fill up my senses » for dreamer

[atrb=border,0,true] It's just past sunhigh and Smokepaw is sitting alone in a secluded corner of the camp, his tail twitching absently as he observes the camp. He'd gone out hunting earlier, and hadn't had much luck, but he's trying not to be too discouraged; it's a beautiful day, after all, and there's plenty to see and plenty to enjoy. He's been back in camp since just before midday, and he's finally run out of things to do, elders to tend to, errands to run; he doesn't quite know what else to do, so he's sitting quietly and just watching the world go by. He rather enjoys just laying back and watching the camp move around him, actually; the clan's activities and the day-to-day bustle are familiar and comforting, and he's got pleasant sunlight warming his back to boot, soaking into the long strands in a way that spreads a simple pleasure to the very tips of his claws. There's something comforting about seeing cats he's known his entire life going about their business, whether it's queens herding their kits to and fro (and oh, but he remembers those days; they were just sunrises ago, after all, and he already both misses the simplicity and relishes the challenges before him) or the elders sharing tongues outside their dens or the warriors and apprentices eating and talking and preparing to leave on patrol or coming back from patrol with their jaws full of prey or news of the territory's subtle changes on their tongues. Eventually, he allows his amber eyes to drift slowly shut, the noises of the camp coming into sharp relief as the visual fades to black. He can hear everything from the murmur of conversation to the songs of birds in the distance to the noise the breeze makes as it ruffles the branches of the trees; he can smell his clanmates all around him, and the herbs in Frostbite's den, and the warm scents of the fresh-kill pile, heady even though he's eaten recently, and he drifts in and out of sleep as he enjoys the simple pleasures of the day and the sensory stimulation all around him.

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Dapplekit was bored. There was no other way to put it. Rainflight was out on a patrol going on with her other patrols and Owlstar was doing is leader duties so he didn't have time to play. She couldn't find Blizzardshard and she watched as Mossykit talked to some other cat that had come in. The small spotted cat watched them for a bit, but slowly got bored and let her eyes wander. The other warrior were busy with duties and apprentices were running around taking care of small jobs or getting ready to go out with their mentors to train. She was about to retreat back into the den and go back to sleep when she saw a small fluffy grey figure in the corner near her secret exit. She slowly inched a little closer her belly rubbing along the ground. She finally was able to see that it was Smokepaw, her future mentor's son. She grinned some. Since she was going to be spending so much time with his dad maybe she could get to know him. She slowly moved that way then stopped seeing he was asleep. now she had two options. One she could practice her stalking and show him how skilled she already was. she knew the apprentices liked to show off and if she could show that she was learning, then maybe they could easily be friends. That could also go badly. sometimes apprentices didn't like show offs. It was understandable. She twitched her ear some then came up with another plan. A nicer one. She slowly moved over then once she was close enough gently prodded his shoulder with her paw. She laid down a bit away watching him intently. She slowly moved close till her face was right in front of his. She didn't think this might scare the tom into a coma. [bg=f2c469]

[atrb=border,0,true] Smokepaw drifted through a hazy dream about hunting with his sisters, his nose twitching as he slowly floated from sleep to half-wakefulness and back again. His nap had been going quite well, but then all of the sudden there was an incursion on his gentle rest; something was touching his shoulder. He didn't mind it, though, and it didn't seem like a threat, so he allowed himself to keep dozing for a moment more, slowly coming up and out of the clutches of his nap with a yawn, stretching his paws luxuriously out in front of him, then blinking his eyes open in surprise when he touches a small, soft form he hadn't been expecting. He jolts up into a sitting position, his amber eyes wide with shock and a tiny squeak escaping his maw. It takes him a second to process who it is that's sitting in front of him, but then he places the little form; it's Dapplekit, his father's future apprentice. Feeling embarrassment at his response heat his cheeks, he licks down an unruly patch of fur on his chest to give himself something to do. The she-kit appears to have been watching him avidly, which he doesn't exactly blame her for; it's not like there's really anything of interest happening around camp. Finally, feeling like he'd recovered from the surprise, he looks back up at her, a small smile curling his lips. "Dapplekit," he greets, inclining his head to his small, spotted visitor. "How are you doing today?"

