Sunny (o)

[Dapplecloud]

(Open to one more cat, let's try and keep a posting order)

The sun's rays beat down upon the camp, falling through the leaves and brush, to reach the ground and bake it dry. That, and it also shone on the mingling cats in the clearing, of which I was not a part of. I sat in the shade, resting from a successful bird hunt: while I felt pleased at the results, my long fur was hindering me. The fur kept me warm in leaf-fall and leaf-bare, and too warm in newleaf and greenleaf.
Still, though I thought, scanning the clearing and the edges of camp. I wonder if there's anyone who wants to talk a bit... I stood up and began walking into the clearing, looking for a lone cat or two to talk two.

[Jaykit]

[Mind if I join?]

Jaykit was playing mossball by herself. She didn't have any friends in the nursery. But she was happy to be like that. She liked the quiet anyways. She looked up to see a warrior walking around and looked down shyly, then looked up. "Um, hello?"

[Dapplecloud]

[Sure! Good to see you again, Jay c:]

"Um... hello?"
I started slightly at the voice and looked down to see a young gray kit, not far off. I hadn't even seen her, nor had I seen her before. Purring, I walked over. "Hello there." I said. "Who are you?" I added on. Now that it was late newleaf, I was surprised to see a young kit on her own: there were plenty of denmates for her to play with, after all.

[Jaykit]

[Thanks! Good to see you as well!]

Jaykit quivered a little as she noticed how big the warrior was compared to her. But she kept her voice as smooth as she could. "I'm Jaykit. My mama is Brackensky, though I haven't really talked to her that much. What about you? What's your name?"

[Dapplecloud]

I nodded when I heard the kit's mother. Brackensky: one of the newer queens. I pricked my ears when I heard they hadn't talked much: it had been almost the same with my mother, Silversplash. Probably because my sister and I were capable enough on our own. I backed off a bit and sat down before replying to the kit's question. "I'm Dapplecloud, Jaykit. A warrior in this Clan, though that should be obvious from my name." I said, purring a bit at my clumsy wording. I looked kindly down at her, waiting for a reply.

[Jaykit]

"What is it like to go out hunting? Hailspirit showed me how to stalk! But I don't actually know what it's like to hunt for real," Jaykit said. "It sounds like it's a lot of fun!"

[Dapplecloud]

"Hunting can be very fun, but it can be difficult, especially in leaf-bare." I started. I purred once more when I heard she had been shown how to stalk: by Hailspirit. I had met the warrior when she had been just an apprentice herself. "Though to hunt, you'll need more than a simple stalking technique. You'll need tracking skills, techniques for every type of prey, and, of course, stealth." I said. Pausing, I added "Though it's not really my area of expertise: I'm more built for fighting, when we need to."

[Jaykit]

"How am I gonna be able to remember all that?!" Jaykit asked in wonder and in slight panic. Would she be able to do that. Suddenly, becoming a warrior seemed far off in the future. Farther than she had expected it. "But...if you can do it, so can I!" Jaykit said, determined to be like this warrior.

[Dapplecloud]

[sorry I didn't post before, I had to play in an audition]

"Don't worry." I said. "Once you learn it, it'll come as naturally as walking to you." Memories lasted a long time, especially in the useful skills we learn and perfect in apprenticeship of the Clan. "If you can do it, so can I!" I heard her say. I nodded. "Every warrior learns how to do it, and I daresay I'll get to see you surpass me: if my fur hasn't turned gray with age by then." I teased.

[Jaykit]

(It's fine! I've been busy with the school newspaper, so it's totally fine!)

Jaykit shrugged sheepishly. "I don't want to surpass anyone. I just want to be the best I can be. To me, it's not a competition. It's just being the best I can be for my Clan."

[Dapplecloud]

"Well, that's always an admirable goal." I said, feeling a small twinge of surprise that this kit didn't share the ambitious goals that so many others did. "And to do the best, we all need teamwork, as well as competition to have us improve. We fall down, then we get up and figure out what made us fall." I said, hoping the analogy wasn't too vague.