Ospreykit dragged their paws as they padded over to the elders. Riverflower finally let them return to the nursery with their littermates, and while they were glad, they still felt a bit left out. Despite Splashkit's promises, Ospreykit hadn't had a chance to play an important role in any of their games. At least Reedtuft always includes me, they mused.
"Hello, Osprey," Reedtuft greeted them with a nod.
"Hi, Reedtuft!" Ospreykit chirped, immediately perking up.
Beside Reedtuft, Sleekthistle blinked at them in surprise. Most occasions when Reedtuft had told them stories, his sister would sleep—because of that, Ospreykit couldn't recall meeting her personally until now.
"Oh?" she asked. "Who's this scrap of fur?"
"Sleek," Reedtuft said and nudged her, "that's one of your grandchildren."
"Oh. Oh, yes, one of Wavedance's!" Sleekthistle blinked again before a look of realization crossed her muzzle. Then, she lowered her voice to a mumble and said, "They look rather frail, don't you think?"
Reedtuft quickly—loudly—cleared his throat and shifted a bit. "Osprey, how come you aren't playing with the other kits?"
For a moment, Ospreykit considered telling him how the other kits weren't including them. Instead, they decided to say, "I don't wanna right now, so I'm exploring instead!"
"Well, aren't you an active one!" Reedtuft let out an amused purr.
Ospreykit purred back and glanced at Sleekthistle again. The old molly fell quiet—she didn't appear to be paying attention anymore. Instead, she gazed blankly ahead. Before Ospreykit could ask if she was okay, pawsteps sounded nearby.
"Reedtuft, Sleekthistle; I hope this kit isn't bothering you two?" Ripplestar's stern voice startled Ospreykit, despite her noisy approach.
"Sister, you know better than to be so formal with us," Reedtuft chided. He laughed a bit when Ospreykit backed away sheepishly. "Osprey isn't bothering anybody, don't worry."
"Of course—sorry," Ripplestar said and nodded stiffly. "Eveningshell and I were speaking with the senior warriors, and I wanted to come check on you two. Sleekthistle, are you feeling better?"
Silence followed Ripplestar's question. Ospreykit looked at Sleekthistle and saw that she still stared sightlessly across the clearing. They frowned at their grandmother and glanced between Reedtuft and Ripplestar.
"Is she sick?" they asked softly. "I can fetch Riverflower! She always comes running if I ask for help."
Ripplestar shook her head. "No, there's no need for that. She's just been tired lately."
The leader stared at her sister steadily; she seemed sure enough of her words. Reedtuft, however, became visibly worried. He shuffled closer to Sleekthistle and ran his tail along her side before turning toward Ospreykit.
"Osprey, why don't you go play with your denmates now?" he suggested abruptly. Before they could respond, he reached out and nudged them toward where the other kits played.
Ospreykit glanced at their denmates and saw them tumbling about—they looked and sounded like they were in the middle of another game. With a reluctant grumble, Ospreykit trudged back over to them. They didn't really want to interrupt their game, but it seemed like they'd overstayed their welcome with the elders.
As Ospreykit approached, they realized that their denmates were finishing up whatever they were playing this time. Poolkit and Splashkit both tackled Crabkit, and Currentkit struggled to pull them off.
"Leave my comrade alone!" Currentkit demanded, his eyes narrowed into playful slits.
"Crabfang has to pay for his crimes!" Poolkit yowled back as Crabkit pretended to die. "And the price is death!"
When Currentkit wailed dramatically, Poolkit and Splashkit hopped away from Crabkit. One by one, they caught sight of Ospreykit and ended their battle. Splashkit approached first with his tail held high in the air.
"Hey Os!" he chirped. "I was wondering where you were. You should play a game with us!"
Ospreykit blinked at their littermate and glanced at the other kits briefly. "Sure, I'll join. What game are we gonna play?"
"We wanted to play the tale of Spottedpath after the last game," Crabkit announced and trotted up to them. "Reedtuft said we haven't had a battle like that one in a long time! Like, since before the elders were born, or even their parents! And I overheard some of the warriors saying that we might have another battle like that in the future!"
"Oh, okay!" Ospreykit perked up quickly. "Can I be Spottedpath this time?"
"Sorry, Osprey, but I kind of already reserved it," Currentkit mewed apologetically. "Besides, you know how it is . . . ."
"How is it?" Ospreykit snapped suddenly, unable to contain their disappointment as it surged outward. Every day, Currentkit and Crabkit said the same exact thing, and it felt infuriating. "Every time we play, Splash promises I'll get a better role next time, but every time there's a 'next time' you guys don't let me. Instead, you just leave me out of it!"
"Os, we just don't want you to get hurt," Crabkit murmured.
"I'm not helpless!" Ospreykit growled angrily. "I can play a game without getting hurt!"
"Guys, seriously," Splashkit said softly. "You're being kind of unfair to Osprey . . . ."
