i will catch up [C]

Rookkit

Something beyond the concern or comprehension of a kit was lurking on the horizon. Rookkit felt it; they could not quite describe it, not name it either, but it was present. There was a stiffness to the set of warriors' shoulders. They found themself looking skyward. It was pale, not gray but still dreary. Heavy clouds rolled lazily past, not dark or thunderous as they'd heard storm clouds described. The weather did not look ominous... but it made them feel odd. Prickly. And cold inside, not just the chill they earned from sitting outside in the snow. Sometimes, a little unexpected jolt would go through them, rattling them from nose to tail. It seemed to accompany the worst of their fretting, even if their fretting was not so poignant as others'.

It was not their concern. Rookkit simply decided it wouldn't be, at least. Anything that could be done for RiverClan's situation was beyond their small paws, and whatever prickling-cold feeling that was making itself familiar was sure to be fleeting. Shaking their head to give their ears a good thwp, Rookkit blinked their gaze into focus.

Poppyshine had a habit of visiting the nursery, periodically. She seemed quite busy, but her face had become a familiar one. It was helped by the fact she was their deputy, and Rookkit had little choice but to memorize who she was. Recently, she had mentioned that he and his brother were six moons, or close to it. The memory of the conversation made the end of his tail flicker. Every kit lucky enough to be born into a Clan knew what that age meant, and most spent their early lives waiting impatiently for the day they would hear their name called. Rookkit was dreading it.

Pawsteps crunching over snow made their ears perk up. It was not an unusual sound– in fact, one tended to hear it often when they were hiding in a poorly dug-out 'den' in the snow. Rookkit peeked to see who it was every time, though. When he raised from his hovel this time, he saw the deputy herself passing by. Shuffling out of the hole and shaking powder from himself, Rookkit called out, "Hello." He did not particularly want Poppyshine's attention right now. Or did he? She dealt with apprentices and soon-to-bes, after all. He did fall into that category. Rookkit debated silently for a moment, then called again, a little firmer, "Hello. Poppyshine, deputy."