Dozing in the Camp

Streamsong was just back from her one-cat border patrol. Sandstar was checking the other borders while she presumed their new Medicine Cat and kit additions were waiting back at camp. At first glance, she didn't notice the two, and wondered how surreal it was for the other leaders. It must be strange living in a camp by yourself, especially since the borders were established. Sandstar had told her of when the leaders were in a Clan together that they formed until fate brought them apart. She couldn't imagine how lonely and dull it would be!

She made her way to a flat stone on the sandy edge of one of the streams and began to sun herself, enjoying the nice Greenleaf weather. After a bit, she'd have to go out hunting for the Clan, so she mine as well enjoy herself before then!

Swiftkit was not actually back at camp. Rather, he was bored and decided to swim in a stream nearby. Noticing Streamsong on the sandy edge of the stream, he carefully stalked over to her, then pounced on her back.

Streamsong was relaxing, letting the sun's heat reflect off of the rock and warm her fur. She closed her eyes and started to doze, the warm rays making her tiredly drift off. Suddenly, something small barreled into her, and she let out a playful growl. Opening her eyes, she crouched down and jumped into the air, trying to buck Swiftkit off of her back. "You're brave to challenge a Warrior like me!" she exclaimed playfully.

Swiftkit held on, determined and growled playfully. "I shall not be defeated!" He arched his back but stayed on Stream. "Today, I shall win!" He declared.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Streamsong thrashed around in a mock fight to get Swiftkit off. She wasn't putting enough power into it to do so, but she sure was making a good show of things. Finally, she halted and slumped to the ground in fake defeat. "Fine you win, you were just too strong for even me." She twitched her whiskers, sensing that this comment was going to go straight into the little kit's ego.

"Haha!" Swiftkit jumped off of Streamsong's back, obviously proud of himself. He puffed his chest out and held his head up high. "I win!" He swished his tail back and forth, feeling victorious. He poked Streamsong, knowing she wasn't actually dead. "I can't wait to become a Warrior."

Nightseer had been out collecting herbs.  It was all going routine, and then he saw the two cats fighting.  The old cat went and sat atop a near by rock and watched.  Some days he envied the youth of the other cats in his new clan.  However, some days he was fine with his age.  Moments where he watched these two play fight each other were some of those times.  He still smiled at the interaction between the two as he watched.

"Well, you'll have to be six moons old before that happens," Streamsong replied with a glint in her eyes, "but that won't be far off! Once you're older maybe I'll show you some battle moves." Suddenly, she swatted Swiftkit directly into the shallow part of the stream, meowling with laughter. "A Warrior always watches their back!"

She then felt the eyes of someone watching them. Her first thoughts were to Sandstar, but when she swivelled her head around, it was Nightseer who met her gaze from atop a nearby rock. She waved her tail in a friendly greeting. "How was herb hunting?" She asked with a small shout so he could hear her.

"I'm not deaf.  You know that Streamsong."  The old cat said, climbing down from his perch.  "It went well.  I got what I needed and then some."  He said, stretching himself a little.  "How was patrol?  No issues I presume?"

Swiftkit got out of the water with ease and shook himself, flicking the leftover drops of water off of him. He stretched a little and waved his tail at Nightseer, pleasantly surprised by the old Medicat's appearance.

"None on my end," Streamsong replied to Nightseer, "Other than the stale scent of TalonClan, but I think it was just the wind blowing it over to our side. All the other Clans are Clans of one, I doubt even Ashstar would try something by herself." She slumped back onto her rock to sun herself and stared wistfully beyond their camp. "I just hope all of our Clans become as big as the original Clans, life would be much more excited," she chuckled.

Nightseer nodded.  "The stars have shown me many things.  Different futures you could say.  All branched out from the formation of our four clans however.  Some futures are joyous, some are filled with difficulty. The strange thing is that they all seem to head to the same end point.  The stars have not shown me when or what that end is."  The old cat said.  "We should go back to camp now.  There is bound to be work for us to do."  He said to the two younger cats as he began to walk back through the woods.

"Mmmmmokay." Swiftkit started walking behind Nightseer, following the old Medicat. He motioned for Stream to follow with his tail.

Slipstrike jumped out of nowhere, likely surprising the group of 3 cats. He waved his tail in friendly greeting. "Hey all."

Streamsong rolled her eyes at the beaconing kit, but followed closely behind him. She was going out of her way to avoid any particularly deep puddles when a cat jumped at them out of no where.

She whirled on it and hissed, until she recognised the figure of Slipstrike. She let her fur fall flatten itself and sheathed her claws. "Lucky you didn't get your pelt clawed off!" she exclaimed, "it's good to see you, but don't sneak up on me. You're still kind of new, a word of wisdom, don't ambush your own clanmates unless you want a scar to match your others," she let out a purr of amusement.

Slipstrike smiled although it seemed that there was a vein bulging on his forehead. "Haaaa, veeeery funny." He mewled sarcastically. Swiftkit could obviously see adult business taking place and went along with Nightseer. Slipstrike's ears twitched and his tail swished back and forth, in a manner that was slightly aggravated.

Nightseer was not phased by the former kittypet's entrance.  "Hello Slipstrike."  The medicine cat simply said as he walked on by.  "Come along kit.  Let these two talk."

Streamsong flicked her tail and fell back, allowing the Kit and Medicine Cat to go on ahead. She fell into step beside Slipstrike and gave him a concerned look. "Is there something wrong? It seems like somethings burrowing under your fur, are we bothering you?" She was genuinely concerned for her Clanmate, "It can be hard to adjust to Clan life, it's so different from our old lives, I know I had a hard time adjusting..."

Slipstrike shook his head. "I'm okay, you guys aren't the problem." He continued walking. "I, uh, don't like talking about my scars." His ears twitched at the mention of his scars. "The Clan life hasn't been too hard to-" Slipstrike put his paw down in a puddle, not paying attention, and slipped. "That's going to take some getting used to, to be honest."

Streamsong let our a purr of amusement, and was careful enough not to follow Slipstrike's own mistake. "You'll get used to it," she laughed, "I still step in those sneaky puddles sometimes. I guess that's why you're called Slipstrike," she teased.

Slipstrike got his footing back and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Funny." He smirked sarcastically and continued walking.

Nightseer looked back at the two cats, then at the kit. "Swiftkit, I need some help back at my den.  Come with me.  We'll leave these two by themselves for a bit."  He said, urging the kit along with his tail.

Swiftkit looked at the other two, then nodded at Nightseer. "Okay." He followed the Medicine Cat along to where he was going.

"So..." Streamsong prompted, "do you, Uh, want to go hunting?" She felt rested up enough to hunt before her final border patrol, "I haven't checked the area around GroveClan's territory in a while, the trees are bound to have at least a squirrel or two."

"Sure, that sounds like a good time." Slipstrike nodded a little, looking in the direction that Swiftkit and Nightseer had walked off to, then back at Stream song. His tail flicked back and forth.

"Okay, I'll lead the way if you don't mind," Streamsong said, assuming that he wouldn't and starting off in that direction. The marshy, moist ground slowly gave way to undergrowth, trees, and grasses as they grew closer to the GroveClan border. Streamsong halted for a moment. "Would you like to hunt together or split up?"