Finding Rainkit (Open)

(( Hi everyone! This is my first post, but I'm super excited to be part of the site! This is the intro for my character, Rainkit, and its open to anyone who wants to join in :) I would like to say that my posts aren't usually long-- I average one paragraph, but I get carried away with intros/origin stories. So don't be scared by the length! ))


"Mama!" A small kit mewed at his mother's side, but she didn't respond. The kit's eyes, a pool of blues and greens mingling and mixing together, shimmered with sadness and fear. "Mama, wake up!" She didn't respond. The kit reached a shaking paw out and prodded her side gently. "Mama..." Her fur wasn't warm, though-- there was no blood rushing through her veins, he couldn't feel her heartbeat at all. The kit wailed with sadness-- he knew she was sick, but just the day before, she had been happily grooming his fur. How was he to know that it was this bad? He could have done something... Though, he had no idea what. He was too small to venture out alone-- he would be easy prey for something larger and hungrier than himself, and he knew that. It was a reality he had been forced to accept despite his young age of 4 moons-- he had seen his two siblings meet a terrible fate after wandering away, and ever since, had stuck close to his mother, who defended him fearlessly.
Now, she was dead. What was he to do? He didn't even know how to properly hunt for himself, he didn't know how to find good shelters.... After all, he was just a kit, of course he didn't know how to care for himself. Night was falling outside of the small den he was in-- he couldn't stay, though, he couldn't stand to be close to his mothers body. So, foolishly, he ran from the den and kept running as long as his short, uncoordinated legs would carry him. He kept running, until finding shelter in a small dip in the ground with an overhanging rock. He crammed his small body (which was covered with orange fur, which faded into dark oranges and browns on his back and white on his chest and chin) underneath the rock and shut his eyes tightly, willing whatever predators lurked nearby to leave him be.
The next morning, he woke feeling groggy and disoriented, stumbling from his hiding place. His belly rumbled painfully, and his paws ached from running. He spent most of the morning looking for prey, but was unable to catch anything. So, he continued wandering until night fell, but hadn't managed to catch so much as a mouse's tail. He hadn't even managed to stumble across any crowfood. He spent the following days in this manner, falling asleep on the third night starving, and aching all over, crammed under the roots of a large, looming tree with muddy, aching paws.

Lightningpaw had wandered off, the sky was sun on his back and brought the ever present feeling of weakness to his heart, after every other swaying branch that made an odd shadow he would look up with rueful eyes at the hawk he thought would be circling him. Perhaps the apprentice was loosing it, Ferretpaw was getting better, she would be ready for her ceremony soon, he was sure of it. The smell of death assaulted his nose and he tensed, looking around for the source. The mud made it hard but, he soon found the source. He looked at the queen, reeking of sickness. He fought the bile in his throat as another scent mingled in the air. A kit? Lightningpaw followed this newer, healthier scent to a root. The tom was sure he was loosing his sanity now, until he saw muddy orange fur under the twisting roots. Narrowed eyes soon came into view of the kit hidden in the roots, confusion would have been in his eyes if it weren't for the hostility they carried now.
"A bit far from home, aren't you?"

Rainbow blinked slowly as he looked up, searching for the source of the voice that had woken him. His surroundings were blurry, at first, and the whole world seemed to be moving under his paws. Even so, he slowly struggled to his paws, blinking until the cat in front of him came into focus. He was aware that he was being addressed with hostility, and he was frightened, but there was hope budding in his mind that maybe, just maybe, this cat could help him. "I don't know where I am." Rainbow mewed weakly, "I'm hungry, will you help me, please?"

Wildfang padded through the forest. It was darker than usual and the stars were so dim. Wildfang silently cursed the Dark Forest Cats for what was happening. Wildfang's ears perked up at a noise. The muscular Shadowclan Warrior turned toward a tree and blinked, his yellow eyes illuminated in the night?
"Oi, who goes there?" Wildfang called out. The tom moved forward slowly, hardly making a sound as a skunk toward the noise. Wildfang scented the air carefully, trying to pinpoint anything at all. Wildfang brought himself around the tree and what he stumbled upon surprised him, mentally and physically. Wildfang's paw caught on a soft ball of fur and flesh that sent the warrior crashing to the ground. Wildfang held his mouth but a loud exhale of breath escaped his mouth as he hit the ground. Eildfang scrambled back up quickly and spun around, only to now see the figure he had just tripped over.
"A kitten?" Wildfang groaned. Then he saw Lightningpaw and pure embarrassment enveloped him.

Rainbow let out a squeak of surprise when paws collided with his flank, and he, along with another unfamiliar cat, tumbled to the ground. If the first cat had said anything in response to his plea, he hadn't heard it. He pushed himself to his paws once more, looking a bit dizzy, now. "I'm sorry..." he mewed, taking a step backwards from the two cats now facing him. The second cat looked older, and seemed less hostile than the first. His hope that they might help him grew.

