private someday they're gonna sing my name // scorchstreak

[LUCKYPAW]

Days seem to blur together, many already lost in a tangle of memories and lost battles, and so it's no surprise when, amidst all that's happened, Luckykit fails to recognize on his own time the day that he and his littermates reach three moons. Marked for fast-approaching apprenticeship, the weight of it all doesn't truly hit him until later, after he's had a chance to sort through some of his more pressing thoughts. It's a simple day - nothing particularly exciting going on, and left to his own devices, he's found himself back in the same spot outside the nursery where Sootstar had led a tunneling lesson. That first time he had sunk his paws into the earth, Sootstar watching impassively, Badgermoon encouraging him and Littlekit (now turned Littlepaw, just as he would soon be Luckypaw), all rattling around in his head, the edges not quite lining up. Rather than excavate a full-fledged hole, Luckykit sits before a half-finished creation, paw dangled before nothing more than a pothole, staring down at the dirt that now coats his feet. One day soon, this will be normal, not just an occasional oddity or an indicator of the games of a kit - stained paws will show his work far better than he could hope to articulate it. Surely he'll be down in the tunnels, once-small frame still wholly small, and where the thought was once met with both trepidation and excitement, trepidation seems to win over, spilling over and flooding out into the rest of him.

Do any of his littermates feel the same way, Luckykit wonders? Scorchkit and Frostkit both seem so steady, Rumblekit blissfully uncaring, leaving only him and his uncertainties. Though, it seems impossible not to be nervous at the approach of such a milestone - after all, everything's going to change, especially for those destined for the tunnels. The vast moors, the winding tunnels; both prospects are still unimaginable to a young, naïve mind, though he at least still believes that the tunnels will feel more at home to him. By now, his paws have come to lie at rest in the small pile of dirt he's collected, tail tip unknowingly following after his emotions, though he pauses in place at the approach of another, turning only to be met with a pleasant surprise. Since they've all been growing up, Scorchstreak has been around less and less, seeing to her duties as a lead warrior, and Luckykit tries to soak up every remaining moment with her before their already short time is reduced further by his own apprentice duties. Usually, he'd greet her and wait to see if she had anything in particular in mind for the day, but in this moment he feels antsy, feelings unable to settle into place when faced with his thoughts. "Mom? What...what is it like, being a tunneler?" he asks plainly, unable to force the rest of his thoughts and worries into any usable words. If anyone could give him a good picture of what is expected of him, could potentially soothe his frazzled nerves, it would be Scorchstreak.
// @SCORCHSTREAK
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[ PENNED BY HIJINKS ]​

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

Digging is not something that Scorchstreak engages in often; she prefers to hunt and patrol in the tunnels that are already there, rather than dig new ones. But still, she is no stranger to getting her paws dirty. Even now, returning fresh off a hunting patrol, dirt clings to her pelt and is matted into the fur of her limbs. When she meanders into camp heading for the nursery, she spots Luckykit perched beside a—well, it’s not a hole, but it’s certainly something. The pale calico appears nervous, tail flickering, but he looks up to her as she approaches.

She cannot help but to feel a bit guilty about her absence, the dwindling time that she’s spent around her litter. She wonders whether her kits hold it against her, the way she’s been around less and less in recent weeks. But to her relief, Luckykit only asks her about tunneling. "Being a tunneler?" She echoes her son’s question, a rare smile slipping onto her muzzle. All of her kits will be tunnelers, surely, but Scorchkit and Luckykit’s interest in tunneling never fails to improve her mood. Pride sparks warm in her chest, and she turns to gaze upon the blue-patched kit. "Being a tunneler is one of the best parts of my life. Aside from you and your siblings, of course." Her kits are certainly the greatest cats in her life, even if their father is not her favorite clanmate. She cannot say that she would put her kits before her clan, but she loves them deeply. She looks forward to watching them become apprentices, watching them grow into fine warriors for their clan.

