Snowdrift [open]

Cold air nipped at Mintkit's nose as he peeked his head out of the nursery. Snow fell in curtains, burying camp in a fluffy white blanket and filling the air with a needle-sharp chill.

Even despite the cold, he could feel the excitement burning in his chest. Mintkit drank in a deep breath, let it back out in a frosty white cloud, and launched himself into the snow with a squeal of delight.

Vixenpaw was already back from a dawn patrol, looking more like a snow ball than a cat as her dense fur caught all the little flakes that floated down as she'd raced through the reeds with her clanmates. The she-cat was thinking about turning in, catching a nap before tending to the elders. There was nothing like waking up before the sun to drain a cat of energy, but the gleeful squeal of a kit as she passed by the nursery caught her attention.

She recognised the silver kit, it was Mintkit.

Sneaking up on the kit, she flicked a small wave of fluffy snow into the sky for the kit with her bushy red tail. It was like a sudden flurry out of nowhere.

A pair of hazel eyes peered out of the nursery, watching Mintkit with curiosity. The young SkyClan kit tentatively stretched a paw out to the snow, batting at the thick layer of white. It was very cold to the touch, making the she-kit yelp and hump back. Poppykit sighed, a large puff of white smoke escaping her mouth, but she continued to watch the silver tom prance about.

The young tabbied tortoishell shifted in her spot, itching to join the other kit, and now a RiverClan apprentice. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she bravely jumped into the snow, charging up to the pair and pouncing on Vixenpaw. "Surprise!" Poppykit mewed softly, pawing at the red she-cat's tail.

It was like he was suddenly caught in a snowstorm. Mintkit looked up in surprise at the swirling snow, before hopping up to bat the little flurries out of the air. He whirled around just in time to see the SkyClan kit pounce on Vixenpaw.

Trying to learn names and scents was hard enough without so many strangers in camp... Even if they didn't feel like strangers to Mintkit. They were familiar faces around camp, and they hunted and patrolled just like them, and sometimes it was hard to remember that they weren't RiverClan. A warrior had explained that bloodthirsty WindClan cats had driven them out of their home, but it was hard imagining what camp would be like without them.

There was a faint weird smell that clung to their pelts, something sharp and sweet like the herbs in Wisteriapaw's den, and sometimes they just looked miserable laying around in camp, but those were some of his only hints. It'd become almost like a game trying to remember which were which, but it was easy to tell who Poppykit was on sight. He knew the kits better than the older cats.

"I got her!" he mewed, bounding forward to Poppykit's side and leaping to pin Vixenpaw's tail.

Vixenpaw mrrowed loudly in amusement as her tail was attacked tortoiseshell kit. She wasn't a RiverClanner so it took a second,  but Vixenpaw still knew her name, it was something to do with flowers. Poppykit. That was it.

The apprentice didn't bother dislodging her, planning to pin her in place since Poppykit was holding on so well to her tail. But the moment she took her eyes off Mintkit, she was bombarded with both of them on her. She'd made a tactical error. "Ah, an ambush. By two fearsome warriors." She joked, lightly swatting some of the snow that was surrounded them in great mounds at the pair. Her eyes glinted with mischief, when she noticed the bush near the nursery was looking quite heavy with snow. How to get them both over there, she pondered, still tossing flurries of snow at them. "Be afraid, warriors, I'm the great snow monster, and I eat cats like you for breakfast!" She ended with snapping her jaws nearby where Poppykit was clinging to her tail.

Heronpaw was watching from afar. She always enjoyed kits and how they played. She watched them and her sister tumble in the snow. Soon enough, she padded over. When Vixenpaw's back was turned, she made her leap. She jumped on top of her sister, careful to not hurt the kits that were next to her. "Heyyy, Vixenpaw!" She exclaimed, smirking. Heronpaw got off her and looked at the kits. "What'cha doin'?"

Right, they were a fearsome team. Vixenpaw's tail didn't stand a chance against them. Mintkit went reeling away from a clump of snow that went spraying over his head, giving a small 'eek!' He only spared Heronpaw a short glance before turning back to the attack, arching his back at Vixenpaw and fluffing out his fur. "We're in a serious battle!" he said to Heronpaw, circling around.

The revelation of being a snow monster made him jump back. "I'm not tasty!" he squeaked, and with an excited lash of his tail, went bounding off near the nursery bush. Catch me, catch me! It wasn't as brave as battling, but getting chased was just as fun.

Firepaw watched from the sidelines. A smile played at her muzzle but she thought better than it to join in. She enjoyed kits but thought of them as a tad bit to rambunctious. Firepaw frowned. She acted like that, too. The ginger and gray she-cat stepped out of her secluded spot and padded over to the others.

Poppykit jumped off of the apprentice's tail as she playfully snapped at her, giggling and stepping back. Though she knew these cats were not from her clan, she had never known a life without RiverClan as her denmates. They felt as close to kin as the rest of her clanmates. The she-kit let out a playful laugh, following close behind Mintkit as the "snow monster" was tackled by a fearsome apprentice. "I think we're safe!" she cheered, standing close to the nursery bush.

Reedpaw saw the kits playing with his sister, and heard her being a snow monster. He hid himself when the two kits started running, and luckily they ran his way. When they looked back to the others he loomed over them, a smirk on his face. "You're not safe just yet. Don't you know the Snow monster has a brother?" He said with a bit of a playful growl in his voice. He crept forward slightly. "You better run."

Heronpaw giggled, a smile on her face. She shook her pelt and smiled as Reedpaw, her brother, came over and played with the kits. She smiled to Firepaw happily, flicking her tail in greetings.

Two snow monsters?! Mintkit pressed himself closer to Poppykit. "Not anymore!" he squeaked in response, flourishing his tail. It felt like apprentices were crowding in all around them now.

Vixenpaw's muzzle got smushed in the cold snow when her sister came out of nowhere and pounce on her. The moment her sister got off her, she twisted around and pounced on her as she greeted Firepaw, who'd come over to watch them play. She pinned her in place, then used her tail to bury Heronpaw in snow once she leapt off her sister. Heronpaw looked more like a snow mound than a cat. "Ah ha! Another victory for the snow monster, now where are those pesky cats." She meowed, sinking down to her haunches to sneak about in the snow. "I see you too, Mintkit, Poppykit!"

"H-Argh!" Heronpaw squealed as she was pushed into the snow. "Vixenpaw!" She laughed, getting up. She was covered in snow head to toe, so she shook it off with another laugh. "Imma getcha!" She said, following her sister and brother to the kits.

They were cornered! Mintkit glanced from one snow monster, to the other, and taking in a big gulp, sprung forward and darted between Vixenpaw's legs. He weaved out the other side, streaking as fast as his tiny legs could take him toward the other side of camp. "Don't get eaten!" he shouted breathlessly back at Poppykit with a glance back. "I'll come back for you!"

Maybe. It depended.