Closed Thread [Closed] Noontide Escapade

Dazzlekit's little forehead screwed up as Murkkit scaled the wall of the nursery. He didn't do it with perfect ease, but at least he got up. 'How come you can get up' he huffed, sizing up the jump yet again. 

It seemed as though Dazzlekit and Murkkit were on the same brainwave. 'Yes, I want to go out and explore. It's boring being here all the time. Maybe you can teach me how to catch some mouses!' Dazzlekit leapt at the wall once again, doing his best to copy his brother's movements. This time he managed to keep a grip on the wall, and hung there awkwardly, unsure where to go from there. He made an effort to scramble up the wall, eventually reaching Murkkit, though he had a few twigs stuck within his fluffy kitten fur. 'Look I did it!' he mewed before taking a look at his new view. His shoulders visibly sagged once he realised that he couldn't see much more than he normally could. He could see a little wider but that was really it. 'We should go after one of the warrior patrols leaves. Then there will be less cats to see us. Is there a secret way out of camp or do we need to do a secret warrior mission and escape through one of the entrances?' He asked, his tail now happily lashing a little. He was so excited! He would make sure to bring back a mouse for Clovershine, and some flowers to decorate the nursery to remember the adventure. Maybe they would even come across an enemy clan patrol! 'Is Redkit awake? Do you think he will want to come?' the young tom asked, wanting to experience his first time out of camp with both his brothers. 

Redkit:

Redkit had been zoning out by the den's entrance waiting for Briarstorm to wake up from an afternoon nap. But, his attention was caught by his brothers - sneaking out of camp! Without him!

He scrambled to his feet, tearing up moss and skidding to a halt at the base of the bramble wall. "Wait! One sec, I'll be right there." He sized up the wall for a moment, before leaping at it spread eagle - his tiny claws digging into the bark of some of the branches. It is not a graceful assent but what he lacked in agility he made up for with speed. If Dazzlekit thought he had branches in his fur, Redkit looked like a hedgehog when he arrived.

"Ohkay." Redkit paused to catch his breath. Murkkit made that look easy! "What's the plan? What's the mission?" Murkkit had also gotten to go out hunting before - therefore he was basically an apprentice, right? So he could take warrior missions and not get in trouble. Heck, maybe Heronsong had given him a mission while they were out, and now he was trying to fulfill it!

Dazzlekit let out a happy mrrp as Redkit clambered up to join the meeting. 

Three kits on top of the nursery, yapping about sneaking out of camp? Definitely not something you see everyday, but at least they were having fun. It also seemed that no one was aware of what they were planning either. 

‘We are going to go outside camp! Maybe hunt some mouses or catch bees. I want to bring some flowers back for mama as well’ he whispered to the two, more specifically Redkit.

’We need to think of a special plan to get out so no one notices. I was thinking I can stay watch up here while you both try to get out! If someone comes over i’ll pretend to fall off to distract them!’ he mewed with a little snicker. ‘But then what if you both get out and I can’ttt’ Dazzlekit says with a little wail.

Wow, planning secret missions was hard, but Dazzlekit was enjoying it either way.

Redkit watched his brother's descent with some level of in-credulousness. He really was an apprentice now!

After a moment of hesitation, weighing his options, and glancing around the camp with some apprehension, Redkit followed suit. He went much slower, his pawpads catching on a few brambles and he hissed with pain before slowly finding his footing again and skidding to the bottom.

Redkit shook himself of branches, and took a few moments to examine the damage - it wasn't much. Just a pinprick of blood on his foot but to a tiny kit not used to pain he had to stop his eyes from welling up as he licked it clean. Adventures required bravery. He wasn't brave if he started crying right as they started!

It seemed as though luck was on the kittens sides today. With both Murkkit and Redkit making their swift escape, now there was just Dazzlekit left. No one had caught onto the kit's mischevious plan, so the red tom kit had just an easy escape as his two brothers did. With one last look around to make sure no one was watching, Dazzlekit leapt of the bramble den to the area his brothers had scrambled off to. Compared to his attempting of getting up, his travel down was much smoother, not hitting any of the spiky walls and overall looked quite graceful, though he did land with a little thump. His legs splayed out to the side a little before he quickly got up and scurried into the undergrowth. How embarrassing! 

