A Reluctant Conversation (Closed for Amber)

Leopardpaw, his golden spotted fur gleaming in the cloudy sunlight, padded in through the camp entrance. He had just been out training with Grasswhisker, and he was starving. Grabbing a mouse off of the top of the pile, he began to pad back towards his favorite secluded corner; a gap between two patches of grass near the nursery.

Tucking into the succulent fresh-kill, he gazed around the busy camp with narrowed eyes. There were not many cats in his adoptive clan that he felt comfortable talking to. Only Mottledwing, Grasswhisker.....that's it. Blacktwig and Emberheart were nice too, but they were usually busy with warrior or queen duties.

Brushing off the depressing thoughts, he continued to quietly eat his meal.

Lichenkit was just starting to get used to clan life and she kinda liked it. She smiled as she glanced to her foster mother before she looked to the entance of the nursery. The white grey and ginger kit bounced out of the nursery before she looked around and saw Leopardpaw. With a small flick of her tail she came over.

Leopardpaw heard paw-steps approaching, but he didn't look up from his meal. He figured it was just a kit or queen walking by to join the raucous group of warriors chatting in the clearing. Curling his long tail around the side of his body, he began to finish off the small rodent, not knowing that Lichenkit was near.

Lichenkit blinked and crept forward smiling some. She moved to his tail and crouched. She then leapt and landed on his tail before glancing to Leopardpaw with moss green eyes

A surprised hiss erupted from Leopardpaw's maw as he felt something pounce on his tail.  Jumping up, his fur on end and fangs bared, he prepared to shoot some harsh words his disputer's way; but once he looked down into wide green eyes he felt bad.  

Taking a deep breath, Leopardpaw forced his fur down and lowered himself onto his haunches.  If it had been any other kit, they would have received a sharp bap on the nose....but Lichenkit was different.  

Ever since he was found her abandoned in the woods of their territory he had felt a sympathetic connection with the young molly.  They had both found their home in similar predicaments, and he had to admit it was nice knowing that he wasn't the only outsider now.  

"Er..hi Lichenkit.  Y..you startled me."  Smiling down kindly at the kit, he laid back down before finishing his statement.  "Sorry if I scared you."

Lichenkit blinked and jumped as he had hissed and bared his teeth. She cringed slightly fur ruffled and eyes wife and fearful for a moment. She watched as realization came over him and his fur relaxed and he looked at kindly. "Sorry...I didn't mean to I just wanted to catch your tail"she mewed straightening herself out and calming down."It's...fine I should have startled you"she mewed and flicked her tail.

His heart beating a little faster than normal, Leopardpaw tried to calm himself down. Licking his shoulder soothingly, he tried to suppress his irritation toward the young kit. I hate being taken by surprise; has she no manners? Gazing down into the kit's wide green eyes, he felt his frustration begin to fade. She's only a kit, what can you expect?

After her apology, the golden spotted tom flashed her a quick smile. Feeling bad for scaring the young kit, he moved his tail away from his body and began to move it. Jerking and twisting his appendage like an adder, he pretended not to notice his own action, to give the kit the excitement of 'surprising' him.

Lichenkit smiled a bit once again calm before she caught the movement of his tail and she blinked flicking her gray ear she crouched smiling watching the tail move about like an adder. She smiled tail whisking back and for before she leapt after it attempting to catch his tail again.

Right before Lichenkit pinned his tail to the ground, he whisked it up in the air, and dangled it a little ways above her head. Twitching his tail tip, Leopardpaw grinned as he baited the young she-cat, wanting her to leap for her target.

The young tom was not used to playing with others like this; he had had a very lonely kithood, with only his foster mother to talk to. He was a bit inexperienced when dealing with other cats around his age or younger. Even now, the tom was anxious for fear he would mess up somehow.

Lichenkit had been leaping and pouncing about to catch his tail. She was a bit engrossed in trying to catch it She didn't know that Leopardpaw was doing it intentionally. She crouched before she leapt again but just as she thought she had his tail pinned down it shot from her grip and dangled over her head. She looked up at it smiling happily. She bunched her self up and leapt up for his tail tip.

Letting out a amused chuckle at the she-cat's antics, he continued to raise his tail up and down, gradually keeping it out of the kit's leaping grasp. Not wanting to infuriate the kitten though, he let his guard slip and lowered his tail closer to her head. Purring, he realized that he was thoroughly enjoying this little game. If only I could have done this when I was young....

Lichenkit watched as his tail lowered and with an excited jump she grabbed a hold it it purring happily as she caught it. She then blinked and looked at Leopardpaw.

Leopardpaw let out an amused purr as the small calico finally caught his tail. "Good job Lichenkit!" He gently pulled his tail out from underneath her tiny paws, and once again curled it around his body.

"So, how do you like living in ThunderClan?" Leopardpaw smiled kindly down at the she-kit while he adjusted his body into a more comfortable position.

She blinked and purred happily before she settled herself down and looked at Leopardpaw."I love it here..."She mewed smiling some

"I'm glad. ThunderClan is the best place to be...." Leopardpaw trailed off, wondering if he should tell Lichenkit about his past, and how he got to ThunderClan. He had never talked about his situation before with anyone besides his two close friends; but he felt the young kit deserved to know that they were so much alike.

"And do you know why ThunderClan is the best?" Looking down at his paws, he meowed with a mix of pride and sadness, "Because they take in cats in need, like you....and me."