the night makes way for morning

The night was quiet and clear, Silverpelt twinkling silently overhead as Olivestone's gaze traveled over the melting snow that adorned the hilltops. The ground was still cold to her paws, but she could smell the sharp greenness of new growth pushing through the earth, reaching up to the warming air. Even though StarClan was demonstrating their displeasure at the Clans, especially with WindClan, she couldn't help but stop and marvel at the beauty of the world. The deep blue sky held the silver smattering of stars that glowed above, the golden grasses turning green in newleaf then back to gold come leaf-fall, and the wind always fresh and clean, telling everything one needed to know about one's surroundings.

With a shake of her head, Olivestone brought her attention back to the job at hand, which was sitting sentry to make sure the camp stayed safe. She almost missed the night patrol slipping out to go on a hunt, and she chirped well wishes to them on their way out. As the camp fell silent again once the patrol had left, she heard little pawsteps approaching the camp entrance. Glancing around, she quickly found the source of the clumsy kitten pawsteps, catching sight of Morningkit, one of WindClan's newest members. The little gray kit reminded Olivestone much of herself, even down to the markings on her fur. Purring to herself, she called out softly to the kit,
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

The warrior-to-be(-to-be) padded out of the nursery, stalking across the WindClan camp the same way one might stalk a particularly troublesome wildmouse - paws light on the ground, body low, tail still. She was stealth, she was the night, and by StarClan, she was going to go to the Gathering whether the others wanted it or not! She'd seen a few others leave not long ago, so now was the perfect time. I'm going to the Gathering, and then they'll have to make me a warrior. Getting there will be my test of skill! There's no way anyone would have noticed her, not with a stance this perfect, not with such determination and the righteous cause behind her--

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

Morningkit spun around, just a little too fast (and giving herself a slight dizzying spin in the process), and-- ah. She'd been rumbled. Well- maybe her stealth wasn't as perfect as she thought. Maybe she'd fallen over a few times, snapped a twig or two, failed to keep her tail as still as it could be. It's not like she'd had any lessons yet, after all- she wasn't bad at it, for a kit, but 'good for a kit' is nowhere near the same as 'good', unfortunately, especially with the ever-observant Olivestone on duty. She must be guarding the rear... but there's no way I can sneak past her now.

"Olivestone! I was, uh- I was..."
She could have lied, and said she was heading out to make dirt. Or that she couldn't sleep. Or that StarClan gave her a vision, a prophecy that said she must go to the Gathering- but no, lying would be unbefitting of a warrior. Morningkit gives a quiet sigh, and then mews,

"I was trying to sneak into the Gathering, I'm sorry... I know I'm supposed to wait here, but I saw the others leaving just now and- I don't want to miss this!"
(The fact that this was just a regular night patrol seemed to have been entirely lost on the young kit.)

Olivestone stifled a purr as she glanced up to the definitely not-full moon above. She flicked her tail, gesturing for Morningkit to join her by her side.
"I'm pretty sure that the Gathering isn't for another half-moon or so. Look up, see how the moon is only about a half? Now, the half moon is important for the medicine cats, because that's when they go meet with StarClan."

She glanced over her shoulder once the kit had taken a seat by her side.
"The patrol you saw leaving was just a night patrol, probably off to remark a border or catch some rabbits. They're not doing anything as exciting as going to the Gathering, so you're not missing anything."

In her peripheral vision, a large bird swoops down from the night over in the far reaches of the territory. She turns to watch it climb back into the sky, some poor hare dangling from its talons.
Gotta keep an eye out for that.

If 'record-scratch, freeze-frame' were a facial expression, Morningkit would have demonstrated it perfectly. She took a moment to sit down by Olivestone, glancing up at Silverpelt and the notably not-full moon- and then shifted her gaze slightly to the bird of prey in the distance, just barely visible against the night sky.

"... that... actually makes a lot of sense. I thought this was the Gathering, I was going to sneak in and watch and then they'd have to make me an apprentice, because you're not allowed in unless you're an apprentice. So they'd have to."

Was that how it worked? Probably not- but the innocence of youth had always been the best shield against actual knowledge and common sense. So instead, Morningkit scrambled to her feet, giving Olivestone a firm nod as she purred, "I'm gonna go catch that eagle, then. That'll teach it to fly where we can see it. Thanks for letting me know!"

From anyone else, that'd be a laughable idea- especially from a kit!- but from Morningkit? Well, the sheer determination and force of will with which she spoke...
... still wasn't enough to make it a good idea, because determination and force of will doesn't protect against birds of prey.

Olivestone smiled at Morningkit's explanation of her way of thinking, and let out a purr as she wrapped her tail around the kit.
"That's not quite how it works, if anything, you'd likely get punished and have to spend more time as a kit than planned."

