January 2024 Gathering [Shadowclan Camp]

Hedgekit didn't like this place. She wanted to go home. She was tired of this new camp, tired of the warriors being sad and stressed, tired of the medicine cats being unable to heal her mother. But she was only a kit, and so even negative feelings like that couldn't last for long in the wake of something completely new. "Snow?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. She had been staying inside with her mother for at least a week now, rarely ever leaving the nest, so she'd heard whispers of cold... but not felt much of it, snuggled into Pineblossom's side. But right now Mamma was going outside, so she guessed she could accompany her. The miniature brown-and-white she-cat trotted outside of the den--and immediately stopped. Her paws had vanished, consumed by something the same color of white as them. She let out a squeal of surprise. She'd never felt something as cold as this.

All negative thoughts of homesickness, of her mother's wheezing breaths, of hating the suppressed silence all melted away, covered with a thick white snowdrift. Hedgekit darted back into the makeshift nursery and batted at the strange substance with one of her paws. It was cold, but somehow still soft, and wet and dry at the same time. She'd heard the word snow, but she hadn't known what it really meant until now. "Whoa!" Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. She wanted to play in it, but what if it swallowed her whole and made her disappear like her paws had? Well, Mamma was right there, and the rest of her fur was brown so they would know where to find her. Excitement and anxiety in tandem made her shoulders tremble. But she counted herself down, closed her eyes to gather her courage, and then jumped--! into the snow. Ploompf. It was almost deep enough to bury her up to the tips of her ears. It was so poofy and so freezing cold! A giggle of delight rose up from the ground. For a few moments she was completely lost in a different world, surrounded only by walls of pure, all-encompassing white.

Then she heard her brother Wolfkit's voice. So she shook out her fur like a tiny puffball, clambered with great effort out of the Hedgekit-shaped hole she'd made, and scampered forward towards him--half on top of the snow, half burrowing when a too-enthusiastic step would send her careening through the gentle surface. "Wolfkit! Hey! Hey, Wolf!" Her voice, heavy with laughter and wonder, rose up from the ground. This stuff was so fun to play in. He had to join her. But how could she get his attention? A great idea popped suddenly into her head. The larger, dark-brown form of her brother was easy to spot atop the white snow. But he seemed engrossed in some kind of conversation. Her brothers had all gotten pretty good at ignoring her when they wanted to, anyway. But he couldn't ignore this! Carefully she climbed up so she was completely on top of the snow--then just like last time, she jumped hard, falling through the substance with little resistance. But the snow that had been in her way moved, and suddenly a shower of cold, wet flakes descended onto Wolfkit, thoroughly stopping whatever mischief he'd been in the middle of. If he looked down, he would see a pair of wide, sparkling green eyes looking up at him, and a grin of tiny white fangs. "Wolfkit! Let's play!"

Hedgekit's eyes widened as Wolfkit turned. He started counting, lowering himself into the position she knew meant he was going to pounce at her. She let out a delighted shriek, turning to scramble fruitlessly against the thick wall of heavy snow before finally managing to start burrowing herself through it. Wolfkit was usually faster than her, but with the cold wetness sucking in all hints of movement, maybe she'd have a chance to get away! Struggling through the snow for a little bit had her already kind of tired, though, so she glanced around for another solution. There--Fernkit! Sitting there by Mamma, atop the snow. Two against one would be easier for her. And why wouldn't he take her side? A few more jump-steps were all it took to get up close to him, accidentally showering him with a few flakes in the process. She squirmed behind his slightly larger form with a wide grin. "Fernkit, save me!" she called out, her voice already half-giggle.