Seeking (Closed)

Echo's tail flicked impatiently as she awaited some Thunderclan cat to stumble upon her and cure her of her oh so horrible distress. She mocked internally of how soft the clans were to take in young rogues, but the more she thought about it the more she realized it was sort of sweet. She had her mother and twolegs at the start of her life, and then she had her own rogue group and father, and not to forget her siblings. The she-cat could not help but feel bad for the kits who truly were lost, and fighting for survival all on their own, and she wondered how many there were.

She tried to clear these thoughts from her mind, as they were no help to her on her mission. So, she distracted herself by thinking of what Ajex taught her. "Just say your mother and littermates died two moons ago, and you've been by yourself ever since." She recalled his instruction, chanting it in her mind as if she would be struck down if she messed up a single word.

Her ears twitched as she heard a quick rustling of leaves. It was time to put on her sad face! Her expression changed from bored to worried and tearful within a moment. The poor cat who was about to find her, she was going to make an entrance.

Hopepaw had another successful hunt! If you ignore the one mouse, two squirrels, and three birds that made their escape, she had caught a mouse and a pale bird. Catching anything was a win, and Hopepaw's chest puffed out in pride. Now, to collect the bird she had stashed away earlier in the hunt... The apprentice followed her scent back through the forest, recognizing a particularly vine-covered tree she had passed before. Had to be around here somewhere. A new scent of another cat floated towards her, and Hopepaw paused in response. They weren't one of her friends back at home. But they also weren't one of her friends from beyond her little part of the forest.

The apprentice followed the scent, pushing her head through a patch of bushes to see a younger cat with an emotional face that seemed like it would break down in tears at any given moment. Hopepaw tilted her head and gently placed the mouse down. Was this little kitten hurt? She looked them over, her eyes curious and her posture open. They didn't seem hurt!

Echo was surprised to see the cat she came across also did not seem like a full grown cat. Definitely older than her (most cats were at this point), but still relatively young. She felt... slightly more embarrassed about the dramatic emotions she used, but she thought she may as well commit now. Another thing she noticed was that the cat did not really say anything to her, which she didn't suspect, so now it was completely up to her. However, the other cat also seemed very sweet and welcoming, just from an assessment of their posture and facial expressions.

"Two moons ago my mother and littermates died, and I've been on my own ever since." Nailed it, She thought. "I keep having to run and hide from things, I'm so so scared. Can you please help me?" She was certain that was the most annoyingly pathetic voice she had ever used, but hey, she might as well give it a shot.

Blink. Blink.

Well, indeed, this poor lost kit was in distress. Hopepaw could see that clearly as day, though she was uncertain about what the kit needed. Hopepaw stared at the other cat for a long moment before jerking her head to the side as an indication to follow. Many other cats did that with her so this kit would be bound to know, too...right? The white apprentice picked up the mouse she had dropped and began to lead the way, pausing only to ensure the other cat followed.

Hopefully New Sister wouldn't be too upset about Hopepaw bringing a new friend to their home. It seemed like she needed help. Maybe she was hungry? Or thirsty? Or tired? Oh! Maybe she wanted to play! Hopepaw almost turned to initiate a play fight but thought better of it for the moment. Instead, she took a roundabout path towards camp in order to pick up the bird she had caught earlier. Pausing, she glanced down at the bird, then to her new friend, then back to the bird.

With as much emphasis as she could muster, Hopepaw put down the mouse, picked up the bird, and did a mock walk in place. Hopefully, her new friend didn't eat it right away. It wasn't right. Hopepaw wasn't sure why. But it wasn't right. At least, that is what New Sister taught her. Putting the bird down in front of her friend, the apprentice picked her mouse back up, watching to see if her new friend picked up the bird. Once she did, Hopepaw nodded and led the rest of the way toward camp.

Her tail raised high in confidence as she entered the camp. Not only did she catch two things, but she also made a new friend! As soon as they walked through the tunnel, Hopepaw bounded over to New Sister with an excited trill-- muffled only by the freshly caught mouse in her maw.