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Dapplekit giggled some as she saw him look a little frazzled. she hadn't meant to scare him, but it was still funny. When he sat up she sat up as well and waited quietly. He finally got himself together and she wiggled some and waited until he said something. "I'm doing good, but i'm bored," she said kind of scuffing her paw in the dirt, do you think you could play with me? Or that i could help you with something?" she looked back at him hopefully. She would rather work on something like an apprentice or help. she knew she was getting really close to being an apprentice and she wanted to prove to her dad that she was ready. she quietly tried to come up with some ideas of what they could do is Smokepaw asked her then an idea hit her. "I actually know a place where we could put some bracken," she said quietly. She felt a small pang inside knowing she was going to be covering up her and Ratkit's secret escape, but she had to show everyone she was growing up. She couldn't sneak off anymore. She had to be ready to become an apprentice and be prepared to help her clan in anyway possible. If another kit found that exit they could be seriously hurt, like Ratkit had been. [bg=f2c469]

[atrb=border,0,true] "I'm doing good, but i'm bored, do you think you could play with me? Or that i could help you with something?" Smokepaw nods, and he's about to reply when something about Dapplekit's expression stills his tongue; all of a sudden the outgoing kit seems shuttered off, her eyes disquieting and her face showing not only regret, but determination, until finally she adds, "I actually know a place where we could put some bracken." Her voice is so quiet that at first he wonders if he heard her right - he's heard of no place in the camp's walls that needs fortification, and that's the sort of thing that gets sent to the apprentices first - but eventually he nods again, more slowly and consideringly this time. "Sure," he meows, his voice careful as he tests the water to make sure she's okay. "I don't have anything else to be doing; it's been a quiet day for me. But if you know of something, by all means, let's do it!" He smiles at the end, trying to force cheerfulness into his voice in an attempt to bring back the bouncy Dapplekit that's so familiar to every single cat in ThunderClan but who appears to have been replaced, if only momentarily, by someone much quieter. He stands slowly, stretching out first his back, then his legs, and then looks at Dapplekit, feeling a certain affection for her mixed with a lingering worry. "Well, lead the way, I guess. You know where to go."

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Dapplekit perked up some hearing him say that he wouldn't mind doing it. That was one thing she liked about Smokepaw. If he knew there was something that needed to be done he wouldn't mind doing it. It would be hard to close up the hole where her and Ratkit used to escape, but she had to learn to move on. When he told her to lead the way, she nodded and bounced up and led him across the camp in between the nursery and the elders den. She waited for Smokepaw to catch up. The hole was a little small now, but once they were both through it opened a little to reveal a small hole in the defenses and then another small tunnel that led to the outside of the territory. "Ratkit and I found this. We would sneak out and go make our own clan outside," she mewed looking at the hole. Her tail quivered some as she felt a cold chill rise up her spine. She could hear her and Ratkit giggling as they made their escapes into their own clan. She remembered them making their own Thunderclan and she was the leader and Ratkit was her trusted deputy. Here they had made their first vow to each other. That they would never forget each other. She hadn't forgotten the tom. Ever. He was still there beside her in the nursery, when she would go see the medicine cats, when she went to go listen to the elder's stories. He was always there, she could always feel him. but she also knew she couldn't let the memories haunt her for the rest of her life. "I'm worried another kit will find it and get hurt," she mewed, her voice oddly even as she looked at Smokepaw. The pain was evident, but would it ever go away? [bg=f2c469]