Her warm smile quickly dropped into an expression of near-horror as the kit jumped to her paws and declared that she was going to attack the eagle. She quickly hopped to her feet and blocked the entrance with her body, trying to keep her fur smooth.
Oh, I don't want to scare her, but she needs to know this...
"No, no, no, bad idea. Did you see what the eagle was carrying? It probably carrying a rabbit or a hare, or some other moor prey. If it can carry a hare away, it can carry you away."

"There's a reason that kits and apprentices aren't allowed out of camp alone, and this is the main reason why. I know you want to prove yourself, but you'll get your chance in time. You just have to be patient."

With a smile and a bit of warmth creeping back into her tone, she mewed, "Maybe I can ask Finchstar if he'll make me your mentor, when you're of apprenticeship age."

"I'd love that," Morningkit replied with a warm smile and a firm nod, stopping in her tracks to avoid bumping into Olivestone. She pawsed for a moment, mewsing over Olivestone's words. The warrior had a point- anything that could kill a hare was more than a match for her on her own.... but maybe...

"You can kill a hare, can't you?", Morningkit asked, a cunning idea forming in the depths of her mind, emerging like a squirrel from its den.
At Olivestone's nod, she continues,

"And if you can kill a hare, and that bird can kill a hare, that means you and that bird are about equally matched. And I bet the bird hasn't had warrior training like you. And I bet you've killed hundreds of birds- no, thousands! So if you were to come with me, then we'd take it down for sure!"

Olivestone stifled a purr at Morningkit's idea. It certainly wasn't the worst one she's had, but it still wasn't great.
"I haven't killed an eagle, and certainly not by myself. The only time I fought an eagle was with Finchstar, and he did most of the fighting. He killed the eagle, not me. An eagle and I aren't a fair match, and I won't be a fair match for one for some moons yet."

She lets out a chuckle.
"And no, we're not waking Finchstar to have him kill another eagle for us."

"Whoah...", Morningkit whispers, looking over at the leader's den with awed eyes. "So we bring Finchs-"
"And no, we're not waking Finchstar to have him kill another eagle for us."

Well, there goes that idea. Morningkit hummed for a moment, before finally meowing, "One day, I'm gonna kill an eagle, just like Finchstar!"
The kit spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world- an immutable fact that one day, she would kill an eagle too. This tiny fluffball delivering the killing bite to a fearsome predator- one day.

"I guess that day can wait, though, you're right."

Was this it? Had some common sense and basic self-preservation finally sunk into the kit?

"What about a badger? Wanna go kill a badger with me?"

Nope.

Olivestone let out a purr as Morningkit's mind raced with grand dreams of killing predators to protect her Clan.
"One day, little one."

She flicked her tail over the kit's ears as she chuckles,
"No killing badgers, either."

"Okay, okay, fine...", Morningkit replied, a hint of dismay in her voice at the thought of having to put aside her aspirations for the time being. "But one day I'm gonna be Morningstar and then I'll kill two badgers- at the same time! But for now..."

Well, eagles were out. And badgers. And probably foxes and geese too. The kit looked up at the warrior, tilting her head as she purred, "What about a rabbit or a hare or something? Can we go hunt one of those? I promise not to get in the way!"

Olivestone smiled gently at the kit.
"One day, Morningkit."

She turned her gaze to the sky, and tried to gauge how much time had passed since she'd caught the kit trying to sneak out. She turned her gaze back to the kit when she presented her next idea.
That's not so bad, actually.
"Maybe when the sun rises, but please don't come waking me up at dawn. I need to get good sleep if I'm to show you how to properly catch a rabbit."

She stifled a yawn.
"As for sleep, you should be in your nest. You can't grow big and strong to take on eagles and badgers if you don't get a good night's rest."
I'll turn in as well, it's nearly time for the next shift, anyway.

Well, that worked out far better than expected! Truthfully, the kit wasn't sure if she'd even have made it to the Gathering, or if she'd have got lost and had to turn back along the way... and the warrior was right, maybe taking on an eagle- or a badger- was a little beyond her abilities for now. But being shown how to catch a rabbit by the amazingly talented Olivestone? Now that made the whole thing worth it.

"Why wait, though? I bet all the rabbits are sleepy and easy to catch, and I'm not tired at a-" The kit paused, her words cut off by a heavy yawn. "... okay, I see your point! Tomorrow, then!"

And with that, Morningkit gave an excited nod to the she-cat beside her, smiled, and bounded back towards the nursery with all the intensity one might expect from a young kit with far too many aspirations. Shoot for the moon- and even if you miss, you'll land among Silverpelt.


((Continued here!))