one step at a time (open)

Bunnykit stumbled out of the nursery and peered at her clan with her wide green orbs. It was as if her eyes took the color from a leaf that had just been cast by the rays of the sun, and you could see the details through the transparency, but there was something more to the leaf than just what could be seen. Maybe there wasn't, though, the world might've thought as she nearly tripped over a root.

Quick thinking and a few moments later her paws dug into the ground keeping her upright, she let out a breath and smiled as she carried onto the clearing- undazed by her almost fall.

birchkit was sitting outside the medicine den by it's entrance. He wasn't allowed to go far as he was still healing and Adderfeather didn't want to cause him to get hurt again. Birchkit watched as a kit came out of the nursery. He didn't recognize her but he was bored so decided to get her attention. "Hey! Over here!" he mewed loudly causing a slight pain in his throat but he didn't care.

Bunnykit's ear perked before she had a chance to process what she had heard. But, in less than a moment, it came to her and she turned to the multi-monochrome kit that had spoke. There was a hesitance in their voice, an almost crackly undertone that she hadn't heard before. Whether it had significance was not something she could or bothered to understand, but she could gather that maybe they were hurt; due to them being basically inside the medicine cat den of course.

Having nothing much else to do, she decided to let the world around her dictate what she does. And, having received a clear message to speak to her clan-mate, she did that very thing.

Padding quickly and cheerfully, every few steps skipping, she found herself a tail-length away from them. Up close, they seemed a lot cooler than she had anticipated. Their pelt managed to be similar and yet more interesting than hers. Bunnykit investigated in awe for a very brisk moment before happily chirping in response, "Hi! were you talking to me?" . Her tail swished with excitement, "if so, I'm happy to meet your acquaintance!".

He smiled at her as she padded towards him. ""I was bored and you looked bored also so I called you over. My name is Birchkit." He mewed with a smile. He hoped he wouldn't faint in front of her as that would make a bad impression. The only cat birchkit played with was his brother, duckpaw, but Duckpaw was set free by Adderfeather so he barely saw him.

She returned the smile, and replied comfortably.  "Yea I am pretty bored. I'm glad you called me over otherwise I probably would've just lounged all day." Her shoulders relaxed and she now felt at ease with her newly-met clanmate. The anxiety of breaking the ice was gone, and she had nothing else to worry about. "My name is Bunnykit," she shot him a cheeky smile, "haha our names both start with b! It's like we were meant to be friends." She laughed nudging him slightly with her paw.

Suddenly the looming medicine cat den came into her view, and curiosity overwhelmed her. "soooo.... watcha doin' at the medicine cat den? Do you get to play with the medicine cat? Lucky!". Her maw parted as she made an "aww" sound in.. well awe.

Birchkit knew this question was going to come up sooner or later. "Im here to heal, but sometimes its fun, i get to learn about some of the herbs." He mewed. In truth he didn't mind talking about the medicine den, it was how he got there that he hates to talk about. It was his fault and he knew that, even if everyone says it wasn't.

Bunnykit tipped her head to the side in confusion. "healing? Are you hurt? You don't look hurt." she circled him, inspecting him but he really didn't seem hurt. No cool battle scars or leg wraps, nothing. Bunnykit smiled, "Well since your hurt it's a good thing your healing!"

She jumped from her feet excitedly. "Wait did you say your learning the herbs?? Woah that's so cool. So your like... basically a medicine cat! I wish I was hurt so I could learn too." She mewed and then looked up to the sky in thought, "oh... well maybe not. Then I wouldn't get to go on adventures! Don't tell, but sometimes I go out of the nursery at night and look around the camp! I haven't been caught yet..." She hushed herself when she spoke of her forbidden secret, if anyone knew she'd get in trouble for sure. With no one in the camp, anything could get her and no one would know until the morning. She sighed in a dramatically long fashion, "I wish I could go explore the territories too but I'm not allowed until I'm an apprentice..." she trailed off and then met his gaze, shooting him a warm smile, "Have you ever been to the territories?" her eyes sparkled with wonder, somehow forgetting in the moment that he too was a kit. What were the chances he had gone to the territories? What a fascinating new friend, she thought.

"My hurt is head pain." He mewed as she kept on talking. Birchkit was surprised she could breath through all that. He smiled as she told him her secret with lots of happiness. Birchkit remembered feeling that happy before the accident but afterwards he stopped getting too happy over stuff. As she asked about the territories he knew he couldnt lie to her. "I have only been in riverclan territory but yes i have left camp." He said feeling a slight pain in the back of his head. He knew talking about the accident would cause flashbacks and seizures but birchkit didnt want to lie to her. Lying was worse then any pain as it hurt others along with the guilt.

