Young Adventures (Open)

A fluffy black tom-kit slid silently from the nursery, glancing around. His stomach rumbled, and he quietly padded over to the fresh-kill heap. Choosing a small minnow, he walked over to a shady spot near some reeds and ate the minnow, licking his lips. I wonder what Stormkit and Finchkit are doing... He wondered. Padding over to the nursery, he waved his tail at his mother, purring. His mother, Doeleap, trotted over and nuzzled him. "Stormkit and Finchkit are sleeping." She mewed. "You doing okay?" Shadekit nodded, not saying a word. Mostly everyone in the nursery knew he was a mute, which meant he either couldn't talk, or wouldn't. Shadekit could talk, he just never did. He nuzzled his mother before turning and padding away, glancing around. He watched as a hunting patrol exited the camp, an elder grooming themself near their den, the RiverClan leader sitting- watching upon the clan... He quietly sighed, wondering what to do. Padding over to a small run-off from the river, he crouched near it. Tiny minnows glittered as the sun hit the small stream. He watched them curiously, poking one as it swam near the edge. It splashed a bit and darted away, joining the rest of the small fish. Shadekit twitched his ear as he listened to the trickling water. It was so beautiful.

Streamtail padded around the riverbank, deciding to fish in the river. The blue-gray she-cat didn’t want her Clan to go hungry, even though green leaf always brought lots of prey. When she arrived near the river, however, Streamtail saw a little kit sitting in front of the flowing body of water. Surprise mixed with curiously forced Streamtail to sit next to the kit. “Hello. What are you doing here? The river is kind of a dangerous place for kits to wander around in.”

Mottlekit stepped out of the nursery and looked around camp. She was bored and wanted something to do, but several of the other kits were still asleep. As her light green eyes scanned the camp, she noticed a small black kit and a blue-grey cat sitting by the river at the edge of camp. She recognized Shadekit, the tom in the nursery who never spoke to her. She didn't know the older cat's name, and approaching someone new was always scary. Shyly, she padded over to the water's edge, a few tail-lengths away from the other cats. She gently poked the water with her paw and watched the minnows darting away. She hoped the other cats would notice her and include her in whatever they were doing.

Shadekit twitched his ear as he heard the she-cat speak. He tore his gaze away from the stream and looked at her. With a small black paw, he pointed to the minnows in the stream and drew a pair of eye-looking-shapes in the mud. He meant that he was watching the fish. He then gazed father around the she-cat, noticing a small she-kit poking the small fish. He waved his tail and slightly smiled shyly.

Mottlekit noticed Shadekit point at the minnows and then draw something in the sand that she couldn't see. Curious, she took a few cautious steps forward to investigate. Then, Shadekit smiled at her and waved his tail slightly.

Mottlekit's ears perked up happily. She smiled and meowed a greeting. Then she remembered the blue-grey warrior between them. Who was she? Mottlekit looked up at her questioningly and waited for her to speak.

Shadekit gazed back at the shining stream, and the little minnows flicking around in it. He sat very still, only every-now-and-then the tip of his black tail flicking slowly. He twitched his ear, listening, and waiting to see if the nice blue-gray she-cat would move or say anything. The sun moved to the reeds, making his pelt shine and giving it a brownish-hue.

Streamtail’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as a mottled black and white kit joined them. “You two like minnows, don’t you? She stood up, reaching a paw into the water. Something slippery slid across her paw and Streamtail wrapped her forepaw around it gently. She tossed the flopping minnow onto the riverbank, allowing the two kits to see it closely, before reaching out and tossing the fish back into the river. The minnow seemingly blinked in surprise, before swimming away quickly. “See? That’s what they look like. I’m Streamtail, and you two are...?”

Mottlekit's eyes widened when Streamtail caught the fish. "Wow!" She exclaimed. "I'm Mottlekit. Can you teach us how to do that?" She was almost bouncing with excitement.

Streamtail contemplated for a moment...before sadly shaking her head. “I don’t think it will be too safe for kits...you’ll have to be an apprentice to do that. I’m afraid that the current might sweep you off, as you two don’t know how to swim yet...but we could do something else, though. I promise you, that when you get your mentor, you’ll be able to learn how to swim, hunt and fish.” Her long tail flicked slightly as she gazed at the rippling river.

Shadekit watched the tiny shimmering fish in awe, before swishing his tail and slightly smiling. "Shadekit." He whispered strangely. The kit turned his gaze back on the shining river. He his tail then drooped a bit when Streamtail said they had to wait. Oh well. He thought, before standing up and stretching.

