stepping out of the nest

slightpaw tumbled out of the nursery in a rolled up heap. his mother, insisting that he needed fresh air, had roughly shoved the tom-kit out of the comforts of his own nest. it wasn't that slightkit needed to get fresh air, but rather the tom refused to talk to anyone. he was weirdly stubborn in his own way. perhaps he was also scared, trembling by the stories his other told him of battling foxes and killing cats. no matter how many times Cloudmist insisted that it was an honor to fight for his clan, slightkit couldn't help but feel horrified by the idea of harming another cat.

consumed by his own thoughts, slightkit didn't pay attention to his surroundings. it was his first step out of the nursery, sure, but he didn't care. too busy sulking, the white tom suddenly fell into an area of soft snow. "Help!" he gasped before his mouth was filled with snow.

Hailfall walked in through the entrance of camp, the rest of his hunting patrol trailing behind him. All three of them had only managed to catch a singular bird. His eyes could barely distinguish prey from snow, and predators seemed to be rampant. He felt more like a tag-along in hunting patrols because rarely did he catch anything. He couldn't wait for green-leaf. Where there was more color and warmth and, best of all, flowers.

He was just about to ask to steal some tail feathers from his companion before a shrill cry caught his attention. His hackles raised, caught by surprise as he rushed to the scene. The kit nearly blended into the snow with his mostly white pelt, but Hailfall was quick to discern scruff from frost and pull the kit free from the snow. He gently placed them where it was more stable, gently using a paw to brush away some of the flakes. "Goodness, are you alright? That was quite the fall you had..."

shivering, slightkit managed to nod. glancing up, he saw a white tom whose fur was decorated by feathers. was this part of the skyclan tradition? did it represent ranks? or does it help him blend in?
slightkit curiously examined the striking feathers on the tom's pelt.

camp was so scary. how was he to hunt and fight when he couldn't even walk a few pawsteps without falling? he should have just stayed in the comforts of his own nest.

"What are the purpose of those feathers? do they help you hide from prey?" slightkit couldn't help the question that flowed out of his mouth.

Hailfall gave a sigh of relief when the kit seemed alright. Kittens were so small, he could only imagine how quickly they could get sick from the cold.

Then the kit asked about his feathers, and all worry quickly melted into elation. They wanted to talk about decorations!? He could never pass up the chance to tell about how wonderful they are! "Oh, they don't really help in hunting, but they do make a cat absolutely beautiful~." He flicked his tail, accentuating the blue jay feathers delicately woven into his fur. He was missing the variety flowers could bring, but jay feathers were suitably vibrant and beautiful enough to tide him till new-leaf. "It's a confidence booster, or a way to gain the attention of a cat you fancy, or just a way to draw eyes in general and make you stand out in a crowd."

He paused for a minute, thinking as he mulled over his decoration choices. "I suppose you could use leaves for camouflage. With white pelts like ours, it's pretty difficult to hide, but Skyclan cats already have the advantage of hiding in trees. Not many outsiders think to look up." His foggy vision didn't allow him to partake in that advantage, but most could.

slightkit nodded. so there were other ways to hide from prey and enemies without the blanket of snow. he also felt a thrill about the idea of decorating himself. he always felt that his white pelt was too plain, unlike the pretty stripes of tabbies or the dapples of calicos.

"when Newleaf comes, will there also be flowers? are there flowers or feathers that match my eyes?" slightkit flicked his tail in excitement. perhaps talking with other cats weren't so bad, not when there was so many things to learn from cats older and more experienced. when i become apprentice, i hope this tom is my mentor! slightkit thought, before realizing that they didn't know the other's name.

"I'm Slightkit, how about you?" he added.

A purr rose in his throat at the kit's increasing interest. He was glad to have introduced them to such a wonderful thing, he couldn't imagine his life without adornments. "Yes, there are so many wonderful colors of flowers in new-leaf." Blues and purples were his usual go-to picks, but this kitten already had an eye for aesthetics. Ambers, oranges, and yellows would be beautiful on his pelt. "Dandelions and marigold are the first flowers to come to mind, but there are also lilies that come in brilliant yellows. However, for feathers, a goldfinch would be a perfect match."

Oh right! Names! He had gotten so wrapped up in colors and decorations that he had nearly forgotten! "My name is Hailfall, nice to meet you Slightkit! I could try and find you some decorations the next time I'm out if you would like. Though, in leaf fall, it can be pretty tough." He offered a slight warning. This season was especially tough and he had to be extremely careful with his existing decorations as he wasn't sure how easily they could be replaced.

“Yes! could you?" slightkit asked, delighted that he might soon get his own decorations. talking to cats weren't bad at all!

(sorry for the short post)

Hailfall nodded with a quick "Of course!" before pausing. He was hesitant to give away more cool-colored, vibrant decorations away like his bluejay feathers, but frankly this kitten was starting to pull at his heartstrings. He carefully plucked a feather from his tail and placed it into Slightkit's. "There, proof of my good word. Feathers are delicate, you do have to be careful with them, but the moment I go back on patrol I'll be looking for goldfinches for you."

"Hmm, do you have a favorite color? I could perhaps look for that too," he added, though some colors were hard to find in such a season. He would try though. For the sake of getting this kitten into fashion. Not enough cats put proper care into their appearances in his opinion.

slightkit gasped as Hailfall plucked a feather from his pelt and gave it to him. his first decorations! slightkit carefully adjusted the feather on his tail, admiring how the blue stood out against the white of his pelt. a purr rose up in his throat.

"Hmm? oh, I'm not really sure what colors match me, but perhaps blue? my eyes are blue," slightkit replied. when he turned into an apprentice, will he be able to collect his own decorations? he didn't want to take away anymore of Hailfall's decorations.

"Really, any color pairs with white." Hailfall corrected. "So you'll do beautifully in blue, I guarantee. Maybe when new-leaf arrives, we can go on a little jaunt around the territory and see what colors match you best. It will have to wait a bit though, I think we are only barely halfway through leaf-bare." He frowned, looking up at the clouds above. They seemed determined to spit the coldest snow imaginable.

"But even I can admit the territory is beautiful coated in snow... if you can manage to navigate it. After a fresh snowfall, the sun gets reflected off the snow and it looks like everything's glowing and sparking! And at sunrise, everything glows red instead and the sky is just so..." He paused, chuckling as he caught himself. "I might be getting carried away, this is your first time out of the nursery, right? I haven't seen you out and about."

"This is!" Slightkit said, he himself almost forgetting that little detail. he had been so carried away, he hadn't realized that it was now sunhigh.

"Ah, then you have plenty of others to meet and the rest of camp to explore." He mused, glancing over his shoulder to the rest of camp. "I don't want to steal all your daylight. The days are short and it gets cold quickly in leaf-bare. If you want a recommendation though, head over to the elder's den. They have plenty of stories to tell and I'm sure they would love your company."

He had his own warrior duties to get to now, as much as he wanted to continue putting them off. The prey pile was getting low and it would be a good idea to join a patrol to try and find some prey in this snowy season. "I'll see you around, alright?" He offered a nod of farewell before trotting off. Hopefully he would find some birds, or more importantly, catch one. Now he had an extra reason to make sure he had feathers to share.