[atrb=border,0,true] Smokepaw purred in amusement as Dapplekit bounced off ahead of him, her enthusiastic gait nevertheless not quite assuaging the concern and confusion he felt for her strange quietness earlier. She lead him across the camp, and confusion mounted as they end up at a patch of the camp wall between the nursery and the elders' den. He understood, though, when he saw the small hole in the wall - kit-sized, but potentially dangerous. "Ratkit and I found this. We would sneak out and go make our own clan outside," Dapplekit said, and suddenly Smokepaw understood completely. He winced; the entire clan remembered Ratkit's death, and suddenly Dapplekit's quietude made much more sense. The two kits had been very close, hadn't they? Of course she would be upset about something like this. "I'm worried another kit will find it and get hurt," Dapplekit added, and Smokepaw nodded, reaching out to flick her flank soothingly with the tip of his tail. She was so young (he almost laughed at himself for the thought; it wasn't like he was that much older, being only barely an apprentice himself), but she'd already experienced such an accute sense of loss, and unlike it did to some cats, it would seem that it had only made her more determined to protect the rest of her clan. It was a good thing - though terrible, of course, that the loss had had to happen in the first place. "That's very responsible of you," he meows quietly, the pain quite evident on the little she-cat's face and in her usually-bright eyes. "I'm sure..." He hesitates, not sure if what he's about to say is going to comfort her at all, or if it will just make the matter worse, but he presses on. "I'm sure Ratkit wouldn't want anyone else to get hurt, either. This is the right thing to do." He nudges her gently with his shoulder, then adds, "Come on, let's get to work," and pads on in search of some bracken to augment the wall with.

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Dapplekit smiled at Smokepaw's praise. She wanted to be one of the best apprentices she could and she was already learning quickly on the duties as an apprentice. Maybe if she was lucky her dad might have her apprentice ceremony early, but she doubt that would happen. It never happened that a kit got their apprentice ceremony early, or at least not that she remembered or heard of. She wiggled her way out of the little hole, she could tell she was growing because she was even having trouble climbing out, and started to lead Smokepaw across the camp to the entrance tunnel when she stopped. She realized she had no idea where she was going. She had never been outside the camp except for the little area where her and Ratkit used to play. She stopped and looked at Smokepaw giving him a innocent grin. "I just realized i have no idea where to go to get the bracken," she admitted. She heard Smokepaw laugh a little at her but take the lead. She really didn't know Smokepaw that well but he was a great leader like his dad. He was nice and willing to help anyone who needed it, but also could get a job done without distraction. He was a great tom, and not that bad looking either. She paused for a millisecond, not long enough that Smokepaw would notice. Why was she even thinking that? She was just a kit. she didn't need to be thinking of crushes or mates. No she had her clan to focus on. That smile he gave her though wasn't that bad to look at either. [bg=f2c469]

[atrb=border,0,true] Smokepaw watched with some amusement as Dapplekit bounced along, leading her out of the camp with a quick meow of explanation to the cat guarding the entrance to the camp. There was sunlight filtering down through the leaves of the trees, and he took a moment as they walked to appreciate the way it felt soaking into his dark fur. Dapplekit seemed to be enjoying herself, too; she seemed to be much more lighthearted now that they were doing something useful. She really was quite sweet, once you got past all that boundless energy. "I just realized i have no idea where to go to get the bracken," she said suddenly, and he laughed quietly again, replying, "That's okay, because I do." Then he set out to the west, trusting Dapplekit to fall into step behind him. After a brief walk, not far enough from the camp that the smells of their clanmates had faded, but far enough that nature drowned out the sounds of the lazy afternoon, he came to a stop in front of the best patch of bracken he knew of, one that seemed to be by and large the worst-kept secret in the apprentices' den. "Well, this is it," he meowed. "Gather as much as you can carry; better to err on the side of too much than too little." With that, he proceeded to follow his own advice, gathering several generous clumps of bracken and then making them into a pile he hoped he could successfully grab in his jaws. When he was done, he looked over to see how Dapplekit was faring. "Ready to head back?" he asked, his tail twitching.

