"Firekit. Robinkit." Both young toms looked up to see their father striding across camp towards them. With purrs of happiness they ran to greet him. Wildfire rumbled a deep chuckle as Robinkit clung to his left forepaw, shaking his son off gently. Firekit dived for his hindlegs, practising one of the warrior moves Wildfire had showed them the previous day. The big orange tom was impressed by the way his son slid and leaped back up to his paws, striking out swiftly. They were over three moons old and growing fast - Firekit in particular. "Now now, is that any way to treat your father?" He tickled behind Firekit's ears and sent him off into peals of laughter. "I hear you two have been asking every warrior in camp if you can volunteer as lookouts."
Robinkit nodded and Firekit looked up beseechingly. "Robinkit has great eyes Dad, he can see the larks all the way up in the sky." He boasted. Robinkit puffed out his narrow chest. "And we really could help!"
Wildfire blinked affectionately down at them both. So eager and filled with enthusiasm to aid their clan. "No doubt, but you'll have to wait until you're apprentices." He said firmly. Seeing their downcast expressions, he whisked his tail over their ears. "However, I've finished hunting for the day. I thought you two might like to explore outside camp."
Robinkit and Firekit jumped up and down in excitement. "Really Dad?" Firekit purred. Wildfire grinned briefly. "We do not believe in coddling our kits like other clans do. You must learn your skills early and well, and that includes getting to know the territory."
"Can we visit Outlook Rock? Can we?" Robinkit bounced beside his brother. After Abyssfang's recommendation two moons ago, there was always a Windclan cat on watch at the guard post. It overlooked the Eastern Thunderpath border with Shadowclan, and also Fourtrees.
"I don't see why not." The voice came from behind them. Cloudheart padded up with his son and daughter behind them. Pearlkit purred hello, but Firekit and Robinkit were tumbling over one another in excitement and didn't notice.
"Are they coming with us Dad?" Winterkit asked Cloudheart. The white and grey tom nodded. "Yes Winterkit. It'll be good for you to have some company."
Winterkit snorted at the red and the cream kit tussling on the ground. "They're no good. They don't ever want to play with us." He grumbled. Pearlkit pressed against his side. "But you have me." She reminded her brother, and Winterkit's yellow eyes softened. He doted on his sister. Everybody did - Pearlkit was a pretty young kit. Her legs, chest, chin and belly were all white, with a silver tabby patch that started over her ears and ran all the way down her back.
"Come on then you lot." Wildfire led the way out of camp, with Firekit and Robinkit tumbling at his heels, still leaping like hares in their excitement. Winterkit and Pearlkit were more sedate, with Cloudheart padding along behind acting as guard.
It was the first time any of the four young kits had been out of camp. Firekit stretched up as high as he could, his golden eyes shining in delight. "I can see everything!" He exclaimed, bracing his paws and lifting his chin as the breeze ruffled his thick fur. "Just feel that wind!" Robinkit mimicked him and closed his yellow eyes. Pearlkit peered around Wildfire, speechless at the sight of the endless grassland rolling away from their paws. Winterkit watched his sister, a small smile lighting up his grey and white face.
"Is that Outlook Rock?" Robinkit spotted the big boulder rising from the heather. Wildfire nodded. "That's it - race you there!" He called playfully, bounding away. Firekit and Robinkit took off after him with Pearlkit in their wake, but Winterkit stayed beside his father as they trotted after the others. He took stock of everything. "Windclan must be the best place to live in the whole world." He said solemnly to his father. Cloudheart bent down to touch his ear. "It is, my son." He purred.
"Can we climb it?" Begged Robinkit, who was the first there. Firekit had caught up quickly though, and already had both forepaws on the sloping surface of the great rock. Wildfire exchanged a glance with Cloudheart. "Yes, but don't rush, and stay close to us. It can be dangerous to get too close to the edge." Wildfire cautioned. The four kits climbed up carefully, the toms keeping a close eye on their offspring.
Abyssfang was sitting on top keeping watch and purred to see his friends and their kits. "Ah, their first outing." He smiled down at the youngsters. Pearlkit beamed back and Winterkit dipped his head respectfully to the deputy, but Robinkit and Firekit had eyes only for the view.
"Wow." Firekit sat down with a bump on the boulder's flat top. Robinkit, his eyes bright, leaned against his shoulder. "I know." He agreed. "Now we can see everything!"
