.; let me /see/ .&&. [[tansy]] ;.

[SHADE. :D]

The scent of the warm earth filled her slightly open mouth. She turned her head questioningly on one side, recognizing the soft, familiar scent of ferns and the more sharp, tangy smell of coltsfoot. The kit licked her paw absent-mindedly, tasting the sweetness of her mother's breath as she had cleaned her daughter's fur this morning. The clear song of a cheerful little jay filled the air, and Tansykit felt free and joyful. She rose, her short tail erect and a smile on her entire body, not just her lips. The kit opened her mouth, judging the distance of the pretty bird. The kit placed her paws tentatively down, feeling the earth rich and crumbly beneath her soft paws. Tansykit made a move forward, her tail waving.

A mouth closed around the skin on the back of her neck. At first she resisted, her head swinging to and fro in confusion, and then she recognized the shape of the mouth, the teeth that pressed against her fur, strong enough to protect her. She felt the familiar soft fur brush her cheek. "Mother," she breathed, her tone gentle and melodious as always. Tansykit loosed the weight in her body, going light enough for her mother to carry her. Rbbontail looked anxious. "Didn't you see me coming?" she asked. Tansykit heard her voice, tight and agitated."Sorry," the kit repiled simply. Ribbontail sounded desperate in her next words. "Can you see me?"

Tansykit passed her tongue over her lips. She tasted the musky taste of the mouse she had eaten that morning. "See?" she murmured faintly. "What does that mean, Mamma?" She wasn't entirely sure why her mother sounded quite so upset. She was fine. She wasn't ill. She lifted her nose and reached out, she felt the familiar softness of her mother's fur, and built up the well used picture in her mind. It was like this every day. The other kits wanted her to play with them, but whenever she lunged for their giggles and mews, she landed face down in dust. But it was normal. Everyone was like it. And that was that.

[FIREH!!]

A silver coloured tom loped over to his mate. "Hey there, Ribbontail. Tansykit! Do you know who I am?" He asked her, knowing full well she knew it was him, Cloakedclaw. "How are the kits?" He asked Ribbontail, passing his tongue over her ear.

A little kit bounced out of the nursery. "Mama! Look! It's Cloakedclaw and his giiiirlfriend!"Cried Stripedkit. She placed her frontpaws on her back paws and began rolling through the dirt singing, "Cloakedclaw has a girlfriend!" Over and over again.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit jumped at a new voice, stumbling. She reached out a paw, which brushed her father's smooth chest fur, and then recognized his warm scent. "Father," she mewed finally, pressing her nose into his fur. She jumped again, fur on end, when another sing-song voice drifted into her ears. She plucked out each word in her mind, matching them to one of the pictures she had built up in her mind. It was Stripedkit, of course it was.
Ribbontail shook her muzzle at Stripedkit, though her eyes narrowed worriedly at the length of time it took her daughter to recognize Cloakedclaw. She was staring right at him. Surely she could see him. She should have noticed him right away...

[FIREH!!]

Cloakedclaw glanced worriedly at Ribbontail. "Tansykit, what can you see?" He asked her, worried that she may be blind.


"Tansykit! Come play with us!" Cried Stripedkit, still rolling around. "Cloakedclaw has a girlfriend!" She sang again.

Icelily stepped out from the Nursery. "Stripedkit, stop singing that!" She meowed good-naturedly. "Sorry. She's a little excited at being outside of the nursery." She meowed to Ribbontail and Cloakedclaw.

[SHADE. :D]

Ribbontail smiled breifly at Icelily, but worried lines creased her brow. Tansykit looked blankly up at her father's face, but her eyes did not meet his. They strayed everywhere, dancing about. "I..." She did not answer, instead choosing to take up Stripedkit's offer and tried to pounce where she had heard the kit. She landed hard on the earth, confused and hurt.

[FIREH!!]

"No silly! I'm over here" Stripedkit cried.

Cloakedclaw scooped up Tansykit before she could pounce. "Tansykit, can you see anything?" Cloakedclaw asked her, worry showing in every line of his body.

Icelily shook her head, watching her kit tease Tansykit. "Stripedkit, back into the nursery." She called, herding her back into the den. "Good bye," She called.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit wriggled slightly as her father scooped her up. "But I-" She waved a paw in what she thought was Stripedkit's direction. "Bye!" Ribbontail nodded at Icelily. "Bye." Tansykit fell still, her ears drooping. "I don't know what you mean," she mewed quietly. Ribbontail cast a stricken look at Cloakedclaw. "There's nothing wrong with the others!" she anxiously told her mate. Tansykit frowned. "There's nothing wrong with me," she protested. "Is there?"

[FIREH!!]

Stripedkit waved back. She scampered into the nursery with her mother.

Icelily returned the nod and with a wave of her tail, she disappeared into the Nursery.

