Wings of Liberty and Prey (Open)

Once Snickerdoodle and I post it will be open!

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Sneezingkit trotted out of the nursery for the first time, gait unsteady. Today was the first time her mother had let her into camp and she was excited. Almost immediately, a feather from a robin drifted down in front of her and she sneezed once, twice, three times, taking a step back each time until she fell backwards on the last sneeze.

Her large frame, which was much bigger than a normal two moon kit, bumped into an even larger kit -- or was it an apprentice? "Oof-choo!" Her fall combined with a sneeze (from the dust she stirred up when she fell) made an odd sound. "S-sorry! My sneezes made me -sniff, sniffle- bump into you. I'm Snee– achoo!–zingkit! Papa calls me Karbo or Herbo Karen, though. What's your name?"

Little did the two kits know, above them a large red tailed hawk laying waiting, having spotted its prey.

Mountainkit pottered about camp, looking for shiny things. She'd started collecting them. She already had two pretty rocks and a beetle she'd found on top of one of the rocks. She didn't particularly know why she was collecting shiny things, but it was a good way to spend the day. She was determined to become the world's best shiny thing collector- or she had been, until a fluffy magpie-coloured kit approached her. Shiny object immediately out of mind, she grinned at the slightly smaller kit.

"That's a funny sneeze, miss Sneezingkit! That's a good name. A proper name should be like you. Y'know? Like I'm Mountainkit, because I'm big. Like my pa, I think. And you're Sneezingkit, because you sneeze! It's good, so people know what you're about. If I was called Sneezingkit and you were called Mountainkit, everybody would be all conf- confuz- uh, upside-down brainy!" She nodded once, clearly proud of her observation. "What does Karen mean? Is it like Menace? That's my other name, I've decided. Ferbo asked, and I decided it suited me. Menace means... Um, Menace means something good. Like me, I'm good!" She smiled down at the other kit, blissfully unaware of their soon-to-be kidnapper perched just above her.

"Hiya, Mountainkit the Menace! It sure must be a good thing I'm not Mountainkit and you're not Sneezingkit because it doesn't sound like being upside downy brain would be very fun!" Sneezingkit squeaked, "I think Karen means, uh, hmm.. Oh, I know! Karen means grandma. Or that's what papa says. Papa says grandma Karebo gave me her name, it must be a good thing. So I guess it is like Menace!" Sneezingkit chirped.

A feather floating down caused her to sneeze again, making her fall down. "Oh! Oh! You know Fedora! She's my big sis! Our papa's biiiiiig, bigger than a mountain!" The little kit states proudly, green eyes shining. Her papa was so cool!

Suddenly, from above, a large bird let out a cry and dove, talons extended, and snatched one kit in each talon before ascending.

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"Karbo! Mini Chonk!" Himbo Bob yowled, dashing forward, but the bird was already in the air, and he bunched his muscles to jump, attempting to reach them. "Let. Go. Of. My. Daughter!" He yowled, furious. His claws snatched a wing and he scrambled to hold on. The hawk knew if this cat kept up he wouldn't be able to fly away with his prey, so the giant bird skydived, successfully sending the giant tom spiraling to the ground, before flying away again.

Himbo Bob crashed painfully to the ground, landing awkwardly on his leg. "No!!" The tom cried, trying to stand up but crashing back to the ground, a bloody pool starting to well up. His right back leg had broken, and his youngest daughter and Mini Chonk were gone. Tears pooled up in his blue eyes and once more he tried to standing, limping as far as the half way to the camp exit before he toppled over. "N-no.. No! You have to go after them! Y-you have to save them!" The bulky flame point pleaded to the surrounding cats, then spotted Ashstorm. "I- I'm sorry, I should've been faster!"

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OOC: Mountainkit and Sneezingkit have been kitnapped! You may attempt to catch the hawk but you'll have no luck. Send out a patrol of you'd like, but it seems they are no where to be found...

Mountainkit nodded in response. "Yeah, that wouldn't be fun! Nobody would know what's what!" She cocked her head, little ears flicking. "That's a good meaning! I have a grandma, she's nice. That must mean you're nice too! I'm good and you're nice. Cats should be good and nice. Then we get to go up to play in the stars! My sister must have been really nice, she went up there. I want to go too, the stars sound really fun! So I'm gonna be the goodest cat in all of-"

The air was swiftly cut off from her lungs as she was grabbed around the chest by one huge talon. The bird scrabbled to get purchase on her round body before finally getting a grip, making little drops of blood bead around the claws. "AAAAAAAHH!! W-W-W-WE'RE FLYING!!!!!!" Mountainkit was positive they shouldn't be flying. That wasn't a cat thing, was it? As she looked down at the trees below with wide eyes, she barely registered the fitful sneezing from her left that was weighing the big bird down.

Blossomstep had casually watched the kits playing together before laying her head back down. It was good to see the little ones playing, and their soft chattering paired with the warm sunlight was the perfect recipe for a good nap. She had just closed her eyes for what felt like a moment when a sharp cry sounded overhead, and she sat up and turned her gaze to the sky just in time to see the large bird swoop down into camp. As she got to her paws she watched as the sharp talons curled around the two kits and panic filled her expression. Through the roaring in her ears she could hear the shrieks and yowls of her Clanmates, but she didn't realize that she herself was wordlessly shrieking as her claws extended and she bounded forward, paws crashing hard against the ground as she crossed the camp swiftly. Without a moment's hesitation she jumped into the lower branches of the trees just outside of SkyClan's camp and continued her chase of the hawk from the treetops, but the hawk was flying higher and faster than she could ever hope to move. The older she-cat was panicking, sprinting and leaping through the treetops as quickly as she could, watching the bird grow farther and farther away. One of her hind paws fell into an awkward fork in a branch, and as her momentum kept her moving forward her paw got stuck and wrenched painfully. Letting out a yowl at the sharp pain that shot through her leg, she fell flat against the limb and could do nothing but watch as the bird became a speck in the distance before disappearing entirely. Tears of pain, anger, and grief rolled from her eyes into her cheeks as she turned to try to release her paw from where it was trapped.