Lightningpaw blinked and looked at the warrior that had seemed to come out of nowhere. He flicked his tail and looked down at the kit. "Do you know where you are?" He asked rather flatly, if the kit did, they could get him home and get back to camp, simple. His expression lightened a bit when he realized that Wildfang tripped over a kit, that amusement made him look a lot less menacing.

Rainbow shook his head slowly. "I... I have no idea." He admitted, "My... Well, my mother was sick a-and she died, I've just been trying to find food." He had no idea what these cats were thinking of doing with him, but he only hoped that it involved a meal and somewhere sheltered from the elements to sleep.

Wildfang looked at Lightningpaw and gave a dangerous look of 'If you tell anyone, you're done for'. Wildfang looked at the kit.
"We can always take you in to our camp... We are in need of more kits," Wildfang mused aloud. He looked at Lightningpaw again, daring him to argue. Wildfang always had a soft spot for kits.

Rainbow didn't entirely understand what the older cat meant, but it sounded good. A camp, he thought, sounded like a place where he could rest, and maybe even eat. His stomach grumbled loudly, and he winced at the cramping feeling that followed. "Thank you," he mewed, looking ready to follow these two cats even though he was weak on his paws, "will we go there now?"

Wildfang nodded slightly. He could tell the kit was weak so he lowered his head and picked the kit up by his scruff. Wildfang beckoned with his tail for Lightningpaw to follow. Wildfang began to jog back through the trees towards the camp. After a bit, he finally reached the camp and he lowered the kit to the ground.
"You look old enough to eat prey, so I'll get you a lizard," Wildfang suggested and padded over to the fresh kill pile and picked up a lizard. He carried it back to the kit.
"I may have to talk to Thrushstar about you joining, and maybe see if one of our Queens can take you in until you're apprentices," Wildfang mewed quietly.

The lizard tasted a bit funny to Rainbow, who had never eaten a lizard before, but any food was welcome, so he devoured it quickly, already feeling some strength flowing back into his limbs. "Thank you." He mewed sincerely, "I'm feeling better already." Now that his stomach had some food in it, he looked around him at the camp. The smell of cats was strong here, and he realized that he was surrounded by more cats than he could ever remember. "So many cats..." He mewed softly, "Who is Thrushstar? Where are we?" His fur prickled with discomfort at the number at cats here. It almost felt as though they were so close that their fur was brushing his, pressing in on him...
He shook his head, trying to banish the feeling by peering up at Wildfang.

(( Question: Before I RP as "Rainkit" and start a scene up in which he's already a member of the clan, do I need to first RP a scene with Thrushstar where Thrushstar says he can stay? Or is it okay to skip over doing that scene? I'm sorry if it's a silly question, I'm just used to 1x1 RP's and I've never RP'ed on a site like this ))

OOC: No you don't. You can RP as Rainkit whenever you wish without getting an audience with Shadow AKA Thrushstar. It's not a silly question :) If you do happen to have any more questions, I'd love to answer!

IC: Wildfang smiled politely and sat down.
"Thrushstar is our leader. He watches over us, leads us to battle and technically represents us. And as to where we are, this is Shadowclan camp. Shadowclan is one of the five clans, and the best one. Other than us, there is Windclan, Thunderclan, Skyclan and Riverclan. This is where we all live. The warriors den and Apprentice's Dens are over there, then there's the Nursery and the Medicine Cat Den. Lastly, there is the Elder's den. The apprentices usually care for the Elders along with the Medicine Cats," Wildfang mewed.

(( Thank you so much! :D I appreciate it a lot :) ))

Rainbow listened intently to the explanation. He knew that he would have much to learn, but he was beginning to understand the basics of where he was, and he knew that he wanted to be a part of it-- after all, for one thing, it was likely his only chance of surviving. And beside that, he liked the idea of living in one place, surrounded by the same cats all the time, with a warm place to sleep and food to eat. This, he thought, would be much better than his old life. "Thank you." He mewed gratefully, "I hope that I can join this, um... Clan." He looked around the camp for a moment, then slowly walked over to a shaded, empty-looking part of camp to sit down and wait until he could speak to Thrushstar.

Lightningpaw didn't give Wildfang's look any thought, trotting along towards camp. When they arrived, he went to the clearing, watching Rainbow go off to a corner. He cleared his throat to get the kit's attention, inviting him to sit by him.

Rainbow's ear twitched when he heard the other cat who had been with them clear his throat. With slight reluctance, Rainbow got up and walked over, taking a seat beside him, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth. "S-So, what's your name?" He asked, not looking up to meet his eyes.