First Flight[Open]

Finchkit trotted out of the nursery, her tail sticking up proudly in the air behind her. Just three quaters of a moon old, the she-kit was still as fluffy as a dandilion and even smaller than her namesake, the finch. Sky-blue eyes wandered around the camp in awe, and with a soft gasp her gaze landed on a pretty splash of colour in the camp. The kit sniffed the flower warily, jumping back when it brushed her nose softly and crashing into another cat. The small brown-and-cream dappled kit scrambled away, her fur fluffed out. "Sorry!" She said quickly, dipping her head so low she nearly crashed head-first into the ground.

Duskpaw was caught off-guard and off-balance by the little kit slamming into her. Tiny though Finchkit was, Duskpaw’s own frail frame couldn’t absorb the impact and she, too, fell backwards. Laughing, the tabby rolled onto her back, a tiny kit upside down in her vision. “Oh, hello,” she purred. “No need to be sorry, I used to get startled by flowers all the time. I’m Duskpaw, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Finchkit relaxed as the skinny tabby assured her that she was okay. She had been terrified when the she-cat was knocked down. She didn't look well enough to be walking about in the first place. How was it that she hadn't been carried off by the wind yet? Finchkit curiously sniffed the apprentice warily. Duskpaw, right? Wow, could even sick cats be made apprentices? "How come you're an apprentice? You don't look strong enough to be one!" Finchkit asked curiously, her head tipped to the side curiously.

Duskpaw had seen the look of pity from so many cats, but it still surprised her coming from the tiny kit. She smiled anyway and said, “Anyone can be an apprentice! They actually held me back because I was sick, but I’m getting stronger. You, on the other paw, probably won’t have any trouble.”

Oh, so that's why Duskpaw looked so frail. "In that case, I hope you recover soon!" Finchkit chirped in response. Nectarflower had always taught her and her littermates to wish someone a swift recovery if they were sick, something about being polite and having manners. She didn't really care for all those weird words, but if it meant that Duskpaw would praise her she would do it! Who knows, Duskpaw might even offer to bring her something to show her appreciation? Finchkit couldn't help but puff out her chest proudly at Duskpaw's comment. "Of course! Mama says I'm going to be an amazing warrior, like my father! You know, Weaselfoot? I've never met him before, but everyone says I look just like him, and that I'll be as good as he was. But I don't think I will be as good. I mean, he died, so he must have made a mistake somewhere, but I won't make any mistakes! I'll be better! Then it wouldn't be me that looks like him, but he that looks like me!" Finchkit rambled on and on, blue eyes shining and not minding at all that she was tripping over her words.