The slate and the Ember [closed]

Slatekit padded out of the nursery her bright vibrant green eyes shining and her gray ginger and white pelt freshly cleaned by her mother who had insisted on cleaning her before she went out of the nursery by herself for the first time. Her mother had kept her in the den and didn’t allow her to leave to play with the other kits because of the Asylum cats and now finally she let her out, she was almost an apprentice anyways. In the nursery Slatekit had met a nice Tom named Emberkit and they had become fast friends and he had introduced her to his sister Gingerkit who she had also become fast friends with. Gingerkit was busy playing or something but Emberkit was out in camp somewhere. She longed for the toms company so when her mother finally let her out the she cat immediately went to find him. Seeing the tom in a spot over by the gorse wall the she cat padded over and bumped noses with the tom. “Hello Emberkit! You’re looking handsome today.” She purred fitting with the tom before nuzzling him and sitting next to him pelts pressing against each other in the cold leaf bare sun.

Emberkit was looking up at the tunnel wondering how it was created when suddenly slatekit appeared. "Hey slatekit, Thank you, You also look very pretty today. I thught your mom said you couldnt leave the nursery?" He said forgetting about the tunnel and putting all his attention onto slatekit.

Slatekit was one of the only cats that knew about his nightly adventures, but also understood his curiosity. Emberkit, being the smartest of the litter, was known to not interact with anyone well. His siblings and Slatekit were the only ones he could talk to without trying to get information from them (geeking out).

Slatekit purred. “She finally let me out because we’re almost apprentices.” She chuckled. “I wish it was sooner because then we’d be able to do everything together!” She meowed pressing against her best friend. “What do you wanna do first? After all I’ve never seen the camp before! You could show me around!” The tri-colored she cat meowed looking at Emberkit with a playful light in her eyes.

emberkit nodded with a smile before getting to his paws. "Where do you wanna see first? Warrior den? apprentice den? medicine den? elders den? leaders den? prey pile?" He asked with a smile. He was teasing her but also did want to know where she wanted to go first.

The camp was a big place to a kit so there was lots to see. As the leaf-bare wind ruffled his brown pelt, a stream a sunlight shined down at him, at the perfect angle, to make it seem he was on fire.

Slatekit thought for a moment. “How about the apprentices den? We’re going to be apprentices soon anyways. Before you know it we’re going to be warriors!” She exclaimed flicking her tail. She turned to the tom who looked like he was on fire. “Emberkit with the sun hitting your pelt you look like you’re on fire! It looks pretty cool to me!” She meowed.

Emberkit looked down as his pelt with a smile. "Yeah that happens sometimes, the apprentice den is this way." he mewed and padded towards the den. Many apprentices were out training so it was kinda empty.

When we become apprentices, who would be better at what." he mewed his brain thinking again. Emberkit knew he would be A bad hunter as he wasn't that fast and his fur got stuck on everything. He was probably smart enough to be a good fighter but was also too nice to hurt anyone.

“Hmm.. Well I think you’d be good at creating battle plans. You’re smart and seem to think ahead, unlike some other mousebrains we know.” She chuckled. “And what else.. I mean I think I’d be good at hunting I’ve got a lot of practice stalking a mossball and I’ve been perfecting my hunting crouch, mother’s been teaching me how to stalk soundlessly.” Slatekit meowed proudly and bumped shoulders with Emberkit. “We should go out hunting when we become apprentices and I’ll show you! Mother even taught me how to catch prey, granted it was still a mossball but still.” She meowed with a grin.

Emberkit nodded with a smile. "yeah, that sounds great, and fun!" he mewed at the idea of playing with slatekit. Usually the two never have any time to be alone cause emberkit is busy with his siblings and slatekit is busy with her mom.

Slatekit purred. “Where to next? Surprise me!” She she cat meowed turning to follow the tom to wherever he took her. She’d follow Emberkit anywhere if it meant that they could be together. He was her best friend, she’d do anything for him.

Emberkit led slatekit to the medicine den as it was very important. "This is the medicine cat den, you come here if injured." He mewed waiting for her comment.

As Slatekit followed Emberkit into the medicine cat den her eyes widened. “Whoa!are these herbs the cause of the this strong scent? It smells like the earth! I kinda like it.” She meowed looking around at all the herbs and berries of different kinds. Turning back to Emberkit she padded back to him. “Who’s our Medicine cat and Medicine cat apprentice? Have you met them?”

Emberkit thought about it but realized he had no clue, that was the first time he didn't know something. "I..Dont know them.." he said with a hint of sadness to his tone. He knew as an apprentice he would get to see more clan members, but not even knowing the meds made him feel stupid.

Slatekit caught onto Emberkit’s sadness and bumped his shoulder with hers. “Hey it’s okay we’re still young there’s plenty of time to meet them! Besides they’re probably really busy lately that’s why you haven’t met them!” She purred and gave Emberkit’s ear a lick trying to comfort the tom. “Why don’t we go see the elders den? I heard apprentices spend a lot of time in there when they’re not training.” She meowed trying to lighten the mood.

Emberkit nodded and then showed Slatekit the rest of camp. As they finished up the sun was going down and the clan was getting quieter. "Lets go to bed, then we can have more fun to do tomorrow." He mewed knowing full well he was going to wake up later during the night.

Slatekit nodded. “Yeah I’m a little bit tired myself.” She meowed and led the way to the nursery. Upon arriving into the nursery Slatekit padded to her nest next to Emberkit’s and went to bed.