Eager for the Great R e t u r n

[Dansen[Mouse]]

Brackenpaw laid outside the apprentices den waiting for the return of her clan. She was bored out of her mind and ready to go do something. Maybe she would practice with the other apprentices or go hunting with one of the warriors. It was late so everyone was asleep, or so she thought.

Brackenpaw was worried for everyone that had left the clan, but she had no one she was close to her that left so she was kind-of alone. Her heart pained her and she was withdrawn around the other apprentices. She almost felt like anyone she got close too would die days later. Plus she was larger then mosts and it made her feel like a freak at times. She sighed and turned to lay on her back as she gazed up at the stars.

[blair]

M A P L E K I T

The small, thin silver tabby tom shivered, his tabby pelt bristled,
gently brushing the entrance of the nursery as his light green pools
scanned the main clearing. There was one cat out, in the dark at this time,
like himself. An apprentice, he guessed, by the frame larger than his own,
yet not quite as large as a warrior. His silver pelt glowed in the moonlight,
though his pools closed now as he silently hoped his foster mother would return
to him. He's already lost his blood mother, losing his second and just as loved
foster mother would cause just as much pain if not even more.

It would be hard to love again... so lonely.

[/color]

[Dansen[Mouse]]

Ooc:// His foster mother is Sunheart, right? I saw in the battle rule post up that she's going to die, so how about Brackenpaw and him become pretty close friends.

Brackenpaw turned back over as she saw Maplekit lingering around the nursery entrance. He remembered that his foster mother, Sunheart, had gone to battle. It must be hard to have you mother, real or foster, go to battle, unsure whether they are coming back alive or not. She looked down at the fresh-kill pile and walked up to it and picked up a plump vole. She then walked over to the nursery.

"Hey, Maplekit." she mewed warmly, dropping the vole in front of her. "You hungry? This vole is to big for me, so I thought you might want to share." Brackenpaw was never normally one to come up with a good conversation, especially when it came to distracting others.

[blair]

ooc; Sure... Maplekit will need a friend. He won't let her very close too quickly now, especially actually more after his foster mother, Sunheart (you're right), dies. He'll be somewhat lost, and won't love anyone too quickly. Eventually though, he'll definitely consider Brackenpaw a close friend.

M A P L E K I T

His thin pelt shivered as the she cat turned torwards him,
his light green pools brightened, then dampened,
as he was reminded with the attention from the apprentice that his mother was gone.
He ducked his silver tabby head, his small paw raising and washing his head and gray ears embarrassedly as he thoughts about this issue. He was mature for his age, quite sensitive, and definitely quiet. Yet he couldn't even assume Sunheart would die on him-StarClan wouldn't do that, they wouldn't let a kit lose two mothers.

His mind finally settled, though the kit seems to get smaller as it sort of hid in his own frame, the almost six moon tom too reserved to admittedly say he'd love to share the vole with the apprentice, so he nodded, his gaze darting from her to back inside the nursery, to her again, and then off into the background over her shoulder.

"Yes... please" he nodded, ducking his tabby head down, afraid the she cat was feeling pity for him.

[/size][/color]

[Dansen[Mouse]]

Ooc:// Ok, sounds good!

Brackenpaw picked up the vole and then walked closer before crouching down in front of Maplekit and took a bite of the vole first. As she was chewing she gazed up at the silverpelt again, wondering how the battle was going, and if they were even winning. Half of her wished that she went to battle with them, the other was glad that she stayed behind, safe in the camp. She then realized how selfish the thought was and forced herself to swallow what was in her mouth.

"I'm sure Sunheart is going to be just fine." Brackenpaw told the young kit, trying to not sound she was talking to a newborn. She knew Maplekit was almost old enough to become an apprentice, so she tried to get his mind of the battle. "You excited about become an apprentice soon?"

[blair]

M A P L E K I T

The kit shivered as his foster mother was mentioned,
his head still ducked as his thin silver tabby pelt bristled,
taking a sharp bite of the vole, swallowing quickly and loudly as the apprentice realized what was just said of the Queen.
"Of course she's going to be fine!" he spat, gray ears twitching angrily,
light green pools in disgust at the apprentice that she could think that his second mother would be anything but fine. "She wouldn't die... on me" a much quieter, sentimental kit flamed through, his right paw embarrassedly raising and rubbing his head embarrassedly.

