Little Birds [Kestrelkit/open]

One moment, the clans were in chaos, the next, there was peace. This latest round of chaos has, Stoneheart thought, hopefully given way to respite, at least for a moment. The foxes invading camp had been terrifying, and the aftermath even more so. But now, it seemed as if there was a shaky peace in camp.

And then her world had been thrown into chaos just as quickly. Finding out she was pregnant had been a surprise. Stoneheart was ashamed to admit that she was... Unsure. Unsure of how to handle kits, unsure of how to be a mother. Visiting the nursery with fresh-kill for the queens and kits was very different than being in the nursery, she had realized quickly. Little Kestrelkit looked very much like her parents, if a more solid version of Stoneheart, with darker tabby stripes. Her eyes had faded from kit-blue to green, though a slightly more vibrant green than Stoneheart's own. Eyes that shone with curiosity, which both endeared and terrified Stoneheart.

Still, sitting outside the nursery, there was a soft smile on the queen's face as Kestrelkit explored under her watchful gaze. The camp was as safe as Skyclan could make it... She hoped. She just... Needed to not think about the what-ifs. Being a mother was chaotic... But there was a certain sort of peace to it as well. As long as she ignored the nagging anxiety in her chest.

The world outside the nursery was scary.

Kestrelkit felt herself falter a bit her paw almost touched a bright patch on the ground. It made her eyes blink when she looked up to try and see the source of it. The canopy of the trees that surrounded it seemed to beckon her for a closer look. She sank back a bit instead, looking at the grass around her. It moved too. A soft swaying motion was followed by a quiet caress of summer breeze.

Outside was strange. Her green eyes looked for her mother. Little dark grey paws moved quietly when she saw the familiar black of her pelt. Pressing close to her side. Safety.

The little bright spot seemed to grow. Her green eyes widened at it… but a glance at her mother’s watchful eyes helped her feel more confident when she crept over and poked the light ground. Nothing happened. It felt different though. The longer she held her paw in the space, the warmer it slowly began to feel.

Her ears pricked up and eyes widened in fascination. She stepped further into the growing spot, and looked around the camp. There were lots of them now, the bright little patches were everywhere! She looked down at the ground of the one she was in and leaned forward to smell the rock and grass beneath it. It didn’t smell like the nursery, but it did smell of cats she had seen briefly. Her mother’s scent was there too.

She poked at some of the grass stems. Something moved in them. It hopped into her line of sight while she sqeaked for a second in surprise. The long-limbed thing bounced away again, and Kestrelkit leapt after it with a noise of delight.

A soft purr rumbled in Stoneheart's chest as she watched over little Kestrelkit, the curiosity and hesitancy together was something reminiscent of her own kithood with Mistflower. How quickly that had faded among the chaos of the great quake, though. She prayed that no such chaos would find Kestrelkit, that she might hang onto that sense of curiosity and wonder and innocent a while longer.

"The sunlight won't harm you, but don't look up at it." She mewed softly, feathery tail curling briefly over Kestrelkit when she approached. "It is nice to nap in, though." She added, watching as sunlight dappled the clearing, filling it with warmth and light as the sun moved across the sky. The heat wouldn't be too overbearing today, but the shade provided a nice reprieve anyways.

Kestrelkit's surprised noise had the tabby tensing slightly before she realized it. A grasshopper or some other insect, she realized, beginning to relax. Kestrelkit gave chase as it hopped away from her, and Stoneheart watched, amusement softening her expression. She and Mistflower were born on the cusp of leafbare, where the air had been cold and there was little to chase but the other kits in the nursery. Her daughter was having a vastly different kithood than she did... And Stoneheart found herself grateful for that.

The long-limbed thing landed on a rock amidst some shorter grass. Kestrelkit followed it happily until it hopped again… kind of. Green eyes widened while the long-limbed thing moved higher than she had seen. Almost like it was in a really long bounce. It moved above her and she lowered herself to the ground, back paws shifted in the dirt and grass.

The coiled spring of her body suddenly unleashed as she sprang upwards as high as she could. Her little right paw extended and clipped the bug back down into the grass. She stared at the spot silently for a moment. Then looked down at her paw.

This was way different from chasing her mother’s tail. It had felt so different to leap like that… and not worry about hitting her head on the nursery roof, or disturbing others. She looked over towards Stoneheart with wide eyes, then grinned and ran towards one of the rocks in the clearing. It was big, but right now she felt as though she could fly while she ran towards it.

The rock itself was no bigger than she was, but she leapt on top of it and felt three times larger. The clearing looked even more different now! The grass that was tall, was suddenly shorter. The patches of sunlight were visible and clear. She looked towards her mother and grinned.

“Mother! I’m so tall now!” She called over, then looked down to the ground for a moment before she laughed and puffed out her chest a little bit. ”I think I’m as tall as you!”

Already, it seemed that the typical Skyclan trait of strong haunches was beginning to show in young Kestrelkit. Some day that power would see her moving through the trees like the prey the clan hunted. As an apprentice she would learn how to properly stalk, but insects could be chased with ease. Kestrelkit glanced back at her with wide eyes, and Stoneheart smiled. Before she could say anything, the dark-furred kit was bounding away, scrambling atop a rock that jutted through the grassy clearing.

The kit's words might be true, one day, though the added height from the rock couldn't have been much more than Kestrelkit's current height... Which to Stoneheart was still small. Kestrelkit had grown fast these past moons, but Stoneheart still saw the tiny kit that had been welcomed into the world. "You climbed so high!" Stoneheart purred. With the rock's height, she had no fear that Kestrelkit would hurt herself getting down, but the fluffy Skyclanner still padded forward, dropping to her belly and looking up at her daughter. "You have grown taller." She mewed.

Kestrelkit’s smile never faded as her mother came over. Still taller at first, until she lowered herself down. For a moment, she really was larger than even her! Delighted, the she-kit stayed on her rock for a moment longer, then sank back onto her haunches and jumped. Little claws tried to secure her hold while she pounced onto Stoneheart.

”Oh! You’re even taller!” She declared delightedly while she tried not to slip right off. For a moment, another of the structures in camp caught her eye. Then something darted past them. It leapt onto the rock with its long limbs.

The bug was back. Her eyes widened and she let herself fall off from Stoneheart before she laid down on her belly and began to half-crawl towards it. Her front paws moved in small, almost twitch-like increments while her belly fur brushed the ground. One step, then another. Her green eyes wide as she was almost there.

It sprang into a leap, and she moved to follow. Her legs pushed her to the rock, then pushed off it with her mouth trying to grab the bug. She felt her mouth clamp around something weird. It wasn’t soft, or like any fresh-kill she’d eaten. It was hard, spikey and she quickly dropped it with a gag as a bitter taste flooded her mouth. The grasshopper making it to a new patch of grass while the kit shook her head.

”Eeeeeew it’s gross!” Her tone was both a whine and declaration while she walked over to her Mother. ”Bleeeck!”

Stoneheart laughed as Kestrelkit pounced, tiny claws pricking as she tried to keep her hold, but not enough to do any damage to her. "You'll be as tall, someday." She replied, twisting to gently paw at Kestrelkit's flank.

It wasn't long before the insect had returned, and with it her little one's attention had shifted. Stoneheart watched quietly, whiskers twitching in amusement as kestrelkit brought it down again... And immediately recoiled. "It was a good catch, though!" She purred as her daughter declared her disgust with the insect, "I believe you, they are gross. That's why we eat birds and squirrels." Stoneheart chuckled.