her clan-mates. She gave as good as she got most times, but she was still just a kit and it did hurt her feelings that they all seemed to hate her for no reason; even if she did hide it very well.

Her small body vibrated with tension and the expected sharp words, but she kept her head down and started pulling at the old moss and clearing it away with her smaller paws; which was much easier for her to do considering the alternative. She quietly focused on her task and cleared the old bedding; piling it up neatly behind her as she went so it was easier to remove once they were done. Eventually her pride returned and with it some of her courage. She straightened her body back up, ears flicking forwards as her body settled more into a sort of ready awareness of her surroundings and stopped looking so much like she was waiting to be struck down. She wasn't going to cower, consequences or no. She wasn't a coward, she wouldn't act like one! If he thought to attack her, she was darkly colored and knew the shadows better than most. She would run.

I know I'd better stop trying - You know that there's no denying - I won't show mercy on you now

Word Count | 513 - Tags | Fawn

[Fawn]

LionstAr

blinded by the light of a new sun
take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem

A half-astonished purr rumbled forth, Lionstar's whiskers twitching as he watched the coal-colored kitten rub the top of her head against him. Most kits liked him (usually), and he considered himself a protective, nurturing force that many cats could rely on - or at least he tried to be. This was something else, though; this was a neglected kit who had, perhaps for the first time in a while, spoken with someone who considered her important.

Before Lionstar could wrap his tail around her in a returning hug, Ravenkit had backed away - with the posture of a cat fearing reprimand. Then, just when he thought he couldn't be surprised further, Ravenkit started helping him clear out the bedding. He worked alongside her in contented silence, watching the black kitten out of the corners of his eyes even as his oversized paws worked to wad up the moss. It was, admittedly, a much easier task for other cats - and Ravenkit was done even before he was.
"Thank you," rumbled the golden tom. "You've made this go much faster. Now, if you swear to stay close, we can take these away from camp." After I ask your mother for permission.

Even if he didn't particularly like Mockingbird, he wasn't going to abuse his authority just to avoid dealing with them. With an encouraging smile, the large tom left the den, pushing the moss-wads out of the ancient stump where they were no longer of any use. It felt good to fill his lungs with fresh air, Ravenkit likely felt the same - her sense of smell was rather sharp.

Spotting a dark gray shape flitting through TreeClan's camp like a spectre, Lionstar held his breath, at once disquieted by how much Mockingbird continuously reminded him of her father. With a twitching ear, he signaled for her to approach - not that he needed to, she was already on her way to join them.

"I was beginning to worry, Ravenkit." Spoke the gray queen, her tongue rasping over the black kitten's ears as if to reassure herself no ill had befallen Ravenkit. Only after this did she look at Lionstar. "Was she in your den?"

"Yes, but she was helping me clear out the old bedding. She's been a great help. I am going to take this old moss out of camp, but I would appreciate an extra set of paws." Lionstar's tone was calm, collected. He was making a strong effort not to appear cold to her - not in front of Ravenkit.

Mockingbird purred, and though the sound set him on edge, they were both staying cordial - though she'd never been anything less with him. Never. But he couldn't shake that feeling...

"That would be fine." Mockingbird laid her tail over her daughter's back. "Mind your manners, Ravenkit, and don't wander off."

leader of TreeClan

478 Words | Silver | notes

so alive | background image | table by phoenix