The other three kits didn't say anything. Poolkit shuffled his paws and refused to catch Ospreykit's eye. Meanwhile, Currentkit and Crabkit exchanged a look before glancing guiltily at Osrpeykit.
"Ugh, whatever," Ospreykit grumbled when none of them made a move. "Play your games without me."
Without waiting for a response, Ospreykit stomped away from their denmates. They stormed to the nursery and sat down right outside, pretending that the other kits weren't only a few tail-lengths away. Currentkit, Poolkit, and Crabkit hesitantly started playing again. Splashkit, however, hovered by them for a few moments before following Ospreykit.
"We can play a game together," he offered quietly before sitting down. "If you want. Or we can just sit here."
Ospreykit frowned and realized how selfishly they'd been behaving. "I'm sorry. You don't have to stop playing with them just to include me."
"I think it's stupid, too," Splashkit responded after a pause. He rolled his eyes before adding, "Crab and Current always hog the good roles. They're always Spottedpath and Deadeye, or the most powerful pair. I think Pool feels the same, but he doesn't care enough to say anything."
"Oh," Ospreykit said and looked around. "Well, what could we play, then?"
"We could play at the Sunstone Pond." Splashkit motioned to the wall of reeds that hid the landmark. "It's nice there!"
"You mean the one outside of the camp?" Ospreykit shuddered and remembered the heron attack. "How about we play at the pond inside the camp, instead? The one just past the elders' den."
"And do what?" Splashkit scoffed softly. "Splash water at each other? That's no fun. Why don't we sneak around the sunning stones and pretend we're evil NightClan shades!"
Ospreykit peered around the cluster of flat stones in the center of the camp. On the opposite side, they spotted Darkshadow, Runningblaze, Eelmask, and Daceclaw sitting together. Eelmask and Daceclaw kept an almost awkward amount of space between them, but neither seemed to care. Perhaps they reserved the spot for someone who hadn't returned from patrol yet.
"Okay, let's sneak up on them!" Ospreykit suggested, flicking their tail at the warriors. "We'll get their secrets!"
They nodded at each other and split up; Splashkit rushed to the small pond and Ospreykit started to creep around the Daystones slowly. They tried to avoid the other kits as they crawled around the stones, and eventually they crept closer to the cluster of warriors. The warriors didn't seem to notice them or Splashkit—they all kept talking casually, discussing their next patrols or how they would respond to the NightClan threats.
As they drew nearer, Ospreykit could hear Splashkit scuffing his paws noisily in the sand. They became even more aware of their own noisiness but before they could correct it, Runningblaze's ears perked up.
"That's a good start," they said and turned to the kits, "but you two are dragging your tails right against the earth. You almost had us!"
Darkshadow turned his sharp green gaze toward them next. "We're busy, kits," he barked, swishing his tail to rest around his paws. "Go back to your denmates."
"Oh, come on, Dark," Runningblaze scoffed in soft laughter. "They're just trying to practice their stealth! Be a little more encouraging, why don't you."
"Yeah, seriously," Eelmask said with a nod. "One of them may be your apprentice in a few moons. You wouldn't want to start off on the wrong paw here, would you?"
"You're right," Darkshadow mewed and perked up. "One of the kits will be Eve's apprentice too, I'm sure."
Ospreykit brightened up at the mention of becoming an apprentice. They glanced at Splashkit and back at the warriors, wondering who their mentors might be—hoping they'd be assigned to Runningblaze or Darkshadow. It'd be such an honor to be trained by the best warriors in the Clan, or even by the deputy.
"We can only assume so," Eelmask purred. "All deputies need an apprentice; it's a shame we haven't had more kits sooner!"
"It can't be helped," Daceclaw mumbled without looking at Eelmask. "You and Beaverpatch were both the only kits in your litters—the rest of us only having one sibling. StarClan clearly wanted to withhold their blessings."
"You shouldn't speak like that, Dace," Runningblaze said pointedly. "StarClan has blessed us by letting us live and fight for so long—at each other's sides."
Their conversation carried on like that—bickering softly about StarClan's blessings and intentions. Ospreykit quickly grew disinterested and glanced around before nudging Splashkit playfully. Their brother looked more than interested in the conversation, but he quickly turned his attention toward Ospreykit and nudged them back.
"Oh, look, they've already grown bored of us!" Eelmask said with a snort. "Darkshadow, why don't you show them how to do a proper hunter's crouch?"
"Eh? Why me?" Darkshadow shook his head swiftly when both kits looked at him excitedly. "We hardly eat anything that doesn't require fishing!"
"Stop being stubborn, you know they admire you!" Runningblaze laughed and pushed him with their paw. "There are plenty of water voles in our territory."
"Fine," Darkshadow said with a sigh. "Come here, you two."
"Yes!" Ospreykit hissed excitedly and bounced toward him with Splashkit. "We'll catch all the voles!"
"Nobody catches anything by making that much noise," Darkshadow retorted, though the curtness of his voice had waned. He stood and dropped into a couch. "See how I rest here—my belly is close to the sand, but there's still space there. My paws are situated to evenly distribute my weight so that I can glide forward without bumbling about noisily."
