first step into camp

deerkit crouched and wriggled out of the small hole in the nursery she had found recently. amberdawn would kill her if she found out deerkit had sneaked out of the nursery, but deerkit had been longing to get out of the nursery and meet her clanmates. she had been found at the shadowclan border when she was just a few sunrises old and taken in by shadowclan, and perhaps that was why deerkit felt the need to see her clan. will they accept me? worry clouded her mind.

the camp was crowded and full of cats deerkit had never seen, sharing prey or chatting together. deerkit shuddered in excitement and puffed out her fur. suddenly, a shadow fell upon her figure, and the small white kit glanced up quickly.


any cat can be the shadow if they want. deerkit is open to interactions.

Carrying home a lucky catch in his mouth, Duskflight padded towards the little she-kit,  and she looked seemingly just as excited as he was when he took his first steps out of the nursery. A little anxious, too. The outer camp was like a brand new home; a wide, open space that has yet to be explored. Careful not to injure his leg again, the tom sat down, offering her a wide, yet warm grin. New clanmates were always pleasant to interact with, no matter the age. "Hey there! Sorry if I scared you, I'm Duskflight. You must be Deerkit, it's wonderful to meet you," He mewed. Wrapping his tail around his paws, the tom continued. "Is this your first time out of the nursery? I was anxious my first time, too. But don't worry, everyone's nice!" He set the rodent down, silently nudging it towards her paws. "You can have it, I don't mind." Kits, elders, the sick, and queens were to be prioritized above all, after all. Although the catch was more so of difficult to get, it at least would provide something to the clan.

deerkit jumped when she noticed the huge grey tom behind her. "h-hi! yeah, its my first time out of the nursery. thanks for the offer, but im not really old enough to eat prey by myself." deerkit stammered, unsure if she had said the right thing. what if there is a traditional reply to older cats? what if im not suppose to reject offers of prey? eeek! did i do something wrong?! deerkit's neck fur began to bristle in worry.

calming herself down, deerkit added hopefully, "tell me about shadowclan. im sure theres lots of things i dont know yet. is it necessary for leaders and deputies to be mates? what is the warrior code? i heard ambermoon mention starclan before, whats that?" the she-kit's worry evaporated into excitement as she blurted out every question that came to mind. how do i fit in? was the only question deerkit didnt ask.

"Oh, I see," The tom gave an awkward smile; nodding as he gently took the prey back underneath his paws. Later, he'll add it to the prey pile, maybe. Though he soon began to notice the kit's neck fur standing up on end, and he blinked in surprise. This kit.. was a skittish one. He gave a light chuckle, though. One to show that she shouldn't be so nervous at all— and that it was alright to reject it if she wasn't old enough to snack on prey. Then came on a few other questions, and the tom smiled, willing to answer. "Well, let's start with a short story. The few first cats who settled here were our ancestors. From adjusting to the dangerous marshlands.. We've learned to have excellent stealth and wonderful sight in the dark; better than most cats in the four other clans," He purred in pride, nodding as he spoke, "Though, don't become prideful of that. The four other clans know, and are cautious of it, too." He laughed lightly.

"And no, it's not necessary. The fact that Murkystar and Mistyfalcon are mates answers that. Now, The Warrior Code is a very sacred set of rules that every warrior and even apprentices must follow," He smiled, pausing to catch his breath before continuing again, "StarClan are cats who have passed away, and now continue to live on in the sky. You'll see them clearly at night, in the Silverpelt. They sometimes send omens, prophecies, and signs to the medicine cat. I believe StarClan has sent Basilbloom something, too. Though I've only met one before visiting StarClan," The warrior grinned, "They're exactly like how you expect them to be. Their pelt glitters with stars— and they're mysterious, in a way. I hope that all answers your questions." Frankly, he could tell that there was something else the kit longed for. Like a question unable to be asked; although he wouldn't peek in. Not unless Deerkit has asked him to. Privacy was important, after all.

Sootkit emerged from the nursery and inched toward the fresh-kill pile, his belly rumbling. He always felt odd about taking prey when there was surely some other cat who needed it more, but he figured if he took small enough pieces no one would know they were gone.

Looking over, he noticed a warrior, who from the looks of it had just gotten back to camp.

Maybe he had news...?

Deep down Sootkit knew it was foolish of him to still hold out hope, but his paws had a mind of their own as they swerved off the path toward the two cats. He recognized the kit, though he'd never spoken to her, and he figured now was a good enough time to introduce himself.

Besides, he needed to know everyone if he was going to be the best warrior in the clan one day.

"Uh- Hey! Sorry to interrupt, I'm Sootkit." His greeting was friendly though his eyes were wary.

deerkit was awed by the stories duskflight told. could cats really exist even after death? and they could see the future? worry also churned in her belly. would she have to learn to hide in the shadows as well? her white pelt would be a disadvantage to her, then. no matter, she'll just try harder than most.

her thoughts were interrupted by a tom-kit. the tom introduced himself, and although he was polite, deerkit could tell that there was something else on the tom's mind. and his eyes were wary. perhaps he was waiting for news, or he had done something wrong? it wasn't her place to judge, so deerkit didn't pry.