Cloakedclaw looked at Ribbontail with a worried look on his face. "I know, but they know where the other kits are... Tansykit, can you see the nursery?" He asked the little kit.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit wriggled free of her father's grip, her eyes swimming with tears of confusion. "I don't know what you mean!" she mewed, her ears and tail drooping dejectedly. It was always like this, they always asked her weird questions... Ribbontail looked at Cloakedclaw, dark blue eyes clouded with worry. "Dragonflydance is your sister," she reminded her mate.

[FIREH!!]

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Cloakedclaw replied. He turned to Tansykit. "Tansykit, we love you. You know that. We only want what's best for our beautiful kit." He mewed, licking her little head. "Don't be sad."

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit gave a small sniff, and leant into her father's warm chest. She could hear the comforting thump-thump of his heart as she pressed her ear into the soft fur. She shut her eyes, finding that only the faint lights disappeared from her view. The kit wondered why her father would want to talk to Dragonflydance. Ribbontail nodded silently at her mate, before wrapping her tail comfortingly around her daughter's neck.

[FIREH!!]

"I'll be right back girls." Cloakedclaw meowed. He paddd over to his sister's den and meowed, "Dragonflydance? I need to talk to you."

[SHADE. :D]

The snowy white cat lifted her head, her sky blue eyes wide as she looked at her younger brother. Shutting them, Dragonflydance purred, assuring Cloakedclaw in. She affectionately licked her brother's ear. The medicine cat's pretty young face looked slightly anxious as she peered into Cloakedclaw's eyes. "What's the matter?" she asked worriedly. "Are you ill? Is Ribbontail alright? Is it the kits?" Her pale fur bristled slighty as she said this, as if a ripple of electricity had swept over her.

[FIREH!!]

"No. Not that. Tansykit... We think she may be blind. Do you think you could take a look at her?" Cloakedclaw asked. "Ribbontail and I are anxious about her." He explained.

ooc:// Sorry... MAJOR writer's block today..

[SHADE. :D]

Dragonflydance's face fell. "Oh!" she mewed, her voice quiet. "Of course I will." The snowy coated she-cat nudged her way past Cloakedclaw, her long tail tracing his spine as she did so. The medicine cat padded over to Ribbontail. The silvery she-cat was curled around Tansykit, who looked upset. "It's alright," soothed Dragonflydance as Ribbontail released her kit. "I just need you to do something for me."

Tansykit crouched, her tail trembling. "What?" she mewed, her voice slightly apprehensive. The little ginger and white kitten felt nervous; why was Dragonflydance here? It had taken a good few moments to recognize the she-cat's voice, but even afterward she was just as confused. "I just need you to walk over to me, and touch my muzzle with your paw," Dragonflydance replied, her voice gentle. The medicine cat padded silently away from where she had stood, and crouched.

Tansykit trotted over to where Dragonflydance stood. She batted at where she thought the medicine cat's muzzle would be, but her paw simply whistle through the air. "And again," Dragonflydance mewed, again moving. Tansykit again walked to the wrong place and batted air. "You keep moving!" the kit mewed in anguish.

Dragonflydance padded back to where Cloakedclaw and Ribbontail stood. "Yes," she mewed sadly. "I'm afraid Tansykit is blind." Dragonflydance cast her eye sympathetically over the confused kitten. "Be gentle with her," she added, before padding back to her den. Ribbontail lay down, muzzle buried in her paws. "No, no..." she moaned. Tansykit scampered up to her father and asked brightly; "Pappa, what's 'blind'?"

[FIREH!!]

Cloakedclaw watched his sister tell them what they had been dreading. But he knew he could not show it. "Ribbontail," He mewed quietly, "Don't be like that. You'll scare her." He mewed. He turned to Tansykit. "It means you cannot see what we can see. You may have a mental idea of it, but you cannot actually see what is going on around you. I am sorry." He scooped her up with a big paw. "But we still love you. I think it's neat that you're blind! It'll be fun to train you! If I get to train you, that is." He meowed.

[SHADE. :D]

Cloakedclaw was right; Ribbontail's moans were frightening her daughter. She jumped as her father's paw touched her, and wriggled away. Panic crept beneath her fur. Was she wrong, then? Was she different? Was she a freak? "You mean this darkness isn't normal?" she whimpered. Tears began to dribble done Ribbontail's silvery cheeks, and though Tansykit could not see them, she could scent her mother's sadness. Turning on Cloakedclaw, her own green eyes swimming with tears, Tansykit spoke. "Then why's Mamma crying?" she challenged. "Why do the others always whisper about me?"

[FIREH!!]

"You are different. I canno doubt you that. But you are not a freak, nor are you wrong. Your mother and I love you and if anyone say anything about you, I will personally tear out their fur." He meowed. "Your mother is crying because she is sad. She wouldn't want to wish blindness on any cat. But you, you seem to cope very well with it, so I think we should be happy for you. Right, Ribbontail?" He shot her a glance, making sure she was all right.

[SHADE. :D]

<sub>Ribbontail leant against ger mate's shoulder, staring down at Tansykit as though she might be infected by some terrible disease. Tansykit picked up on this, and tears of anger poured from her poor, sightless eyes. "You do care!" she sobbed. "I'm the stupid blind kit, always stumbling about like a fool!" She turned and ran. "It's not fair!" Her wprds could be heard over her shoulder but she had already disappeared into the trees.

