Birds and Butterflies [C]

The sun beat down on RiverClan as it reached its midway point across the sky. Many cats opted to go out fishing or just stay in their dens today, as the heat didn't lend itself well to dry land activities. Woolykit, being short-furred and rather reflective of heat, was instead making the most of the weather and playing outside. He'd found a rather large butterfly, one of the orange ones with black spots. Or was it black with orange spots? He wasn't quite sure, but this was definitely the biggest he'd seen so far. And, it being Greenleaf, he'd seen a lot of butterflies. He followed the fluttering insect across camp, occasionally pouncing on it before letting it go again.

It was on his third lap around camp that he began to tire of the weakening butterfly. He pinned it down again, examining it. "You're very pretty, Miss, but very slow. I'm letting you go now, so you can go meet with your butterfly friends. They can teach you to go faster, I bet. I saw a teeeeny yellow butterfly and he was very fast, much faster than you. I'd go ask him for help, okay?" He lifted his paws and the butterfly flew out of his field of vision, though he'd remember what she looked like. She was a very pretty butterfly, it'd be a shame to forget. He looked around, suddenly aware of the fact that someone had been watching him- a reddish brown she-cat he'd never seen before. RiverClan, he was finding out, was much bigger when one left the nursery. Judging by her size, she was a warrior. Woolykit was good at guessing ages now. Mother told him that the older a cat was than him, the more Manners he had to use. He checked that his fur wasn't unkempt (a word he'd learned from Mother that meant 'sticky uppy') and approached the warrior. "Hello, miss. My name's Woolykit, nice-to-meet-you. Do you like butterflies?"

Kitespring sat in the middle of camp, seemingly lost in her own mind. She loved moving around flowers, but when she couldn't do that, she made stories up in her head. She had come up with numerous stories in her own head, her favorite being one she had called Detective Pikepaw.

It was a story about a RiverClan deputy named Stormgaze. She left on a solo patrol to patrol the borders before noticing a spatial rift near the Thunderpath. Noticing two rotting Dark Forest cats meeting in the world of the living, she made a beeline to warn the clan. However, the Dark Forest found out - and they dealt her lethal wounds.

However, she didn't die. Instead of succumbing to her wounds, she decided to eat berries she didn't recognize, assuming she would die peacefully and reach StarClan. However, these berries did something different. Her wounds magically healed, like she was given a life by StarClan, except she also shrunk to apprentice age.

Since she had gone missing, it would be tough for her to eventually get back in, but she was able to convince the leader - and close friend - that she was who she said she was. Being given the apprentice name Pikepaw, she was given a mentor named Minnowfoot, a bumbling idiot of a warrior who Pikepaw had to guide to do anything productive. Meanwhile, she tries to figure out the Dark Forest's plan - using a network of cats across the five clans to spot any spatial rifts forming in any of the territories - and stop them from taking over the clans.

Honestly, there were many things wrong with the idea, but it at least seemed to be pretty entertaining. She was in the process of brainstorming ideas when Woolykit approached her. "Oh!" she said, a little surprised. She didn't expect for someone to approach her, least of all a kit. "I'm Kitespring. It's nice to meet you, Woolykit."

Butterflies... "Butterflies are very pretty," she said. "They come in many different colors, don't they?" Honestly, the russet she-cat didn't know what else to say to Woolykit. "Would you like to hear a story I've made up? I've been working on it in my head." That seemed good enough. Woolykit would probably enjoy a story. Or maybe not. She didn't know. "If not, that's fine too."

Woolykit smiled at Kitespring, happy that she seemed okay with him approaching her. Sometimes cats just wanted to be left alone, and Woolykit was careful not to approach cats like that, but sometimes he got it wrong and then the other cat was unhappy with him. That wasn't the case here, though, as Kitespring appeared quite happy to talk to him. "They are! I've seen lots of different colours of butterflies. I've seen yellow, blue, orange... I just saw a big orange and black one! She was very big, but very slow."

His eyes widened when she mentioned having a story for him. Yes! Usually he had to ask very nicely for a story. It wasn't often he got told one just because! He nodded fervently. Oh, yes please! What's it about? Does it have lots of fighting?"