A Starry Night and First Bites (open to wc)

Galekit

It was another long, busy day in WindClan as warriors had been coming and going through the camp since dawn. Galekit had watched as Daisypaw treated the sick warriors' symptoms, milling about here and there and visiting the cats in the dens Molehill had worked so hard to dig. He had been calmly studying the way Sootstorm had been arranging the patrols, though he knew it was being planned different than normal to accomodate all the recovering cats.

Sunhigh had come and gone, and Galekit had been taken inside the nursery by his mother, Morningmoon. There he napped with his sibling, Cloudykit, until he was awoken once again by sounds from outside the den. By the temperature, Galekit could guess by now that the sun was falling behind the mountains, and as he padded outside, he was greeted by the first few stars of silverpelt and crisp, fresh air blowing up from the lake. He stretched each leg in turn, yawning and blinking the sleep from his eyes.

Galekit's attention was drawn to the freshkill pile. Since the time of sharing tongues had passed while he was napping, there was little freshkill left, but it looked like there had been enough to satisfy the clan. He opened his mouth to draw in the tantilizing scents over his scent glands and water filled his mouth. Glancing back, he could still hear Morningmoon snoring away in the nursery.

Certainly she won't mind if I try some freshkill without her, Galekit thought, even if it's my first bite. He was well aware that Morningmoon had been busy with Cloudykit as his sister grew stronger, so he tried not to disturb her when she was able to get some time to sleep soundly.

Galekit pranced over to the freshkill pile and gave it a tentative sniff.

"Looking for something in particular?" Tigerdance couldn't help but ask as he had watched the kit be drawn to the pile. While not much remained it was still enough for the few cats left that had yet to eat. He couldn't blame the kit for being drawn to the food, it was fresh after all. A welcome sight especially after finding scraps back at home. "Pick something and we can share it. Does that work for you?" The leader asked the kit, not wanting to him into sharing, but he also knew one kit couldn't finish a whole thing by himself.

Galekit

The clan leader! Galekit stared up at Tigerdance with big eyes. The tom was so much bigger than himself, and he felt truly tiny beneath his smoldering gaze. I can't believe he wants to share prey with me! He thought for sure he might burst with pride.

"Thanks, Tigerdance!" he squeaked, and then remembered his manners and dipped his head respectfully. His gaze flicked back to the freshkill pile and he nosed around it, wondering what it might taste like. He decided to go with a mouse, and lifted it carefully by its tail to take it a few tail lengths away to a nice spot just off the center of the clearing, in clear view of silverpelt, more visible now in the sky. There was a shallow dip in the ground here, resembling almost what could have been a nest.

He glanced behind him to make sure Tigerdance was still there.

He couldn't help the silent chuckle at the kit's excitement, while he wasn't used to interacting with young ones this could certainly be a good change. He let the kit carry the prey over to a spot where he would be satisfied eating, and sat beside Galekit. "Go ahead and take the first bite, whatever you don't want I will finish." He wanted the kit to eat his fill, the kits were the future of the clan anyway.

Cloudykit peaked out of the makeshift nursery with a yawn, looking for her brother, but her attitude quickly changed when she realized that Tigerdance was there too. He's sharing prey with another cat! Wow, he's so big! Her wide eyes anxiously darted between Tigerdance and Galekit before glancing behind her for reassurance from her sleeping mother. She had never been out of the nursery before.

Her pelt felt hot, and she sat down at the entrance of the nursery to watch them. Her eyes wandered around the camp in amazement. She felt a tang of jealousy that Galekit experienced this without her. I have to make a good impression too! Cloudykit thought. She just didn't know how. Her mind raced, but it was interrupted by her stomach growling. She didn't want to be left out!

She rose to her paws and impulsively approached the pair of cats, holding her breath.

Galekit

Galekit's wars pricked when he heard a scrabbling sound from the direction of the nursery and instinctual looked up from his mouse. His fur stood on end with surprise when he saw his sister padding across the clearing towards them.

"Cloudykit!" He exclaimed, glancing up at Tigerdance. "What are you doing out of the nursery? Did Morningmoon finally let you come out to play?" He hopped up and circled his sister excitedly. "This is Tigerdance. We were just about to share this mouse. He said I can have the first bite, but, umm.." he glanced back longingly at the mouse before his eyes met Cloudykit's again, "I think you should have the first bite. Right, Tigerdance?" He mewed, looking up at his leader with huge, excited amber orbs.

Green eyes glanced to the approaching kit, not quite sure what to say to the kit, but it seemed Galekit beat him to it. "It's your meal, you get to decide who has the first bite." He said reassuringly to the older of the two. "If you want to share with your sibling you can. I'm sure between the two of you, you might be able to finish the mouse. Hopefully you guys don't mind the company of the leader." He didn't mind waiting a little longer for his own food, after all it was more worth it to see the kits eat.