Cloudheart sat down with Pearlkit on one side and Winterkit on the other. "That's Fourtrees over there." He nodded to the four great oaks in the distance.
"What about those shadows down from camp?" Questioned Robinkit. His father answered. "The abandoned badger setts. Redrose still remembers a time when badgers lived there. They were responsible for so many deaths - not just in our clan - that Riverclan and Thunderclan sent warrior patrols to help drive them out."
"Why didn't Shadowclan help?" Winterkit asked. Cloudheart flicked his tail. "Twistedstar's father was leader at the time. He refused to ally with the other clans." He growled.
Firekit was scanning the horizons, turning in a complete circle. He didn't want to forget anything about the first sighting of his homeland. "What's that tree over there?" He pointed with his nose.
"It's an oak tree which grows upon Hawk Hill. It's good hunting there." Abyssfang explained.
"Can we go see it?" Asked Robinkit. Wildfire nuzzled between his ears. "Not today, son. We'd best be headed back soon."
"Dad - can we stay and watch the sun setting?" Begged Firekit. "It will look so amazing from up here!"
"Oh yeah!" Robinkit and Pearlkit chimed in with hopeful meows and even staid Winterkit purred in agreement. Wildfire chuckled. "Well, I suppose he had better stay then."
The three toms and four kits sat in a row as the blazing son descended towards the farmland in the west. Only Abyssfang looked in the opposite direction, the deputy ever conscious of the possible threat from Shadowclan. Though the past two moons had been peaceful, the Gatherings remained tense because of Shadowclan's continued, barely-veiled aggression.
The golden rays spread out over the entire sky, clouds edging pink as the sun fell. Pearlkit began to blink sleepily and lean on her father's shoulder. Sadly Cloudheart looked down on the top of her head. He wished Snowypelt were alive to share this moment with them.
"That was incredible." Sighed Firekit. Robinkit too was almost asleep with his nose pushed into Firekit's bushy neckfur but roused at the sound of his brother's voice. "Yeah." He agreed, and Wildfire nosed them both. "You had better get back to camp. Abyssfang, I'm standing watch tonight. Would you accompany them back and keep an eye on Firekit and Robinkit?"
The black deputy nodded and flicked his old friend's shoulder with his tail. "Of course. I'll have the night patrol bring you up a rabbit." He followed the line of kits stepping carefully down the boulder front.
"Mum, we had such a good time!" Robinkit bundled into his mother's nest and nuzzled her chin. Gentlebreeze had spent the afternoon catching up on her sleep. She smiled at her son as he cuddled down between her paws and she began to gently groom his coat. Firekit, not as sleepy, paced around their nest in excitement, picturing the way the moors had looked lit by the falling sun.
"What did you see?" A soft cream and chocolate face peered over a nearby nest. Firekit paused, pleased to have somebody to talk to since Robinkit was already snoring softly. "Ambrosiakit, it was the greatest thing I've ever seen! We climbed right up to the top of lookout rock and watched the sun go down. You could see the rays of light coming out from the horizon, and make the clouds all bright!" His whiskers quivered with excitement as he tried to describe the sight to the half-moon-old kit. She looked longingly to the nursery entrance. She hadn't even been outside yet, only peeped out of the tunnel. "I wish I could see it." She whispered softly, so she wouldn't disturb her mother. Aerialattack was a sharp-tounged queen who spent most of her days grumbling about how much time it took to look after her daughter and how she wished she could be back on warrior duties. Firekit had never talked to Ambrosiakit before because he knew his mother didn't like Aerialattack and so he figured her kit couldn't be very nice either. But he'd been wrong - Ambrosiakit's wide blue eyes held none of the ill temper in her mother's. Firekit didn't usually pay attention to the other families in the nursery because he was so busy with Robinkit, but now that he thought about it, he'd never seen Darkswagger visit the nursery. It mustn't be much fun to have a father like him.
"You should come with us next time." He offered, then touched his muzzle to the top of the younger kit's head to say goodnight. "Sleep well." Climbing into his mother's nest, he pressed against both her and Robinkit. His brother stirred softly as he did and Firekit licked him quickly between the ears. "Go back to sleep. Goodnight, brother." He put his head on his paws, thought back once more over the afternoon, and fell into a content sleep.