In the Thunderclan camp, two kits were arguing over what to do.
"Come ON Leafkit! You've been to the medicine den every day, It's time we play hide and seek!" Squirrelkit whined.
"But Squirrelkit, I want to learn all I can so I can be the best apprentice for Cinderpelt." Leafkit replied.
"At least spend one day with me to play!" Squirrelkit pleaded.
Leafkit sighed and thought about the sitution. It wouldn't hurt to have one day away to play with her sister, would it? Besides, they were able to explore the entire camp now, and that left a lot to hide in...
"...Okay Squirrelkit, I guess we can play today."
"Yay!" Squirrelkit said as she hopped up and down. "Now you can be the seeker, and I'll be the masterful hider!" she declared.
"But I'm ALWAYS the seeker!" Leafkit protested. "You aren't even that masterful of a hider either..." she thought.
"Maybe next game!" she called as she scampered away to hide while Leafkit covered her eyes with her paws.
"...eight...nine...ten!" Leafkit called as she got up. "Now, where would she hide?" she thought. Leafkit checked the nursery, the apprentice's den, the warrior's den (which they weren't allowed in, but hid there anyways), even the fresh-kill pile. Leafkit combed the entirety of the Thunderclan camp, but her sister was nowhere to be found. She felt a twinge of nervousness now.
"Where could she have gone?" Leafkit wondered.
"Squirrelkit? Squirrelkit?!" she called. Now she felt scared. What if he sister had gone somewhere she wasn't supposed to? Squirrelkit WAS the kind of kit who would wander into places she wasn't allowed. Leafkit started to look towards the camp entrance. Could... could she have actually left the camp?
If she indeed had left the camp, then it was her who had broken the camp rules... At the same time though, that was her sister, what if she was lost?
Or worse... hurt?
She tried to think carefully on it, but her heart knew Squrrielkit was more important than any rules. So...
She'd sneak out of camp.
She clung to the sides of the ravine, trying to be stealthy (which wasn't all that good for a 3-moon-old kit). Reaching the entrance, she was surprised she hadn't met much resistance (which might've been the result of most of the camp being out on patrol or asleep), so she pressed on with her hunt.
"I'll find you Squirrelkit, I promise!" she said to herself determinedly as she picked up speed.
Meanwhile, a soft snoring could be heard in a nest back in the camp.
Leafkit ran for what seemed like miles before finally stopping to catch her breath and tried to sniff for the scent of her sister, but the forest was filled with so many overwhelming scents she couldn't pinpoint if one was her sister's or not. She wandered around, taking in the beauty of the forest but also feeling completely terrifed of her new surroundings.
"Squirrelkit?" she called. Something crackled behind her and she jumped, now afraid, wanting to get back to the nursery as fast as possible.
"I want to go home..." she whimpered to herself, but being unable to recall the path she took, she was lost until someone, or something, found her.
A mouse scurried over her tail, further compounding to her terror and causing her to let out a squeal of alarm, retreating into the nearest bush.
Now the forest was out to get her, and she hadn't even found a trace of her sister!
Then the sound of undergrowth being crushed reached her small ears. "W-W-Who's there?" she said, trying to sound brave through her shaking voice.
"Eek!" she cried, hearing a branch break and a slight hiss in front of her. "G-Go away!" she called as she fluffed up her fur to whatever thing was approaching her.
"...Leafkit?" the thing said, who Leafkit realized was Thornclaw. "What are you doing out here in the forest?" Thornclaw quizzed the young kit.
"I-I was looking for my sister, but I got lost." she hung her head as she realized what trouble she was in. "I'm sorry for running out of camp." she apologized.
"Well, it's not really me you should be apologizing to, but I'll accept it anyway." Thornclaw said. "Why don't we get you home? Your mother must be worried."
Thornclaw's words hadn't really helped, since the kit looked ready to burst into tears.
"Er, you can ride on my back if that'll make you feel any better." He offered.
"T-Thanks." Leafkit sniffed, clawing up the warrior's back.
"Leafkit!" Sandstorm cried, seeing her kit clinging to Thornclaw's back. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you!" she scolded.
"I was playing hide and seek with Squirrelkit, and I thought she might've hid outside of camp." Leafkit teared up again, feeling terrible for disobeying the rules. "I was just worried she might've got lost or hurt! I'm sorry."
"It's okay dear." Sandstorm said. "I'm just glad you're back."
"Did you find Squirrelkit?" Leafkit asked her mother.
"I think I found her." Firestar walked up, a kit hanging in his teeth. "She thought burying herself in my nest was a good idea, except for the fact that she fell asleep in said nest."
"You didn't have to wake me up though..." Squirrelkit grumbled.
"Squirrelkit! You know we said the leader's den was off-limits!" Leafkit sounded hurt at her sister's betrayal of their rules.
"I didn't think you'd go out of the camp looking for me, I thought you'd just give up!" Squrrielkit said defensively.
"But... it's really nice that you'd go so far to find me." She added sheepishly.
"I'd go looking to the ends of Thunderclan for you." Leafkit said, happy that her sister was safe.
Squirrelkit rubbed up against her sister affectionately. "Thanks. Now, how about another round of hide and seek? I'll be the seeker now!" she started hopping like she had before.
"Okay, you're on!" Leafkit said as she ran off to find a good hiding place, with Squirrelkit crouching down to count.
"Only your daughters could have this much adventure at such a young age." Sandstorm commented to Firestar.
"At least they're having fun while they're young, and that's all that matters." He said, as they watched their children playing in the clearing.