WHY DO YOU (open, intro) RUN AWAY?

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    Kestrelpaw was settled near the pile of prey, eagerly taking bites out of a mouse. His amber eyes gleamed as he enjoyed the juicy taste of the mouse, and he focused completely on his prey, blocking out all the different sounds and scents of the camp. He didn't care. As far as Kestrel was concerned, it was just him and the mouse. He wasn't the most social character anyway - not just anyone was worthy of talking to him after all.


    The red tabby was the lonely type - his mother had left WindClan after he had become an apprentice, and while he knew that her intentions were good, it was hard not to feel a little bitter. Kestrelpaw didn't grow close to cats easily - sure he could crack jokes and have a good time with anyone if he really wanted to, but he didn't trust. He didn't love. But kin was something important to Kestrelpaw, a very strong bond to him. Now that mother's gone, I'll have to stay close to my siblings from now on. And maybe even make some friends if I can be bothered.


    Finishing off the mouse, the tom lazily glanced around the camp, no one in particular catching his eye. They were all just the same - some other cats sharing prey, others just lazing about, chatting, washing each-other, nothing interested Kestrelpaw. He didn't really come off as a negative cat, he was pretty fun to be around, but honestly he had a pretty bleak outlook on life. He spoke to his Clanmates because they were there, not because he cared. I hope I can make some friends though. When I'm older, I'll even get a good looking mate! I deserve that, right?


    So the apprentice stood up, slowly making his way towards the edge of the camp. He held his head high, trying to appear confident, even if that wasn't how he really felt. He kept his unusually short tail lifted, his small nose rose, making him look admittedly a little snobbish. Talk to me, you idiots, and you'll realize I'm pretty down to earth. A sweet guy, just come over! Or don't. I don't mind!

    If she had to admit one thing about Kestrelpaw it was that the apple didn't fall far from the tree when it came to him and his mother. Vipertongue had been an apprentice when Heron limped straight to their camp covered in blood with her sides swollen with the promise of kits, and, to be entirely fair, the event had stirred the clan for the rest of the night. How did she know where the camp was? How had she avoided the guards so easily? Was she hurt? Was she dying? Come to learn she'd lived for several moons in WindClan, the blood wasn't her's, and the only thing she was dying from was hunger. 'I'm eating for more than just one if you haven't noticed yet mousebrain.' Ah yes, long legged, snappish, and fearsome. As much as she'd known clan life it certainly hadn't suited her so the slate molly couldn't she'd been surprised when the tortie explained to her kits, apprentices then, that she couldn't stay.

    And you know what? To be completely honest she would have liked if Heron had stuck around. Sure she was distant and sharp-tongued at times but she had a fierceness about her that demanded respect. Wherever the strange she cat was she was sure she was doing alright though, after all, she wouldn't want to mess with her.

    Spotting one of her offspring lounging about Vipertongue hummed thoughtfully to herself before beginning to pick her way over, dipping her slim frame below an askew strand of brier before she closed the distance between herself and the red tabby tom. "Kestrelpaw." She mused out loud, her tone passively friendly as she made her presence known.



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    Kestrelpaw's large ears pricked as he spotted a cat approaching. He wasn't even sure who it was at first, as he had a tendency not to really pick up on things he wasn't interested in. Awkwardly, he wondered whether he even knew this cat's name. Sure they had probably spoken before, they were Clanmates, there was no way out of it, but there was certainly no closeness between him and the older molly.


    "Hey, erm, Somethingtongue," he responded, giving a slight smile, gently nodding to the fact that he had forgotten the warrior's name without seeming like a total idiot. "Wettongue, pinktongue, it's got to be one of them..." The tabby mused, looking the feline in the eyes. Honestly, the kid didn't like eye contact, but he felt like it was just something he needed to do to not look well, like a nervous wreck. Socially situations did make his fur prickle though, and he resisted the urge to glance around the camp, hoping that someone else would come to make the surely awkward conversation that had just started a tad less awkward.


    Well, whoever this was, they were a warrior. Many young cats looked forward to being a warrior, but Kestrelpaw was honestly reluctant. After he became a warrior, there would surely be much more pressure on him, and he would become more and more important to the Clan. Sure that sounded like a good thing, but Kestrelpaw didn't want anybody relying on him. Yes he was a Clan cat, but the red tom had a tendency to put himself before others. He felt bad, but it just happened sometimes.

    ★ ★ ★ The little tabby kit couldn't help but smirk at the terribly awkward situation from afar. She knew his name, but this Kestrelpaw guy couldn't even remember hers? And really, why would her name be Pinktongue anyway? Almost all cats had pink tongues, so how could that possibly be a unique name? This looked embarrassing. Sliding into the scene, the child curiously looked over the two with dull, youthful eyes. It had only been a few weeks since his sister had died and his only other friend had disappeared, but he needed some sort of distraction. "Good afternoon." He sat down, curling his striped grey tail around his paws neatly. There honestly wasn't much to say; he'd leave the name thing to Vipertongue herself. Whatever they'd probably ignore him anyway - kits always get the short end of the stick, Thornkit mused to himself.