"No!" he spat, much too quickly, at Brackenpaw's second comment, his head dipping to swipe his chest in what was beginning to look lie a bad habit. "You have to fight... other cats..." he shook his head, not looking up at the she-cat, not wanting to be caught scared of being a Warrior.

[/color][/size]

[Spice..xx]

Petaldance walked slowly out of the nursery, ears pricked for any sign of movement. She had been tense and on edge since the others had left and had a horrible bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Noticing the two young ones, one of them Maplekit, she nodded and smiled to them before turning her head to look inside the nursery. She wondered how her own children were coping with the missing presence of their father and their greatly loved "auntie" Sunheart. She was certainly missing them.

Lilakit skipped out of the nursery after her mother, grey striped white limbs stretching in front of her as she moved. She looked up worrdily at her mother, who seemed tense and stood up on her back paws, leaning on her mother. "Dont worry, Daddy is big and strong he will be okay" she said with a smile before hopping over to Maplekit and another cat she didnt know. "Hi, hi, hi" she said softly, smiling at the two cats. "Who are you?" she asked Brackenpaw, looking in awe at the apprentice.

[x.Jolly.x]

^{Mahoganypaw came out of the apprentice's den. 'Hi everyone. How are you? Has anyone come home?' She was as anxious as the rest of them to find out what happened at the battle. 'I'm sure that everyone will be fine.' She tried to assure the cats. ONly an apprentice herself, she felt like she should say something comforting to her worried clanmates.}

[Dansen[Mouse]]

"Thats not what I meant, and fighting isn't the only thing we do..." She started, unsure how to explain everything to the young kit. She was suddenly grateful for the distraction of the other who were coming out.

"Hello," she said to Lilykit. "I'm Brackenpaw." She felt uncomfortable under the kits stare, she never was one who liked to be the center of attention. She looked up at Pedeldance and gave the Queen a respectful bow. "Evening, Pedeldance. Do you want any fresh-kill? I can fetch some for you if you would like."

Her ears then swiveled around and she looked at Mahoganypaw who was coming up behind her. "Hello, Mahoganypaw "

[FIREH!!]

_{Bouncing around the clearing, Sphinxpaw cried in a high pitched yowl, Where's my clanny-Clanmates? She whined. She bounced to her sister. Where's mom? She asked her, blinking. I'm boooooooorrrreddddd! I hope Maverickpaw's following the rules... Urgh... He annoys me! always breaking the rules and whatnot. Urg! She growled suddenly.}

[x.Jolly.x]

^{'Sphinxpaw, Mom's at the battle. She's taking care of us, making sure that we will be safe from the Tribe. Why don't we play Hide and Go Seek? You can be It, if you want.' She looked at her sister, wondering why their clan wasn't back yet. 'Come on, let's gather the other apprentices and play. Hey, Brackenpaw, Lilakit, and Maplekit! Wanna play Hide and Go Seek with us?'}

[blair]

M A P L E K I T

Maplekit's silver ears twitched angrily as the apprentice changed the subject,
his light green pools swerving torwards the she-kit, Lilakit,
and attempted to smile, though it was dry and wan.
"Hi Lilakit" he said, muttering slightly as his thin silver body moved more torwards her, and away from the apprentice. Brackenpaw was nice to me... she just doesn't understand his head tilted into a sigh, silver expression tilting torwards the apprentice that had recommended hide and go seek, and shrugged, though slightly bemused someone had even bothered inviting him to play anything.
His pelt puffed out anxiously as his foster mother crossed his mind again, his pools clouding as he shook his head frantically, gazing at Petaldance with fright before ducking his tabby head, replying to the other apprentice who suggested the game "yeah, uh... sure!"
He turned torwards Lilakit now, curious if she knew his name, he knew hers, but he was always good at things like that, "Oh, I'm... Maplekit" slightly softly he spoke to her, unsure of making himself sound like a fool-presuming she already knew his name.

[/color]
ooc; I know you only meant it for effect, but Maplekit's not really a young kit xD He really should be an apprentice soon.[/size]

[Dansen[Mouse]]

Ooc:// Yeah, I know, Blair XD I'm like, so out of muse tomight X[

Bic://

Brackenpaw knew that she didn't start out well with Maplekit, and she hoped that she could become friends with him someday, but today, she guessed, wasn't her lucky day. She looked at the two apprentices and suddenly started feeling a little shy. It wasn't often that the other apprentices would ask her to play with them.