And of course, at the start of their journey to becoming warriors lies curiosity. Interest in the tunnels is a good thing—they’re starting off young, so they can learn the ways of tunneling the same way that Scorchstreak had. "WindClan’s tunnels cover nearly our entire territory. As tunnelers, our job is to keep the tunnels clean and safe, and to remember the tunnel paths both above and below ground. We also hunt in the tunnels, to feed the clan even when the moor runners cannot." She pauses, ear twitching. It’s awkward, attempting to explain the way that being a tunneler makes her feel. The press of the dark, the comfort of the walls around her. "It’s difficult to explain what it’s like without showing you. Would you like to go into one of the tunnels?" She looks to her son expectantly, awaiting his response. Surely he’ll say yes, because her Luckykit is no whimpering kit; her Luckykit is surely bold enough to overcome any fear he may feel.​

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[LUCKYPAW]

It's something of a non-answer, at first - 'one of the best parts of my life', and it does nothing to reassure Luckykit. There are a few things he would consider the best parts of his own life, including his siblings (just like Scorchstreak, he notes) and the rest of his family, his place among everyone else as a future warrior of WindClan...well, one of those is surely related to being a tunneler, but that's what he doesn't know about yet! Family doesn't seem all that related to traversing the myriad of underground tunnels, though perhaps there's some sort of link he's missing there, especially considering when he joins his mother in the tunnels it will be alongside at least some of his siblings. Still, though, the short descriptor leaves him feeling more uncomfortable than he would have thought. Not that Luckykit doesn't already know that being a tunneler is a great honor - Scorchstreak is a tunneler, obviously, and even Sootstar herself started out in the tunnels - but it's only just now fully clicking, the realization that being an apprentice means shouldering that honor, that great burden of bringing pride and glory to WindClan. When Luckykit had taken those first steps out of the nursery, he hadn't even felt prepared to take on camp; when, he wonders, is he supposed to feel ready to descend below the earth, to begin his training in earnest?

Thankfully, Scorchstreak doesn't just leave it at that, providing a more encompassing description of the duties that would soon be expected of him. Enraptured, he listens silently, taking a moment to consider each new task presented. Keeping the tunnels clean didn't sound so bad, but keeping them safe, too? He doesn't want to interrupt, especially not to give into his worries, so instead he tries to focus on the other tasks. Remembering the way the tunnels wind seems daunting as well, but perhaps slightly more manageable - after all, Luckykit had already been doing a good job of learning his way around the nooks and crannies around camp, mentally cataloging various dips and the best places to stay out of the way. Hunting is another matter; ever since the fierce winds had whipped around through their territory, he had begun to dread the thought of the chase, all the stories of harsh and even failed hunts shared around camp lingering in his mind. What if the wind came back with a fury, even in the tunnels? For all he knows, it's a valid worry; the tunnels are still unfamiliar, and there's still plenty of chances for Thorn Claws or one of his friends to call the wind back.

During the pause, he can't help himself any longer, question still burning a hole in his mind. "How do you keep the tunnels safe? Or, what do you keep them safe from, I guess," Luckykit asks, unsure if he even wants to hear her answer. Surely it wasn't from other Clans, like when moor runners kept their borders safe - there must be some other sort of danger lurking in there, and thoughts of nasty-looking creatures race about in his mind. The lull in the conversation sufficiently filled, he's caught off-guard by his mother's next offer - she wants to take him into the tunnels? Different emotions clamor within him, each trying to fight to rise to the surface - should he be pleased that she's offering to take him, especially since his other siblings aren't around? Nervous, to brave the hidden depths before he's officially apprenticed? Especially with Scorchstreak guiding him - it'd be one thing to disappoint a new mentor, but another entirely to disappoint his mother even before he's given a chance to impress her. "Can I? Um, is that okay?" he settles into asking, too late realizing the conflict given away by his voice. "I mean - I'd like to, yes," he corrects, more steady this time. If she thought he was capable, then he'd do his best to live up to those expectations; besides, maybe if he got to explore a little now, it would make his apprenticeship feel a little less nerve-wracking. That is, if this expedition goes well, of course.
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[ PENNED BY HIJINKS ]​

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

Luckykit doesn’t seem to have much to say about her explanation, but perhaps he is simply confused. He is an apprehensive child, she thinks; a gradual introduction to the responsibilities of being a tunneler may have been a better idea. But Scorchstreak herself hadn’t been given the luxury of learning about the tunnels one aspect at a time; she has had to dart through the inky depths of the land since she grew old enough to walk and to think for herself. Luckykit asks how tunnelers keep the tunnels safe, and it is a question that she is eager to answer. "We keep the tunnels safe by checking the walls to ensure the tunnels won’t crumble on top of us. We reinforce the walls as we go." She thinks of Dazzlepaw and winces, not quite managing to hide the change in expression.

But her child is no Dazzlepaw. Her child will grow in these tunnels, will survive in them. He will become a fierce, capable warrior just as she has. "We also clear out any predators that we come across. Your uncles and I drove away a fox not too long ago." She seeks to steer the topic away from morbidity; there is danger in the job of a tunneler, but more than that there is reward. The reward of keeping one’s clan safe, of being a stealthy force beneath the very earth that others walk upon.