The rush of feathers had Smokefeather jerking upright from where she'd been laying outside the nursery. She'd been watching the kits play, but the relative peace in the camp vanished as a large hawk swooped down amid a chorus of Skyclan yowls.

"Mountainkit! No!" Smokefeather choked out in alarm, leaping to her paws. Dull eyes locking on the bird, Smokefeather bunched her muscles and leapt. Too slow, her claws grazed one feathered wing, but the bird pulled away and she wasn't fast enough to sink her claws in. Her paws hit the ground, and Smokefeather cursed the moons she'd spent idle. If she had been a hair faster...

The bird dove, sending Ashstorm's mate tumbling to the ground before climbing skyward once more, and Smokefeather bolted towards the camp entrance, not sparing a glance at the fallen tom as panic swelled in her chest. She scaled a tree, giving chase to the hawk. She was vaguely aware of Blossomstep in the trees to her left, as well, but Smokefeather's mind was solely focused on the kits that were caught in the hawk's rapid retreat from camp. Forcing herself through the threes, Smokefeather was heedless of the branches that snagged and tore at her long fur. Her vision blurred and she blinked away tears, unwilling to stop moving. She couldn't lose Mountainkit, not now. And Sneezingkit...

She wasn't fast enough, and the form of the hawk carrying the kits grew more distant. Finally, the bird disappeared from her sight altogether, and Smokefeather stumbled on a tree branch, shaking her head. Chest heaving, the queen dropped to the ground heavily, eyes burning. She slowly became aware of the patches of bloody fur where branches had snagged, of the way her paws throbbed. Torn claws or splinters, probably both. The sensations were dull, and Smokefeather couldn't bring herself to care. How could she, when her kit had been taken?

Quietkit watched from the nursery, her blue eyes staring Sneezingkit and the bigger kit. They seemed to be talking. Quietkit wanted to join them, since she was allowed to go out of the nursery but... Quietkit knew she was clumsy and what if the other kit didn't like her for her clumsyness? What if she ruined Sneezingkit's chance at having friends? Quietkit certainly didn't want that to happen.

But then again, Quietkit knew she had to get out of the nursery. Maybe she'd walk really slowly, and prevent her clumsyness. And then once she joined them, she'd sit down! Just as long as she didn't trip, maybe Sneezingkit's chances wouldn't be ruined! Letting a sigh, Quietkit took a slow step out of the nursery. And then another slow step. And then another-

Suddenly a bird swooped down, and picked up Sneezingkit and Mountainkit, before swooping up. Caught off guard, Quietkit tumbled over, and landed onto her face. But that didn't matter to her anymore. A bird had just stolen Sneezingkit, her sister! Quietkit scrambled up onto her paws, before landing on her face again. She then got up more slowly, as she saw her father and other warriors, chase after the bird.

Quietkit simply watched in terror, before turning around into the nursery. "Mom! Larkkit! Sneezing-Karen, a-a giant bird took her!" Her shrill voice cried, panic filled.

Ashstorm watched as Sneezingkit met her new friend.  Quietkit was beginning to leave the nursery too and she hoped that both of her daughters would make a new friend today.  Tired from the nights she spent up taking care of her kits, she collapsed into the nest trying to get sleep herself.  She hoped Larkkit would go out soon, but if he didn't she would be completely fine to talk if he wanted to or have her show him around camp, even though her preference was of course to sleep.  She just closed her eyes...

Then she heard Himbo Bob yell... Then Smokefeather scream... Then she heard Quietkit cry in terror.

Immediately she got to her paws.  "Quietkit come back now!" She ordered her daughter.  She looked at both Larkkit and Quietkit.  "I don't want either of you to even think about leaving this nursery until I tell you it's okay again.  Understood?"  She sped through saying her words and did not wait for a response.  She trusted her kits.  She sprinted out of the nursery.  She wanted to make sure Himbo Bob was okay, but she needed to get her kit back.  She heard her mate tell her something, but there was no time to respond no matter how much she wanted to.

Ashstorm leaped up to try to attack the hawk, but the only thing she was able to do was scratch her claw down the hawk's lower back and when falling was able to tear out a feather from the hawk's tail.  She fell, thankfully only getting a few bruises.  She scrambled back on her feet and held the feather in her mouth wanting to remember the scent of the bird.  She looked back at Quietkit and Larkkit, then at Himbo Bob with a pool of blood around his leg.  She had a brief moment of hesitation, but it was for only a few seconds.  Then she ran through the trees knowing Blossomstep and Smokefeather were somewhere around where she was too.

She had many thoughts streaming through her mind, but one was clearer than the rest.  One of my little sisters died when I did not even know what was happening.  I won't allow my other sister and... and my own kit to die when I can do something... When it was my fault I let Sneezingkit out of the nursery in the first place!  Soon after, she had no idea where the hawk was, but no matter what would happen she would keep looking.