Freedom

[Raccoonkit]

Raccoonkit awoke to the clamor of the clan outside. The dawn patrol was getting ready to leave. Amber eyes took in every detail. That was going to be her someday. She jealously viewed their departure.

She wanted to be an apprentice. Her yearning increased when Icekit had his ceremony just a few days ago. His absence was felt. Raccoonkit was a loner, but she wanted to fit in. Although her being a loner, in her mind, gave her the power to disappear. No one would miss her for day.


Quietly Raccoonkit left the nursery, dreaming of exploring the territory. Her outing with Stormpaw made her all the more curious.


Raccoonkit slunk to the side of the camp, near the entrance. The sun was just appearing behind her. So far no one had noticed her. A wave of pride swelled in her belly. A brown speck among the rock disappeared.


Freedom.

[Weaselkit]

Weaselkit was sitting in the shadows of the nursery, content if not a little bored.His sharp eyes glued onto a kit as she made her way out of the nursery, looking for all the world like she was doing something suspicious. She didn't seem to notice him as she slunk on by, heading for the exit. Now, that he couldn't allow. His father had died out there, and if his father died then surely this kit would die too.

Leaping to his paws, the tabby stalked after her. 'Hey!" He called as she disappeared out the entrance. He stuck his head out to look at her before she could travel far. "Get back here, you're not allowed outside of camp. I'll have to tell Redfern or Cloverstar," he threatened with an angry flick of his tail.

[Raccoonkit]

Raccoonkit stopped in her tracks, wishing her fur was the same color of stone. The unknown territory beckoned to her. She reluctantly faced the kit who spotted her. He was tabby brown and white. Amber eyes narrowed at him. Who did he think he was to tattle on her? Disgust for him was momentarily visible in her body language. She opened her maw to insult him, but thought better of it.

"Are you truly concerned about my safety?" the dark brown tabby asked the kit. Curiosity lit up her eyes. He was the first kit to notice her slinking out of camp. Raccoonkit was delighted by the challenge of having someone to sneak past. It would make her a better warrior someday.

[Rainpaw]

"You both should calm down." Rainkit approached the group, her deep blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She didn't want to chide the kits, but Rainkit also didn't want anyone to get hurt. Rockclan was a very dangerous place, especially with the threat of falling rocks looming above the clan.

Her tail flicked from side to side, and she stared at the two strangers, meeting their gazes evenly. "It'd be best not to tell Cloverstar or Redfern, I think. They're very busy, and have more important things to worry about than kits who can't stay in camp." The black and white she-cat mewed, concern in her voice. 

"And what's wrong with camp, anyways? There are plenty of fun things to do, we could play a game." Rainkit suggested, attempting to lighten the mood.

[Raccoonkit]

Raccoonkit tilted her head. The other kit was trying to act like a leader and she instantly hated them for it. Instead of saying what was on her mind she licked her paw. Be nice, be nice. She forced her muscles to relax.

"I am calm," Raccoonkit stated. As if to prove her point she sat down. Amber eyes met blue. This was too much trouble. A long sigh escaped the kit's little body. "I agree that we shouldn't tell Redfern and Cloverstar." She did notice concern in Rainkit's voice. For a moment she softened though she still disliked both kits for ruining her adventure.

The dark brown tabby stood and walked towards the other kits. She stood in the entrance of camp, defeated. "What are your names?" she asked of both kits. Deep down she was excited to talk to others, but she wouldn't show it.

[Weaselkit]

-Hey Racoonkit, could you please try and keep a posting order and wait for me to post so I don't get left behind? Thanks -


Weaselkit's brow furrowed in disbelief. "Of course I am!" He exclaimed hotly. "We're clanmates, why on earth wouldn't I be!?" Her surprise was astounding, though not as much so as the arrival of the second she-cat. He spun, fur bristling as she apparently attempted to order him around. Luckily for them, he no longer had a need to tell the authorities. "I was going to tell if aw continued to leave camp. But she came back; there's no problem," he stated, though his fur was still spiked. "Though you're wrong. Kits leaving camp and dying is exactly what they should be concerned about. If it can happen to two of our warriors it can happen to her." He flicked his tail at Raccoonkiit then turned to face her, displeased with Rainkit and her presumptions.

"I'm Weaselkit" he informed Raccoonkit with a smile. "You're welcome by the way"

[Rainpaw]

Rainkit blinked, staring at Weaselkit calmly. "You misinterpreted me." The she-cat explained evenly, though inwardly, was rather hurt by how hostile he was being. "It would be a problem if some kits did get out and hurt themselves, but it shouldn't be something they have to deal with. Cloverstar has to worry about finding the new territory and taking care of injured warriors.. It'd be very selfish of us to create more problems for her and Redfern."

Nobody took up her suggestion of playing a game, so Rainkit assumed that neither of them wanted to. Well, that was fine with her. Not every cat liked playing games, and she just wanted to diffuse the situation. She turned to Weaselkit, addressing him. "It's nice that you stopped her from leaving camp, but were you doing it because you were concerned for her safety, or because you wanted to boss her around?" Her deep blue eyes burned into the tom-kit, glinting with unreadable emotions.

[Raccoonkit]

[Of course, I grew impatient to post.]

Raccoonkit glanced between the two kits, eyes gleaming with delight now that their attention was off of her. Truthfully, she agreed with Weaselkit more, but Rainkit did have a point. The clan was facing another big issue. Cloverstar and Redfern had been busier. A warrior could have dealt with this issue just fine and told them about it later. Maybe that was part of the reason she had been able to sneak out of camp successfully until Weaselkit.

