This is Where I Belong (Open)

Violetkit was sitting in front of the nursery, her greenish-yellow eyes following a small white butterfly that was fluttering through the camp. Her ears flicked forwards then backwards, listening to the area around her. Violetkit's big black nose twitched, sending a vibration through her whiskers. She stood up, watching the butterfly finally leave the camp. I wonder what it's like out there. She thought wistfully her green eyes gleaming with wonder. She pawed at the ground impatiently, soon, I'll be out there with that butterfl- Her thoughts shifted to a falling leaf. "Oh, hello there..." She purred, reaching out to it with her paw. She tapped it lightly, watching it float up into the air before gliding down, where she could bat at it again and again. The leaf had led her towards the exit. She quickly reminded herself that she wouldn't have to wait much longer, but she can't leave now. She sat down, staring at the trail out into the moors. Paw prints were set into the dry, cracked dirt, it reminded her of how hot it was. She sniffed the warm air, shaking her thick fur. I was born here, I'm gonna become a warrior here, I can't run away, that's the rules. She told herself angrily. She searched the area for a new object to play with...

"Feather!"

She pounced on it instantly, her playful mind making her bat it around, and anytime the wind blew the feather closer to the exit, she found herself pushing it back to the nursery, where she, and this feather belonged until she became an apprentice. "That's how it works feather!" She mewed, batting it. "You have to stay in camp until you're an apprentice-" She snatched it from the wind, holding it down and biting it. "-and you're definitely still a kit, like me!" She paused for a moment. "Actually I have no way of telling if you're a kit like I am, but if you're not, let's pretend you are!" She she began nibbling the feather again, completely unaware of her surroundings.

Ever since Dandelionkit and Violetkit's arrivals into camp, the medicine cat found herself longing for them to be in her sight range, as to keep an eye on them. Some protective instinct kept her looking over her shoulder daily, desperate for the she-kits to stay where she could see them. At the moment, she was laid in front of her den, dock, burdock, and marigold leaves in front of her, doing her daily sorting. After all, herbs wouldn't organize themselves, ad even if Aspenheart were here his untidy method would only make it harder to find what she was searching for.

So, soft blue hues trained on the small gray mass, her paws unconsciously orted the herbs into three piles. A small smile laced her maw as she watched young Violetkit capture a feather and informed it of the Clan's customs.

Informing herself that the feather had to be dead or unconscious after she had, rather roughly, kept it away from the camp's exit, she entered the nursery and tucked the white feather under her moss-bed. She, of course, had swiped the feather one more time to make sure it wouldn't run away. As she proudly stepped out of the nursery, she spotted Softbreeze just inside of the medicine den, keeping her watchful blue eyes trained on Violetkit. She purred, Softbreeze had been close to her ever since she could remember, so she made her way over. "Did you see how I clearly took care of that pesky feather?" She asked, her green eyes brightly shining. "There was no way it could've possibly escaped me!" She tilted her head after a small pause. "Don't you think I'll be a fantastic hunter? Are you proud of me?" Oh dear, what will I do if my bestest friend isn't proud of me? Worry flicked in the kit's eyes for about a second, before telling herself that the cat she was talking to would never not be proud of her.

Dandelionkit had slept soundly, curled under the gorse next to Wildflower, and had woken slowly and then all at once – suddenly alert when she felt a brush of air as the foliage was disturbed and then the patter of feet on the packed earth underneath the bush. She scrambled clumsily onto her little white paws in time to see the tail of a fluffy grey kitten disappearing out into the sunshine.

Blinded after the gentle gloom under the leaves, she blinked furiously, looking around for something familiar. She saw Softbreeze sorting through a pile of herbs and the mist-furred kitten talking animatedly to the medicine cat.

She had the face of a kitten maybe a moon younger than Dandelionkit – she must have been born while Dandelionkit was learning with Softbreeze – but she was plump and tall and obviously clan-born, easily dwarfing Dandelionkit’s small, delicate kittypet build. 

Trying not to be intimidated, she padded quietly over with a soft little mew of greeting and watched the two cats carefully, blue eyes round with interest.

As Violetkit disappeared inside the nursery, Softbreeze let out a soft chuckle. Kits, please treasure your youthful innocence while it lasts.. She thought shaking her small head gently side-to-side, amusement in her gaze. As quickly as she'd disappeared, Violetkit was back and bubbly, bouncing up to her. Purring, the medicine cat lowered her head and licked Violetkit lovingly behind her ears, nodding as the she-kit proposed a question.

"Oh yes," murmured the gentle molly in agreeance, "That feather was taught a very clear lesson on Clan hierarchy. I'm sure its learned its lesson and won't even dream of leaving the nursery until its clearly six moons old." Softbreeze insisted, purring ferociously. "The best the Clan's seen in moons. Why, you'll be as great as Finchstar himself! I knew him, you know. He'd be very proud."

Every kit in WindClan had heard the tale of Finchstar, the brave leader of the moors before Ravenstar, who'd died protecting his Clan and the whole forest from the clutches of the evil Righteous Few, who wished to purge the Clans of those they deemed code-breakers. His message of love would live on forever in the hearts of all of WindClan, Softbreeze was certain. He was a hero. A hero of the moor. Downtuft complained to her often of kits nagging him for tales of the glory of his mentor, but Softbreeze knew her brother secretly adored being able to relive Finchstar's words to the young of the Clan.

Her reminiscing was cut abruptly as she heard a mew and turned her head to notice a tiny white shape making her way gingerly over. "Oh, Dande!" Softbreeze purred in delight, turning to Violetkit, "Violetkit, this is Dandelionkit." Introductions aside, the partly tabby molly stretched each ringed foreleg before standing up and giving Dandelion a lick on the head, similar to which she'd given Violetkit.

(OOC: I think Dandelionkit might be older than Violetkit since Dandelionkit was roleplayed before her)
IC: She lifted her head as Softbreeze licked behind her ears, before listening to the medicine cat's answer to her question.

Violetkit's muzzle twitched into a smile as Softbreeze told her that even Finchstar was proud of the thick-furred kit. She was about to turn around when she saw a big white thing come up next to her and mewed. She tilted her head at the kit. "Oh! I saw you sleeping in the nursery, hello!" Her tail flicked. "You're not much of a talker, are you?" She asked the blue-eyed kit. "You have to be excited to be an apprentice, I mean, every cat I've talked to said that it'd be soon, but I dunno how soon 'soon' is." She purred. "So we've just gotta wait until it's that great time where we go and have our ceremony!" The plump kit trotted near to the almost-empty fresh kill pile. "When I become a warrior, this pile will be all filled up! Softbreeze knows! Tell her how good I was!" Violetkit raised her tail and turned her head to the older cat. "You saw me!" She looked at the white kit. "Oh! Softbreeze already told you but I'm Violetkit! Y'know those pretty flowers on the... moors..." Her voice became dreamy as she thought about running across the moors, at least it'd be an escape from the heat. And the camp. She found herself looking up at the sky and she shook her head. "Yeah, that's what I was named after." There was a bit of hesitation as she said this, but it was so subtle that it was barely heard.

(ooc: oops paradox)