A speckled wasp (Closed for Error and Maple)

Adventure awaits! Specklekit chirped silently as she pushed through a hidden hole in the barrier that rested behind the nursery just out of sight, the young kit would have used it sooner if she had the desire to get out and see the world but with her mother constantly watching her after she called her grandmother a great oaf, she hadn't the time.

Big burly shoulders shook off bramble thorns and leaves from her pelt, her long fur making sure she wasn't scratched too badly. Puffing up she got out of dodge as fast as her legs could take her, big lumbering paws crunched every thing that could be crunched. She had grown, the freakish speed that she had grown in size scaring her camp-mates and scaring her in turn.

But the gross scent of rot and marsh, and the stink of something putrid and rumbling drawing her out of her head and piquing her interest. Big paws tripped over each other as she made her way over to a big black strip of disgusting smell, disgust suddenly made her small gut twist as she frowned at the strip with hatred in her eyes. Rich-brown ears perking as a rumbling down the smelly dark strip sounded, her disgust forgotten she listened curiously as a big giant shiny thing fired down the black strip. Specklekit did not flinch away until is splashed mucky water against her long chest fur and legs.

"Gross! What did you do that for you stinking kittypet!" Specklekit hollered after the big thing the insult thick on her tongue, her paws slapping onto the black path as she hissed after it but it was long gone. Tail lashing and wet fur bristling up in her disgust, a brief moment of regret making her paws shift on the hard black strip as she remembered that Lionspark didn't like her using such language but she wasn't there to scold her. Deciding she was still angry and with no mother to scold her she shouted after it some more. "Kittypet! Kittypet! Kittypet!" She taunted loudly, stomping with each word.

Waspstep was patrolling the Thunderclan border for his clan when he heard a commotion further down the Thunderpath. The brown warrior picked up his pace to see what was going on, but he only saw a kit or an apprentice? standing on the edge of the black that made up the thunderpath, shouting insults at... well he didn't know.

"Who are you calling a kittypet?" Waspstep asked. "And you might want to take a step back before the monsters hurt you." He didn't need this kit getting injured on his watch, even if they were thunderclan.

Blazeflight followed up behind Waspstep, quickly catching up to him. They had both heard the commotion further down the Thunderpath, and immediately both headed towards it. The apprentice sized kit that smelled like Thunderclan, was causing quite a ruckus and seemed to be having a bit of trouble. She hushed Waspstep, she didn't want him scaring the poor kit."What's wrong?
Are you lost?" Her sympathetic voice drowned out any other noise in the forest, at last in her ears.

"Not a who! A what! This shiny thing just whizzed by and got me wet! A whatever you called it! A monster I think - whatever!" Indignantly snapped the kit, shying away slightly at the sudden prospect of the two cats scolding her. She hated when the older cats scolded her, it made her feel bad and she didn't want to feel bad! But what was worse, was when the older cats thought her useless, and the she-cat next to the first cat that spoke up had sympathy in her voice.

Specklekit hissed, standing tall and lashing her tail she yowled across the path. "Nothing's wrong, and I'm not lost! I'm fine just where I am you stinky...-" her voice paused, letting another monster whiz by; but it was on the other side of the black strip so she didn't care too much. "Kittypet!" She spat again, long sharp kitten claws scraping at the path, the feeling making her shudder. The kitten continued to stare down the two warriors, vibrant green eyes narrowed as her ears pressed against her head as she waited for a response because despite the insults she was a very polite kitten, just like mother taught her to be. At least, she thought she was a polite kitten.

Waspstep shook his head. "I don't know who you are calling a kittypet. We are Shadowclan warriors. And yes those shiny things are called monsters, and they eat cats like us in an instant." The warrior replied. He didn't mind when the monster passed by. He knew he was safe in the marsh area off the black stuff, he had patrolled by these things way too much. "What are you doing out of camp without a warrior anyway?" The warrior asked.

"Hold on, little one. We're only trying to help. Where is your mother?" She tilted her head the slightest bit, wondering what was going on with the youngster.

"Oohhh, I heard about Shadowclan! And I got out duh! Mom is back at camp, probably sleeping. It's too cramped in camp!" Complained the kitten as she shifted her paws and looked down bashfully, and shifted her shoulders in a way that pointed to how big she was. "I managed to squeeze out from behind the nursery!" Proudly stated Specklekit, though she was big and mighty she was still a kit at heart and in knowledge with no filter or second thoughts.

Specklekit was starting to feel pestered by the warriors questions despite her excitement, she did want to leave and go back home to where the monsters couldn't splash up onto her fur but the realization that she was talking to Shadowclan warriors made her shiver in her pelt, stories that she could tell flooding her mind. Stories of a ferocious fight between a Thunderclan cat and a Shadowclan cat on Thunderclan's side of the border as she fought a giant white and grey spotted tom to the death adrenaline rushing through her little veins from the exciting prospect of a tale to tell!

