I believe I can fly! (Open)

This was not a good idea.

It was a great idea. Her dark-colored paws clambered on the rocky arch of the medicine den. Though she knew she probably should have been back in the nursery, it felt good to stretch out her limbs and get a good view of the camp. From up there, she could see beyond the camp walls to where the rest of the world seemed to wait for her. Beckoning for her to finally make that big journey. She was so close. The nursery itself felt far too small now, too cramped.

She drew in a deep breath from up there. Then looked down towards the camp, steadying herself on the ledge of the arch before she pushed off with her back legs. For a moment, her paws felt nothing beneath them. A frightening, but exhilarating experience. Her heart leapt up to her throat while she angled herself to land neatly on her forepaws. The camp's ground greeting her once more. For just one moment though, it felt like she could really do it. She could really fly!

Where had Kestrelkit gone? Momentary panic had settled like claws around the queen's throat as she envisioned the grisly fate of the fox that recent patrol had found, though logically Stoneheart knew her kit could not have gone far. Catching sight of dark fur near the rocky overhang of the medicine den managed to quell her fear, though Stoneheart was still quick to move across camp toward her.

"I take my eyes off of you for one minute..." The queen muttered as the kit landed, then louder, and with more concern than most of her clanmates would hear from her, "Are you alright? What did I tell you about getting away to cause mischief, Kestrelkit?" She seemed to have landed fine, but Stoneheart still felt the compulsive need to ask, something in her own chest fluttering at the sight of her daughter. Her daughter, who would soon be much too big for the nursery, who would soon become an apprentice. It felt like a lifetime, but it also felt like it was much too soon for that to happen. And she was still her kit, even so.

Kestrelkit turned around to see her mother. A bright wide smile on her face while she flicked her tail in excitement.
"Mother! Did you see that? I flew!" She cheered excitedly, then paused noticing Stoneheart's concerned expression. "Oh, I'm sorry Mother..." She looked down sheepishly at the ground of the camp. Her right forepaw quietly scraped and poked at the dirt. "You said I shouldn't get into mischief... because it's dangerous." Her green eyes looked back up towards her Stoneheart with a smaller smile. "I'll be more careful."

"I saw the end of it, you jumped off the medicine den, didn't you? That's an impressive leap! Just... Don't do that without someone watching next time." Or ever, she almost said. The medicine den wasn't as tall as the trees, and if there was any place for a cat to - stars forbid - injure themselves, in front of the medicine den was certainly the place to do it. Perhaps Stoneheart was simply being overprotective, but after so much recent chaos that only just now seemed to be dying down, the queen felt it was deserved. Still, she tried not to let it interfere, but it was difficult at times. "Soon enough you'll be climbing trees out in the territory, chasing after birds and squirrels."

"I can't wait!" The joy came back to her face while she looked up towards the tall trees at the edge of camp. "What's the tallest tree you've ever climbed?" She looked back towards Stoneheart with a curious smile. She stepped forward to sit up close to her in hope of a good story. "Do you think Ridgekit and I will be good hunters? Oooooh! Who's the best hunter in the clan?" She grinned. "It's you, right mom?"

"The tallest...? Hmm. Highpine maybe, on the border with Shadowclan." The borders were always an iffy place to be, and being able to climb gave Skyclan an advantage. Shadowclan seemed to be the one clan they shared a border with that they did not also share hostilities with, though Stoneheart could not speak to any of the cats across the thunderpath.

"You'll both be excellent hunters, I have no doubt." The fluffy warrior purred, "Skyclan is filled with good hunters. I hear Shatteredsk- Shatteredpaw is good, though he's... Eugh. He's a strange one. And volatile." A brief frown crossed her expression before it brightened as she continued, "Honeydew is a good hunter, and so is her father - Falconmoon, from what I've heard. And your aunt Mistflower is a great hunter too." Her thoughts traveled briefly to Thornstalker and Dawnfeather, both as brilliant at hunting as they were at climbing. Both warriors were long gone now, however. Still, their legacies remained in how well they had taught some of their other clanmates. That knowledge would be passed on to the younger kits, too.

"Could you take me to Highpine when I become an apprentice?" Kestrelkit asked excitedly. "I want to see the border!" She grinned back at her mother when told she could be an excellent hunter. Her head tilted a bit when Shatteredpaw was mentioned. Confusion on her face. "Volatile?" She repeated the word with a wrinkled muzzle. The brief frown had been enough to tell her it wasn't a good thing. "Why is he like that? Why is he strange?"

Her question was diverted by the comment of Honeydew and Falconmoon. Her little chest puffed up when her aunt was named.
"Maybe one day we can all go hunting together?" Kestrelkit grinned brightly. "Our whole family! That would be really fun!"

"Of course," Stoneheart smiled, "And you'll get to see all our borders, not just highpine." The thought did bring the mother some worry, but as long as Kestrelkit's future mentor was someone respectable, she would be happy. Her kits needed cats that would teach them the code and to be respectful of other clans, if only so that they did not get themselves into an unneeded skirmish and find themselves hurt or worse, their clan at war.

"We can absolutely go hunting together," Stoneheart added with a purr. "All three of us." She added. Kestrelkit was a bit more open in her affection for family than Ridgekit was, but the two were her pride and joy. Even as she dreaded them both being apprentices and eventually warriors, she was excited for them too. They had a lot to experience and learn from, and their territory was not the chaotic mess around fourtrees that she had had to learn in. The new threat on their territory would be gone before Kestrelkit had to face it, Stoneheart hoped.