Tell Me, What is What Around Here? [closed]

A ball of jumbled reeds skidded across the forest floor, bouncing against a pale birch tree and back toward the tiny black kitten. She was slow to react, and the lightweight collision only startled her more than anything. With a huff, the young cat batted at the ball again, hoping to launch it across the floor again—this time, hopefully, away from her. With as much energy as she could muster, the kit hooked her claws into it and sent it careening into the low-hanging branches of a bush. Well, low in a general sense.

Zero was small enough that she could not reach it even if she got on her hind legs and stretched her claws as far as she could. "Foxdung..." She grumbled, recalling the phrase that her parent often mumbled. A fluffy nub that was her tail lashed from side to side, just enough to showcase her displeasure. That was her tattered mossball. Without thinking, she leaped forward, two outstretched claws grabbing the ball from the branch. Her victory was short-lived as the sharp brown branches whipped against her face and paws on her way down. A squeak of pain left her as the kit landed back on the ground, and stinging cuts raced up her paws and cheeks. Even a gentle red blood job landed on the ground, startling Zero. The kit blinked owlishly down at the spot. Was that her blood?

There was no better place to search for herbs than along the bank of the river. One of the things that Littlesplash had loved about returning to Riverclan territory was learning where everything was. Each passing day it felt more and more like home, less like one of the many stops he had experienced in kithood and apprenticeship. He'd started picking out favorite spots, most far away from the Skyclan border, and often close to the soothing background noise of the river. With his wound healing up well thanks to the help of his clanmates, the medicine cat found himself slowly regaining energy. It was a good feeling to pad along rushing waters with cool and soft earth under each step.

With his hare pelt thrown across his back to keep out the slight chill and to help carry back whatever he gathered, the little grey and white patched tom silently mumbled the list of herbs to himself as his clouded vision scanned the edges. There was more foliage and growth here than other parts of the territory. Water brought life. There was a reason it was at the heart of Riverclan's culture. Having spotted one of the plants he was looking for, his pace quickened before stopping at the sight of a black-pelt in his peripheral vision. Littlesplash's head turned in the direction of the sight.

Somehow he had managed to not smell the blood. Or the fact there was another cat here. His vision was obscured not his nose. Blinking slowly, the thudding in his chest slowed slightly at the realization he was facing a kit and one that he didn't recognize. Thin droplets of blood had scattered from her coat. There was no telling who she belonged to or where she had come from but no other cat was nearby. Without even sparing a glance at the rest of his surroundings, the concerned tom quickly closed the gap between them and started examining her pelt. The urge to clean the wounds was overwhelming but he had to pause.

Are you okay? What happened?" Concern shown in the depths of his mismatched gray and green gaze. He failed to offer up his name or to ask for hers, the wellbeing of another cat was his duty and priority. A kit was hardly a threat, clan or otherwise. In the brief seconds while he waited for her to respond, Littlesplash felt like he could hear Larkspring calling him a fishbrain for entertaining a rogue kit. At least Cindersky would understand.

Zero could have sworn she jumped at least five tail lengths into the air as a voice broke her out of her shock. With a quick brush to her chest to hide the rise of her fur, the kit stood tall. "Nothing." She responded. "I'm fine." A clan cat. Her parent explained to her that some were kind, and some were foxhearted. This one didn't immediately chase her out, which was good. Another drop of blood caught her attention. "But...if I wasn't okay. How do you stop bleeding?" Her ears flicked back, batting her crumpled reed ball towards her paws to keep it from the other cat.

The over-confidence of the kit didn't faze his curious prodding. Bleeding was never a sign of a healthy cat, even medicine cat apprentices knew that on their first day. Littlesplash's eyes narrowed slightly and he took half a step forward to better examine the black-furred molly. Several scratches indeed. It appeared her fur had been snagged more than once. Highly unpleasant. As she finally asked him a question, Littlesplash sat back, "You'd have to start by cleaning the wounds first, and then, cobwebs. Maybe some horsetail too. I could help, if you'd let me?" Stars, what was he doing? Sandyshell had never mentioned helping cats outside of the code but if his duties expanded beyond the borders, and there was a kit in need, surely there would be no issue.

"Cleaning wounds..." Zero repeated, her gaze observing the terrain before stopping on the running water nearby. "...you're not gonna dunk me in the river, are you?" While maybe it would clean her wounds, Zero wasn't the best swimmer—as in, she didn't know how to swim. So, she'd be in a bit of trouble. "I'm okay with help as long as it doesn't include that." She huffed, puffing her chest out as if to try and deter the other cat--too big to pick up and throw! Despite the fact, she was less than half the other cat's size. "Tell me, where do we start?"

"I mean, you could just step into it?" He offered, flicking his tail in the direction of the currents, "The current make quick work of cleaning wounds. Or you could groom them. You just don't want it to dry uncleaned you could get infected and..." Littlesplash trailed off, realizing he was about to launch into a whole explanation of what happened when things went untreated. A frown crossed his maw as he considered all the rogues that went about their harsh daily life unattended. What happened to kits like this one with no one to look after them? He found himself grateful for the fact that he just so happened to be out in the territory right now. The gray and white tom waited for her response, prepared to help her along with next steps as he waited a respectful distance away.