Tansykit ran on, anguish pounding through her veins. She wanted to run away from it all, from her family, from her clan, from the darkness... But suddenly she found she could not. The ground opened up beneath her paws and swallowed her. She let out a squeal of terror before the waves of the river engulfed her. Of course, Tansykit had not seen the river surrounding the camp; nor could she swim. She could only sink further and further down, frightened beyond belief, her eyes wide though they let her see nothing.</sub>[/left][/sub]

[FIREH!!]

Cloakedclaw licked Ribbontail's ears to comfort her. He saw his daughter run, and before he could do anything, he was shoved aside by an elderly tom. Dragonwhistler raced after the kit. He dove into the icy water and quickly found her. He dug his teeth into her scruff and lifted her above the water. He placed her onto the bank. Then, right when he was getting out of the water, a wave grabbed him and threw him back in. He hit his head off a rock and was dazed. His sight became blurry and he struck out for the bank. He couldn't breathe. He dragged himself onto the bank and coughed up a lot of water. But he still couldn't breathe. Dragonwhistler lay there, dying. A soft voice whispered into his ear. "Come with me, my brother." Phoenixkit was there. "Tansykit will be okay. Dragonflydance will take care of her. Do not worry. Mom and dad are waiting for you." She nudged him and his spirit floated out of his body and he followed his sister to Starclan, never to run through Cloudclan territory again.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit felt yeeth meet in her scruff, pulling her free of the water. She landed hard on the bank, whimpering loudly and vomiting up several mouthfuls of water and dirt. She could hear the old tom thrashing about. "Help!" she yowled hoarsely, but her mouth was barely audible above the roar of the river. He'll be okay... Tansykit jumped as a voice whispered in her ear, and lashed out with a paw. No one was there. She shivered and yowled for her mother.

[FIREH!!]

Cloakedclaw raced down to the Riverbank, seeing the lifeless tom there. He shook his head, knowing that it could've been him who had died and breathed silent thanks to the tom for saving his daughter. "Tansykit. Are you okay?" His anxiety turned to relief as he heard her yowling. "Oh Tansykit!" He covered her in licks.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit felt comforted at first by her father's licks, but then recoiled. "Is he okay?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Is the cat okay?" The kit looked anxiously up into her father's face, knwing instinctively where it was despite her blindness.

[/left]

[FIREH!!]

"Dragonwhistler... Has joined the ranks of Starclan.." He meowed sadly. His parent's long time friend had died to save his kit. "Dragonwhistler..." He whispered. "Come on, let's get you back to camp." He nudged her forward. Then, he lifted Dragonwhistler onto his back and plodded forward.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit stumbled ahead of her father, only knowing the way back to camp by follow her own scent trail. Twice she pricked her paws on trailing brambles, until a thorn embedded herself in her pelt, and she tried to ignore the pain. A cat was dead, and it was her fault. Her fault because she was stupid, and useless, and blind...

[FIREH!!]

Cloakedclaw reached the camp and settled Dragonwhistler down in the middle of the camp. "Come on Tansykit, let's get you to the nursery," He smiled down at her. She would never know how happy he was that she was still alive." Tansykit... Rejoice that you are alive. I know that Dragonwhistler loved you. He loved you because you are the light of the nursery. You are always so happy and he would've done anything for you. Don't think that a cat is dead because of you. He loves you. And I bet he's nagging to be your guardian right now." He smiled sadly. "Come on, let's go to the nursery."

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit trailed after her father into the nursery, though she stopped to press her nose into Dragonwhistler's fur for a moment. As she entered the brambles, she was immediatly hailed by Indigokit. "Hi, Tansykit!" he squealed, blue eyes twinkling. Tansykit nodded; she wondered, breifly, whether she would ever know what her friend looked like. What she looked like. "What's wrong?" Indigokit mewed innocently, wiggling his rump in the air.

[FIREH!!]

Cloakedclaw lay down the body of his old companion and padded into the nursery. He nudged ribbontail with his broad head and mewed, "Tansykit's safe. She fell into the river and almost drowned but Dragonwhistler saved her life. But he drowned in the process." He sighed, "He really loved her." He meowed, pressing close to Ribbontail.

[SHADE. :D]

Ribbontail gasped at Cloakedclaw's words. "Dead?" She mewed in disbelief. The silver she-cat pulled Tansykit to her chest and began to lick her daughter. She was glad that it had not been the kit who had died, but felt drenched with guilt. It was partly her fault that Dragonwhistler was dead. "Sunjinx will be sad," she mewed softly; her mother had been good friends with the elderly tom.

[FIREH!!]

"Yes. But he died a noble death, saving our daughter. I wonder if he is going to be her guardian..." Cloakedclaw trailed off as he looked upwards. He saw the sky and a single star was twinkling. Dragonwhistler? He thought.

I'm closer than you think, The thought rumbled through the tom's head as his silvery wings beated silently as he floated in the nursery.