"You must be rather sneaky to manage that." He could understand why she thought it was too cramped. She was rather big for her age. Already apprentice size. If this kept going she would be warrior size in no time. "Well how about we make a deal then. I don't want you to get hurt being by yourself. Let us guide you on the way back to your camp, and we can take a long way and you can do some exploring? How about that?" He wanted to say the kits name, but he didn't know her name. Maybe she would introduce herself if he said his name. "I'm Waspstep by the way."

Blazeflight smiled."I'm Blazeflight." She walked up to the Thunderpath, waiting for the nearest monster to pass so she could cross. When it flew by, she raced across, skidding to a halt when she reached the Thunderclan side. She turned to look back to Waspstep, hoping it wouldn't be much of a hassle to cross.

"I'm Specklekit and I'm a Thunderclan cat!" Meowed the she-cat proudly finding it only polite to say her name as they said theirs, trotting back a little as the two Shadowclan cats made their way across the black strip. "What's this thing called? The thing that monsters walk on anyways?" The she-kit mewed, looking more towards the cat known as Waspstep than Blazeflight. For good measure the large kit frowned at Blazeflight, trying to make her annoyance obvious to the dense she-cat.

Pivoting in a big fat paw she was yet to grow into, she stumbled forwards back into Thunderclan territory, looking back at the Shadowclan cats to see if they were following. She bet they would be in awe of how awesome Thunderclan territory was, they probably never stepped on it before. Excitement made the kit bounce in her steps as her eyes brightened. "I bet you've never been on Thunderclan territory before! It's so pretty, it's the best compared to your territory! I could smell the gross wet rot from the black strip!" Specklekit boasted.

Shortly after Blazeflight crossed so did Waspstep. He landed safetly on the Thunderclan side. "Well Specklekit, that black stuff is called the Thunderpath. I think it's named for the loud noises the monsters make when they are on it. Though as long as you aren't on the black stuff no monster will harm you. They never move off of it." Monsters were such strange creatures. He didn't understand them one bit.

Waspstep let out a small, a little fake, chuckle when Specklekit mentioned their territory. "Well it might be prettier, but I'm at home in the marsh where I'm able to move very well. Just like you are able to move well in the undergrowth." The warrior mentioned. He hoped Darkstar wouldn't be too angry with their crossing. He just didn't want the kit to get into any danger. Thunderclan or not, the code said that kits needed to be protected.

"I've been over here. Once. Do you know who Emberheart is? Well, we got into... we had a little argument. And then she, well she broke two ribs. But Honeydrop cared for me, and I'm better now. She also ripped off part of my tail." She looked back towards her tail, wiggling the little stump in an odd way that most cats laughed at. "Ready?" She asked the both of them, smiling at Specklekit. She didn't seem to like her, but she didn't mind.

Specklekit nodded in understanding as Waspstep explained the monsters habits and Waspsteps appreciation for his home, but when Blazeflight told her about Emberheart breaking ribs and ripping off her tail Specklekit gave a little horrified gasp and stopped in her steps. Looking to her paws with wide eyes she looked back up at Blazeflight with a quite stuttering voice, nothing like she was a moment earlier. "D-did it hurt?" If it did Specklekit was going to have a stern talking to Emberheart!

But despite the strong inner proclamation Specklekit remained meek and solemn, opting for sitting as she wrapped her thick with fluff tail over her paws her eyes still on her paws as she awaited a response. Thoughts of being slashed and hit, having bones and sinew, tendons and flesh being ripped and pulled on as she laid helplessly on the ground. Specklekit wanted to puke, her fur raised on her shoulders and spine as she felt blood curdling rage in her chest swell up until she felt like she could burst anytime.

It was that moment that even though she was a small naive kit she realized how far she could go and would go for her clan, the depth of loyalty she felt for the code and her clan - her family - solidifying any belief she had in herself and she'd be ready to act with certainty hardening her actions. Big paws shifted and pushed into the mossy forest floor, no word to be said as the big kitten had a big revelation.

Waspstep didn't know the whole details of Blazeflight's incident, but he knew enough. "I'm sure it did, but usually battles don't get that bad." He looked up from the kit and studied his friend for a moment. He turned his attention back to the kit.

"It's okay Specklekit. Blazeflight is fine now, there is no more damage in her. She is a fine functioning warrior, there is nothing to worry about. There isn't much that medicine cats can't fix." The brown tom nudged the kit up back into a standing position. "And if they don't know then Starclan will tell them." It was a risk they took for their lifestyle, but it helped in some way to keep peace between the clans, and kept territories safe. It kept balance and that is what Starclan longed for.

"I-I'm sorry. But I'm fine now. Perfectly fine." She gave a little smile and bobbed her tail as she had before hoping to make the kit laugh. She had no experience with kits, but hoped that maybe, some day, she could have some of her own. But she'd have to watch what she said around the young ones."Alright, are we ready to head off to Thunderclan camp?"