Slow Triumphs (Opennn)

 Bat stood happily stood on a flat rock, the sun peered through some of the clouds in a large gap and gave them enough warmth to not complain. He was truly amazed by Pepper's recovery. It took time, patience and lots of work but it was all worth it. Among the heather stood the cat that he hoped to call his mate eventually.

 Pepper pawed at the heather stalks, lashing out with one paw. After many grueling days spent venturing out to gain her strength again, she was decently quick. She could keep up with a cat's walk no without much problem. Now, she was working on lasting longer. Her hind legs still were never going to allow her to walk normally but her still intact legs were strong than ever. Being forced to use only the two, she could give a nasty strike and now could hunt some of the barn's mice if they were cornered. Her specialty being her ability to drag a mouse from its burrow even in the limited space her paws were strong enough for that sort of hunting. The two cats had begun making burrows to store herbs as well. Some dug under floorboards but the herbs that the mice would eat were still stored high above. She was still in the springy plants while Bat stood on the stones, soon she pulled herself with now, ease, up the rock face and grinned. 

 Bat nuzzled her and smiled, flicking his tail before scenting the air. Prey was still active here, the thick moss and heather must attract them often. "We deserve a bit of prey hm?"

 Pepper nodded, "I think we do, I've worked up quite the appetite you know." she mewed and he was off.

Bat crept among the grasses, tail low and eyes wide as he moved. A lapwing was near. He pushed himself forward swiftly running until he pounced striking the bird and biting its neck. He carried the bird to the rocks that they had rested on and dropped it, sitting down.

 Pepper chuckled, Bat's fur always got messy no matter when he hunted, it got ruffled. She sat and lowered her head to bite and pick at the feather before tearing at the bird.

"I dare you to eat that!" Yarrowkit smiled triuphantly over his brother, his tawny fur fluffed up by the wind.


"But that looks gross!" Beetlekit complained, eyeing the brown moss gathered on a stone in frlnt of the two beothers, which they of course did not know it was 'moss'. The tom gook a shy bite of it and spat it out, due to its yucky taste.


"You dummy fur-ball." the slightly older brother announced as he bounced forward, abandonning the rock and the weird green plant.


The two toms had snuck out of the nursery in WindClan earlier that day, due to the generally compelling outcome of a simple game of dares. Yarrowkit led the way through the moorland as they enjoyed the first truly warm day since the moment they had been born. Together, the kits had managed to cover a surprising distance for their size.


As from their young age, they could not scent out the two rogues nearby, even thougt they were heading towards them, and only when they were close enough did Beetlekit scent the air nervously with his tiny snout and shhot his brother a warning look. The tawny tom ignored his dark-pelted sibling and continued through the thick plants, eventually tscra bling ln a rock and finding himself face to face with Bat and Pepper.


"Rogues? In my territory? Yeah, sure! I'ma chase you two off 'til you never consider coming back, freaks!" the hot-headed kit fired up, his fure rising and his eyes shining with expectation of a grand fight which he would win. Beetlekit edged nervously behkng his brother, uhsure if the determination of his older sibling was wel, put in their meeting.

Bat gave them both unimpressed looks, and leaned down to take a bite of the prey.

Pepper purred at the two kits, they were too cute to be mad at or scared of. She smiled. "You're a ways from home, aren't you?" She mewed kindly.

Midnight was chasing a rabbit out on the grassy fields while this was happening. As her claws sunk in she cried. "Aha! Gotcha' now!" she ran back to the older cats and sat down a bit further away letting them have some alone time as she chomped on her rabbit.

Yarrowkit and Beetlekit were both surprised by the multitude of cats, rogues, around them. "That's it, I'm telling Smokepelt, and he is going to crack your jaws like he did to that fish-breath apprentice!" Yarrowkit announced furiously.

Bat was interested now, looking up at the two kits. "You're proud of that? Was if it were him? Would you be happy if this Smokepelt broke his jaw?" He flicked his tail towards Bettlekit. Was this how clans really were? What about that code the preached whenever they spotted him?

Midnight got up from eating her rabbit and padded over to Bat and Pepper. "No need to be so harsh." she whispered . "They're probably just messin' aroun' with you." Her eyes darted back and forth between the kits and Bat. Then she turned to the kits, "Shouldn't you be in camp? IT's breaking the warrior code."

Yarrowkit froze, his mouth slightly open. Did that cat imply be would like to see Beetlekit with a broken jaw. His younger brother, his ears flat against  his head, looked at Bat with fright and insecurity. The tawny tom, booling with anger, rammed himself with all of his force into the black cat's paws, trying to franatically scratch him.

Beetlekit looked up at the third rogue who had joined them. "Suppose so. But it's boring, so we went out. Yarrowkit said it's very fun out here. He made me eat some yucky green thing from a rock, and I made him roll in a puddle." the kit meowed, tilting his head to the second kit, who was struggling to pin down Bat's tail.

Bat looked down at Yarrowkit before standing and flicking his tail out of reach. The tall cat sighed. "Okay hothead, calm down..." He said, trying his hardest not to laugh at the sudden burst of energy. He picked up the kit by the scruff and dropped him back in the heather by the rocks.

Pepper looked over at Bat, taking her attention off the prey they were sharing. A purr rumbled from her throat before she looked at Beetlekit. "I see... So, how is it out here then?" She asked, she couldn't help it. She had always loved kits.

Midnight had learnt some things about the clan from Dawnpaw and decided to be silent and listen. Personally she was interested too.

Sage chuckled at the two kits, and began to chow down on a rabbit. The tom had grown considerably since he'd joined Bat and Pepper, and now, he was looking almost warrior sized - well, as large as he ever would be. He'd always been on the shorter side.
"Ha, don't bother trying to fight Bat and Pepper. Us rouges are super scary!" he teased. Though they were Clan cats, he'd always have a soft spot for the little ones.