Mottlekit looked at Shadekit oddly when she heard him whisper his name. She didn't know he could talk at all. Then Shadekit got up and stretched as if he were about to wander off.

Mottlekit felt a flash of indignation. She wasn't ready to give up. "Wait! I know how to swim!" She squeaked. To prove it, she leapt into the water and paddled furiously to stay afloat.

It's not that Shellkit wasn't taught to stay out of the lake. She just tended to... forget. Many a time she had been scolded by her mother, shivering as her fur was groomed in the wrong direction to get her dry and warm. Shellkit was sorry for worrying her mother, but not sorry enough to stop trying to explore.

When she was younger, splashing in puddles was enough to keep her interest, but she was older now, and puddles no longer held her interest. How could they, still and muddy and fish-less? How ignorant she had been then! It made her shake her head in amusement, bringing her back to the present moment.

The flat shine of her pale cream fur was a dead give-away of her own splashes in the stream, so she had been avoiding the center of camp. But a little gathering seemed to be happening on the edges of the stream close by--a warrior entertaining the conversation of a couple kits. When one jumped in the water, Shellkit leapt to her feet. Maybe the warrior was teaching them to swim!

She bounded over with an excited yelp. "Can I go in, too?" she asked breathlessly, already wiggling on her haunches to jump as if she had gotten permission already.

Streamtail panicked. Mottlekit had just jumped into the water without anybody near her to help. “Kits? Stay. Here. You hear me? Don’t go wandering off.” Her voice was soft, but firm. The currents today were stronger. Way stronger than usual. You mousebrained fool! Streamtail, how could you let those kits get into the water? Hissing and scolding herself, she dove into the water, paddling furiously to fight off the water current. A rather strong one swept her off to the left and Streamtail faltered. “Mottlekit! I want you to swim over here. Quickly. Those currents might sweep you away far enough that I can’t catch up.” Just as Streamtail called out towards the black and white mottled kit, a current headed towards the kit yet again...

Mottlekit was feeling a little overwhelmed by the water. The currents were stronger than she had expected. Still, by paddling furiously she was able to keep her head above the water pretty well. Streamtail was yelling something at her, but Mottlekit couldn't quite hear it. She wasn't sure if that was because of the rushing water or her own excitement. Probably both.

"I'm okay!" She called. "This is so fun! Shadekit, you should jump in too!" She noticed the other kit that had come over and decided to include her as well. "Oh, hi Shellkit! Come on in!"

Just as she said that, a strong current slammed into her, and she wasn't able to swim against it. Wailing, Mottlekit was swept away from the camp.

Shellkit paused as she heard the orders of the warrior. With a surprising pang, she realized that part of her wanted to follow the silver-grey queen's orders. How many times had she pressed her ear to the nursery wall to listen in on Clan meetings, to the clear voice of their leader? How many times had her heart started to beat faster as she watched the organized flow of cats following their deputy's orders, working for the clan, for the warrior code that made and protected and sustained her home?

But on the other paw... she didn't sound all that worried. And like many of her clanmates, the water wasn't just a means to an end to Shellkit. It was a living part of Shellkit's world: one that splashed fine drops on her whiskers, tumbled over her paws as if it wanted to play, glided along her sides when she was submerged, showed her where the best minnows could be found. The river was a playmate that whispered, shimmered, jumped and hummed. Despite what she had been warned, Shellkit couldn't see the water ever hurting her.

So Shellkit kicked her back legs off the the floor, ready to join Mottlekit. The next thing she knew, she was stumbling over her front paws, who it seemed had heard the silver-grey queen's impatient hiss. She twisted over her self and landed tail-first in the shallows of the stream, before her hind claws scrabbled on the bank and launched her back onto land. Her pelt lay flat and cold on her soaked back legs and tail, and with the fur of her front half puffed out from the shock of her stumble, Shellkit could only imagine what she looked like.

Her ears lay flat against her head and she squeezed her eyes tight, praying no cat saw. But her spine stiffened as a high wail pierced the air. Whirling, she watched with startled eyes to see Mottlekit whisked away by the current. She jumped to her feet and started to sprint alongside the side of the bank.

Where her legs had been conflicted before, now they seemed in agreement.

"Mottlekit!" she yowled, trying to keep pace with the current. She didn't really know how keeping her eyes on her denmate would help: but she knew to lose sight would be disastrous.