Exploring[O]

Dawnkit blinked sleepily at the ceiling of the nursery. How bored she was, that she must spend so long being in the nursery, she wished to explore outside so much. Just then, a cat entered through an entrance she never noticed before. Where does that entrance lead? She wanted to know so badly. She had heard from other cats about how it is to be outside this structure, hiding among shadows, hunting, and her heart ached with a feeling to also go outside.

When no one was looking, she quickly scrambled across the floor of the nursery to the entrance, then rolled out of the entrance. "wow." was the only word that slipped out of her mouth. The camp was so big! there was a pile of prey in one corner, a few dens but she did not see much before she felt a cat creeping up behind her and holding her up by her scruff.

Sagestone was returning from a border patrol when he spotted Tawnyshadow's ward, Dawnkit, gawking around the camp. He picked the she-kit up gently and put her a little away from the nursery, so that she wouldn't be blocking the entrance. Tawnyshadow's kit... Sagestone couldn't quite wrap his head around that idea yet. It had not even been a moon since the talented she-cat became a warrior, and she already had a kit? Granted, Dawnkit was apprenticed, but still.

Sagestone looked down at the ball of fluff at his paws. This was all Tawnyshadow could ever talk about for the past few sunrises... the thought made his paws ich with irritation. But he should be nice with Dawnkit, even if just to humour Tawnyshadow until she got bored of the kit. Putting on a gentle, soothing voice, he asked, "Do you want to play a game?"

"Sure!" Dawnkit responded, tail swishing with excitement. "What game do you want to play?" Dawnkit questioned, her silver-amber eyes bright.

Sagestone paused for a moment. What games do kits play? "Let's play a game of mossball. I will throw it as far as possible, and you have to catch it," He instructed, rolling some moss into a ball and tossing it aside.

“Alright!” Dawnkit mewed eagerly. She put all her energy into her hind legs and pounced, but fell short of the moss ball. She continued scrambling forward to catch the moss ball, and picked it up, held it triumphantly between her jaws and made her way back to Sagestone happily.

Sagestone flicked his tail lazily as Dawnkit brought the moss ball back to him. How boring. He flicked the mossball away with his tail, watching the small she-kit scamper after it excitedly.

Dawnkit once again scrambled to get the moss ball then brought it back to Sagestone excitedly. This was fun!

Tawnyshadow returned from patrol and on instinct turned towards the nursery, only to find her ward already occupied in a game of mossball with another cat. Sagestone? She didn't realize that he liked kits. "Hello, Sagestone," She greeted as she drew closer, then turned to smile down at Dawnkit.

"What are the two of you doing?" She asked the excited she-kit.

"Hi Tawnyshadow! We are playing 'mossball'! How was the patrol?" Dawnkit asked eagerly, jumping and hopping around Tawnypelt excitedly.

Tawnyshadow purred as Dawnkit started jumping around her. "It was fine, I encountered an owl but I managed to scare it off," She replied, turning her head to try and keep the she-kit in sight but failing utterly when the little kit popped out from behind Sagestone. "I hope you haven't been bothering Sagestone," She added, exasperation making her voice almost breathless.

Sagestone flicked his tail in greeting as Tawnyshadow approached. She then began talking to Dawnkit, becoming increasingly exasperated as the kit bounced about. Sagestone absent-mindedly rested his tail-tip on the kit to still her, then looked up at Tawnyshadow with a smile.

"Not at all," He replied for Dawnkit, "Dawnkit is really good at mossball; I can't imagine being annoyed by her." lies, lies, and more lies. Not that they mattered.

Tawnyshadow offered a tired and grateful smile to Sagestone. "Thanks, Sagestone," She purred.

"It was no problem," Sagestone responded. Am I in your good books now, Tawnyshadow? His mind wondered briefly for a moment.

Dawnkit glanced between the two warriors. The tension between them did seem a little tense. However, Dawnkit decided to ignore her uneasiness and started bouncing around, feeling fidgety. Wanting to escape the tense atmosphere, and considering the brief exchange between the two cats seemed very curt, she glanced at the soon to set sun.

"Oh look! It looks like its late already! I am going to go back to the nursery!" Dawnkit gave herself an excuse to escape the awkward conversation between the two cats, leaving them alone as she padded back to the nursery to rest.

Dawnkit seemed over-enthusiastic to go to sleep early. She normally would pester her to let her stay awake until the sun set. Had something happened? Tawnyshadow watched the she-kit dash into the shadows of the nursery, then bid goodbye to Sagestone before retiring to her own nest.