"Um... s-sure." She almost mumbled, answering Mahoganypaw. She could never figure out why, but she normally had better luck talking to kits then warriors and other apprentices.

[all out JINX ♥]

_{A silver tabby she-cat stepped out of the warriors den, her ice-blue optics still painted with tiredness. In the clearing she saw 6 of her clan cats, loosing intrest when she saw that it was 2 apprentice's, a queen, and 2 kits. She stretched her silver, gray, and black legs before padding to her usual spot to wait for her aunt and sister to return. She wrapped her silver tail around her snow white paws as she did before the clan had left. Glacierstripe's beautiful ice-blue pools were desprate for the return of her clan, but her large black tipped silver ears were all for the cats behind her.}

[x.Jolly.x]

^{'Allright, I'll be It. You huys go hide. I'll count up to ten mousetail before I come to find you. Oh, wait, Petaldance, would you like to play with us?' The she mewed to her clanmate. 'Sorry for not inviting you earlier.' She mewed shyly. As she waited for an answer, she spotted Glacierstripe. 'Glacierstripe! Come on over! We don't bite... well at least not our clanmates' She grinned.}

[blair]

.maplekit

[/left]

The thin, rather small in physique kit looked up as the apprentice finally spoke, blinked largely at her with his wide deep green pools, before turning back to Lilakit expectantly, and rather patiently, for an answer. "Well, yeah" he muttered finally, occs narrowing and brow knitting as he felt rather rejected being ignored by the shekit, his pale paws stumbling into forward motion as he attempted to find a place to hide, head low, tail tucked under his body, and ears flat against his crania with an obvious sense of dejection.

"Um, You have to count before we start to hide" the kit pointed out logically, his frame moving delicately into a sitting position before his tail curled around his paws, almost stooping in a sad-like manor.

[/size][/color][/blockquote]

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

"Hide-and-go-Seeeeeeeeek!"

The mew - no, the shreik, came echoing from the nursery as Cascadekit burst from its cozy, dusky depths. The white kit stood out from the other tabby cats like a pile of snow in the middle of summer, but she didn't seem to care - or even notice, for that matter. Cascadekit always seemed to live in her own little world where, no matter how bright the pelt color, one could still win at hide-and-go-seek, her favourite game... Other than tag, and scavenger hunt... And some other games, but what did that matter? Anyway, although her philosophy was somewhat true, if the somone with a bright pelt was a good hider, but that just wasn't Cascadekit. She'd crouch by the nursery entrance, or hide pressed against a dark-colored rock. And, for the life of her, the she-kit couldn't figure out why she was always found first!

"Hi Maplekit! You're gonna be Maplepaw soon, aren't you? Then it's a good thing the other Maplepaw became a warrior, isn't it? Because if there were two Maplepaws, then they would always get mixed up, even though you're a boy and she's a girl! And then Amethyststar would say 'Maplepaw, please come up to the big rock' or whatever she always says and then both of you would come up and then --" her ridiculously long speech was broken by a fit of laughter, showing that her joke was obviously only funny to her. And as she finally finished her laughing, Cascadekit turned her happy yet ditzy blue eyes on Mahogonypaw. "Hi! Hi! Hi! I haven't seen you in a long time! It'll be fun playing with you!" her voice was getting sore... Oh well!

[/blockquote]

[x.Jolly.x]

^{'Hey, Cascadekit! How are you? Want to play Hide and go Seek? I'm just seeing if the warriors want to play with us. What do you think?' Whoa! I forgot that Cascadekit liked to talk alot! She sat down. 'I'm going to be It. Okay?'}

[blair]

.maplekit

The thin, pale hued silver tabby's ears twitched, crania moving toward Cascadekit as he impatiently tapped his left paw, his tail just ever-so-lightly twitching showing almost a brotherly concern for the kit, as it seemed to jump all over the place for attention he thought. "Hi Cascadekit" he mumbled brightly (for Maplekit) deep green occs just slightly raising to look at her for a moment, before his crania still tilted back into the direction of Lilakit, waiting for her response of the earlier question.

