Rustlepaw goes to see the latest kits

The orange tom grinned around a large squirrel he had picked up from the pile outside. As the large apprentice squeezed through the nursery door, he noted how nice and tight and strong it had become since cats had worked on it recently.

He dropped the rodent in the middle of the floor after clearing dust and bedding out of the way with his white paw. Rustlepaw crouched down to kit-level and mewed gently, "Food's here! Pretend it's your favorite food." The apprentice smiled warmly, waiting to see what queens or new kits he would meet this time.

Yes, even though Rustlepaw had only been out of the nursery for a few moons, he still enjoyed any time he could spend with the playful, care-free kits. And he was pretty sure the exhausted mothers would appreciate any extra rest they could get without their little furballs pestering them.

To entice the kits further, Rustlepaw excitedly mewed, "Who wants to hear a story of my first mission?!"

Rustlepaw purred and chortled with delight as one of the little ones bounced around him.

The orange tom tried to sound serious through his chuckling as he reminded the kit, "Watch where you're bouncing, tiger--tigress." His blue eyes sparkled with delight at the kit's energy as he added, "You'll get dirt all over the prey I brought..."

To try to focus the young warrior-to-be's energy on something other than moving about, Rustlepaw motioned with a white for-paw as he instructed, "Now. Show me what you think a hunter's crouch looks like while I tell the strory."

A warm, genuine grin filled the tom's face as he wondered how much he sounded like an elder. Haven't even been a real apprentice yet and already I'm treated like, and acting just like an elder. Harumph. The smile faded a bit as Rustlepaw came back to reality.

"So then... Before I even learned how to hunt, I rushed out to Gravelstar's yowl yesterday, only to hear that Abramkit was nowhere in camp," the apprentice started with an excited but rythmic swaying of his tail.

Rustlepaw nodded at the grey kitten to acknowledge her hunting posture as he continued, "Nimbleflight (one of the greatest and nicest warriors I've met so far) was leading the battle patrol and needed all paws..." Here the orange tom gestured in a circle with his white for-paw. "...to help her. I was finally old enough to go, as you soon will be."

The apprentice grinned at the young cat, knowing all too well how all a kit can think about is how loooonnnggg they have to wait to be an apprentice. "So, a small group of us proudly left WindClan and headed for that stiiiinnnkyyyy place ShadowClan calls home." As he said this, Rustlepaw flicked his tail tip over his nose. "It wasn't even an organized patrol, as I imagined it would be -- anyone who was there and wanted to volunteer could just follow Nimbleflight!" Here, the tom's voice rose with delight that he was still feeling about getting to go on a real patrol.

Rustlepaw paused for breath and to see if any other kits were joining.

Not seeing any other listeners aside from the one rapt, silver one in front of him, Rustlepaw continued.

"So I raced along in the middle of the traveling group, my heartbeat racing at about the same, quick pace as my paws!" A blue eye winked at the kit. "I don't think I was scared..." The tom's orange tail swished in small, quick moments as he thought about his feelings leading up to his first battle. "Just apprehensive because I didn't have a CLUE what I was doing or how to fight."

The apprentice's mouth turned straight as did his words when he said, "Note that this is because I don't have a mentor. WindClan mentors are outnumbered by all of us in the younger generation. If at all possible, try to make friends with those older than you, those you might want to be your mentor, while you're still here in the Nursery." Rustlepaw's orange tail tip pointed at the kit in front of him for emphasis.

"Anyway, when we got to the border, there were nooooo guards... nooooo patrols... noooo cats to be seen at all!" The tom made broad, sweeping motions with his tail. "Then, one lone, brave ShadowClan warrior happened to appear!" This young tom was loyal to his adopted clan, but more than that, he regarded the Warrior Code, and those that seemed to follow it, with the utmost respect. So yes, Rustlepaw was giving this enemy cat a good description... because that's how his optimistic eyes saw it.

"Before the cat could cross the moor to us, WindClan's badger friend lead Nimbleflight towards where Abramkit's prison..." Here, Rustlepaw paused for a couple of breaths, still trying to come to grips with the fact that WindClan sheltered so many, varied species of animals.

The orange apprenticed sighed again as his eyes teared up a little, "No,... no ambushes... It-- it was a large misunderstanding; nobody's fault -- but ShadowClan was not ready -- surprised." Rustlepaw's sky blue eyes glinted with the tears starting to form. He valued all cats, especially those that died for the Warrior code.

"I didn't even get my claws on the enemies before Nimbleflight had pushed through a few guards to knab Abramkit from his prison" The apprentice sniffled and wiped his paw over his nose before adding quietly, "In that short time, one ShadowClan warrior gave his life protecting his clan... They didn't even know what they were fighting for..."

"So, Abramkit used his..." Rustlepaw paused to search for words. "...His invisible... powers to help ensure no one saw him getting away." The apprentice returned to his usual happy, optimistic demeanor as he recalled the special kits unique abilities.

Grinning once again, the orange tom finished, "I have to admit... It felt pretty great to see how irritated the ShadowClan leader was when he finally arrived and saw how everything." Rustlepaw drew a white fore-paw over his mouth in attempts to hide his pleasure of the enemy's distress from his audience.

"So, I didn't get to pounce on anything or any cat, but..." he tilted his head in thought and continued, "I did get to watch some senior warriors fight, which was useful ANNNDDD fun!" The apprentice smiled as he concluded his story.

He turned to the queen whose eyes he had felt turn on to his pelt and waited to see if there were any questions before engaging the kits further.

"Nope, not yet," Rustlepaw said without shame. "I'm only a few moons older than you.." the tom said with a wink and a friendly smile. "There's plenty of time left -- I just have to make it to the right place at the right time!" He raised his tail tip in the air to accentuate his hopefulness.

With a warm playful gesture of his tail, the apprentice asked the kit in front of him, "How about you? Have any good scars from Nursery battles?" with a chuckle.

Ignoring the boastfullness of the kitten's tone, the orange tom responded to her words instead: "Good, good. Remember, as we saw in that story I just told, most battles can be prevented--" Rustlepaw leaned in towards the kit for emphasis. "--by talking." Then, Rustlepaw, stunned that those words had come out his firery, loyalty at all costs, go-get-'em self, recoiled a bit further back then he had planned. His blue eyes darted over to the queen to see if he had caught how grown-up he sounded, or if he was, perhaps, dreaming.

Shaking his head and recovering his composure, he asked the kit who's name he did not know, "So kid, show me what you've done to help build up and protect the nursery, lately." The apprentice smiled, knowing that tiny kits weren't included in the order to help better secure camp and the dens in it, but since construction seemed to be about the only thing he had to do around camp, it interested him.

"It's okay," the apprentice smiled and playfully aimed to swipe the kitten's grey ear as he continued, "I'm just messing with ya."

His blue eyes sparkled as Rustlepaw recalled his days in the nursery. "[b]I remember being the 'odd one out' and getting fussed at by eeeevvverrrryyyy queen for any noise I made. I learned to sleep outside where it was less crowded and at least some entertainment to watch...[b]"