Hello, hello! Welcome to another new Warriors one-shot by muah. This is another challenge for Dandelionclan, but I really like the idea of it, so I might make this into a full-out story like I am "Storm to Dust". Anyways! Hope you enjoy!

...

"Tallkit! Tallkit!"

"Damn it... Where in the name of Starclan has that kit gone now?"

The five moons old kit shrunk deeper into the bush he was hiding in, pelt reeking of the wild garlic he had just rolled around in. The ginger kit held his breath, not daring to make a single move as his father and the patrol bounded into the clearing with the wild garlic. He watched them through the leaves of the bush, listening, waiting for them to leave so he could do so as well and explore some more.

"Spottedstar!" A white tom called to a black-spotted brown tom. "We've lost the scent?"

The tom bared his teeth. "You what? How could you have lost his scent?"

"The garlic, sir! He rolled around in it!"

The black-spotted brown tom, Spottedstar, scoffed. "He rolled around in it? He's nothing more than a kit! How does he know to do that already?"

"Just look!" The white tom pointed to some crushed wild garlic, tufts of ginger fur sticking up from it, caught on some hidden thorns.

Spottedstar stared at the evidence splayed out before him, processing it. "By Starclan," he grumbled after awhile. "I gotta give my son more credit for his smartness, and serious punishment for leaving the camp again once we find him."

"Spottedstar!" A ginger and white she-cat exclaimed, bounding up to the patrol and clan leader. "Have you found him, yet?"

Spottedstar took in the she-cat for a few moments before shaking his head. "No. Not yet. But we will find him. I-"

"You're close to the border, Spottedstar!" the she-cat exclaimed.

Spottedstar sighed. "I promise you, Gingerpatch, we're going to find him. We just need to continue searching. Go tend to the other kits. They need you there."

The hesitation on the queens face was obvious, making it clear she wanted to argue with the clan leader and her mate, but she soon nodded before bounding back to camp. Spottedstar sighed and turned to his patrol.

"Come on, Snowpelt, Shadowpaw, Heathersong," the clan leader and father of Tallkit said. "Let's go search elsewhere." The leader of Iceclan then whisked away, bounding back closer to camp, his patrol following after him.

Tallkit waited what seemed to be a tense thousand heartbeats so that he may be sure that his clanmates were gone before slowly padding out of the bush he was in. He checked around to make sure everyone was truly gone, sniffing the air a little, but all he could smell was the overwhelming stench of wild garlic. Wrinkling his nose, the kit settled for checking around the clearing with his eyes, and once he was for certain no one was there, he turned around and continued to the camp borders, his step giddy with ill-contained excitement.

I'm going to be leaving the territory, he thought excitedly. Oh, I wonder what I'll see out there. Maybe... maybe... Twolegs! Oo! And... and... and... A kittypet! Maybe I'll try some of their food, too...

At the thought of food, the ginger kits stomach growled softly, making him wrinkle his nose. I should have eaten before I had left... Oh well! Can't go back, now!

The kit continued to trot to the edge of the border, only stopping once the stench of it reached his nose. Though, he wasn't stopped for long before his excitement got the best of him and he hopped across. I'm out of my clan's territory! he thought, barely containing a squeal. Oh, this is going to be the best adventure I've ever had!

Tallkit continued for a little while, lost in his thoughts of what adventures awaited him as he wove between trees and around bushes. Suddenly, as he was walking, a loud Yip! rang through the trees, scaring the ginger tom. He flew up the closest tree, clawing his way up to the first and lowest hanging branch, clinging to that for dear life. Another Yip! sounded, followed by another, and it took awhile for the kit to hear the distress in the call. Releasing his hold on the branch, the ginger tom slowly made his way back down the tree and headed in the direction of the yips, soon coming across an open clearing that contained one of the creatures his clan feared- a fox.

Tallkit was about to shrink back, about to turn around and flee back to camp, but then he saw the situation this fox was in. It was caught in some vines, and it was flailing about, trying to escape them, but only succeeded to get itself tangled up more. It had quite a bit of fluff on it, like Tallkit did, making him think that it was still a kit like him. Maybe it was younger than him. Either way, though, it was in trouble, and needed help.

Maybe its parents are looking for it, the tall ginger kit thought, like mine are me. The tom looked around before climbing a tree, deciding to play the waiting game once more to see if another fox was going to come and free this one. He waited hours, though, watching the pup flail desperately, making these weird yipping sounds before letting out ear-splitting screams that made Tallkit want to flee now. After the first half hour, the pup continued to make those noises as it struggled before finally collapsing, panting. After another hour, the fox had started to try and dig its way out of the vines it had been snared in, but its claws weren't good enough to do so, short and dull, and it soon gave up, sitting as best as it could to howl, trying to call on help.