The white and brown tabby, Weaskelkit, did have spunk. Raccoonkit admired that about him. Rainkit seemed like a mother. Something Raccoonkit thought was ridiculous. Who even acts like that this young?! Goody-four-paws, she thought of both kits. This argument could have been avoided if they had let her be.

"I'm Raccoonkit," she announced, more to prevent the other kits from forgetting about her than to keep the peace. At Rainkit's question, Raccoonkit let out a mrrow of laughter. "Rainkit, I had asked him earlier if he was concerned for my safety. The way his fur bristled makes me believe him. I think one should get all the facts before they assume or accuse." Raccoonkit rested her fluffy tail on Rainkit's shoulder and glanced at Weaselkit.

"So about that game?"

[Weaselkit]

Weaselkit huffed a sigh. Perhaps he had misinterpreted Rainkit, but it seemed she in turn was underestimating him. "Which is obviously why I stopped her," he pointed out logically, his tail still flicking with mild agitation. He was calming down slowly, having presented his points in the argument and begun to move on already. He wasn't one to dwell on things.

Almost immediately there was a new transgression, setting Weaselkit's fur spiking and his fur burning with hot insultation. "If anyone, it is you that has the superiority complex. Of the three of us I'd expect you to be the bossy one. How dare you." Questioning his ideas was alright, even Weaselkit knew he wasn't always the brightest, and often made mistakes. His honor and his loyalty however were already too strong and defined for him to ever sit back and let them be insulted by nothing more than another kit.

The tom rested his brown eyes on Raccoonkit, smiling gratefully at her support. At least she hadn't seemed to think he was bossing her around, and he was grateful for it. It even made him slightly more interested in the idea of a game, though he was withholding his judgement on Rainkit so far. "What did you have in mind?" He asked hesitantly.

[Rainpaw]

Raccoonkit and Weaselkit were ganging up on her, and Rainkit felt her stomach twist with anxiety. She had only been trying to help, and she wasn't wrong, it was just that she wasn't being taken seriously. The only things that Rainkit had done was suggest that they don't tell Cloverstar and Redfern to keep them from being even more stressed out, and ask to play a game.

Rainkit didn't even like games, she'd only said that because she thought it would lighten the mood. "Well.." Rainkit bottled up her emotions, not wanting to make things worse for herself. "We could do something like tag, or truth or dare." The tuxedo she-kit suggested, fully expecting her ideas to be rejected.

[Raccoonkit]

Amber eyes widened at Weaselkit's grumpy attitude. Raccoonkit placed her tail on his shoulder to calm him. While she didn't agree with Rainkit's assumptions she did have to admit that Rainkit was doing only what she thought best. Raccoonkit admitted to herself that Rainkit was probably going to be the next clan leader with her motherly attitude. The dark brown tabby blinked. That time was far away and did not need to be thought about.

She met Weaselkit's gaze and blinked at him. It was her version of his smile.

When Rainkit spoke, Raccoonkit turned to face the she-kit. Both of those game sounded good. Raccoonkit thought a moment before responding, "I'd like to play tag if both of you accept. I'll be it first." The dark brown tabby almost suggested hide and seek, but thought better of it. Too many options and they'd be here all day deciding. "What about you, Weaselkit?" Raccoonkit hoped he'd agree so they all could put this mess behind them.

[Weaselkit]

Weaselkit accepted Raccoonkit's tail without protest, though he wasn't a big fan of physical contact. It was nothing against the she-cat of course, but it had never been something he was wholly comfortable with. He glanced from Raccoonkit to Rainkit, for a moment feeling slight guilt. He shook it off rather quickly though, still confident in his words and actions.

"Tag sounds fun," he agreed casually, drawing a paw through the dirt. He wasn't necessarily ridiculously fast, but he was wiry and scrappy. "If you'd like to be it, Raccoonkit, we'll start running." He began moving off, flicking his tail in invitation for Rainkit to join him. He'd start bolting once she did. He didn't need an unfair advantage.

[Rainpaw]

Rainkit blinked. "Okay."  She wasn't a very fast cat, instead, Rainkit was built with bulk and stamina. That could mean that if she was easily caught, Rainkit would look like a slow, clumsy mouse-brain, and therefore Weaselkit would have more reasons to hate her.

She tensed her muscles, her gaze flitting from Raccoonkit to Weaselkit. Maybe if she couldn't out-speed them, then she could outsmart them... Somehow. Rainkit had no idea what she was going to do. "Let's get started, then."

[Raccoonkit]

Raccoonkit nodded to answer Rainkit. She glanced between both kits, "I'll give you a tail-length to start." The brown tabby's tail fluffed out behind her. Her lithe build would be good for running. She was sure she could catch either kit. Weaselkit was lithe like her so Raccoonkit would wait for him to tire out. He would be an easier catch then. Rainkit was bulkier, but Raccoonkit wasn't going to underestimate her. Raccoonkit tensed her muscles ready to run after her companions.

[Weaselkit]

When they both appeared ready Weaselkit nodded then took off in the opposite direction. He was aiming to split away from Rainkit so Raccoonkit would have to choose her target carefully. At least one of them would be safe, was his logic. Despite his earlier hesitance he was enjoying himself and put a little skip in his step, though quickly covered it and sobered up.

"Let's go!"