"Okay. When are you going to start counting?" he asked in the direction of the apprentice, who to Cascadekit just said he was asking Warrior's to play with them. Warrior's don't know how to play worth... worth anything he thought, aloud though almost silently (just barely a murmur), then aloud in the same volume Well, I guess their just as good as me he remembered when he first came to the nursery, and Maverickkit had to tutor him in the ways of tag and hide and go seek, though he now had it mastered quite well, he still didn't seem to find much joy from the games.

[/size][/color][/blockquote]

[all out JINX ♥]

Glacierstripe turned her full attention to the group, it wouldn't hurt to play with kits and apprentices. Her ice-blue optics flashed before she walked over to sit beside Mahgonypaw, silver tabby fur moving uncomfortably on her flank. "Lets see if I can remember how to play..... patience my dear Maplekit... I'm sure we'll start soon" Glacierstripe sounded a little annoyed with herself, why am I playing a game that I only watch kits play? The gray and black striped femme shook her ruffled fur before turning her attention to Petaldance. Even though it didn't show in her face or eyes she didn't want to be the only warrior playing this game.

[x.Jolly.x]

^{Mahoganypaw looked up at Glacierstripe. 'Yay! The more the merrier! Now, it's up to Petaldance. Do you want to play?' She turned her attention to Petaldance. Looking at the shecat, sorrow crept up onto her. Her mother was fighting the Tribe. 'She will come home.' She told herself silently.}

[SHADE. :D]

A pair of huge blue eyes twinkled from just inside the entrance of the nursery. Kinkajoukit crouched amongst the thickly-laced brambles, ears flat. He watched the other kits playing, one of them his own sister, Lilakit. The tiny brown tabby wanted to join in, but he felt fear leap up his throat like an escaped frog. The kitten flattened himself to ground, earth brushing his chin. Kinkajoukit could see his mother pacing the clearing, and sensed her worry. It made the hot feeling of panic in his chest multiply. Was his father going to be okay? Was Sunheart going to be okay? Kinkajoukit gave a whimper and flung himself from the nursery, intending to flee to Petaldance. On the way the small brown tabby barreled into a silver tabby flank - Glacierstripe. He fell back, wailing, tears pouring from his eyes.

[cheshy says grace]

Rainbowkit bounced out of the nursery after her sister. Her white body and ginger stockings made her the odd one out. She strutted up to her sister, her auburn eyes bright with anxiety.

Oooooh! Hide and Seek! I wanna play! I wanna play!

[/color] she bounced around maplekit. The kit was such a spaz!

Rainbowkit ran around in tight circles, becoming dizzy and stumbling onto her flank. She flicked her ears and twisted her head to look at Maplekit behind.

----X

Moonmist padded gracefully after her kits. She sat dwn next to Glacierstripe. The femme sighed and looked at her fellow queen. They're such a pawful, aren't they?[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Dansen[Mouse]]

The silver apprentice stood there watching more more kits pour out of the nursery and a few Warriors joining in. Suddenly she started wishing that she could disappear into the shadows. She had never felt comfortable around so many Clan cats. She started to slip closer to the camp entrance to go hunting. She gave one last glance around and vanished through the thorn barrier, leaving a bit of fur caught in the thorns.

Ooc:// Brackenpaw is chickening out ^^; She hates being around a lot of cats, so anyone is free to follow, but only one, please.

[all out JINX ♥]

Glacierstripe's ice-blue optics widened as more and more cats that didn't go to the battle came into the clearing. Her antisocial alarm was on frantic, what am I doing out here?! She slipped out of the clearing and towards the entrance where she saw Brackenpaw leave. Glacierstripe headed quickly towards the apprentice deciding if the other antisocial silver femme wanted to practice hunting while her mentor and Glacierstripe's cousin were away. The silver femme followed Brackenpaw not in any hurry to catch up but in a great hurry to get away from the crowd in the clearing.

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

__ Heh, I'd like to, but Cascadekit is too... you know. Crazy and stuffs.

"Hey! Rainbowkit! Do you know where Costanokit is? I wanna play with him, too, 'cause y'know, he's my best friend and all that!" Where was he anyway? The white she-kit didn't have much time to think about that perdicament, because she suspected somone would be counting soon. She had to find a hiding place! Quick, quick, quick! Bouncing about on her little paws she could only find Kinkajoukit, wailing and crying. Skipping over to him, she mewed, "Why are you crying, Kinkajoukit? Why? Because I don't like seeing my friends cry and stuff. It's not very fun to cry, but it is to play hide-and-seek! Wanna play hide-and-seek? I'll help you or Rainbowkit can because she's a better hider and all that. So? Wanna play?" It was amazing that all that had came out without one break, one pause for breath. She was smiling at Kinkajoukit now, her blue eyes wide and happy.