Once Dazzlekit realised he had made it outside of camp his noticed his heart thumping. Was it nervousness or was he just excited? He wasn't sure but he didn't care. He was out! Now he was going to explore the whole territory, and with his brothers too! He noticed Redkit lick his paw, and furrowed his brows a little with concern, but quickly became distracted again. 'We made it, quick, lets go even further away before someone realises we are gone!' he squealed before speeding off as fast as his little legs would take him. 

The shadowy forest of ShadowClan was outstanding to such a small kit. The trees were magnificent and it was better than Dazzlekit ever could have imagined. New smells hit his nose and he felt a little overwhelmed but his curiosity outweighed it by far. A leaf slowly drifted from the top of the canopy, and Dazzlekit did a mightly leap, catching the leaf in between his paws. 

First catch of the day... but I can do better.

Redkit's paw was still smarting, but he didn't want to be seen as weak or annoying. So he followed, albeit slower and trailed behind his siblings as they explored the wilds. Even with the pain, his eyes were as wide as aspen leaves as he gazed around the lands that Shadowclan called home.

He could see so much more of the sky without the brambles of the nursery blocking his vision and only the constant movement of Dazzlekit and Murkkit kept him from plopping down only a few yards from their escape point and gazing up into the blue void above him.

The wind was wonderful on his fur, there were so many smells! Flowers and pollen and... he stopped, swiveling his head around. There was another smell - he couldn't identify it. His keen eyes fell on the slowly waving grasses, and he cocked his head - watching them move.

"Uh, Murkkit? Whazzat?" He motioned to the grasses. Maybe this was a part of the mission Heronsong had given to them?

Dazzlekit squealed as Murkkit swatted at him, dropping the lead and giving Murkkit a ferocious growl (squeak). He was readying himself to pounce before his brother pointed out the small blue blooms and Dazzlekit’s eyes widened. They were perfect!

He trotted over to investigate giving them a quick sniff, his no wrinkling. No with displeasure, more just in school of the strong fragrance. ‘We can make mama look and smell beautiful, or we can just decorate the den for her’ he mewed, a tiny purr rumbling from his throat. He decided it was best to pick them later when they decided to leave so he didn’t accidentally squish them.

Redkit’s voice caught his attention, his tone intrigued the bright red kit, so he scampered over to his littermate to see what the fuss was. Redkit was looking at  a patch of moving grass, and Dazzlekit’s ears pricked with excitement.

’Maybe there is a mouse in there’ he whispered, getting into what Dazzlekit called a “hunters crouch”. ‘I’ll get it for us, watch’ He crept forward, the ground loudly shuffling beneath his paws but the grass did not seem spooked. He wiggled on his haunches before pouncing in, hitting nothing but grass and dirt. ‘There is nothing in here!’ he complained, but turned around to see there was now a little garter snake in their path. ‘A big worm!’ he squealed with delight, ‘Look!’

Dazzlekit's forehead wrinkled up a little. A snake?! Why was it so small?! He couldn't help but feel a flash of fear run through him after his brother told him what it was, but having a glance at it again he couldn't help but snicker at its weak looking appearance. 'Worm snake then.' He settled, there was no way it was a proper snake!

He watched as Murkkit bopped the snake on its head, before jumping up with a squeal as it retaliated. It missed, and its tiny jaws snapped shut onto thin air. Dazzlekit's fur puffed up, but he did not run. 'Take it back with us? Do we hunt it?' he asked, looking again at the snake with curiosity. 

He watched the small creature wriggle around and laughed again. How could he have been scared of this thing! He looked over to Murkkit, waiting to see what he thought, after all, he seemed much more experienced than Dazzlekit, or maybe Redkit had an idea too?

Redkit watched his siblings with some level of apprehension. Seeing Murkkit bap the snake gave him a little bit more confidence, and he crept towards the 'worm snake'... only to spring backwards as it struck at air.

Ah. So it was armed and dangerous.

"Murkkit I uh. I dunno 'bout this." He looked like a pinecone, his fur all standing on end watching the lidless eyes of the snake for any movement. Creepy...

