FISH INSIDE A BIRD CAGE (abandoned kit)

[Foxpaw!]

Fox stared out from beneath his hideout, orange eyes huge as he watched the grasshopper flitting around the ground just out of his reach. Slowly, he extended one small, slightly trembling paw and brought it down, giving a small groan of disappointment as he lifted it to find the insect still free from his grasp. Sitting up, he stared down at his feet as his belly loudly rumbled. The grasshopper took another jump away, and Fox peered out from behind the leaves.

It had been two whole days since Mama and his siblings had left, but she'd promised she would come right back and told him to stay right here. So that was what he was doing, like a good little cat. Sitting, right here, in this exact spot under this bush just as Mama had told him to. He'd wanted to come along, but she'd told him it'd be quicker this way because he had such trouble keeping up. But he didn't! Not really! Sure, he fell down sometimes, and he was a little slower than his littermates because of his funny walk, but he could keep up just fine. He'd seen the way his siblings walked and tried to copy it, but it never made him any faster. As a matter of fact it had only made him even slower. It was far easier getting around by keeping his legs mostly straight and his steps high.

Mama'd looked awfully sad when she'd left...probably just because she would miss him! Who else was going to point out all the different bugs and cool looking rocks along the way if not him? He went back to staring at the grasshopper, scooting closer to the edge of the bush. Just a little closer, and then he'd surely be able to catch it. If he hurried back under his bush, Mama would never be able to tell he'd left!

Lowering himself into a crouch, he wiggled forward and then sprang into the open air, landing and tumbling forward on unsteady legs. He somersaulted across the ground, and let out a miserable wail as he sat up again, still empty-pawed as the insect flittered away.

(tl,dr, mom left him under a bush bc he had trouble keeping up and is generally wobbly on his feet (he has cerebellar hypoplasia/wobbly cat syndrome), she's not coming back for him but he believes she will)

 

[FOXTAIL]

Today, he and Pebblepaw were focusing on hunting land prey. Of course, a RiverClanner's diet is mostly going to consist of fish, but it's crucial to know how to hunt all types of prey. There's a mouse right ahead of his apprentice, seemingly oblivious of the cat's presence. "Good crouch," He quietly mews, not wanting to startle the mouse but loud enough to be heard by his apprentice, "Remember to be light on y-your paws." It was important to put your weight into your haunches, especially when going after a mouse. If you're too loud, it'll hear you long before you get to it.

As his apprentice focuses on stalking the mouse, he catches a quiver of movement in the corner of his eye. He pulls his gaze away from Pebblepaw and onto a bush a few fox-lengths away, and he blinks with confusion as the bush seemingly.... shakes. His nose twitches as he quietly smells the air— they would know if there was danger nearby, but he does smell something coming from that bush. ...It doesn't smell like a predator, and it doesn't smell like prey either. He only gets a moment to observe the shaking bush until his fur bristles with surprise, as a young kit leaps out— focused on his own type of prey; a grasshopper. Foxtail winces at the landing, and the poor kit tumbles as the grasshopper flitters away.

The kitten lets out a miserable wail, and Foxtail can feel his heart aching for the young kit. What are they doing out here all alone? "O-oh, a kit! A-are you lost, little one?" He mews to the kit, as he smells the air. ...He can't smell any other cats beside RiverClanners and this lone kit, and by how strong the scent is— this poor kit has been here for awhile. He slowly pads over to Fox, his eyes scanning for any kind of wound... or anything that might need Moonpaw's attention. Foxtail is no medicine cat by any means... but maybe it'll be a good idea to go fetch her. "Pebblepaw, can you fetch Moonpaw for m-me?" He asks, feeling guilty in having to interrupt his apprentice's hunt. He looks back at the tortoiseshell patched kitten, ears pinning back with concern. "D-do you have a name, little one? H-how did you get here?"​

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• apprentice tag @PEBBLEPAW
  
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  credit to skaicraft (via insta) for the artwork <3
  
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  Foxtail

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  warrior
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: tbd
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to sixbane for the minis & tropics for the icon <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  18 moons
  

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[Foxpaw!]

His unceremonious leap and tumble appeared to have attracted the attention of someone much bigger. His already fluffy tail bushed out in surprise, and he scrambled awkwardly to his feet, standing with his paws far apart in his usual stance. For a moment he wasn't sure what to do. Mama hadn't told him there could be other cats around, but the bigger cat was already talking, seemingly worried about him. Fox wasn't sure why. He had been perfectly safe beneath his bush.

"I'm Fox!" he chirped finally. "And I'm not lost. My mama told me to sit and wait under this bush until she came back so that's what I've been doin'. She's been gone a while though...but she said I should wait, so I've been waiting!" His head tipped to the side as the bigger cat spoke to the younger one beside him, telling them to fetch someone called 'Moonpaw.' Huh. That's a funny name. Pebblepaw was too, and he craned his neck towards Pebblepaw, trying to get a look at their feet.

