Cleaning the hive ~open~

[Swirlpaw]

if Swirlpaw could see right now, her jaw would be hanging open at the multitude of kits. Okay, so it wasn't actually that bad. It was about half the amount of the other clans, but it was certainly more than usual. Blinking slowly, she shook her head to clear her mind and trotted into the den. She didn't mind cleaning out the nursery. The kits were fine to talk to, and those that were almost apprentice's were semi-mature, whilst still boistress and innocent. She instantly went to the first nest, sniffed it, and cleared out the dirty bedding. She then went on the clear out another two. She'd clear them all out first, before collecting some moss and re-filling them.

[Firepaw]

Risingkit's hazel eyes blinked open, and the tiny tabby tom woke up fully, hearing some shuffling. He staggered to his paws, and looked around for the source of the noise. A kit to play with? A moss ball? A queen? No, it was none of the above. Instead, it was an older cat! It could be a warrior! He scampered over to the white cat and grinned at it. "Hello there! I am Risingkit. What should I call thou?"

[Swirlpaw]

Swirlpaw heard the kit before they even approached, and so she twitched her tail slightly to signal that they not approach behind her before she twitched her ears and turned her head to smile at the little Tom-cat. Though she barely paused in her work. "Hello little one. My name is Swirlpaw. It's nice to meet you" she responded gently. She found it slightly amusing how he referred to her as 'thou' rather than 'you.' Smiling, she went back to cleaning out the nests, tracking each one by scent as best as she could. It must seem odd seeing her lower her head to the ground and sniff out each nest before she approached it. Most would merely walk right up to it without hesitation. It was not long before she'd cleaned out all the dirty bedding, and she quietly excused herself as she disposed of it. Ducking just her head back into the nursery, she signalled the kitten over with her tail. "Would you like to help me collect some fresh moss? Then you'll know where it is for when you're an apprentice." she purred slightly at this before hesitating. "Will your mother mind at all?"

[Firepaw]

Risingkit watched as Swirlpaw ducked her head to sniff the nests before cleaning them. Thinking nothing over it, he eagerly nodded when she asked if he wanted to go and collect some moss. "Oh, yes please, that would be great! My mother won't mind, I'm sure of it. Oh boy, I'm so excited!" he chirped in his unusually formal way.

[Swirlpaw]

Swirlpaw purred at his response and offered him a gently nod. He was strangely formal, but she quite liked it. Gesturing toward the entrance, or its general direction, she brushed past him, tail skimming over his flank as she led the way out of the den, keeping her tail near him so she wouldn't loose track of him, despite the fact she could hear him quite clearly. She soon came to the moss area, sniffing it out carefully. It was just slightly past camp walls, but within the boundaries for kits if they have an escort. She sniffed out the best moss rock with the biggest portion lower down for little river kit before unsheathing her claws. "Here, like this. Though careful not to snag your claws, and try to avoid the wet stuff. Damp is fine though, you can ring out and shake off the moisture." she smiled at the kitten before scoring her claws carefully along the rock, cleanly pealing off a sheet of moss. Ringing out the water carefully with her paws, she nudged the young tom forward. "Your turn, try and do it like mine. And then let me check it."

[Firepaw]

Risingkit followed Swirlpaw outside of the Nursery. He blinked a few times, stopping short and looking around camp as his eyes adjusted. Realising he was falling behind, the tiny tom scampered forward and gaped as they entered the territory. He hurried over to the moss rock and listened to Swirlpaw carefully, then tried it himself. He went for a particularly green patch, feeling around for the wet patches. He managed to get a small amount of the moss and he peeled off the small square, ringing out like he had watched Swirlpaw do. A few drops of water squeezed out of the green stuff, then pushed it over to the apprentice. "Like this?"

[Swirlpaw]

Swirlpaw stood and waited patiently as the young tom tried it himself. Her ears twitched, and she decided to practice her hearing reach. Closing her eyes, she swivelled one ear toward camp, and tried to find out what she could hear. At first it was nothing, and she had to hold back a huff of frustration. However, as she blocked out little Risingkit and focused as well as she could, she caught muffled meows , before it strengthen to the dull murmur of conversation, which then formed to be many quiet ended but distinct voices. She was confused for a moment, before she remembered that it was Sunhigh, considering the warmth of the heightened day. The ritual of sharing tongues she mused silently, allowing the sound of little Risingkit scraping the moss from the rock. Nodding to herself, she padded over to where he had nudged the partially damp moss, and she bent down to sniff it and nudge it with her nose before testing it with her paws. Carefully, she squeezed out the rest of the water with her paws before purring sweetly. "Very well done Risingkit. We'll collect some more and then head back." She gave him a friendly nudge before heading round the rock so he could upset the low stuff on his side, whitest she reared up on her hind legs and carefully scored her claws along the surface.

[Firepaw]

Risingkit purred happily as Swirlpaw complimented him. "Thank you, Swirlpaw!" he said, then nodded and began to work on the lower section of the rock, peeling off a few small squares. He wrung it out tightly and blinked as he watched Swirlpaw collect the moss. He smiled and spoke. "Swirlpaw... before, back in the Nursery, you were sniffing the nests instead of looking at them to check if they were all dried up. If I may, why were you doing that?"