Ospreykit quickly mimicked him, trying to lower their body to match his form. They glanced at Splashkit and saw that he did the same with narrowed eyes. His stance looked nearly perfect, though he clearly had to concentrate hard. Ospreykit shifted around, desperate to do just as well.
"Your tail is wagging about too much," Darkshadow grunted at them. "Anything you hunt would've run off long ago. Splashkit, you're doing good, but your paws are too far apart—you'll knock into stones if you try to move forward, and you can forget leaping at your prey like that."
With a shared glance, Ospreykit and Splashkit quickly scrambled to correct their stances. Splashkit pulled his paws closer to his body, wobbling slightly with the motion. Ospreykit tried to concentrate more on their body's placements—their legs and paws positioned to hold themself better, their tail held out steadily behind them. It was much harder than Darkshadow made it seem, but they realized that this would come naturally for a trained warrior.
Darkshadow and the other warriors watched them silently. After a few attempts, Ospreykit finally fell still in what felt like the correct stance. They glanced at Splashkit and saw that he still wobbled a bit, though he clearly tried hard to hold still in his pose. Darkshadow gave another grunt; one of approval this time.
"That's much better," he said after examining them both. "You'll both turn into fine warriors with the right training. Good job."
Almost immediately, Ospreykit and Splashkit sprang out of their stances. Ospreykit bounced excitedly at his praise, but Splashkit tried to casually groom his fur—visibly trying to hide his own excitement. The others will be so jealous that Darkshadow taught us something already! Ospreykit thought and glanced at the nursery. Crabkit, Poolkit, and Currentkit yowled as they played with each other; they hardly seemed to notice Ospreykit's absence.
Ospreykit turned back to the warriors and saw that they'd already started conversing with each other again. They bounced forward and peered up at Darkshadow hopefully, drawing attention to themself once more.
"Darkshadow, can you show us another move?" they pleaded. "Like how to pounce on our prey! Oh, or how to fight!"
"This one sure is eager," Darkshadow mumbled before turning his gaze onto Ospreykit. "It's a little soon for you to learn how to fight—why don't you play with your denmates instead?"
"Os, he's right," Splashkit said. Ospreykit didn't look at him, but his voice held an unusual edge. "We should get stop before—"
"Okay, no fighting moves," Ospreykit huffed impatiently. "But please show us how to pounce! We can't practice hunting crouches if we can't pounce too!"
Darkshadow sent an exasperated glance at the other warriors before sighing. "Return to the crouch I showed you, then. You didn't have it perfect, but maybe knowing how to pounce will help you master it."
Ospreykit quickly obeyed. Beside them, Splashkit gave them a sharp nudge that they ignored. They wouldn't just impress the other kits—they wanted to surpass them before they were even apprenticed. That'd surely teach them.
Once he saw Ospreykit fall still, Darkshadow crouched and tensed his legs behind him. He didn't say much this time, instead he just motioned toward the parts that were important. Ospreykit did their best to copy him, and when it seemed to satisfy him, Darkshadow bunched his muscles up to prepare for a leap forward.
"What are you doing?!" Wavedance's sharp hiss surprised Ospreykit, and they jumped out of their crouch to see their mother storming up.
"The kits wanted to know a few moves," Darkshadow responded evenly and stood straight. "They're eager to start their training. You should be proud."
Runningblaze, Daceclaw, and Eelmask all stiffened at Wavedance's approach. Ospreykit didn't miss how they each shared uneasy glances—even Eelmask and Daceclaw, who hadn't spoken a word to one another, swapped looks.
"Osprey is far too young and hardly strong enough for that!" Wavedance hissed again, taking a few paces closer. "Great stars, what were you thinking? Osprey, are you hurt?"
Ospreykit felt their fur grow hot with embarrassment when Wavedance addressed them. They looked toward the warriors again and saw that by now, they all bristled defensively—even Darkshadow looked disgruntled. He angled his ears backward slightly, but he held his chin high and kept his gaze on Wavedance.
"Osprey is fine," he muttered without sparing a glance at anybody else. "Showing them how to crouch and pounce isn't going to hurt them—"
"I didn't ask you," Wavedance growled and leaned forward to inspect Ospreykit.
"I'm fine!" Ospreykit hissed and jumped back. They glanced at Runningblaze before straightening up to face their mother. "I'm the one who asked him to show me the moves, so if you're going to be angry, don't take it out on Darkshadow!"
"What?" Wavedance blinked in surprise. "Still, Darkshadow should have known better!"
"Mom, Os just wanted to be prepared for our apprenticeship," Splashkit said quietly and came to stand by Ospreykit's side. "Why can't you support that?"
Wavedance faltered again and glanced between the two kits. Ospreykit let out a huff of annoyance when she didn't say anything and quickly stomped back to the nursery. Splashkit followed closely, his presence offering silent support. I'll be an apprentice in only a few moons! Ospreykit thought angrily. She can't keep treating me like a delicate kit!