"Hi! I'm deerkit!" she mewed back, signaling with her tabby tail that the tom could come closer.

"Oh? Well, nice to meet you, Sootkit," He smiled. Although the kit's tone was friendly, something beneath his eyes hinted otherwise. He wasn't completely sure of why. Somehow, Sootkit's appearance reminded him of when he was still one, all but a tiny kit. They looked similar back then, perhaps. His fur was still not as dark as it was now, and often others confused it for a shade of grey instead. Though luckily, now it was clear. With a blink, he nodded, taking his turn to introduce himself. "I'm Duskflight, though I think you might've already known that."

Sootkit cautiously inched closer, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws.

"Nice meeting you two. So, did anything interesting happen today?"

The two of them seemed friendly enough, but he could never be too sure. He cocked his head at the pair, waiting for an answer.

deerkit shook her head. "Sorry, but I just got out of my nursery. i didn't hear anything yet." she mewed apologetically. sootkit seemed to be waiting for news. was it like hers, waiting for signs of her parents? many cats seemed to have that problem.

perhaps duskflight has news. deerkit turns to the older tom, waiting for his reply.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, though not exactly," He frowned, shaking his head slowly at both of the kits. However, he wouldn't just leave them there. He could still tell recent tales, sure. "However, I could still tell you two about my adventures in the marsh. Every tale is different. The marsh hasn't always been like this, either. Without the snow, our land stretches with mysterious dark corners; all ready to be discovered," The tom purred. Those were the tales he could tell them now, although if they were curious about him, his stories of each scar he earned were also just as interesting. After all, he wanted them to be able to have a goal: to aim to rank up to an apprentice, then finally, to a warrior; just like him. Helping out the clan was what he always have wanted.

deerkit jumped up, "Yes! tell us!" she said, her tabby tail waving excitedly and flicking snow in the air. how is it like to be a warrior? how does shadowclan look like? are there other clans? questions threatened to spill out but the she-cat kept her mouth shut. she didn't want to interrupt the story.

Sootkit nodded in agreement, staring up at Duskflight curiously. He was a bit disappointed that neither cat had news about his parents, but he had to admit the prospect of hearing the warrior’s stories was appealing. Maybe, once he was a great warrior, he could even go out and look for them himself! His eyes gleamed at the thought.

”Yea, what’s the rest of the territory like? Is it always this cold? What does it look like?”

He couldn’t stop the questions spilling from his mouth, his curiosity often led him to odd places because of his stubborn refusal to leave any question unanswered.

Duskflight gave them a short purr, glad to have been able to catch their attention. With that, his stories began. "I've not been around for long enough to know how it's like in Newleaf nor Greenleaf, though I have experienced Leaf-fall before," The tom smiled, gazing up at the now barren trees frosted with snow, "It wasn't always this cold. Compared to now, Leaf-fall's breezes would be warm. Leaves turned into many different warm shades: red; orange; yellow; and even brown. Prey was still plump, often scurrying around in search of shelter and food for Leaf-bare. I managed to catch a lot back then, though it's unfortunately— much less frequent now. My first adventure, however, was out with Emberleap. He's my mentor." Changing his view from the barren trees, his eyes scanned the camp, and out to the opening of the thorn tunnel. The memories still lie clear in his mind, and he grinned, ready to continue the story.

"He guided me through the marshlands of our territory. Our terrain is grassy and slicked with mud; water often going past up your paws. Large pines surrounded the place, bringing in the fresh air. It was then that we fought an owl, my first ever encounter with a predator. In my apprenticeship, I often went on small adventures. Don't follow what I did, though. Going out alone isn't safe," He gave them an awkward chuckle, "Though, I also went out with countless others. Ratpaw, Shypaw, and even.. Mistlebright. She was an excellent warrior, though she isn't here anymore. She's with StarClan now," The warrior paused at his mention of the molly. It's been a while, and he learned to have accepted it.. somehow. It wasn't easy, though. "Once, I headed out with Shypaw to the Hidden Outcropping. A ring of stones lie there, and though not many warriors nor apprentices visit it, it sure was exciting to have discovered an unknown place. Patches of tall fields and foliage cover the area, so it's not exactly easy to get through." Perhaps it was only now that the warrior realized how many adventures he has gone on. Lots, and lots of them. And yet, there still were more. Countless battles with predators, though still, some likable moments within the marshland.

deerkit's eyes widened. was the world outside of this camp really so full of life? she could hardly navigate in this small clearing, how was she to see the world?

she felt sorry for the tom. losing a friend must not be easy. but curiosity killed the cat, and deerkit couldn't help the question that slipped out: "How did she die?" Immediatly, she wished she didn't say that. will duskflight hate me? what if its a sensitive topic? what do i do?

Sootkit widened his eyes slightly at Deerkits question, though he had to admit he’d been wondering the same thing himself. Regardless, he was more concerned about the owl. He’d heard owls before, at the dead of night flying over camp, but he’d never actually seen one. He figured it’d be rude to ask about it without waiting to hear the answer to Deerkit’s question, so he kept his mouth shut and opted to wait his turn.