A Blossoming Timid Friendship [Closed]

As usual, Perchfall was busy with deputy stuff and Tinypaw was left working on the camp. The apprentice didn't resent her. She was a good, yet serious mentor and Tinypaw was learning a lot from her. And, deep down, she enjoyed being helpful in the camp. It was always a new chance to meet her clanmates and overcome her own shyness. Just like every day, the young dark-furred she-cat promised herself she would talk to someone different from Perchfall... but she has been failing herself. I guess making friends just isn't my thing...

Quietly, she entered the nursery with moss and pretty shells for the queens. With a shy nod, the black she-cat acknowledged the older she-cats taking care of the future apprentices of the camp. Tinypaw approached an empty bed and started adding new moss, unaware of the other cats inside the nursery. If I finish this quickly... I won't bother the queens and her kits... I'm sure they don't want to be disturbed...

Darkkit had been curled up in the corner, snuggling comfortably into a reed nest. Her little nose was visible just over the edge. Although she was young, her sense of smell had just begun to develop in a manner that only furthered her curiosity. The nose twitched before she was fully aroused and the kit awoke to find herself staring down the bridge of her nose at the source of the new scent. Apprentices flitted in and out all the time with new bedding and things for the queens but Darkkit had never noticed this one before. She seemed engrossed in her own activities.

It was the shells that caught Darkkit's attention and she quickly stretched herself from the nest, softly padding the short distance toward the foreign objects. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the different colors and patterns. One forepaw reached out to touch them, stopping short as she looked up at Tinypaw with a tilted head, "Did you bring these? Can I look at them? ....with my paws?"

The apprentice was so focused on doing her task quietly that she didn't notice the young kit approach until her paw appeared on the moss she was fixing up. She blinked a bit surprised and looked at the younger she-cat.

Tinypaw felt a little nervous when the kit started talking, not sure if her mother would be fine with them speaking. Sometimes queens can be... rather protective. However, like a curious cat herself, she quickly found a connection with Darkkit's questions and couldn't help herself to answer them excitedly despite her insecurities. "Yeah. Perchfall made me gather these for you and the other kits." She mewed with a energetic yet low voice, hoping not to disturb the napping cats.

Her next question made the apprentice smile. Look at them... with her paws? That is a cute way today you wanna feel something. Tinypaw pushed some moss towards the small kit and said: "Sure you can. This moss came from the Sunningrocks, next to the river. Snow makes it hard to find it and it was wet because of it, but it dries soon with some sunlight. These are really helpful to have a soft and comfortable place to sleep." Then, she grabbed one white and pink shell with her jaws and dropped it in front of the orange-black she-cat. "And this is a shell I found next to the river while coming back to camp. It doesn't help you to sleep but... I think it's pretty, don't you think?"

The innocent awe that had overcome Darkkit was palpable in the air as she leaned forward to take in the sight of the shells. Tinypaw's words made her ear twitch in acknowledgement and she muttered a soft reply, "You and Perchfall are very nice. I like these a lot." A smile crossed her maw as she gingerly touched the closest shell with her pads. It was strange to feel the tiny ridges and cracks but fascinating at the same time. She wondered how wonderful it would be to search for her own shells someday. Without thinking about it, her tail tip begun to twitched excitedly and she became engrossed in this new find.

Tinypaw's voice caused her eyes to dart away and focus on the moss and pink and white shell in turn. She rose to shuffle a little closer, testing the sensation of the moss under her paws. It was soft, even softer than the reeds of the nest! But the colors of the shell were mesmerizing and captivated her attention. Darkkit looked up with curious eyes, pressing her pad into the shell, "I want to keep this one even if it doesn't help me sleep. I'll remember you when I see it! The nice cat who brings shells. Oh, do you have a name, nice cat?" One of the queens had said it was good to know names but she was terribly bad about it.

How cute... The apprentice thought as she watched how the small dark and ginger kit skimmed over the moss and shells she had brought. This was... unexpected to say the least. Kits didn't come to her often and if they did... they were never this curious and talkative.

Tinypaw's heart melted when the kit showed her gratitude for her work... this was truly a first. Most of the time she did her duties because she had to. But now that her effort was truly appreciated by a clanmate... it made all her training worth it. After quickly finishing to fix the moss bed, Tinypaw put her paw on the shell the kit selected and softly pushed it towards Darkkit. "Of course, you can keep it. I'm Tinypaw, but you can call me Tiny. What about you? What's your name?"

"Thank you, Tiny." She whispered softly, beaming at the she-cat, and relishing in the special new name she got to call her friend. Darkkit pulled the shell closer, tucking it underneath her with a contented smile. As she ran her pads over it, the little kit glanced up at the apprentice with a sweet smile, "I'm Darkkit! I'm so glad we're friends now. I'm going to keep this shell forever."