Post by hati on Apr 19, 2024 18:23:32 GMT
'Eight...nine...ten!'
Ospreykit opened his eyes, tail quivering with excitement as he peered around the quiet camp. It was a clear, fine day, perfect for playful kittens, but to the little tom's delight and disappointment there was neither whisker nor hair to be seen of his siblings. The kit purred at their apparent absence, pleased that they'd been quick enough to hide properly, this time, and hopeful that they wouldn't be too easy to find.
Only one way to see.
His throat still vibrating, tail still quivering, Ospreykit leapt to his paws and bounded away from the nursery, mind already whirring through the best hiding places: deciding where to look first. His choice was made in a heartbeat, and he turned quickly towards the apprentice's den; certain that they'd be happy to hide a kit - or that no one would pay too much attention if one crept in. Certainly no one paid him much attention as he bounded to its entrance, nor as he peered around its edge, looking for a tell-tale tail. At a glance the den seemed empty, refusing to give him such an easy clue, but that hardly phased him. Ospreykit wasn't to be beaten so easily, so he stalked 'stealthily' inside—clueless of the racket he was making—and nosed amongst the nests, hoping to catch a scent or to startle one of his siblings into giving themselves away.
No such luck.
Sneezing, the little tom shook a wayward scrap of moss from his muzzle and plonked himself down on his tail; thinking. A moment later he sprang up again, pattering out of the den and around its edges as he merrily waved his tail. His siblings weren't behind the den, either, but that was okay - his circling of it had brought him neatly in line with the warrior's den, and its edges also struck him as a good place to hide. Ospreykit set out for it immediately, bounding along the edges of camp until he was a rabbit hop away - and pausing as his sharp eyes picked out an unexpected trail of pawprints tucked to one side.
They were not from Batkit or Deerkit. But they were in an odd place, drifting through what he knew as the camp's borders, but set apart from the normal entrances. That alone was enough to hold his attention, and Ospreykit delayed his search and followed those prints a few short steps from his destination - then paused again, head on side as he considered. He wasn't meant to leave camp. But this trail didn't go to the entrance, so was it leaving camp? What if he only knew some of camp, and these pawprints were pointing to the rest of it? What if there was a second, secret part, and this trail would lead him to it??
The thought had the little tom's tail shooting upwards, and in a trice he was pattering onwards: eyes on the prints and siblings forgotten.
Ospreykit opened his eyes, tail quivering with excitement as he peered around the quiet camp. It was a clear, fine day, perfect for playful kittens, but to the little tom's delight and disappointment there was neither whisker nor hair to be seen of his siblings. The kit purred at their apparent absence, pleased that they'd been quick enough to hide properly, this time, and hopeful that they wouldn't be too easy to find.
Only one way to see.
His throat still vibrating, tail still quivering, Ospreykit leapt to his paws and bounded away from the nursery, mind already whirring through the best hiding places: deciding where to look first. His choice was made in a heartbeat, and he turned quickly towards the apprentice's den; certain that they'd be happy to hide a kit - or that no one would pay too much attention if one crept in. Certainly no one paid him much attention as he bounded to its entrance, nor as he peered around its edge, looking for a tell-tale tail. At a glance the den seemed empty, refusing to give him such an easy clue, but that hardly phased him. Ospreykit wasn't to be beaten so easily, so he stalked 'stealthily' inside—clueless of the racket he was making—and nosed amongst the nests, hoping to catch a scent or to startle one of his siblings into giving themselves away.
No such luck.
Sneezing, the little tom shook a wayward scrap of moss from his muzzle and plonked himself down on his tail; thinking. A moment later he sprang up again, pattering out of the den and around its edges as he merrily waved his tail. His siblings weren't behind the den, either, but that was okay - his circling of it had brought him neatly in line with the warrior's den, and its edges also struck him as a good place to hide. Ospreykit set out for it immediately, bounding along the edges of camp until he was a rabbit hop away - and pausing as his sharp eyes picked out an unexpected trail of pawprints tucked to one side.
They were not from Batkit or Deerkit. But they were in an odd place, drifting through what he knew as the camp's borders, but set apart from the normal entrances. That alone was enough to hold his attention, and Ospreykit delayed his search and followed those prints a few short steps from his destination - then paused again, head on side as he considered. He wasn't meant to leave camp. But this trail didn't go to the entrance, so was it leaving camp? What if he only knew some of camp, and these pawprints were pointing to the rest of it? What if there was a second, secret part, and this trail would lead him to it??
The thought had the little tom's tail shooting upwards, and in a trice he was pattering onwards: eyes on the prints and siblings forgotten.
