"You're back!' yowled Honeygaze, her golden eyes gleaming with happiness at seeing her niece. " And you've got some battle scars like me to brag about." Four, pink, puckered scar marks slashed across Honeygaze's left eye. The calico and white she cat darted forward, roughly grabbed Skykit's chin in between her two white, front paws and examined Skykit's own scar.
Skykit leaned into the embrace, drinking in Honeygaze's scent. Milk, with hints of crushed roses and mud. Just like she remembered.
Honeygaze dropped Skykit's face and wrapped her tail around the tiny she-kit, engulfing Skykit in her adopted mother's/aunt's scent. Skykit pulled back, there was someone else she wanted to see. Other cats in the clan were already gathered around the two she cats, all purring with content that one of their own was back where she belonged. She gazed around the clearing but didn't see her brother's familiar black and white pelt.
Honeygaze, apparently noticing Skykit's curious gaze, sighed, pulling back, and said,
"He's in the medicine cat den with Littlecloud."
Not even bothering to contemplate why Darkkit would be in the medicine cat den. Skykit bolted towards the stone outcrop. She shouldered her way through the lichen blocking the den, and almost instantly her nose was assaulted by the familiar smell of herbs. Blinking her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, Skykit took in the shallow scoops where herbs were stored under pine needles to keep fresh.
"So, you chew the burdock root, put it on the catchweed, and then place it on the rat bite…" came a gravelly voice from at the edge of the den. Skykit turned and felt her heart stop as she heard a voice she'd known since birth.
"Like this, Littlecloud?" said Darkkit. Skykit gaped in shock for a few seconds as she took in how much her brother had changed in the past two moons. His pelt, like hers, had become sleeker, his body more slender with an angular face. That wasn't what shocked her though, she had expected that.
She just couldn't get over how TALL he was compared to her. Sure, Skykit had always been the smaller of the two, but she'd always thought that they'd be around the same height.
Apparently that was not the case. She probably barely reached Darkkit's chin, since he was now the size of a six moon old kit. Typical, he was ahead while she was behind.
Purring Skykit meowed a little shyly," Aren't you gonna say hi to your little sis?"
Darkkit turned away from his patient ,Ivytail(who had apparently been bitten by a rat), and raced over ,knocking Skykit over as he tackled her yowling," MY MIDGET OF A SISTER IS BACK!" Skykit struggled trying to free her front paws so she could claw her brothers eyes out for calling her a midget.
Littlecloud sighed dramatically," Please, kits, not in the den," before turning back to his patient.
Darkkit immediately leapt off of his sister meowing eagerly," Yeah. Wouldn't want to crush all the herbs." Skykit blinked at her brother. Since when did her mouse-brain of a brother care about herbs?
Darkkit rubbed his head against hers, murmuring softly," I missed you, little sis." Skykit buried her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling her littermates scent, so similar yet different to her own. Though he no longer smelled as much like milk and other nursery scents, more like herbs and berries.
Skykit backed away ,reaching up to playfully bat at her brother's white tipped ears. Amused she said," Yeah, you missed me beating you're tail end from one side of the camp to the other."
Ducking her blows Darkkit replied airily," Don't worry, Splashkit made sure to keep me in my place." Skykit stopped her assault and asked curiously," Where is Splashkit?"
Darkkit shrugged stating," Probably with Olivenose, She's hoping that'll be her mentor."
Skykit felt the fur on her shoulders rise in anticipation at the word 'mentor.' Most cats usually had a clear idea who heir mentor would be, most likely a cat that would hang out with the kit while he/she were little. Skykit didn't have that luxury unless Blackstar went insane and tried to get a Riverclan cat to be her mentor. Thinking of Riverclan, she began to ponder over who Leafkit's mentor would be….shuddering thinking of how they would put up with all of the silver tabby's…bubliness.
Skykit shook her head and asked Darkkit eagerly," That's cool, Olivenose is a really good at straight forward combat. Who do you think our mentors will be?" He ignored the question.
Instead of answering, Darkkit started to shoulder his way out of the den, flicking his black and white coon striped tail for her to follow. Skykit padded after her brother, having to make two steps for every one of his steps.
She followed Darkkit to the nursery. He gestured to the darkest corner of the den with his front paws. Skykit's dark blue eyes followed where he was gesturing and gaped. At the edge of the den was an old bird's nest. She padded towards it and saw that woven into the branches were lavender shrubs and a soft down of pigeon feathers nestled inside.
" I-is this my nest?" Skykit choked out. No one had ever done something this nice for her.
Darkkit purred," Me, Papa, Honeygaze, and Splashkit all chipped in. Splashkit wove the bird's nest tighter so it could last longer, Honeygaze and Papa caught the pigeons and put the feather's in." He scuffled the ground shyly." And I added in the lavender stalks cause I remember you said it was the best scent in the world, well, that and the smell of blood."
Skykit bounced into the nest, her paws sinking into the feather, slightly buoyed by a light layer of moss underneath. Laying down she drank in the smell of lavender. Darkkit had been right, it was her favorite scent in the world. Images of warmth and milk appeared in her head along with the strong scent of lavender. The only thing she had of her mother.
She had never told anyone, but Skykit was pretty sure that was how her mother smelled. The only connection she had to a nameless she cat that gave birth to her.
"Do you like it?" Darkkit meowed anxiously.
Skykit scowled playfully at her brother and snapped sarcastically, "No, I'm just lying in fixing to go to sleep because I hate it. What do you think Darkkit?"
"So, if you weren't being sarcastic and tempermental you're really saying,' Thank you, brother dear, I appreciate all your hard work and love you for making my homecoming a wonderful occasion.'"
She growled and sprang from her nest, landing on her brother's back, making his legs buckle under her weight. Purring she said," Of course I love it."
Darkkit sighed in relief. " Thank Starclan.."
Skykit licked her brothers ear roughly, then leapt off of his back. Thinking back to their earlier conversation she asked casually," So, who do you want your mentor to be?"
Darkkit closed his amber eyes ,then opened them. Opening his mouth he meowed,
" I want to be a medicine cat."