    "Speech."

    Kestrelpaw couldn't help but feel a little relieved at the sight of someone else approaching, but wrinkled his nose when he realized it was just a kit. He didn't mean to be rude, but kits were just annoying in his eyes. Admittedly, the red tabby felt a little guilty about that - he was ten moons old, still young, but he was judging a kit? Eyes scanning the kid, he decided that while the kit was obviously still young, they seemed fairly mature, certainly not like those squealing furballs who wailed and wailed till a queen silenced them.


    His intelligent predictions were proven true as the tabby kit spoke rather calmly, which Kestrelpaw supposed was better than the child being obnoxious and annoying. At the same time, Kestrelpaw preferred energetic cats because they made conversations more interesting. It was hard to know whether it was better to sacrifice enjoyment for his own sanity or not.


    "Afternoon," he replied casually, not especially interested. "Mind having a name from you? No offence, I don't really pay much attention to kits, don't kill me." He forced out a chuckle, even though he wasn't finding himself very funny. Kestrelpaw really did rely on playing off another cat, but without someone he could be an idiot alongside, it was hard for him to be a humorous cat.

    ★ ★ ★ Oh, so he did catch this one's attention? Sweet. The kit nodded in return, ears perking up attentively to the apprentice's words. He didn't pay attention to kits? As if anyone did. The child's smirk grew a bit more as he stretched out his short forelegs. "You'll be paying very close attention to us," he teased cheekily, "when we're the ones leading and taking care of your ancient tail. I'm Thornkit." It was a harmless joke, yet he liked to draw it out unnervingly. He supposed this kid could take a teasing or two. And anyways, there was really nothing like having fun at a hormonal and insecure apprentice's expense.


    "Speech."

    Kestrelpaw's eyes widened a little. Well, the kid was cheeky, but not especially annoying. Teasing was fine - Kestrelpaw wasn't bothered as long as it didn't get too personal. He liked a good laugh, but like any reasonable cat, Kestrelpaw had boundaries, boundaries which Thornkit hadn't crossed. "Leading?" the tabby gave a laugh. "Oh, I'd like to see you try. Scratch that, I'd love to see you show off what a great leader you'd be, little one." He finished his sentence in a high pitched, playful voice. Sure Kestrelpaw was a mature apprentice, but some cats brought out the more playful side in him, and this tom seemed to be managing it fine at the moment.


    "You're not too annoying, for a kit." Kestrelpaw observed, hoping that his compliment would go down well, just not too well. He didn't have a problem with being nice to other cats, he just didn't like it going too far. The red tom couldn't exactly see himself being the type to howl out praises at someone else, not unless they were incredibly close.

    ★ ★ ★ The kit's tail lashed playfully as the older tom played along. "Never said I was the going to be the kit to lead," he shrugged. "And what a wonderful leader you'd be. Paying no attention whatsoever to your own clan's future." Meaning the kits, of course. "But alas, you have other responsibilities to worry about being a big apprentice, huh?" Actually, he wasn't kidding. Running around obeying every warrior's command and cleaning up the old sacks of archaic bones, aka the elders, didn't sound too appealing. Not only were apprentices mentally unstable half the time, but also had too many stupid chores to stress over. No wonder all those apprentices were so angsty and drama-infested a few weeks ago.


    "Speech."

    //sorry for the late reply!


    Kestrelpaw was pleasantly surprised by the kit's words. Most kits seemed to be just completely obsessed with being leader or something, but this one seemed to be a little more mature, his words a little more believable. "I can't help being dismissive, just not the sort of cat to be interested in just anybody," Kestrelpaw never meant to be rude - he liked making other cats smile and making jokes, but sometimes he needed to sit back a little. For the most part, the red tabby was playfully, but he wasn't one to be constantly energetic. "WindClan's future... it'd be great if I led. Or, if I was at least deputy. I'd make warrior assessments twice as difficult." He gave Thornkit a smirk.


    As Thornkit spoke of responsibilities, Kestrelpaw gave a sigh. That was true - as an apprentice, he was expected to do a lot. Often, the kid just didn't have the energy to do all that much. "Yeah, like becoming a strong, admirable warrior with all my training?" he wasn't ready to admit quite yet that being an apprentice really was difficult for him, and that he didn't even enjoy it that much. "Trust me, you'll be looking up to me in a few moons, you'll say, oh, Kestrel...whatever, the last name bit, isn't he just great? I want to be just like him!" The tabby placed a paw on his chest dramatically.