Bunnykit frowned slightly at the sight of him tinging in pain. But a ready optimist at heart, her face became her usual happy once more. And then she heard the words, that he really had been in the territories. "Wow! Truly? Even if it's just riverclan.. that's so far!" She gasped, and then chuckled slightly to herself "That must've been scary.".

Even in the camp seemed big, maybe when I'm warrior sized it won't be scary anymore.. she contemplated, her maw always gaped for the next words to flow like the river from her. "I say that I want to explore out there but I don't know if that's really true.. I think it's too scary. Lots of scary stuff out there." Suddenly she felt the cold of the leaf-bare around her, her own warmth had been shielding her from it before but now she couldn't help but shiver a little. Her body said to go back to the nursery and be warm, but her mind wanted to stay with Birchkit.

Birchkit shivered in fear at how scared he was of the forest after the accident. "Yes, it is very scary, there are many dangers." he mewed and realized she was getting cold. "Come here, the med den is warmer." He mewed signaling for her to come over to him as he sat at the med den entrance.

Bunnykit happily obliged, and picked herself up from the cold dry ground outside. Before entering she practiced the manners she had always known and made sure to tidy off any dirt or leaves that clung to her fluffy gray and white pelt. "Since I didn't know you that means you've been in the medicine cat den for a while right? By the time your an apprentice you'll be stuck here too!" She laughed at her own joke as her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness.

As she entered, she breathed inward and was smacked in the face with the pungent smell of the medicine cat den. Her face curled momentarily but subsided as she held her breath and staggered her breathing to avoid the smell. "Well I wasn't expecting it to smell like that!" she laughed, trying to make the best of it. Birchkit doesn't mind it so I won't either! she promised to herself, wanting to emulate his coolness. But also for some weird reason so that he wouldn't dislike her, what if he actually liked the smell of the medicine cat den? Then she might've upset him.

Even though the scenario wasn't real and she had imagined it, Bunnykit still managed to upset herself thinking about it. Overthinking, as per usual. Then she realized something else. "oh sorry! I forgot to thank you for inviting me in here, even if we are clanmates it was still really nice of you.", She smiled as she found herself beside him.

Birchkit smiled as she experienced the den, even he was shocked when he first came to it, even if he was unconscious most of the time. "Adderfeather wouldn't mind, Im just not really supposed to get too emotional so please try to not make me too happy." He said with a smile. It was true he couldn't get overly worried, scared, or sad, but happiness was fine, she didn't have to know that though.

Bunnykit looked at him in confusion, "Try not to make you happy? Shouldn't I be trying not to make you sad?". As Bunnykit knew it, laughter and happiness were the best medicine. Then again, she really hadn't been to the medicine cat den before so what did she know.

"Well okay, I'll try not to make you too happy, even though that seems a little silly." She mewed thoughtfully, sitting down now inside the den, able to look out at the world. It was weird how different it seemed, she never saw the clearing from this angle before so it seemed like a totally new place. "The medicine cat den isn't that bad." she said to herself quietly, not realizing it was out loud and not in her brain.

Birchkit laughed as she didnt understand and felt a slight pain. "It just means if im too happy I laugh and laughing hurts my head more." He mewed wincing in pain. The laughter caused his head to shake which in turn cause it to hurt. "The medicine den is a very peacful place." He agreed and watched out with her.

Bunnykit was glad that he was still able to be happy, even if it was a little painful when he laughed. Wait did I say something funny? she thought kind of cluelessly, but didn't dwell on it anymore. A gust of wind took her mind off of it. Even though she was in the medicine cat den, the cold still felt fresh.

Even long fur like hers couldn't completely keep her warm from the frost, it did not help that riverclan had the freezing water nearby making it even colder. She shivered slightly, and then feeling the warmth of Birchkit beside her, inched closer, closing the gap between the two of them. "I think it's warmer this way," she mumbled, drowsily from how cozy it suddenly was.

birchkit smiled at his friend and let her warm up using his fur. He laid down making sure his fur was still keeping her warm. He should probably thank Wolfstar next time he saw his father, for giving him thick fur. "it's a pretty view." He mewed looking at her with a smile. It was far for him to have peaceful moments so he was enjoying this.