Oakkit crept silently through the camp, as the morning sun leaked over the tree tops. His paws wet from slightly slipping into the only part still connecting the river and the camp together. As he peered into the shadowy den with wary eyes, dark shapes moving inside that were still barely sleeping as the sun has yet to appear over the horizon. As Oakkit left the entrance to the den and hastily hurried towards the camp entrance with anticipation, his ears flicking and flat as his mind wandered over all the things that could lie outside the walls. The season of Green leaf slowly seeping into the forest, as a cool breeze ruffled the tom's fur.
His fur bristled slightly as he swore he could feel someone's gaze watching him, from somewhere in the dark dens… and yet when he looked around he couldn't see who. As he took a careful step forward he bumped into a large shape that stepped in between him and the entrance. "And where might I ask that you think you are going young one?" a gentle voice chuckled from up above him, as the reddish brown kit looked up into the large broad face of his father.
Oakkit tried to worm past the large muscular reddish brown tabby tom, as he gently pushed him back with just his front paw. "Come on, I just want to see the outside world!" he whined as the deputy gave him a bemused look, using his front large paws to roll the tiny kit over with just one nudge as he continued to chuckle. Oakkit complained as he was now pinned down below the large paws, as he looked up into the soft green eyes looking down at him.
"You're going to see it alone? You and I can go around this as many times as you want." Redwhisker chuckled as he looked down at Oakkit, his large paws keeping a firm standing on top of him before he stepped off and backed off. "Come on now, I know a far more safe way to enjoy the view." He flicked his tail as the smaller reddish brown tabby got to his paws, quickly rushing to catch up with the deputy.
As the reddish brown tabby climbed up a small boulder that peeked over the branches as he settled down, curling his tail around his paws as he looked back as Oakkit was trying to scramble up to sit beside him. He leaned over and picked him up by the scruff and gently placing him up on the stone beside him, as they stopped and looked beyond the walls. "Here we are; there is nothing to worry about. It's not like there is much to see, but what we do have is very little."
Oakkit looked out into the fresh trees and leaned forward. "I can't… really see anything." He admitted as he let his shoulders slump, as Redwhisker looked down at him before he picked him up and set him on his back. His head remaining high as Oakkit gradually climbed up the warrior's back and arriving at his head and sitting on his shoulders. "Better?" he asked as he held his head up higher to give the smaller tom a much better view.
"Much, thank you." Oakkit said as he rested his chin between the large ears of his father, looking out into the forest beyond. He could see more of the river that was cut off by the natural barrier; it looked so fast and violent across the trees. Oakkit saw the rushing water graze some of the grass blades that bent and dragged along the top as it went by in a hurry.
"The leaf bare snow has left us, and has caused the river to become alive." Redwhisker explained, flicking his ear. "Not even a fully trained warrior can swim there until it has slowed down, but it will be a very long time before that happens… I dared not to think what could have happened if you accidentally ran into it out there alone." The reddish brown tom looked up at the smaller kit with soft green eyes, but Oakkit kept his head up high.
Redwhisker stood up and flicked his tail, his eyes turned up towards him. "Well, if you want to see the forest, I guess it can be allowed…"
Oakkit's ears perked up. "You really mean it? I get to go outside?"
Redwhisker chuckled. "Only if you stick by me for the whole time, you are easy prey for any animal that is out there with you." As he slowly let Oakkit slip down to the boulder beneath his paws, as the deputy leapt down into the forest outside with a single bound. "But coming and seeing at least a little of it, couldn't hurt after all. A warrior is more than enough to protect a kit, and if there is anything that I can't I will get you back here safely."
As Oakkit tried to do the same he slipped on the stone and fell face flat into the hard ground beneath him, kicking up dirt into his nose as he shook out his pelt a pair of teeth seized around his scruff and heaved him up and out of the camp walls. As he was set down beside the large paws of his father Oakkit fluffed out his fur in embarrassment, as Redwhisker flicked his tail and headed back out deeper into the forest.
Oakkit jumped up onto his paws and raced after his father, catching up to him and slowly trotting beside him as the reddish brown tom kept his eyes forward. But there was a warm and kind smile on his face, as they bounded over boulders and Oakkit tried to keep up. "Where the river provides us food sometimes it is too frozen to try and catch the fish, but whereas the mouse and rabbit run for their dens for the season the fish stay and repopulate for Greenleaf; under the protection of the ice and freezing river. Until then we are to hunt along these hills for mice and rabbits for our food, do you remember the prey pile from a while back?"
As Oakkit followed his father's steps he could smell the scents of the leaf-bare kill. But it was warm and tangy more than the catch that would be left on the pile for warriors, queens, and apprentices to grab and eat when they need it. And after they return from patrol with prey themselves, as he looked up at his father the reddish brown tabby was looking back at him. "StarClan has blessed us last Leafbare, but even then we had little to go around for everyone. Today let us give thanks to our ancestors for the season's change, for now the soon Greenleaf is looking to be prosperous."
Oakkit flicked his ear as he puffed out his chest. "Why should we give them thanks? They aren't the ones who are catching the prey, we should be thanking the hunter not the dead!" he growled as his gaze turned up towards Redwhisker's.
The deputy's whiskers twitched as his green eyes narrowed. "StarClan may not be here to help us physically, but our ancestors guide every living thing." Redwhisker meowed as his head turned towards the treetops, "Be it clan or prey, they care and watch over the world. They speak to our medicine cats when there is a great threat, or when they visit the moonstone ever new moon. No matter the reason, no matter where. Silverpelt has many influences on our world, caring for the cats that follow them… and ensuring our survival as long as we do not fall astray."
Oakkit flicked an ear as he looked up at the tall looming trees, the ground was soft and the grass tickled his paws a little higher than back in camp. When the reddish brown tabby ahead of him stopped him with his tail, his ears perked as he looked back and forth before turning around. His fur bristling as he guided Oakkit back towards camp. "I believe that's enough exploration for now, wouldn't want you to lose all the intrigue when you go and explore with your mentor."
Oakkit tasted the air; there was a foul smell in the air. As Redwhisker led him back towards camp, Oakkit rand up to walk beside him at a quicker pace as he looked behind him. There was a large dark shape and just as it emerged Redwhisker picked Oakkit up and carried him the rest of the way at a much more brisk pace. As they pushed back inside Oakkit was set down as their entrance was covered by the boulder. "Don't tell Shellslip." Redwhisker whispered before nudging the small reddish brown tabby out from behind.