Her son seems to balk at the idea of entering the tunnels at such a young age, asking whether it is a good idea—whether it is okay. She huffs, tail lashing. Of course it’s okay for her to take her kit into the tunnels. She is a lead warrior, strong and intelligent enough to keep them both safe in the tunnels nearest the camp. "You seem unsure," she comments, but her boy corrects himself. The calico tunneler smiles, turning to stride in the direction of the nearest tunnel entrance—she knows their locations without having to search for them. She could find the tunnel entrances that span this territory with her eyes closed and a paw tied behind her back. "Follow me." She glances back to Luckykit, waiting for him to follow after her.​

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[LUCKYPAW]

Keep the walls shored up so that...the tunnels won't collapse? Until now, Luckykit hadn't even considered that as a possibility; over and over he's heard the tunnels are dangerous, and yet part of the danger being the very walls holding them up seemed almost too much. How could they all step foot into there, knowing that the earth above their heads could bury them at any moment? How would he be able to step foot in there? Hearing that the tunnelers reinforce the walls as they go helps, especially considering he trusts that Scorchstreak would ensure things were as safe as possible, but the slight grimace punctuating her words stirs his anxieties back up again. What was that supposed to mean? Do the tunnels still crumble even when reinforced? He knows that Scorchstreak would readily brave any danger for the good of WindClan, but what of the rest of his clanmates - would they still work in the tunnels if they were to crumble so easily? What about the other new apprentices? Maybe, he thinks, he's making a big deal about this; maybe that expression meant little more than, well, an expression, and the spiraling implications are in his head and his alone.

When she brings up the fox, his eyes widen - there had been a fox down in the tunnels? With each new revelation, Luckykit feels a little more uncertain. It's not that he particularly wants to be a moor runner - he knows Scorchstreak is expecting them all to be exemplary tunnelers, and he'd hate to disappoint her by following the wrong path - but it's starting to seem like the safer option. Though, he's pretty sure there are still predators like foxes aboveground, too, so really it seems like all he can do is pray to StarClan he doesn't meet anything like that unprepared. Another question forms on the tip of his tongue, one of fears within the tunnels, but he bites down on it instead - he shouldn't be asking Scorchstreak about being scared, not when his apprenticeship is right around the corner. Not even if he already has apprehensions that he's already desperate to shove away, apprehensions that aren't becoming of - well, of anyone, really, but especially not him, the son of a lead tunneler. "Are there foxes down there often? Or other things like that?" It's an honest question, and though he's not sure if he'll like the answer, asking will always make him feel better than not knowing at all.

Scorchstreak immediately catches onto his uncertainty at entering the tunnels right now, and Luckykit cringes slightly - he hadn't meant to sound so unsure, and a small part of him had hoped that she wouldn't catch on, or at least wouldn't comment on it. No such luck, it seems, and he once again tries to make up for his mistake, making sure to steel himself first. "Well, you said not to go into any tunnels yet, so I just thought I was supposed to wait until I was an apprentice, or something." Thankfully, she doesn't dwell on the subject any longer, instead turning and heading towards the nearest tunnel, and he's quick to follow, small paws trotting after her. As they approach the entrance, it really begins to hit him - he's about to enter a real tunnel for the first time. He won't just be digging holes in the dirt with his littermates anymore - he'll have real experience with what it's like to be completely submerged beneath the earth. Apprehension doesn't quite melt away, but Luckykit is glad when excitement begins to bubble up, as well; his first taste of the tunnels! Head held proud, he tries to focus on the excitement, willing his fears to calm long enough to not make a fool of himself anymore before they've even entered into the tunnel.
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[ PENNED BY HIJINKS ]​

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

Scorchstreak expects her son to react more anxiously to her descriptions of the dangers in the moorland’s tunnels. Luckykit seems nervous more often than not, and the lead warrior has found that she can relate to his nervousness—before she had become a lead warrior, she had been jumpy when aboveground. Without the safety of the tunnels, Scorchstreak had felt vulnerable, exposed. But perhaps the tunnels can help Luckykit to gain a bit of confidence, especially if he is to be a tunneler. He does ask how often foxes are found in the tunnels, and that question gives her pause.

