Birchkit's Romp, I gotta be me!

[Wanderer]

A breeze as soft as kitten fur ruffled the cattails of the IslandClan camp as a frog made a splash from the bordering waters. Dappled sunlight lay in great contrast below the reeds and on the loamy soil. It was a beautiful day; with the sun a pleasant tone of pumpkin as twilight neared and the smell of greenleaf already in the air. The olive brown frog stopped, as if it felt something through the ground, before it began to puff up its creamy undersides in some indecision. The amphibian scuttled across the land, the deep black horizontal pupil of its eye wary for something to eat. It was not the only one about. A silver blur of energy immediately sprang through the plants of camp, springing to the frog in about three seconds flat from the direction of the nursery. Suddenly, a light gray tabby kitten was here, there, everywhere at once-- tumbling ever steady towards the croaky old amphibian. The frog, now feeling remotely in danger, began to stretch its long legs in the first hop. In seconds, the kit was sprawling awkwardly into the leaping warty creature. She squealed with joy as she flipped it high into the air, her voice filled with a love for the world as the pure blue sky above accented the fine silvers of her pelt. As the frog came down, the older kit collapsed in her sheer enthusiasm. "Hello, frog!" she squeaked as it came down to meet her springing paws once again. The terrified marshland creature was still from the constant fling of the young cat. "I'm Birchkit! And whether you like it or not, I've got to be me!" This time, the silver she-cat set the creature back into the cattails. Without a look of dissapointment, ocher eyes followed its path back to the water. Birchkit let out a small contented giggle as her still small kitten ears picked up the horrified frog's splash back into the water. Now the kitten stayed, with her back pressed to the warm ground. Birchkit's whiskers twitched delicately. "I hope I get my mentor soon, and my apprentice name..." Her wish was a murmur as she sighed in the full laziness of the day.

[Strix Moonwing]

Waterheart entered Cattail Clearing with a mouthful of prey from a good hunt. She silently set the fresh kill down and glanced in the direction of the silver kit playing in the patch of sunlight. A glow of pride and affection seemed to fill Waterheart as she watched her cousin, Birchkit, play around with such energy and liveliness of kits of her age. Even though Waterheart loved every single kit in her clan she felt an unusually bond with Birchkit. She hoped that Oceancosmos would pick her as her mentor.

Her whiskers twitched in amusment as the playful kit tumbled over the annoyed frog. WAterheart smiled and padded over to the kit. She blinked as the frog hopped back into the water and let out an amused purr. "Birchkit, didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with you food? Who knows? That might what I catch for you for dinner."

[Wanderer]

The barred she-kit suddenly rolled back up into a sitting position, taken off-guard by Waterheart's mew. She flicked her tail in what might be described as a smile's equivalent and twitched her whiskers in disgust. "Blech! A frog?! You wouldn't make me eat that in the first place!" Birchkit let out a contented giggle and rubbed her face on the cheek of her aunt's. Wait for it, she thought to herself. Waterheart seemed to not notice the devious icy cyan glimmer in Birchkit's eyes. And then it was too late! Birchkit came onto her hindpaws, managing to balance by keeping her paws on the furry head of Waterheart. They seemed to tense up for a minute, and then the energy in her feet suddenly exploded, springing Birchkit's silver form into the blue sky of day, above the highest cattails and with the birds! Almost as quickly she catapulted on Waterheart's back and her hind feet scrabbled for a hold on Waterlight's shoulders as she laughed and went on to bat her aunt's long tail.

[Strix Moonwing]

Waterheart didn't expect the attack her little cousin threw at her. She let out a playful hiss and rolled on her back, knocking Birchkit to the ground with a soft thump. Waterheart stood over the silver kit with a laughter playing in her blue eyes.

"Keep attacking your aunt like that and that'sallyou'll be having for dinner until you're an elder!" Waterheart purred to the adventurous kit, pressing her nose to Birchkit's sweet kit-scented fur.

Suddenly a new scent filled Waterheart's mouth, making her turn quickly around. Her eyes widened in surprise to see Oceancosmos standing right behide her.

The old leader narrowed her blue and green eyes and in a raspy voice meowed, "Good day Waterheart. I see that you've hunted today." She didn't wait for Waterheart to answer before turning her gaze to Birchkit. "Hello Birchkit. Praticing some attacks for when you become a warrior on your aunt? Well, you'll need them, because I think it's about time for you to become an apprentice."