[Swirlpaw]

The older feline purred happily as he took her compliments with high regarding gratitude. Kits did not normally do this. She was not referring to other kittens as disrespectful, or him as unnatural, but it was certainly a nice change. Carefully, she scored off quite a bit more moss, doubled checking carefully that each price was dry before rolling it up into a big ball. As the kit question her, she rose her head to peer sightless lay at the little tome. He spcertainly deserved her respect in her telling him, considering how respectful he was to her. "Unlike some, I must use scent, sound, and touch to find things and tell them apart. I must do so, because I can not see. Have you heard of blindness before little Risingkit?" she smiled at the little Tom. He was starting to make her feel normal again. He was just a little male her that could see, right? Quiet and respectful, and always striving to please unless there is a need not to do so. She quite liked this kitten.

[Firepaw]

Risingkit shook his head. "Blindness? I apologise, I don't know what that is." he said, dipping his head. "But it sounds like quite a remarkable talent!" he added, trying to be optimistic. "Being able to use scent, sound and touch, I mean."

[Swirlpaw]

Swirlpaw frowned slightly and shook her head, offered ping the lightest of sighs as she touched her nose to his moss, wrung one of the peices out with her paws, and rolled it into a little ball for him to carry, having already done so with her own, though quite a lot bigger. "No, Risingkit. Being blind is not a talent." she told him calmly, though she wasn't sure now wheather to continue. Oh well, too late now. "Being blind means you have to use your senses because you can not see anything. Everything is completely blank. Like when your eyes are closed, or when it's really really dark." she blinked slowly at him, her eyes still peering at him even though to her eyes there was nothing but darkness. Nudging his ball of moss back to him, she smiled at the younge kit. "Shall we take this back to your den?" she asked, though she already planned on doing so.

[Firepaw]

Risingkit listened to Swirlpaw's explanation thoughtfully and nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see. "Yes, that would be great!" he said happily, picking up the ball of moss, paws itching to throw it and play moss ball. The tiny kit restrained himself and flicked his tail, trotting along. "So, Swirlpaw, were you born blind?" he asked thoughtfully, padding along.

[Swirlpaw]

She sensed the young Tom must have nodded, as there was a pause of silence before the kitten spoke up quickly with a rather certain response. Nodding, she purred slightly and swiped her tongue amusedly over the young kittens ear. "Let's go then" she decided with a grin, leading the way back toward camp as she did her best to carry the fresh miss. It was light, but it was rather big and awkward to carry. As they were almost back to the nursery, Risingkit spoke up again. Stalling, Swirlpaw ducked into the den and placed down her moss before politely turning to face the kit. "Yes, I was. And to be honest? I'm truly glad." She then went on to busy herself about the nests, setting the moss in each one and creating a sleeping place before she continued after two nests. "I heard stories of being born with sight and going blind somehow. They say it's so much harder to adjust. Besides, if I could see now, it would be harder still and I'd have to get used to everything again." She went on to do a few more nest before she finished off her moss. "Do you want to put your moss in the last two?" she asked gently.

[Firepaw]

Risingkit listened to the apprentice as he watched her replace the nests. "Hmm. That would be quite hard to adjust." he agreed, then perked up considerably when she offered for him to make the last two nests. Excited, his tail flicked and he nodded. "Ooh, yes please!" he chirped, picking up his moss ball and trotting over to the nests. He spread the moss out like he had seen Swirlpaw do, and managed to finish them considerably quickly, for a kit. They were a little messier than the older cat's but he purred happily and looked up at Swirlpaw. "Thank you for taking me out to the territory, Swirlpaw!" he mewed, grinned up and her and flicking his ear. "I can't wait to become an apprentice, too!"

[Swirlpaw]

The older she-cat purred amusedly at his enthusiasm, and sat down with her tail curled around her white paws as she waited, the tip twitching slightly. She listened carefully as he shifted about the den, slowing and almost silencing her own breathing so she might hear him better. Her ears then twitched toward the sound of cats scuffling in the camp. She froze for a second, tensing slightly and listened harder. A slight giggle or laugh of sorts, seemingly joyful. Good, must just be two or so young cats having a playfight. She smiled at this thought and awaited for the young kit to finish. He did so resonably quick, and she rose her chin to face him with a slight purr. "You're welcome little one" she purred, smiling sweetly, her blank eyes glittering. She felt a little proud of the younger feline, almost like a mentor who had just taught her apprentice how to hunt and had him catch his first prey. "Well done. I shall be happy to here how you go as an apprentice, even if we don't end up being den-mates." she tilted her head forward and down a bit, rasping her tongue over the little one's ear. "I best go off and hunt. One day, we might hunt together young friend." She touched her nose gently to his muzzle before getting to her paws, dipping her head, and slipping out of the den, bounding toward the camp exit.

(Ran out of conversation ideas. XD)