The Camp Is Lava

Lilykit bounded out of the den, leaves and bugs under her scattering in a flutter. Crouching low, little heart pounding, she scanned the camp with large, wide eyes. She hadn't made any friends in her clan yet, so leaping up onto a nearby rock, she was doing her best to stay entertained. Tail twitching with excitement, she bounced from her rock onto a pile of leaves that made up a nest. She laughed quietly then hopped up onto a low, broken branch, as long as she didn't touch the dirt, she was safe.

Frogkit glared at her mother defiantly when the other she-kit left the den. "That kit gets to go out!" the flufffy gray kit protested, stamping one of her little paws. Finally her mother dismissed her with a resigned flick of her tail, and without waiting to hear further instruction Frogkit whirled around on her paws and dashed out of the nursery.

She scrambled into the clearing of camp and froze with shock at the size. The pine scent was a little weaker out here than in the nursery, and the clearer air made her nose tickle. Frogkit sneezed, and when she opened her eyes she spotted the other kit sitting atop a branch. "Hey!" Frogkit shouted. "What are you doing up there? What's your name?"

Lilykit spun around when she heard the other kit's mew, nearly losing her balance on the branch. Scrambling and readjusting, she peered down at the little grey kit. "Uh, H-Hey!" She meowed, climbing closer to the tip of the branch so it lowered for the other kit. "Quick, hop up! T-the floor is on fire!" She squeaked urgently, a playful smile on her face. "Oh, and I'm Lilykit, by the way, who are you?" She asked excitedly; she was thrilled to finally have someone to play with, maybe even be her friend.

Frogkit watched the other she-kit curiously, her little tail-tip twitching as she watched the she-cat wiggle precariously on her perch. "The floor is on fire" the other she-kit, named Lilykit, proclaimed, and immediately Frogkit caught on. With a squeal mixed with delight and fear, she sprang into the air and landed clumsily on the branch with the other kit, making it wriggle and bounce as she steadied herself, giggling. "I'm Frogkit, but you can call me Frog!" The gray kit rolled her eyes and said, "Frogs don't have kits!"

Steadying herself when the other kit jumped on, Lilykit laughed at the others joke. "Nice to meet you, Frog!" She squealed, hopping onto another low branch. It shuddered, bending low to the dirt and nearly pouring the she-kit onto the floor. "Oh no!" She cried, clinging to the branch upside-down, her ear scarcely missing the ground as she tried to correct herself. "Go, Frog, you must live!"

Frog liked Lilykit already, she decided. She had come up with a fun game! Frog's pelt prickled out in all directions with excitement, her little claws digging into the branch as it swayed beneath her. She watched Lilykit dip low to the ground but hang tightly to the branch, and Frog squeaked, "I won't leave you behind!" Determinedly, she leaped up to the same branch as Lilykit, intending to grab her scruff and help pull her up to another higher branch, but beneath the weight of the both of them the branch drooped dangerously.

Without even reaching Lilkit, Frogkit went rolling down the branch and flopped flat on her belly on the ground. "Oof!" she wheezed, but the fall had been very small and immediately she rolled to her feet to look up at her new friend excitedly. "That was fun!"

Lilykit laughed raucously, squealing as she was dropped, almost, to the ground as the stick dipped low. Watching with wide green eyes, she saw Frogkit tumble and flop, a twinge of concern blooming momentarily until she saw the other little one rise. Allowing the branch to fling her as it sprung back up, she used the momentum to gently fly into the other kitten. Rolling with the little tackle, she bounced away, a smile on her face. "It was," She agreed warmly, tapping the kit with her paw, "Tag, you're it?" She asked, crouching low and wiggling in excitement; ready to take off at a moments notice if Frog was down. She didn't know how much the other kit wanted to play, but she was down for any game.

Frog watched, staring in awe and excitement, as Lilykit used the swinging of the branch to propel herself into the air; despite all the notice in the world, Frog was surprised when the other she-kit came barreling into her. She let out a squeal of delight and rolled with Lilykit, grappling her for a moment. Once they came to a halt she let go, and Frog jumped to her paws as her friend did.

