Swiftly through the Smoke [closed]

Smokepelt padded through the territory, enjoying the silence of being alone. It wasn't that he disliked being with his clanmates, but sometimes a patrol alone was nice. The tom had spent most of the morning patrolling and marking the borders and now decided to catch some prey for the clan. With everything going on with the Darkforest, and just times in general, a good hunt would surely take the deputy's mind off of all his worries.

Not long after he searched the open moor, Smokepelt had caught two rabbits and buried them for when he would return home. Padding towards the Lone Stump, he thought it might be a good way to keep watch for prey or anything particularly strange. Hopping up onto the dead tree stump, the grey tom sat in silence, listening to the territory, his tail hanging off the side of the tree. A cool breeze ruffled his soft fur, and he gave a content purr. This was what life should always be like.

The skinny grey kit padded quietly around the territory he had wandered into looking for something, anything, to eat. Soon a delicious smell hit his nose and his belly grumbled at the though of eating whatever the smell was coming from. It smelled good, not like the already dead prey he's had to eat in the past, this smelled better. He started getting excited and quickly started following the scent eagerly, not noticing the smell of the other cat as he got closer to the source of the scent.

Letting out a purr, Smokepelt watched a pair of birds chase each other some ways in the distance. They seemed so happy and free, and it somewhat made him wish that life in the clans was still like that. Hearing the rustle of grass a few fox lengths ahead of his spot on the tree trunk, the grey tom laid down and flattened himself down on the trunk so what ever was coming his way would've spot him as easily.

OOC: mobile
IC: Soon he saw a stump but ignored it and continued towards the smell trying to imagine what it could be in his head. As he was trying to imagine what it was in his mind he wasn't paying attention and he tripped over a root that extended from the stump and poked out of the ground. "Oof." He groaned as he tumbled to the ground.

Watching in silence as the thing grew closer, Smokepelt was surprised to see a kit come out of the grass. Scenting the air just in case a queen was around, Smokepelt then looked back down to the kit when he realized the coast was clear. "Hello little one, what might you be doing here?" he meowed softly, peering his head over the side of the trunk, looking down at the kit with a soft smile, automatically curious.

The grey tom had just gotten back to his paws when he heard a voice, which startled him, making him jump. He hadn't even noticed the other tom sitting right there. He turned around to look at the bigger cat, trying to make himself appear brave and unafraid, hoping he was successful he mewed, "I.. I'm just looking for something to eat." He mewed cautiously. It didn't seem like the cat wanted to hurt him but he had been fooled before, so he kept his guard up ready to flee if he needed too.

Smokepelt tilted his head in a curious manner, noticing the kit looked somewhat frightened, and from where he was sitting, it was really obvious. "I can help you get food, but you seem to be a long way from home," The grey tom meowed softly, yet with a hint of sternness in his tone. "Where might you be from?" he meowed. Usually kits didn't just live in WindClan territory, and if this little cat did, a patrol would've found him by now, so he must be lost or a runaway.

The kit looked at his paws for a moment then backup to the tom. "I'm from.. my mother, I guess. She and my sister, uh.. died a couple moons ago trying to protect me from a.. fox, I think it was called." He mewed trying to hide the sadness in his eyes from the other tom.

Smokepelt couldn't really relate to the kit, but he understood that loosing family at such a young age was extremly hard to overcome. It wasn't unheard of that a fox would attack a helpless queen, and he couldn't imagine losing his mother to a ruthless creature like that. "I'm sorry for yor loss, do you know what clan you were in?"

OOC: I can't decide if Swiftkit should already be named Swiftkit, but he wasn't born in a clan so maybe he should have a rouge name? lol what do you think?

IC: The grey kit nodded when the tom said his condolences, "Thanks.." He mumbled. But when the cat got to the second part about "Clans" he was confused. "Clan? What do you mean?" He mewed, a confused expression on his face.

Ooc: I'd say have a rouge name for now.

Ic: The kit's reply answered his question, but he still needed to tell him what clans were. "Clans, they are a group of cats who live, hunt, and protect the young, together," Smokepelt started, trying to sugarcoat it so the small tom could understand. "There are five clans, and we each have our own territory," he added, but realized that there must be a better way to explain it, and an idea soon came to mind. Reaching down, the grey tom grabbed the kit by the scruff and lifted him onto the trunk, placing him down so they sat side by side, looking out onto WindClan territory.

"This is WindClan, everything in this wonderful moor is ours. Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As a WindClan cat, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping jack rabbit, even if it's prey," Smokepelt explained wisely, looking upon the territory. #LionKingReference lD

Shade nodded as the older cat explained to him what clans were but was a little startled when he was suddenly picked up and placed down on the stump, "Whoa!" he yelped in surprise, but soon a smile was planted on his face. He looked around at what he just learned was called Windclan Territory in awe. "Wow.." he murmured with his eyes wide. Shade nodded in understanding as the tom explained to him the balance of nature. He looked up at the bigger cat, eyes still shining in wonder, "Why are you telling me all this?" He asked curiously.

Glad that the small cat looked happy, Smokepelt let out a small sigh of relief. Why was he telling him this? The question repeated itself in the tom's head, until he finally spoke again. "Well, you don't seem to have a home or a family, so if you want to be a WindClan cat, better start learning now, right?" he meowed with a soft smile on his muzzle. Smokepelt's mate was gone, and they never did get to have any kits, so maybe if this cat wanted to join WindClan, he could finally have his own family, even if it was very small.

Shade smiled happily, "Can I really?!" he was nearly bouncing with excitement at the thought of not living alone anymore and maybe having this cat become his family.

"Of course! I will have to talk to our leader, Ashstar, but I'm sure she'll let you stay!" he meowed excitedly, almost wanting to bounce up and down like the kit, but stayed calm. Unlike some leaders, his mother wasn't one to turn down kits. "Now, you just need a name, hmm, how about... Swiftkit!" he meowed, lightly batting the small cat's head with his paw. "I can already tell that you'll be an excellent hunter, swift like the wind that blows across the moors," Smokepelt thought this name suited the young cat very well and hoped that he would like it too.