Cloudykit's 'confession' slipped out before she could catch it. "Yes! Morningmoon let me come out today!" She blurted out as her sibling circled her, her eyes widening briefly with a mix of surprise and guilt at the fib. She stole a quick glance behind her at the nursery, half expecting to meet Morningmoon's disapproving gaze, but their mother was still resting. Morningmoon has been particularly protective. What she doesn't know won't hurt her, right? Cloudykit thought.

The pressing excitement took her away from her white lie. Her eyes darted between the mouse, the warrior, and her brother after their offer. The camp was so overwhelming with new experiences! She nodded, "I would love to, if that's okay!" What does it taste like? I don't mind as long as she got a bite... She sat down next to her brother.

The mouse was quickly forgotten as Tigerdance's last sentence captured her focus. He is the leader of WindClan? Wow! Her eyes were wide with awe, but confusion flashed across them. Wait, Morningmoon told me that all leaders are named after stars. Why isn't he a star, too?

"Uh.. Tigerdance, why are you not Tigerstar?" She awkwardly asked, shuffling her paws.

Galekit

Galekit gasped and clasped his tail over Cloudykit's mouth, but it was too late. The question hung in the air and all he could do was stare desperately at his sister. You mouse-brain! he thought, Why did you have to go and ask such a thing? His pelt grew hot with secondhand embarassment. But... she has a point. he pondered, recalling all the stories Morningmoon had told them about Smallstar, the leader before Tigerdance.

"It's probably because he didn't eat a star yet," Galekit guessed, completely unaware how silly he might have sounded just then. "What do stars taste like, I wonder?" he mewed, and then his gaze fell back to the mouse between them.

Tigerdance couldn't help let out a small shocked chuckle at the kit's blunt question. While most of the clan knew the reason why he wasn't a star yet, these new kits weren't around for the meeting that took place not too long ago. "I just became leader. With being where we are, I can't make the journey to the moonstone to get my full name just yet, but as soon as we get back I will be going to become Tigerstar. For now you have to deal with plain ol' Tigerdance." Sure he could have used the name temporarily, but he didn't want to risk making Starclan angry. Especially after the delay in the deputy ceremony.

"Though eating a star would be much simpler, though I don't know what it tastes like. What do you guys think they taste like?" He asked.

Cloudykit felt a twang of embarrassment as Galekit covered her mouth and stared at her. I didn't realize it was a bad question? She thought hopelessly, her pelt feeling hot. Her brother making a mouse-brained comment didn't help, either. What kind of an impression did we make? What did I do?

However, Tigerdance's reaction was not negative and she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She gazed up at the leader with wide eyes, taking in what he had to say. The moonstone? What is that? She opened up her mouth to ask, but it was interrupted. She quickly decided to bombard Morningmoon with questions about it later.

She glanced towards Sootstorm, unsure of who he was or his position in the clan. She watched the interaction between Sootstorm and Tigerdance, in awe.

"I'm okay!" She blurted out when asked. She glanced at Galekit for reassurance, wishing he could telepathically tell her who Sootstorm was. She had just left the nursery, and all of these new faces and experiences were overwhelming.

Galekit

Galekit looked from Tigerdance, to Sootstorm, to Cloudykit, and then back to the mouse at their paws. His mouth was still watering at the tantalizing scent. He had promised his sister the first bite, but she was asking questions instead, and he was growing impatient. His tail twitched.

"Hi, Sootstorm!" Galekit mewed politely as he finished speaking. "We were just going to try our first freshkill. Morningmoon let Cloudykit out of the nursery finally," he continued, gesturing to his sister by laying his tail across her back, "and she is going to have the first bite." He cast a meaningful look at Cloudykit, and then at the mouse, his tail still twitching. "I'm excited!"

Then, he realized what Cloudykit's gaze must have meant.
"Oh, Cloudykit. This is Sootstorm, our deputy." He nodded as politely as he could at Sootstorm, then he glanced at Tigerdance. "We're really lucky to share freshkill with both of them! Morningmoon will be so proud." He puffed out his chest importantly and tried to look dignified, despite the one tuft of hair on his head that refused to ever lay flat.

The leader couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his deputy but he supposed relaxing and having a silly conversation every once and a while couldn't hurt. "I don't know about that, with how bright they shine I would think they would have some type of heat to them." He mused, before turning his attention to the rabbit knowing his deputy wanted him to eat it. "I'm fine with sharing as long as you take the first bite." H needed to make sure the deputy ate too.

"I'm sure Morningmoon will enjoy listening to the story, how about you guys go ahead and try the mouse and tell us what you think?" He didn't want them to keep getting distracted by different topics when the real goal has always been the mouse.