Frog giggled as Lilykit tagged her, and without a moment's hesitation Frog went charging after Lilykit. They may not have been WindClan cats, but Frog sure felt as fast as one! With a heave of effort, Frogkit launched herself forward to pat Lilykit's hip, squeaking teasingly, "Nuh-uh, you're it!" With a scramble of her little gray paws, Frogkit spun around and ran back in the direction they had come from.

Lilykit ran as fast as she possibly could to get away from her new friend, and she squeaked in surprise when she felt the other kit tag her. Glimpsing the she-kit's feet kick up a minute cloud of dust as she spun away, Lilykit reached to swipe her tail, missing by a mouse-hair, she laughed and gave chase. "I'm gonna get you!" She cried, a smile on her tiny face, and she pursued, hot on Frog's trail. Giving a powerful leap to close the distance, she tapped the tip of Frogkit's toes as she came down, and giving a squeal of terror, she turned to run and hide from the playful kit.

Skirting behind a bush, not but a foot or so ahead if her friend, Lilykit came to a dead-stop. She held her breath, hoping Frogkit would run past her through the branches, so that perhaps she could double back and get away. It was a terribly slim bet, but Frogkit was fast, and Lilykit almost giggled as she tried to hide herself more in those few seconds.

Frog had no time to look back and check if Lilykit was following her, but a sharp squeal of laughter behind her let her know that her pursuer had turned around as well and was still chasing - and close. Frog ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding with the effort, but she felt one of her paws slapped by Lilykit's mid-air. She had been tagged!

Frog scrambled to turn around as Lilykit pulled the same move she had. The fluffy gray she-kit raced blindly forward, having seen the flash of her friend's pelt move past the bush, and she charged past for a few tail-lengths before realization hit her. Lilykit wasn't ahead of her anymore; she was behind! Immediately Frog whirled around and cried with laughter, "That was so sneaky!"

Without wasting another moment Frog charged after Lilykit again, but this time Frog leaped at Lilykit to tackle her to the ground. She wanted to wrestle now!

"You're really good at tag, Frogkit! You're gonna be a great hunter some day!" She cried, trying to run but failing. Giggling at her clever friend, she felt herself get pulled down into the tackle. Squirming in the other kit's hold, Lilykit gave a small play growl, trying to use her back feet to bunny kick herself away. When that failed, she wriggled her way onto her back, so her belly was to Frog, and wrapped her stripped paws around her friend, trying to pull her down with her. "I won't be so easily defeated!" She proclaimed defiantly, even though Frogkit clearly had the upper hand by attacking first.

Frog was almost too distracted with running to hear and appreciate the other she-kit's compliment. The moment it registered, Frog felt herself purring with pride, but she was already mid-air ready to leap on Lilykit. The moment they made contact, Lilykit rolled to the ground, and Frog giddily pinned her, growling back and swiping playfully with sheathed paws at her friend's ears and shoulders. At Lilykit's defiant cry, Frog decided she would play her friend's game. Lilykit grappled Frog, and when the smaller she-kit rolled Frog went too with a squeal. "Oh no, you're so strong!"

Lilykit squealed with delight as her new friend bested her at the games they were playing. Feigning a quiet growl, she nibbled lightly at her friend's ear, meticulous not to actually use her tiny needle sharp teeth on the one cat who was willing to play with her. After all, she would absolutely rue it if Frogkit got hurt and didn't want to play anymore. She already didn't have friends, she wasn't willing to lose the one she was making right this second.
Claws in, she gently used her miniature kangaroo-esque back feet to, again, pummel Frog's little belly, trying to get her off so that Lily could strike. Again, no luck, and Lily growled, sinking her teeth into the other apprentice-to-be's soft fur; only fur. "Not as strong as you are, my friend!" She panted in mock despair, licking the disrupted fur back into place, her little feet going pat, pat, pat, as she barely bounced the other kit in her grasp.