Glacial Blizzard Clan Writing Hub || DNP

[Ladyskittels]

With the coming of morning came a new adventure for Rabbitkit and her brothers. Their mother, who had been cuddling her daughter for the majority of the night, stood up gingerly and stretched out her sore body before turning to her litter. Rabbitkit, who was still sleepy but still too shaken up by her nightmare, stifled a large yawn while her brothers started their usual routine of playfighting with each other.

Rabbitkit gazed up at her mother, her green eyes watching her every movement carefully as she ignored the two obnoxious boys as usual. She stretched out her legs before moving closer to the safety of her mother, earning herself a small lick on her head. Her mind still unable to shake the dream from the night before, she comforted herself in the fact that she could stay as near to her mother as she possibly could that day in the hopes of a better sleep that coming night.

"Children, listen up," the molly said, causing the three of them to look up from what they were doing. "Today we are going out of the den, but you need to stay close or else you'll go without dinner, understood?"

The kits nodded and the family headed out of the den to get their first glimpses of the world beyond. Rabbit lingered at the threshold to the outside world, her heart beginning to beat faster. It was bright, and there was a strange new terrain for her to encounter; grass. Her mother called to her from outside, trying to coax her out of the den, but she stayed reluctantly in between. Eventually, the kit took a breath and took one small step after the other, taking in the odd sensations of the grass against her paws and the sun warming her fur.

I don't like this, the kit thought bitterly, squinting her eyes against the light from the bright sun. I don't like this one bit.... She sat down when she got close enough to her mother to appease her for the time being and yawned widely before bending her head to inspect the grass below her. It was kind of like the pine needles that covered the floor in her home, although slightly different. It was alright, she supposed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad out in the open after all.

[Ladyskittels]

Cinderstar, curled up in their den fast asleep, had been the leader of Glacial Blizzard Clan officially for four moons now and had become quite comfortable with their position in the clan. Things were going well for the ticked tabby, they were accepted and even celebrated which was much more than they could've expected when the cat first entered the clan. As they slept in their den, the cat dreamed of the clan's ancestors and the day that they first met.

In the dream, Cinderstar's littermate lived on, his starry silhouette gleaming brightly against the dark cave that the moonpool resided in. A mere two moons old, the tabby's tiny frame moved effortlessly in his play which brought great happiness to his sibling. Beside him stood a tattered looking calico cat, Cinderstar knew to be their mother. This cat was a rogue called Acorn, who was the smartest cat Cinderstar knew. The sight of the calico she-cat brought tears to the leader's eyes, as they didn't have as much time to grieve the loss of their mother like they had done with their brother.

"Mama," the ticked tabby cat murmured through their tears, gazing at the starry silhouettes of their family. "What happened to you...?"

The calico stepped forward and nuzzled her child's cheek with her own, wiping away some of the tears as she did so. "My child," Acorn replied, meeting her child's gaze. "I am okay. I have missed you greatly, but I came to you tonight to tell you how proud of you I am and that your brother, Coalkit, and I have never truly left you. As long as you live, we will live on too."

"Please," Cinderstar pleaded, reaching out to the retreating figure of the only relatives they had ever known. "Don't leave me. You just got here..."

Their voice trailed off as the figures retreated from their sight, leaving the cat alone once more.

[Ladyskittels]

Another start of another day for the longhaired lilac kit, Rabbitkit and her two brothers. Their mother had gone off for a while and had left the three kits in the capable paws of their father Troutstep, a large tom who seemed quite pleased with his new responsibility. This was the first time that Rabbitkit knew of that he had been left in charge, and while it made her slightly nervous to be apart from her mother, she was happy to have a new playmate in her father.

The kit pounced onto the tom's tail which he flicked tauntingly every so often, in a way that was just irresistible for a young kit like herself. Her father pretended to be in pain and hung his tail limply as Rabbitkit wrestled with it playfully, both of them laughing. Rabbit rolled on the ground as she wrestled with her new toy, unknowingly covering her light colored pelt in dirt.

"Oh no," Troutstep sighed as Rabbit stood up after growing tired of their little game.

"What's wrong, father?" The young female asked with a tilt of her head, bright green eyes looking up at him softly. "You look upset.... Did I do something wrong?" A sudden icky feeling washed over the kit, thinking she had done the wrong thing or that he wouldn't want to play with her just like her brothers didn't.

"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong sweetie," the tom reassured her with a soft smile. "You just got a little dirty, that's all. Come here, I'll fix it."

Rabbitkit sighed but did as she was told and walked up to her father. She knew what was coming next- grooming time. Rabbit hated getting groomed by her mother, whose tongue always felt too rough against her pelt and she didn't have much faith that her father would do a better job of it as she didn't even know when the last time he had been around a kit, let alone groomed one.

"Please don't hurt me," Rabbitkit said in a soft voice. "Even Momma does it too hard and it hurts..."

"I'll do my best not to, but your coat is full of knots," Her father said.

Rabbit sighed and closed her eyes, preparing herself for a long and rather unpleasant grooming session.

[Ladyskittels]

"What is this place, father?" Rabbitkit asked the tomcat she was following as they walked through a field of tall grass. The tom had asked for special permission to take his daughter out for her first lesson in her life and the young kit was very pleased with her special treat. "It's so pretty!"

