Coughs and burns (c)

Sootstorm had been bringing back some dandilions for Sparrowthorn when he caught sight of the sickly kit in one of the nests. He remembered having seen this kit around the nursery a few times, being only a moon older than his own kits. But... she was so skinny, almost as if she might fly away if there was a sudden gust that was too strong. Pity welled up inside him, and before he knew it he was beside her nest.

"Hello there! You're Duskkit, right? I'm Sootstorm," He purred, giving the brown tabby a bright smile. "What are you doing here?" He continued. How did she get so sickly? Had she been the runt of the litter, or was all her littermates as sickly? If they were, why was she the only one here? ...oh. The realization sent a pang of pity through his heart. That was hard, but not uncommon.

Sootstorm's ear twitched at the mention of what the other cats had been saying. They should know better than to discuss such things right in front of kits. He moved closer to Duskkit, a small smile on his face. "Yeah, I got these burns from a lightning strike sent by Starclan," He chuckled. The story felt so unreal when he said it out loud, and he probably wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't been there. "Where is your mother?" He added. Did Duskkit even have a mother that was still... he didn't dare finish the thought.

Sootstorm was at a loss for words. "I'm glad to hear it," He mewed finally. He extended a paw to gently boop the small kit on the nose. He offered Duskkit a small smile as he asked softly, "Have you ever thought of what you want to be? When I was a kit, there was a time I thought being a medicine cat would be pretty cool, but I couldn't imagine that now. As important as being a medicine cat is, being a warrior is fun too"

Sootstorm paused as Duskkit mentioned Windclan's medicine cats... dying. That thought seemed impossible, but he had assumed the same of Flutterpetal, hadn't he? And even if they didn't die, Batsong wasn't exactly the youngest. Neither was Shrikestorm or Smallbean or a lot of their clanmates. For the first time, Sootstorm felt just a little bit... old. "Yeah, being a warrior is nice as well," He murmured, then put on a cheery smile. "Anyone in particular you want to be your mentor? Smallbean? Tigerdance?" He continued, trying to push away whatever sad thoughts had crossed his mind.

"You won't be holding anyone back!"Sootstorm quickly mewed. Well, she probably would, but so did many cats before her. "Warrior life isn't easy, and everyone understands how some cats might not be as good in certain areas, but you're far from the only one! You'll be fine, trust me," He purred.