&& i won't die of [D E C E P T I O N]

[Roxie !]

OOC// I just had some muse to burn, so yeah. This threads open to anyone.

The forest was quiet; its innocence gave away nothing of the struggles of its inhabitants. For it was ThunderClan who primarily ruled these woods, and they were the only Clan in the forest accustomed to hunting through bracken and thistle. On a normal day, you might find the trees abundant with warriors hunting for their Clan, or patrolling their territory. But today was not a normal day for ThunderClan--as a matter of fact, yesterday hadn't been normal either. And neither had many, many days before that. Because the fact was, though they tried desperately to deny it, dark times were falling on the forest Clan. Cats had been disappearing without a trace. Prey was even scarcer than usual. And tensions ran high.

What few warriors were left had mostly been sent to patrol, or find what little food they could to feed their Clan-mates. Every available pair of paws were needed, which meant, as a kit, the young black-and-white she-cat was left alone today. Kits were forbidden to hunt or leave camp unescorted, and this rule had been reenforced even more than usual lately. Bluekit couldn't see why, though. She was tired of being left behind this way...and if she was going to be the best warrior ever(which she definately was), she didn't see why she shouldn't start now. She'd been so bored lately, that she would have actually welcomed a bit of danger.

Just wait 'til I'm an apprentice. The tiny kit thought eagerly. Then I'll be able to do whatever I want! But this felt like an eternity away. Bluekit was sick and tired of the nursery. She wanted to be like Otterpaw, and Smokepaw and Rabbitpaw! They got to go out hunting. And one day, she'd be their denmates. But this day felt as if it couldn't get there soon enough.

Absent-mindedly, Bluekit batted a ball of moss around her feet. The game would have been much more fun if she actually had something to chase it with. It was times like these, when she wasn't kept preoccupied, that she missed Leafwhisper the most. Or rather, she missed the idea of Leafwhisper. For she'd never known her mother very well, being very young when the gray she-cat had been killed, but she remembered her soft, sweet scent and gentle words. Though she'd never admit it, Bluekit missed her mother dearly.

Her ears drooped. Warriors didn't get sappy like this, did they? She'd have to buck up. Perhaps her father, Destinystep, would play with her if he wasn't busy--or her brother, Graykit? She brightened at the thought.

Unknown to Bluekit, however, a pair of cold amber eyes watched her from the shadows of the nursery. Tiny claws dug into the ground, and a short calico tail lashed once. Cherrykit, one of the oldest kits in the nursery, had been in the middle of a nap when Bluekit's scuffling around had woken her up. Why couldn't that mouse-brain keep quiet? It was because of this that Cherrykit detested her younger denmates. It was like they never stopped making noise.

Something would have to be done. The calico she-kit rose to her paws, stretched, and prowled into the light of the camp. Her expression remained carefully guarded as she watched the black and white kit, who hadn't yet noticed her. Stupid. Cherrykit thought spitefully, watching Bluekit toss that ridiculous moss ball around the camp. She was making a mess!

Suppressing a growl, she cleared her throat quietly to announce her presence. In response, Bluekit practically jumped out of her fur and whirled around to face her, her sapphire eyes wide.

"Oh! Cherrykit! ...You scared me." Bluekit grinned slightly, her fur lying flat. Though they'd been denmates all her life, she didn't know much about the calico. Cherrykit was quiet, mostly, and kept to herself. Bluekit curiously tilted her head. Perhaps her denmate was as bored as she was? Maybe they could play a game together!

It was as if Cherrykit had read her mind. The older kit's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hello Bluekit. I was wondering if you wanted to play a new game with me? I just made it up." she murmured. Her meow was hoarse and whispery, as if she hadn't used her voice in a long while. There was something foreboding about her presence, but Bluekit was too eager for company to allow anything to distract her. She nodded happily.

"Sure! I'd love to learn a new game! How do you play?" She squeaked, her tail sticking up straight in the air.

Cherrykit didn't smile. In fact, she looked irritable. "It's called Journey. We're gonna travel over Highstones." She flicked her mottled tail towards Highrock, signalling that they would use it as a substitute for the legendary mountain range. "Whoever climbs the farthest up wins. You go first."

Slowly, Bluekit turned to face Highrock. She'd only ever seen the Clan leader, Rimestar, up there. How did he even get to the top, anyway? That thing was huge. She gulped, and then immediately regretted showing any signs of weakness in front of her companion--Cherrykit was still surveying her coolly.

"Well?" Cherrykit pressed.

"It's really high..." Bluekit scuffed her paws along the ground. "Isn't it kind of...dangerous?"

Cherrykit snorted. "You're acting like a scared rabbit! If you're gonna be a coward, I'll go play with someone else." She threatened haughtily, her nose in the air. To emphasize her point, the calico got to her feet and took a step towards the nursery.

Bluekit couldn't hold it in any longer. "No! Wait! I'll do it!" She blurted. Cherrykit paused, but did not look back. It was clear that she wouldn't wait long. This was Bluekit's one chance to prove herself. Taking a deep breath, the black-and-white kit turned to face the towering stone. Its surface was smooth and shining...where would she even get a decent pawhold?

Her pelt bristling, she slowly approached the rock, unsheathed her claws, and began to climb.

[le Dawnz]

OCC// Wow. I'd forgotten about Destiny's kits. We totally forgot to follow through with that whole "finding the kits" plot, and Leafwhisper being a ghost (what was that all about anyway? I can't remember).