Basking In the Light

Ferretpaw laughed. ”Firekit, are you switching clans on me?” asked the apprentice is mock sadness. She smiled, her green eyes joyful.

Sandbreeze walked quietly along the border between  Thunderclan and Riverclan. You would think the warrior might have learned his lesson patrolling alone, but he was a stubborn cat. The sandy tom glanced up at hearing voices up ahead, small ones, but all too familiar. He rushed to the  Sunningrocks, surprised to Ferretpaw and Firekit alone. Well, not alone. He gazed at a cart here knew was named Violetpaw, a Riverclan apprentice, before descending the riverbank. "Ferretpaw, Firekit! What are you two doing out here? Just because there's a truce doesn't mean you can just wander the forest alone!" he admonished. He then turned his amber gaze to Violetpaw. "It's not safe for you either, Violetpaw. There are rogues in the clan territories," he warned her. His body still bore fresh pink scars where his fur had yet to grow back.

Firekit looked at Ferretpaw and giggled. “I would never leave.” she said and then noticed Sandbreeze come. She started bawling as she didn’t want to leave her new friend behind.

"Sandbreeze." Violetbriar nodded curtly, eyeing the other warrior suspiciously. While chatting easily with cats around her age, she found herself awkward around an older cat. "It's Violetbriar, actually. We're doing no harm here. With all due respect, if I've handled an owl, a twoleg trap, and a stroll around Twolegplace, I'm more than capable of taking on a rogue or two. I'm sure Ferretpaw here would fight to the death to defend young Firekit." Violetbriar mewed, with a polite, yet not friendly tone. It wasn't an unfriendly tone..Just not friendly.

As Firekit started wailing, she wrapped her tail around the young one. "Well, there's certainly no need to throw such a fit! I'm still here. We're in neutral territory, as in an alliance. You said your father knows of your whereabouts? Then we have every right to be here." Violetbriar mewed, taking on a much kinder tone.

Ferretpaw rolled her eyes as Sandbreeze approached. Ferretpaw was about to wrap her tail around the sobbing Firekit when Violetbriar did so. Instead, she scooched closer, letting her nice lean against her.

"My apologies, Violetbriar. Congratulations on your new name, Sandbreeze said with a bow of his head. "You are not Thunderclan, so you may do as you wish. You two, however..." he said as he looked at Ferretpaw and Firekit, "just because can be here, doesn't mean you should. Rogues are no light matter." He knew that better than most.

"Thank you, Sandbreeze." Violetbriar returned the head dip, turning to look at him once more. "If you're so worried about the rogues, why not join us? The more the merrier as they say." The cream she-cat invited.

Firekit stayed close to violetbriar like she was about to go on strike. “IM. NOT LEAVING!”she screamed at sandbreeze and went deeper into violetbriar.

Ferretpaw nodded. ”Sandbreeze was my brother’s mentor!” she explained to Violetbriar as she moved to make room for the warrior on the rock. She wrapped h tail around Firekit. ”It’s ok, we can stay...” she whispered soothingly to Firekit. She had claimed her down before, she hoped it would work again this time.

Sandbreeze gazed at the three young females, trying to think of way to convince them, but fell short. He closed his amber eyes and let out an exasperated sigh as his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Ugh, fiiine. But I'm staying with you three, just in case. If anything bad happened, both Lightningstar and Lichenstar would have what's left of my hide," he grumbled as he moved to lay down on one of the warm rocks.

Firekit cheered then looked down at the water going back to their conversation. “Is swimming hard?” she asked violetbriar.

"There, now isn't this lovely? The rocks are quite comfortable, are they not, Sandbreeze?" She mewed to the tom, then attempted to look back down at Firekit, chuckling. "Not really, at least I don't think so. Now, you're much too small to brave the river, perhaps a deep puddle?" And I don't want to find anymore twoleg traps, she added to herself.

Looking around, she spotted a clear pool of water, fed by the river but separated by stones. For an adult cat like Sandbreeze, it would cover his paws. But for a kit like Firekit, it would reach her belly fur. "There, that will work." She nodded, gesturing to the pool of water.

Ferretpaw watched with amusement as Firekit tried to swim. ”You sure you aren’t secretly a Riverclan Kit?” she asked, a giggle escaping.