April 18th 2021

A heavy layer of fog rested over the camp. The sound of water was still loud in the morning air, before anyone had the time to really get up and start talking over the fresh river currents.

Kittens, still asleep, mewled in their nests. Nestled beside their mothers who themselves hadn't gotten up to see the dawn patrol gather and leave just yet. Only one did, and they were followed by a small unusual spotted kit.

"Stick beside me, Leopardkit." Meowed the ginger cat. Their tailtip flicked the nearly apprentice-aged kitten.

Leopardkit only twitched an ear to show she heard. It was to early to start having a conversation, nonetheless start a disagreement with her parent. All she wanted to do was curl back up and sleep, but when Dawnflame got up she had to wake up too, she had to show she was ready to be an apprentice, to wake up as early as needed to go on the stupid patrols and hunt for Clanmates who weren't truely ever grateful.

The patrol contained only a few warriors, about four from the colors that mixed around in the foggy air. But beyond that she couldn't even see their forms. Usually nothing blocked the colorful auras, but this fog was really doing a toll on her already worthless vision.

Fur fluffed out, she licked down a patch of fur on her chest. The cats in front of her was Ashflurry, Frogleap, Beechjump and his apprentice, Shadowpaw.

The four of them were whispering, their voices still carrying out in the morning silence. But she enjoyed the soft voices. It was a reminder that she wasn't completely alone in the quiet camp.

"Morning, Dawnflame." Meowed a gruff voiced tom. She could just make out the colors of brown and red, a mixture that turned into a maroon color.

Dawnflame dipped their head. They moved to the side, letting the group of cats see the small kitten trailing the nursing deputy. "Me and Leopardkit are here to say good morning before you leave." Informed the ginger cat.

A snort came from the colors of red and green, a mixture of envious green also running it's course through the dim, dark colors. "As if that kit can speak. She can barely walk!" Beechjump growled under his breath. She could feel the gruffy toms eyes train onto her, a judging glare piercing into her pelt.

Angry red flashed through her parent. Tail lashing, the deputy opened their mouth to speak. Before they could - Leopardkit had her own idea.

Sitting down neatly - paws placed between her hunches. Feathery tail wrapped carefully around her small paws that were dotted in the usual browns. - she looked directly at the aura that she had gotten use to invading the beautiful purple and blues of Minnowpelt's.

Leopardkit had many ideas of what to do. She could perfectly show him she could speak - in fact she could speak very well. All that time alone she learned many things, one was how to speak for long periods of time without needing to take a breath. It was a useless skill, but the most she'll probably ever do in Clanlife is be a helper, so why not practice useless skills?

Than again, she could do nothing of the short of going the speaking route. If he doubted her so much he could put his claws were his mouth was. She had easily been able to find out other cats weaknesses, either from their mates or the elders, or just the apprentices talking about their training and all they find out about their mentors.

Beechjump growled. "What does she think she'll do?" He huffed, lifting himself to his feet as he started to walk towards her. "Sit there and act all pretty? That's only good for helpers or queens -"

"Enough." Dawnflame spat. Their voice was dripping with venom, anger that was burning on the very aura of the cat.

The tom didn't seem to get the message though. Instead he lifted up his head to look directly at the deputy. A challenge in his voice as he spoke again, tail lashing over the grass. "Or what? That runt will do nothing good, she can't hunt or fight, and being that small - kits are out of the question. What else can she do? Be a helper all her life? Helpers are useless space, cats who do apprentice work for a good meal and home, I say they are no better than housepe-"

Before he could continue, the ginger cat leaped forward. Leopardkit was only able to catch the flying colors before she processed want was going on. The two cats wrestled on the ground before Dawnflame got the upper paw, even with being the in nursery, they had a mind that could easily see and plan attacks and hit weak points.

Just as it started, the battle was done. The tom had his head low, breathing hard as he forced back emotions of envy and embarrassment. Leopardkit could almost laugh at how his aura changed from boiling red to the dark and light greens.

"Ashflurry, you will lead this patrol. Take another cat with you to replace Beechjump's spot." Ordered the cat, their tone sharp as they continued their glaring contest with the bristly tom.

Ashflurry dipped his head. He had been standing there in shock, as if unsure whether or not to have stepped in. "...y-yeah, alright. Frogleap can you go get Daisysplash?"

As soon as the two warriors started their jobs a long-limbed apprentice scooted his way to them. He dipped his head. Seemingly unsure, his pelt was slightly bristled, ears lowered as he tried to battle with curbing emotions. She could see the on tray of many different colors, he honored the deputy, and even was a bit proud, was his mentor always this big-headed?

"What am I supposed to do? Beechjump was going to teach me some more fighting moves.." He trailed off, head lowered even more as his mentor mumbled something behind him.