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Dapplekit followed Smokepaw excitedly. She took in everything she could around her and tried to smell everything. This is why she loved Thunderclan. All the smells and sights were different almost everywhere she turned. Finally they reached the bracken and she watched as Smokepaw became putting the plants up. She slowly moved over and sniffed at it. It smelled funny but it also reminded her of the camp. She put her mouth around a stem like she had seen Smokepaw do then quickly pulled away. It tasted disgusting! she didn't see how he could stand to do this but if she was to be an apprentice she had to learn to do this. she swallowed and started pulling on the plants and got a few bracken stems. She started pulling on another one and growled as it wouldn't come up. She kept pulling then dug her claws deep into the ground and tugged with all her might. The plant roots finally gave way and sent the poor spotted kit rolling with dirt falling like rain around her. She landed on her rump with the bracken in her mouth and blinked. She grinned sheepishly at Smokepaw. "Oops..." she said and got up shaking out the dirt, however some still stayed in her fur, "Yeah i'm ready to go." She moved over and picked up her leaves. She had quite a bit but she thought she could handle it. She followed Smokepaw proudly but however stepped on her bundle and tripped landing flat on her nose. She yelped and whimpered putting her paws on her nose. That had really hurt. [bg=f2c469]

[atrb=border,0,true] Smokepaw made a small noise of surprise and concern as he watched Dapplekit tumble end-over-end, bracken still clutched tightly in her little mouth, though he relaxed when he saw that she didn't seem to be hurt, just a bit chagrined, perhaps. "Oops..." she meowed, and he snorted in amusement, lightly batting her around the ears. "Oops is right," he said affectionately, his tone not matching his words as he added "Be more careful, next time. You could have hurt yourself." Any bite the words could possibly have had was negated by his soft smile and warm eyes as he gazed down at Dapplekit. "Yeah i'm ready to go." Hearing this, Smokepaw nodded, and turned to head back toward camp. In his peripheral vision, he could just see Dapplekit padding along behind him. They walked along quite peacefully for a while, Smokepaw taking the time to once again enjoy the beautiful weather, but then suddenly there was motion behind him. He turned, surprised, and saw that Dapplekit had tripped over the bracken she was carrying. He should have seen that coming, honestly; she was carrying quite a lot of bracken for someone her size. "Are you all right?" he asked in concern, turning back to face her and crouching slightly to see if she was injured. She was whimpering and covering her nose, and he winced in sympathy, dropping his own bracken to crowd around her, sniffing and nudging her with his muzzle. His concern was entirely evident; not only did he not want to bring back one of the clan's only kits, not to mention Owlstar's kit, injured, but more than that she was his friend, and he was concerned for her, even though it most likely wasn't any kind of serious injury. "You aren't bleeding, are you?"

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Dapplekit relaxed a little feeling Smokepaw crowd around her to make sure she was okay. His scent made her feel comfortable and safe and she slowly lifted her paws away from her nose so he could see. As far as she could tell she wasn't bleeding, but it still kind of hurt. She looked up at him and saw the concern in his eyes. They were gentle and comforting, letting her no that she would be okay. she smiled a little. "I don't think so," she said softly and flicked her ear some, "It still hurts a little, but i think i'm okay." She slowly stood up and shook out her fur some and checked herself over quietly, with Smokepaw being extra careful to make sure she wasn't hurt. She knew he was probably nervous about what her dad would say. But if she had anything to do about it, she wouldn't let him get in trouble. She had already seen someone secluded because of her father and she didn't want to see it happen again. "Maybe i shouldn't have gotten so much," she said with a weak smile and then moved over and looked at the bracken she had gathered. She didn't want to just leave it there. It would be a waste of good bracken. Her nose twitched some as she thought then her ears perked as an idea hit her. She bounced over and grabbed the end of the leaf stem and pulled to carefully to the other end folding it in half. She looked at it then picked it up carefully. She checked and made sure none of it would trip her again. "Imf weady," she mumbled around the leaves, flickering her tail excitedly at her working plan. Word Count: 288 Tags:] Smokepaw Thoughts: Sorry for being so late on this! And these two are adorable!!! [bg=f2c469]