It’s not as though foxes are an everyday pest, but they are seen frequently enough to be a threat. "Foxes and badgers are usually the predators that we meet underground. We don’t see them that often, but often enough that we have protocol for each of them," she explains, slowing her steps as her son trots along behind her. He explains her own warning to her kits back to her, and she nods once, stiffly. "I just didn’t want you or your siblings trying to go into the tunnels by yourselves. I’m a lead warrior; I can keep you safe." Perhaps using scare tactics on her own children, and then admitting to it, isn’t the greatest thing to do. But if it keeps her litter safe, then she will do what has to be done.

As they reach the tunnel entrance, the calico’s eyes narrow, gazing into the darkness ahead. Briefly she thinks that the tunnel entrance would seem intimidating, if not for her experience within the tunnel system; the pitch-black space is surely only more reason for Luckykit to feel skittish. But if he is to be a tunneler, then he must brave the dark. She strides forth until she’s fully sheltered by the tunnel, beckoning her son to stand by her side. "Here we are." She glances down at the tiny tom, golden eyes narrowed against the dim lighting. "What do you think? Does this make you nervous?" It is a direct question; she knows that any kit would be afraid, their first time underground. But Luckykit is a child of herself and of Badgermoon, and he has no reason to fear anything. They are both capable warriors, and no harm will come to their litter so long as the kits make good decisions. Her kits will not grow to be like her apprentice, naïve and wandering. Perhaps, she thinks, she should take on one of her kits as a second apprentice.​

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[LUCKYPAW]

Listening as though it's the most important thing Luckykit will ever hear, he barely notices that Scorchstreak's gait has slowed, and only just dances out of the way in time to avoid colliding with her. It's embarrassing, sure, but it also gives him perspective as he snaps back to attention - no longer is his mother quite so out of reach of tiny kitten paws. He's still got plenty of growing to do, sure, and he hopes he won't get much bigger than her, but for now it's startling enough to realize just how much he's grown without even noticing. Perhaps it should give him confidence, knowing he's grown to be a fit size for apprenticeship (at least, as a tunneler, that is); instead, it only makes him nervous, knowing that it truly means his days as a kit are numbered and rapidly disappearing. This is the reason for this impromptu visit, of course, for all this talk of tunneling, but that doesn't mean he has to like it, now does it? Disquieting thoughts on apprenticeship are replaced with those of foxes and badgers, though he's certain it's only temporary - later, on his own, Luckykit will surely return to these ruminations.

Regardless, hearing that they have protocols in place for predators puts him at ease quickly; there's comfort in knowing that even if danger were to rear its ugly head, he'd be trained on how to specifically and properly deal with it. The mention of both foxes and badgers being major predators doesn't escape his notice, and instinctively he thinks of Badgermoon - a formidable cat, he knows, but it's hard to imagine him named after such a vicious predator when he's been nothing but kind around Luckykit. The image conjured up is rather silly - Badgermoon, crammed into one of the tunnels, doing his best badger impression - and it also helps to lighten his mood, taking the edge off of his remaining fear and making room for the excitement. He accepts her explanation with no objections; after all, he trusts Scorchstreak's judgement and abilities implicitly, and so if she thought it best to first keep them out of the tunnels and then to bring him in along with her, who is he to question it? Luckykit will simply follow dutifully behind, though by this point the pair have already reached the tunnel entrance.

Yawning and black-tinged, it's nothing less than daunting, even if he's already been this close when hunting bugs. Then, there hadn't been too much to fear, all of them making sure not to stray too far into its bounds, but this time a shiver runs up his spine - this time, he'll be going in for real, flanked closely by Scorchstreak. She's moving forwards, stepping into the darkness, and for a moment he's certain that all his courage has left him, that he won't be able to follow after all. What would Scorchstreak think, he wonders? If her own kit couldn't even make it into the entrance of her beloved tunnels? That thought is enough to finally spur him on, hesitant paws springing into action, and Luckykit closes his eyes as he rushes after his mother, as though not seeing will make it any easier. Only once he bumps into her side and rights himself does he dare to open his eyes, blinking against the sudden change in light in the tunnel. The tunnel. He's in the tunnel! It's dark, and not quite cramped thanks to his kitten-stature, and overall not as bad as he'd been so quick to believe. "It's...I mean, it's a little different than I imagined, but not so bad. I don't think I'm scared - at least, um, not so much now that we're in here. Maybe a little bit, about way further in. It seems so dark down there..." he answers honestly, peering further down the tunnel while staying firmly pressed against Scorchstreak's side.​

[ PENNED BY HIJINKS ]​