 

[Tigersplash]

Tigersplash didn't hover around her brother as he instructs his apprentice, she'd gone and headed after her own scent trail. She was more fit for the water then the land but she wouldn't say she was downright awful but she didn't like hunting this way in the slightest, she always moved to quick and either scared her prey or just barely missed. She was used to the weight of the water where you had to strike earlier then expected, it's hard for her to adjust especially when she's so out of practice. For that reason she's glad she decided to head away from Foxtail and Pebblepaw, they don't get the chance to see the strong tabby flounder. She hasn't found her target yet and she wouldn't manage to, a high pitched mewl interrupts the birdsong and her ears shoot up. It sounded like a kit, she turns and sprints in towards the noise and back in the direction her brother was waiting. She erupts through the bushes and skids to a halt and as she looks around just a few mouse lengths away from her paws is a lone kit. It's not one of their own, she dips down and inhales the scents around the bush. The only fresh cat scent was the kits own, he must've gotten separated.

Foxtail is already meowing to the little scrap of fur, she still wants to investigate but there's nothing to find. His mother was gone and she wonders how long he'd been here waiting, he's lucky - with that fox stalking around she shivers even thinking of what could've become of the poor little tom if he hadn't been found. Starclan was watching over him, she kneels down to be more level with the kit who declares that his name is Fox. She beams, shooting a look at Foxtail "What a cool name little warrior!" she purrs mirth lighting in her eyes. Though it takes a great amount of effort for her to keep her cheery expression as he begins to explain where his mother was, true to her suspicions she's gone - she'd abandoned him. Her tail begins to twitch and she feels disgust in her heart, what kind of mother abandons her own kit? She wouldn't be coming back for him and if she did Tigersplash would shred her for her incompetence! Was she trying to get her son killed? She tries to calm herself, taking in a deep breath.

"I'm Tigersplash and this is my brother Foxtail, we're from Riverclan we're a big group of nice cats" he'd already heard Pebblepaw's name "We like to swim and fish, have you ever tried fish before Fox?" of course she's simplifying things greatly, she's trying to make him focus on her and gain his interest. Hopefully they could get him to come back to camp without fussing, she'd refuse to let him stay and wait here all alone for a mother who'd never return to him.

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  Tigersplash ✩ She/He, Warrior of Riverclan, 18 moons
  ⭃ A chocolate/cinnamon chimera she-cat with high white and amber eyes
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Kedamono ↛ @legmeatt on discord, feel free to dm for plots. ​

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[Foxpaw!]

Another stranger quickly appeared, and as she lowered herself to his level, Fox trotted forward on his wobbly legs to meet her. She introduced herself and her brother--it was apparent they were related with their similar patterning. He looked over to the first cat. Foxtail. That name made enough sense, he supposed. His tail was ginger, much like Fox's own. The kitten cast a downward glance at his own tail before turning his attention back to Tigersplash. He didn't know what a tiger was. He knew what a splash was. But... did tigers splash? He couldn't say, having never seen one.

Fox squinted, deeply invested in this quandary as Tigersplash asked her next question. "What's a tiger?" he blurted before she had finished speaking. He shook his head when she asked if he had ever eaten fish, and then said, "I tried to catch one once! But it swam away and I got all wet instead. Mama had to fish me out of the water. Usually she brings back mice, but I guess maybe there aren't any around." He stood up on his hind legs for a moment, craning his neck to see past the older cats as he tumbled backwards. Where was she? Had all the mice gone away?

 

[pebbletail]

( ☼ ) pebblepaw hates that he can see the reasoning behind foxtail's training lesson today. lichentail has drilled into him the importance of land prey, specifically her enjoyment of birds, to riverclan, but the dappled blue boy resents the lesson all the same. still, he's eager to learn whatever, so he goes along with his mentor's prompting, shifting his weight to step lightly across the small clearing. the mouse is so close he can almost taste it - not that he imagines it tastes very good - and snow speckled paws slide carefully closer... closer. a twig snaps, a bush shakes, and the mouse is gone. a snarl curls at the edges of pebblepaw's mouth, a complaint bubbling on his tongue before the strange scent stops him in his tracks.
foxtail has approached a small thing on the ground, and pebblepaw's ember gaze widens as he spots a rusty kitten, spitting and chattering at a grasshopper he's just lost. approaching, the apprentice offers a concerned smile to the little one, nodding to his mentor. "i was just trying to catch a mouse," he tells the boy, whiskers twitching. "i can try to catch you another after i fetch our medicine cat."

turning, the tom will bound back into the brush towards camp. entering, he pokes his head into moonpaw's den, voice soft but urgent. "heya moonpaw, foxtail just found a lost kit out in the territory. said to fetch you."

I DO NOT HAVE WINGS, LOVE ☼ I NEVER WILL

• // @Moonbeam <33 " #848DAE"
  
  
  
  
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  PEBBLEPAW ☼ HE / HIM, KITTEN OF RIVERCLAN. KINDLING x UNKNOWN, NEPHEW TO SMOKESTAR. 6 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a large blue tabby with low white. pale blue fur covers the length of pebblekit's stocky body, sliced through with darker tabby stripes and spots. baleful orange eyes peer out of heavy set sockets, and his muzzle, paws, and tail tip are dashed with white.
  
  
  
  

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