Before the grumbling tom could speak any louder, Dawnflame sighed. Their aura switched from mad to just plain tired. As if dealing with the hard headed tom would add gray fur on their muzzle. "How about you help out with Leopardkit? I know it might seem much more... boring than battle training, but it's nice to serve everyone in your Clan, even to..small kits."

"You mean runts." The tom spat. His embarrassment disappeared in that moment, showing anger and disgust before it switched back as Dawnflame addressed him.

Leopardkit didn't get to hear that. Instead the long legged tom nudged her gently on the flank. "I can show you all the best places to play!" He purred, he seemed much happier now that the weight of his mentor's petty battle was over.

"Alright," she flicked her tailtip at his surprise. Did he really think she couldn't talk? Did everyone think that about her? Sure, she barely talked to anyone or anything, but that didn't make her mute.

Now that she thought about it, most cats did act surprised the first time they heard her. Leopardkit felt her pelt burn - from what she couldn't exactly say. Embarrassment? Anger? Frustration?

Shadowpaw lead them to a well-sunlit area. It had short grass that was trampled down by tiny little paws, and from what she could smell, a lot of flowers. The tom stopped in his tracks. She blinked up at his still form. Was something wrong?

Colors that shes never seen before ripple in his aura. She cocked her head, eyes searching deeper into the colors, finding the very thread that was attached to him. One word flickered from the back of her mind. Past. Past?

Oh, past! She fluffed out her pelt on her own stupidity. Of course this would be a place to remember his past, even if it was a moon ago. Not even two have passed since he began his training.

Than again, a lot has happened since than. The battles she heard Dawnflame talking about with another Clan names ThunderClan seemed bad. They were held at the border, and a lot of prey was now missing from that area. Along with the fact that anyone going over there could be attacked without warning.

She felt a twinge of guilt. Here she was trying to prove that she could do all the things her Clanmates could, and do it better even. She knew she could, but she also had to think, her Clanmates were at war at the moment. And yet she was just some annoying kit trying to prove herself. To who? It's useless, I'm a helper at best. No-one will train a blind runt. Leopardkit didn't know what to make of it. To be honest, she never really took a moment to ponder those things. All she did was argue with herself, a never ending battle that made her head spin.

A tail gently tapped her back. She blinked, head shaking as she fluffed out her thin coat. "Everything alright?" Shadowpaw mewed.

The dark ginger tomcat's aura had went back to normal. He was more settled now, having his friendly, but still hidden, aura waving out around him. Leopardkit nodded. "Just fine." She answered curtly.

Shadowpaw flicked his tailtip. He didn't press any further, and she was grateful for that. The two of them sat in a patch of sunlight. He started to talk on about his training ever since he left the nursery.

Leopardkit wasn't really listening to what he had to say. She was more focused on the gathered auras in the middle of camp. Dawnflame's was the brightest, it was red with rage, but also an ill green struck its way through the madness.

What's going on? They were to far to hear anything. But from her sight into their emotions, she could tell it was nothing good. Dawnflame was the deputy, or at least they were before they had kittens. Now it was another she-cat that was temporary until Dawnflame could re-take their spot.

Although they were deputy, they still had attacked a Clanmate - and she knew the consequences for that. In all her time alone, she had relearned the warrior and medicine cat codes over and over again, and she knew that it wasn't a good thing to become violent within the camp.

A yawn made her thoughts go fuzzy. She shook out her pelt, tail lashing as she stretched out. The apprentice moved so that she could stretch out and lay in the patch of sunlight. "...You can sleep." Meowed the ginger cat, his aura flickering with an uncomfortable orange.

"Don't worry, I don't like being close to others either." Purred the small she-cat. She turned to see the surpirse that flashed out in his aura before he burst into a fit of laughter.

Shadowpaw shook his head. "Is it that obvious?" Purring he rolled onto his side before curling up, twisting so that he could look up at the sky.

They didn't talk anymore. And she continued to flick her tail back a forth. Anxiety smothered her as she continued to watch the auras switch between colors. What was going on? She had so many words that crowded her mind - all from different cats.

Guilt. Fear. Dread. Rage. Hope. Amusement. So many cats had different feelings on this. She didn't understand how someone was amused by the fight that broke out. Was it because she was the center of the fight?

Head shaking she took in a deep breath. Shadowpaw was softly snoring, but she could sense that he wasn't really asleep, just avoiding any talking between the two of them. She tried to close her eyes and ignore the flashing colors, so instead she turned away to look up at the blank darkness that burned her face - the sky.

Slowly she started to drift off to sleep. Pelt warmed by the sunlight as she tried to listen to Shadowpaw's breathing to lull her to sleep. It worked half-way as she could feel the fuzzyness of sleep overtake her mind and relax her muscles.

April 24 2021