private once upon a time, i dreamt i was a butterfly

[STORMFEATHER]

Stormkit had strange dreams. Before the dog attack, she would have a pawful of scary dreams. Most of them were simply around something chasing her or finding the fresh-kill pile empty, or worse, Stormkit failing her warrior's assessment.

But the dreams now were different. They were sharper. They were repetitive. And even though Stormkit knew how each one would end, being thrown into the loop again for the second time that week only amplified her terror. It started out with the dog breaking the bramble wall, and then Stormkit would run. Little Wolf and Falconkit would be there. Then the yowling and hissing and caterwauling. And then it stopped.

Stormkit woke up with her paws sweating. She blinked under the ragged sunlight seeping through the nursery walls. Her ears pricked when she heard a noise fro behind it. There was a cat-shaped shadow messing with the walls. Stormkit parted her jaws to taste the air and recognized the scent. "Patchpaw?" She rasped, peeking out of the nursery.

@Patchpaw ​

 

[Patchpaw [in.]]

THERE'S A WORLD THAT WAS MEANT FOR OUR EYES TO SEE​

---

Since the dog attack, there was a consistent amount of heavy bustling around camp. Mentors were finally able to take their apprentices out more often and hunting patrols were at an all-time high, Flycatcher was named the deputy of ThunderClan and Sunfreckle as a lead warrior, and Howlingstar had gained her nine lives, though the idea was certainly something to imagine. Most noticeable, however, was the constant movement of flitting shapes of cats around the hole the dog had made in the camp's wall and the small damages that occurred to the nursery from the fighting, which had left minor holes big enough for sunlight to stream in. It, thankfully, had remained mostly unharmed--much unlike Patchpaw's front leg. It had been wrapped up securely in cobwebs and herbs, but the pain still lingered, leaving Patchpaw no choice but to relent her use of it.

Unfortunately, that left her stuck attempting to balance a particularly heavy branch on her nose with a load of moss and vines wrapped around it on the outside of the nursery den's left wall, with her other paw precariously balancing herself against the wall itself. She struggles to lift it high enough to hang it on another connecting branch, stretching her whole body to reach the top. So, so close...! Her neck strains to just barely fit it into place, and she finally crumbles back down to sit heftily on her haunches, grinning up at her work.
Success.

Before she can start focusing on other smaller holes, the branch above her suddenly pops off from its intended spot--it hadn't been secured by the vines, and the release of her weight off the wall had shifted its position--and smacks her on the top of her head.

"OW--!" Patchpaw yelps and jumps back up to her paws, but when she puts weight down on her leg, a stinging sensation shoots up her shoulder and she hisses from the pain. She gingerly reaches up to feel her head with a wince and a grumble before kicking the branch in frustration. She'd have to get someone taller to fix it.
"Stupid branch..."

Then, there's a tiny voice that calls her name. Patchpaw looks around for a moment before looking down, finding one of the deputy's own kits staring up at her with a frightened look in her beady eyes. She hesitates for a second, glancing back at the branch, before she releases a defeated sigh from her lips and turns away from it.
"Hey, Stormkit. Oh, you don't look so good," Patchpaw comments with a tinge of worry in her voice. Stormkit looks awfully scared, she comments internally, frowning as she settles herself back down. "What's going on?"​

 

[STORMFEATHER]

Stormkit blinked, unsure of how to answer that question. There was only so much her young brain could understand. Trauma was not a word she could articulate. It was a strange new pain that no herb or berry could cure. She could not even identify what hurt.

"Um," She murmured, uncurling her body and scooting closer to get a better look at the apprentice. "I'm not quite sure." She whimpered. "I keep thinking about the dogs. How do we know if they're really gone?"

​

 

[Patchpaw [in.]]

THERE'S A WORLD THAT WAS MEANT FOR OUR EYES TO SEE​

---

Patchpaw hesitates for a second, watching as Stormkit scoots closer to her. Her expression softens and she leans over to give a comforting lick between the kit’s ears.
"Then ThunderClan will fight them again, just for you," Patchpaw teases, giving Stormkit an earnest smile. As much as she was being playful, it was true—she would fight tooth and nail even on a bad leg for Stormkit, or any of her clanmates for that matter. "But if you really are worried about them coming back, I wouldn’t blame you. They were ghastly. Ugly, too, as a matter of fact," she comments with a giggle.

"Sometimes we can’t always be sure. That’s why we’ll be even more prepared if the dogs do come back again, and we’ll be waiting to send them fleeing!"
Internally, Patchpaw knew her confidence was only somewhat true; she had the same worries as the poor little kit, but she wasn’t going to dwell on those now. Stormkit needed her.

"We’ll all be here to protect you, no matter what happens—heck, I’ll protect you myself! Like this!" She starts to playfully and gently bat at the kit’s side with her good paw, hoping it’ll alleviate some of the worries off the kit’s back.​

 

[STORMFEATHER]

Stormkit softened and closed her eyes at the lick. Flamewhisker always did that same thing to calm her down. Stormkit kept still and opened one eye to glance hesitantly at Patchpaw. "Would they?" She breathed as her paws fumbled in the dirt.

She sighed and instinctively pushed herself closer to Patchpaw. "What happened to them anyway? Do you know?" She was not sure if she had been aware of the outcome, though she knew now from whispers and gossip that they were gone. Her little body was trembling still, but she was calm enough to giggle at the pat to her flank.

"I ..." She breathed. "I can't wait until I'm Stormpaw." She wriggled. "Then I can train with you!"

​

 

[Patchpaw [in.]]

THERE'S A WORLD THAT WAS MEANT FOR OUR EYES TO SEE​

---

She was grateful to see that Stormkit seemed to be relaxing. Patchpaw gives her a warm, genuine smile and pats her on the head with her good paw, somewhat messing up her fur.
"I’m positive they won’t come back, we even pushed ‘em into the river. Any dog should be afraid of ThunderClan now, and I promise you this, even if a dog is stupid enough to come back, not a single cat here would let it come for you!"

Patchpaw’s eyes glitter with mirth. She doesn’t mind Stormkit scooting closer to her, and as she speaks, she scoops the kit closer to between her paws. "I did overhear them talking about how they got rid of the dogs, though, and apparently, they even managed to the river! They won’t be coming back now." Hopefully.
She giggles at Stormkit’s last little comment about her soon to-be apprenticeship, and Patchpaw gives her a bright smile.
"I’ll have to watch out then, but it’s only if you can beat me!" With a delighted laugh, Patchpaw begins to pretend-play with Stormkit, buffing her around gently with her nose and her good paw.​