"It's little yea... but uh. So are we?"He had never felt smaller than right now. Even the trees felt like they were looming over him.

Dazzlekit noticed Redkit's apprehension, but chose to ignore it. 'We aren't little, look at us, we are warrior sized! Worm snake is not match for us fierce warriors!' Dazzlekit exclaimed with a kitten growl. Dazzlekit would not describe the worm snake as armed and dangerous. He would choose something more along the lines of wiggly and maybe just slightly a little scary. 'You don't have to help, it's okay, but there is no stopping me from taking this ferocious creature down!' he said with a little yowl before sizing up the snake again. He got into his best crouch, and while he managed to stay quite low to the ground, his tail flicked with unmissable excitement, and his tiny paws could still be heard shuffling on the ground due to uncontrollable energy.

Dazzlekit was acutely unaware of his surroundings, and the fact the he was no more than a mere speck in comparison to the grand forest that ShadowClan called home. Right now he felt bigger than ever, and the thrill of adventure was blocking his critical thinking skills. Though it is unsure if he had any to begin with...

While Dazzlekit was readying himself for a pounce, it seemed as though Murkkit had the same idea, and he got to it first. With a fearsome leap he watched with irritation as the smoky kit "flew" (as Dazzlekit would describe it) towards the snake. He annoyance at his brother was instantly replaced by awe though, so brave! But then not even a split second later was replaced with a face of shock at Murkkit's yowl. 'Murkkit!' he yelled, rushing towards the tom-kit, having completely forgotten about the snake, and now had his full attention on his brother. 

Murkkit had landed with a thump and Dazzlekit didn't know what to do. It really was a snake, and it just tried to eat his brother! 'Murkkit are you okay? It nearly ate you! Please don't tell me you are hurt' he said, his high-pitched voice filled with provoking sadness. Dazzlekit had never felt this emotion before and he didn't like it. He sniffed over his brother, clueless as to what to do, but as the initial shock weaned, it was replaced by a growing sense of anger. How dare that worm snake do that! His ears pinned back, and once he was sure Murkkit was okay he would catch that worm once and for all.

Redkit was a little ways away from the fight. He could see the snake sink it's terth into his brother... It was strange.He didn't feel angry like he should. He felt... numb? He took a shaky step, his eyes locked on the recovering worm - it was now whipping back around to face Dazzlekit.

Time really did seem slower as Dazzlekit spat at the creature, and Redkit too the time with lesiure. If Dazzlekit jumped at it... he would get bit too. And then Redkit would be all alone.

His eyes flicked up its scaled form. There wasn't really any way for him to gnaw on it. It looked tough - and it had those teeth...his gaze stopped at it's head and his mind flashed back to his friend in the elder's den.

"Dazzlekit! Imma get it's eyes!" He 'stealthily' slunk around behind the snake, attempting to get a good angle.

Hopefully it wasn't as good at seeing without eyes as Briarstorm was!

Redkit:

His brother was okay, and his encouragement was all Redkit needed to leap into action. He had to aim carefully - as carefully as his clumsy kit paws would allow. But what he lacked in finesse he made up for it sharp little kit claws!

The snake's maw opened in anger as his tiny paws tore into it's face, and after a moment he hopped away satisfied, with his tail and fur standing straight up. If it could still see after that, it was giving Briarstorm a run for his money.

Redkit swayed from side to side, looking at his brothers with some level of apprehension. Once the fear and adrenaline wore off, he was exhausted. But! They had done it! The Wyrm was dead!

"I t'ink we should bring it back." He blinked, sleepily. "I dunno about apprentices - we can totally get straight to warriors with this hunt." He sidled over to Murkkit and grabbed the other end of the creatures tail, locking eyes with its maimed face before shaking off his twinge of guilt.

'Sorry Worm', he thought 'But it was you or me, and I wanted to keep my brothers." Still. What a brutal way to go. He felt even more sorry for Briarstorm with everything that had happened to him. Maybe he wouldn't recount the blinding part. It might make the older tom sad... or mad.

(OOC: The kits bring the snake back to camp to gloat their victory. The gardner snake is added to the fresh kill pile.)