[Wanderer]

OoC: By the way, I forgot to mention last post that she refers to Waterheart as her aunt because she's older. (Sort of like Auntie Finny, eh?) Sorry about that. xD Birchkit giggled as she tried to fasten a grip on Waterheart using only her paws. There was a swift change in motion in Waterheart's shoulders, one that was similar to the way the frog had been as it jumped into the water. Before Birchkit could scamper away or vault her way to the other side of Waterheart, her silver fur was in the moist tawny soil that was warm even for greenleaf. Not that Birchkit minded. She loved rolling on her back and getting her pelt all dirty, usually to the horror of adult cats. And to her mother-- well, before the day she had simply dissapeared. She felt no ill tiding when she thought of her mum, and she had always been a firm believer in the present. So, she managed to sputter giggles at her aunt's promise, which Birchkit immediately labelled as one that would be entirely lethal. Lethal, but funny. Waterheart's blue-gray fur was the smell of a real IslandClan cat; her muzzle was still a little red from her hunt but it smelled really good to Birchkit. As her aunt, as Birchkit referred to her, got up, Birchkit finally rolled her silven tabby self up as well, and her ocher eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates as she realized who had been watching her all of this time. The piercing aquamarine and cerulean gaze frightened the kit at first; this cat was sooo old! She had actually mentored her Auntie Waterheart! Her muzzle was starting to turn ash-coloured with age, but at her gentle rasp, Birchkit finally refound her courage and mewed, "Oh, yeah! I always like to practice so I can become a good warrior!" She jumped a little off of her lighter silver-gray paws at Oceancosmos's thought. "I'D LOVE TO BE AN APPRENTICE!!" she blurted out. "Oh, can I? I'm already about six moons! I've ben waiting this FOREVER!" She was breathless, excitied, with wide amber eyes starinbg up at her blue-gray pelted cousin. A frog croaked in the silence of the camp as a light wind ruffled the verdant cattails surrounding the action, all in the quiet bubbling of the water.

[Strix Moonwing]

OCC: Shoot! I forgot the words for making a kit an apprentice! Heehee...you wouldn't happen to remember would you? Sorry I forgot to bring my warrior books to florida with me.

[Wanderer]

OoC: -Copies it from StarClan's Immaculate.-

Leader: "All cats old enough to catch their own prey please come beneath the Name of Ceremonial Place for a clan meeting."
"We are here today to give Number of kits their apprentice names. Come forward Blank, Blank."

Leader- "Warrior Name, you will be mentor to Apprentice Name. Warrior Name, you are Trait and Trait. Pass on all you can to this young apprentice."

[Strix Moonwing]

OCC:Thanks! I'll do teh ceremony here because there isn't a high stone or anything.

Oceancosmo nodded approvely at the excitement of Birchkit and turned away to climb on top of the high rock. With the sun setting in the distance, the leader's fur seemed to glow in the setting lights. With a voice, loud and clea,r she yowled, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey please come beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!"

Oceancosmos waited until every cat was there before beginning. Waterheart seemed to be just as excited as her cousin. She quickly licked over Birchkit's fur and stood back, blue eyes glowing with pride. The leader raised her voice again, "We are here today to give one kit their apprentice name. Come forward Birchkit."

She waited until the silver kit scrambled up to stand in front of her leader. Oceancosmos looked at the kit and gave the smallest of smiles. "Birchkit...until you have been given your warrior name you be known as Birchpaw." Then to everyone's surprise the grey leader turned to Waterheart and meowed, "Waterheart, you will be mentor to Birchkit. You are brave and have good strength. Pass on all you can to your cousin and apprentice."

Waterheart could hardly come up to Birchpaw and touch noses with her without purring with delight. Her heart seemed to swell with pride at finally having an apprentice...and having her own cousin for one! She looked down at Birchpaw and smiled.

[Wanderer]

Birchkit's excitement almost made her explode into a thousand tufts of silver fur as she watched the lithe form of Oceancosmos scale the Highrock to address the clan. Her leader's was clear and quite sonorous through the croaks of frog, bubbling of water, and the high-pitched whistling of the reeds. The familiar words that brought the clan together sang in Birchkit's ears as a headwind brought it to her so wonderfully. She came forward on command, trying to show her own stealth as she did so, feeling nothing but pride as she stepped up to accept her apprentice name. Birchpaw. To her, it was the world's most beautfiful name. And not to mention, her cousin would be her mentor! Birchkit swung towards Waterheart, feeling enthusiasm in her auntie as they touched noses. She twitched her whiskers in joy and said to Waterheart in a hot whisper, "You better teach me good, Auntie. Or I'll send StarClan after ya!"

[Strix Moonwing]

Waterheart couldn't help but let out a loud purr in amusement and delight at her new apprentice's words. Her niece would truly be a great warrior! She certainly had the spirit of one. "Don't worry, by the time I'm done teaching you, even Starclan will have their paws full trying to watch over you."

Oceancosmos stared at the pair for many moments longer. Her icy blue eyes, cold and sharp with age, couldn't help but soften at the fondness that radiated from the two young ones. Though Waterheart was a young adult, she was still very young compared to the ancient Islandclan leader. The two were very close to eachother....closer than most cats were. She hoped that this bond would help Waterheart train young Birchpaw to become a noble warrior.