New Adventures [c]

Sunkit rolled onto his back, looking up at the weak, late leaf-fall sun. The ground was hard and cold underneath his fur, and a breeze passed through that made the young tom shiver. He put his paws up and positioned them as if he was the one holding up the sun, and giggled to himself.

He couldn’t figure out what to do with himself, and anytime he was left alone with his thoughts for too long, he started getting restless, thinking too much of his parents and where they might’ve gone. Sunkit tilted his head back, once again scanning the camp from his upside-down angle to find something to do. It was then that he spotted the warrior.

It was rare that a warrior was not only by themselves but also not preoccupied with already talking to someone or performing clan duties. While Sunkit was not entirely above bugging his clanmates even when they’re busy, he does feel a little bad distracting them when they’re working. So an unoccupied warrior was an opportunity Sunkit was not about to let go to waste. He rolled back onto his stomach quickly and trotted right over.

“Hi there!” He chirped, circling the warrior curiously as he looked him over. “What’s your name? My name’s Sunkit. Are you busy? Do you have a minute?” He asked eagerly.

Hawkshriek

Hawkshriek was simply resting in camp, grooming himself clean after a trip out hunting. Fortunately, it didn't seem like the two-legs they escaped from that day followed them back... But two-legs were mysterious, and they could never be too sure. A chirp, and more mews coming from a small figure snapped him out of his thoughts, and the warrior stopped, giving the kit a warm smile in greeting. "Hello, Sunkit! I'm Hawkshriek. And no, I'm not busy. Quite free, actually. Is there anything you need?" For a rare opportunity, the warrior was finally free, and he'd gladly interact more with his younger clanmates. They grow quickly, after all.

Sunkit beamed, finishing his excited circling until he was in front of Hawkshriek, crouching down with his tail twitching happily. “Good!” He declared with a grin. “I need to become a super strong warrior super fast,” He tells Hawkshriek matter-of-factly. “Can you teach me some cool warrior things? Like how to hunt,” Sunkit demonstrates by pouncing on a nearby leaf, “Or how to fight!” He grinned and looked up at Hawkshriek hopefully. He also just...sort of wanted to play, of course, but he needed to learn warrior skills as fast as possible!

Hawkshriek

"Oh? I love ya spirit, kit! But ya know what a good trait that makes up a good warrior is?" Hawkshriek would grin, pausing a bit for added dramatic effect before speaking again. "Patience. You'll learn to be an excellent apprentice, and soon a warrior in no time. But for now, just keep making sure that you'll be prepared for your apprenticeship, alright? You'll learn to hunt and battle well in your time as an apprentice, and use it wisely."

Hawkshriek would know that Sunkit was still a kit — and of course, he wouldn't disappoint him without a little game. Perhaps, he'd entertain the kit a bit more. "But I know how waiting can be boring, so I'll teach you a little something. A crouch, alright? Here, watch me closely." And he would crouch, stalking a leaf slowly and carefully — before pouncing on it and grabbing it between his jaws, like a real prey. "Like that! But these are just leaves. With real prey, ya gotta be much more careful."

Sunkit held his head high as Hawkshriek said he liked his spirit; he liked his spirit! That must mean that he was doing something right. Still, he pouted a little at the mention of the oh-so-dreaded patience. No matter how often the adults around him told him to be patient, Sunkit just hadn’t mastered the art yet. He didn’t think he ever would. Waiting was so annoying!

Oh, and it seemed Hawkshriek agreed on that idea, at least, even if he insisted upon the necessity of it. Sunkit’s ears pricked back up, and he nodded eagerly at the offer to learn a lesson. A real warrior’s crouch! Sunkit smiled crookedly, oversized snaggle teeth showing themselves as he watched with delight.

Immediately after Hawkshriek finished, Sunkit was dropping down to copy his movements. His impression was clumsy, untrained, his legs rocking as he got used to balancing his weight without toppling over and his tail lashing with excitement which only served to fully unbalance him. Still, he proceeded further, sticking his tongue out in concentration, before he landed on his own leaf and grinned in pride. “Like that??” He asked Hawkshriek hopefully, lifting his head to look at him.

Hawkshriek

Hawkshriek chuckled warmly as he watched the kit clumsily pounced on the leaf, and he smiled, nodding. "Yeah, you got it! You'll become an excellent apprentice in no time, I'm sure." He knew the kit had a lot more to learn, but what's the harm in a little encouraging? Sunkit was still young, after all, and he loved the kit's excitement over the subject. Letting go of the leaf, the warrior sat up, nodding, as if to approve of the tom-kit.