It was now near nightfall, and still no help came for the poor fox kit, who had now given up entirely, collapsed on the dirt and panting, staring sadly at the clearing around it with wide green eyes. Tallkit noticed its stumpy tail twitching downwards, as though it were trying to tuck it in between its legs. The vixen's great ears swiveled around on her large head, though they were kept mainly pressed to her skull. The fox kit let out a small whimper before she started to shiver, curling up into as best a ball as she could while still trapped in the vines to try and keep as warm as possible without a den, littermates, and parents surrounding her to keep her warm. It was then, when the fox kit did that, did Tallkit finally decide to go down there and attempt to help free her. The ginger tom-kit made his way skillfully down the tree he was in and to the ground before padding over to the fox kit trapped in the vines. Before he made it to her, however, he accidentally stepped on a dried leaf, not watching where he was going, and it crunched beneath his small paws.

The fox kits head snapped upwards, her great ears swiveling around, her muzzle following them. She spotted Tallkit and her green eyes widened in fear. The cub began to struggle once more, yipping, barking, and screaming up a storm, crying desperately for help from the unknown creature before her that still reeked of wild garlic, though not as strongly as before.

Tallkit winced at the vixens screams. "Sh, sh sh!" He hissed, trying to silence her, stopping where he was at. "I'm here to help you!"

The fox pup didn't understand him, though, or she didn't hear him, and she continued to make those awful noises she was making until, finally, she was tuckered out again. She collapsed once more, panting and whining, keeping her large green eyes on Tallkit. The ginger tom hesitated before advancing once more, slower this time, watching as the fox kit tensed up more and more the closer he got to her. She looked about ready to bolt once he was standing over her, but they both knew it would be pointless.

The tall ginger kit crouched down and looked the fox kit in the eye, trying to tell her silently that it would be alright, that he wasn't going to hurt her, hoping that she'd know facial cues, even at such a young age and even with the species difference. She seemed to understand, and relaxed the tiniest bit, but it was enough. Tallkit let out a small purr and began to cut away at the vines with his claws.

"My name's Tallkit," he told the vixen, even though he knew she wouldn't understand. He glanced at her, just to see her staring at him with those big green eyes she had. "Tallkit," he repeated, and the vixen let out a small yip in response. The tom repeated his name again, still cutting at the vines with his claws, and the vixen, her ears swiveling to pick up the sounds he was making, finally spoke.

"T...all..." Her voice sounded rough, scratchy, not used to the cat's way of speaking.

The ginger kit let out a loud purr, and stopped cutting the vines. He lifted a paw to point at himself. "Tallkit."

The vixen blinked before flicking a large ear at him. "Ta...lll...Kii..."

"Tallkit."

"Tall...Kii...t."

The ginger tom let out another purr, and he nodded. "Yes," the kit said, going back to cutting the vines. "That is who I am. What is your name?"

The vixen let out the same yip she had let out after the second time Tallkit had said his name. The young tom didn't understand, so he sighed, giving up on learning her name until a thought crossed his mind. He looked at the fox kit, noticing her large green eyes once more, and he purred.

"I'ma call you Iris," he decided, watching as her ears swiveled to pick up his different sounds. He lifted a paw and pointed to her. "Iris."

"Ur...s," the fox pup responded.

Tallkit shook his head. "Iris."

"Ur...is."

"There you go!"

The fox kit struggled a bit and sat up to point a dainty ginger paw at Tallkit. "Tall...kit," she said, and he nodded. She pointed to herself. "Ir...is."

Tallkit beamed and nodded again. "There you go! You're catching on real quick."

The vixen, whom had just gotten the name "Iris", sensed Tallkit's pride, and she yipped joyfully, exclaiming their names between each yip she made. The ginger tom chuckled and went back to freeing her of her vines, and once he had her free, he took a step back. Iris stood and shook out her fur, ridding it of everything else, before she pounced on Tallkit, knocking him onto his back. The ginger kit yelped, thinking the vixen was to try and eat him, now, but his fear soon subsided when Iris nuzzled him before curling up next to the kit, back pressed to his side. The ginger kit blinked, processing what was happening.

Did I... Did I just make friends with a fox? he thought, bewildered, but his bewilderment soon escaped him, replaced by excitment. Starclan, this is going to be so much fun! I need to tell Spottedstar and Gingerpatch about this! He looked over at his new fox friend and purred when he saw her fast asleep. But... first, we sleep. Iris needs all the energy she can get to make that trek back home. I can't just leave her here alone. I'll take her back with me tomorrow. Mom and dad can go another day without me tomorrow. Iris has nobody to go back to until then so I must stay with her.

Sighing softly, Tallkit rolled over so that he was laying down properly. "Goodnight, Iris," he murmured, getting a sigh in response from the fox kit. The ginger kit chuckled and closed his eyes, soon falling asleep beside his new ginger friend.

...

Herblerf! :V