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>ooc;// Sunheart's in a coma right now. (They--Towering and Maverick--think she's dead and so they're freaking out). She'll awaken around Maplekit's apprenticeship and then she'll die from there.

bic://</sub>

xx____yewchime

<sub>"Maplekit?"

The delicate, long-haired ginger queen's voice mimicked her name. The EclipseClanner sat by the nursery's entrance. She looked back and forth for the young tom. Seeing him playing, Yewchime smiled gently and exhaled deeply, her hair shimmying in its many layers. However, she then saw his playmate walk off and she blinked at Brackenpaw. That was rather odd, she thought, staring at the silver tabby's form before it disappeared.

She made her way over to Maplekit. "Hey, big guy, I guess Brackenpaw was busy or something. I can play with you if you like...," the fluffy she-cat said. He reminded her of her longtime near-sister Mottledkit, who she missed very much. She couldn't picture her as older. In Yewchime's mind, Mottledkit would stay a kit forever...</sub>

[blair]

.maplekit

Thin, lean, five and a half moon kit looked around as the ground suddenly seemed to rumble under his paws, silver fur going a-splay, pelt bristling as Rainbowkit paraded around him like he was an ornament, with a particular look in her pools, making his own deep occs narrow, crania tilted away from the other kits in a mock-exhaustion manor.

His expression followed Brackenpaw closely, knowing he may have followed her to a quieter place as well, but as long as that was out of the camp, it was out of the option. As much as he longed to break the rules, his deep insides told him he had to wait here patiently for Sunheart's return, with all the other nursery kit's and Petaldance. "When are the battlecats coming back?" his usual, impatient-like vocals rung clearly, expressionless, as he peered over at the Queen's.

"Hello, er... Yewchime" he had trouble with her name, his voice low as he processed what the she cat had said to him, and he blinked at her before looking away embarrassedly. "You could play with us - Rainbowkit, Lilakit, Cascadekit... err, and anyones else who wants to play - we need someone to count" he attempted to add helpfully, voice obviously pointing out whom he thought should be the counter.

[/color][/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

xx____yewchime

<sub>Yewchime faced the sky, bathing in the dawn's rosy hues. "Well, it's morning. I hope they'll be back by this afternoon with a victory," the queen said gently. Her words seemed almost hollow. She had a feeling that her Clanmates wouldn't return.

She sighed and shook her furry body, meowing down at Maplekit. "I'll count. That's fine," she said, smiling kindly at Maplekit. The queen hunkered down with her white paws over her eyes.

"One...
Two...
Three..."</sub>

[blair]

.maplekit

"Rainbowkit, Lilakit - Kinkajoukit... are you playing? Cascadekit... Anyone else? Er... Whatever. Everyone hide." the thin, young tom pretended to study his small silver paws for a moment as his crania was secretly tilted toward Yewchime, sensing the hollowness in her words, yet not saying anything in fear of another kit's outburst (Kinkajoukit in mind first). He looked at her with his deep green occs peculiarly, a sort of marvel yet mystery, blinking as he realized how much the Queen reminded her of Sunheart, his foster mother he had known only for a short moon, yet had quietly come to love, as much as he'd never quite show it. "Count to twelve" his paw moved to prod the Queen, begging for a few extra seconds to make up the time for him not moving, and everyone else sort of spacing out.

Maplekit moved rather swiftly, his head looking from each den, the Warrior's, the Elder's, the Apprentice's, and he even considered the Nursery pondering between that and the Elder's den silently, thinking that she'd either look in the Nursery first as a common place, or last because every kit should think of it as a common place, thus never hide there. Without thinking of the higher logic to his hiding (the Queen seemed perfectly capable of just using the kit's scent) but her narrowly avoided this and skidded into the nursery, tail flicking and making a trail into the dirt behind him.

The slim kit sat in a corner of the nursery, attempting to peer through the bramble's to see where the other kit's were going.