Flowers and herbs surrounded the two cats, some hidden among the grasses and other plants. A lovely scent came off of the plants, filling Rabbitkit with a sense of ease. The female cat bent her head to get a closer look at them, beautiful colors and sights she had only ever seen from afar. She breathed in, taking a big whiff of a nearby flower and sneezed due to the pollen getting up her nose. The kit laughed and looked to Troutstep who had an herb in his mouth.

"This is a special herb, Rabbitkit," he said once he set the herb at his child's feet. "It doesn't taste good, but it will help you grow big and strong. I promise."

"What do herbs do in general Papa?" She asked, her green eyes fixed on the tom once more. "Do they all do the same thing?"

The tom shook his head. "No, not all of them do the same thing, dear child. They are used for healing, and to make you feel better."

"Oh," Rabbitkit replied with a nod. "I get it, I think..." She let her voice trail off as she took the herb by her feet into her mouth and began to chew. The taste was so bitter that she spat it out immediately, contorting her face into a look of horror and disgust.

"I told you it was bitter, dear," Her father said with a soft chuckle. "Come on, have another. You need to eat this or else you won't grow up big and strong." The tom placed another herb by her feet.

"I don't think I want to grow big and strong, Papa...." The kit whined, pushing the herb away from her with her paw. "I'd rather stay little and weak if it means I don't have to eat this again."

[Ladyskittels]

Rabbitkit sat in the middle of the field with her father next to her, the rejected herb on the ground between them. The kit's mouth still tasting of the foul herb, she made a face and looked up at the tom. "Can you bring me home now please? I'm really hungry..."

Her father shook his head and rose to his feet, a small grin on his face. "The real reason I brought you out here wasn't just to get you to try that herb, little one," he said in a cheerful tone. Chuckling at her confused expression, he continued. "Your mother wanted you to try your first solid food, and asked for me to take you somewhere in order to do so."

Rabbitkit glared at her father, her confusion turning to somewhat of an annoyance that, if left unchecked, would grow into a full on rage. "Why on earth would you do that to me? Was there no reason to give me that disgusting piece of plant???"

"Calm down, little one. The reason I had you taste it is because of the bitter taste. You need to eat something else to fully get rid of the taste and I thought it'd be more of an incentive to try something new." He looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry for giving you the herb, I really am. Can you please forgive me so you can try something else? I promise that this one won't be as bad. You might even like it."

"I doubt it," Rabbitkit grumbled, still annoyed with her father for tricking her and mad at her mother for giving him permission to do this sort of injustice to her. However, while she was still annoyed and angry, her mouth tasted horrible and she knew she needed to get rid of it somehow. "Fine. I'll try one thing. But I'm still upset."

"I completely understand," the kind words of the tom said as he disappeared from sight. Rabbit huffed and flopped onto the ground, clearly unhappy. A little while later, her father returned with a mouse for her to eat.

The kit turned her nose at first at the new food placed in front of her, not really trusting her father at this point. "It looks gross..." she whined, trying to push it away.

"One bite and it'll go away."

Rabbit huffed and took a bite of the food which, surprisingly, didn't taste that bad. Immediately the horrible taste of the herb was replaced by the flavor of the food. While it felt odd to actually chew her food instead to drink it, she actually liked the taste of it and as for the chewing, she figured she'd get used to that in time. The female swallowed and looked at her father once more.

"How is it?" He asked with a swish of his tail.

"Good!" Rabbitkit purred before leaning down to take another bite happily.

[Ladyskittels]

One morning, the three siblings woke to an empty den. Their mother, having left to find food, left a babysitter in charge who was a little lazy in their kit watching style and was lounging on the other side of the den. Rabbitkit, happy to see there was a sitter, decided to be a little brave and challenge one of her brothers to a game of cat and mouse, one of their favorite games to play together.

The rules are quite simple, after deciding who will be the cat and who will be the mouse, the cat tries to catch the mouse by chasing them while the mouse's goal is to keep away from the cat. There is also an impartial judge who is the sibling who didn't get to be a cat or mouse, whose job it is to face away from where the cat and mouse are playing while they count to 30. Whenever the judge calls time, the cat and mouse need to stop wherever they are and if the mouse has managed to evade the cat then they win.

"I'll be the cat!" One of the boys said enthusiastically, practically shaking with anticipation and excitement.

"And I'll be the mouse," Rabbitkit replied quickly, before her second brother could say anything. She smiled at him, happy to have called a role before he could respond. "Turn around and start counting, judge." She added a little smugly with a flick of her long tail.

The brother grumbled but took his place away from his brother and Rabbit, who crouched in anticipation of the countdown for getting started. She had a good feeling about this game, as she had been practicing her speed and endurance for the last few weeks when she went with her father for their one on one lessons.

At the judge's words, Rabbit took off for the best place to go in the den - the shelter of the unsuspecting babysitter. The female lept over the babysitter's back and burrowed between the wall of roots that made up their den as she put more and more distance between her and her brother. Soon, the judge called for time just as it looked like her brother had given up, gasping for air.

"I win!" Rabbit gloated, holding her head up high with pride.

[Ladyskittels]

In the dawn of a new day, Cinderstar woke to the tiny mews of her kits and found one had strayed from the safety of her side in the night and had become lost. The newborn cried out in a panic, trying to sniff it's way back to the warmth of Cinderstar and the other kits but ended up farther and farther away from them.

"Don't worry, little one," Cinderstar murmured so to not wake her sleeping mate, the shorthaired pointed tom that lay curled up next to where she was. The leader eased herself up onto their paws gingerly, finding their muscles quite sore after having been in the same position for so long. They walked around the rest of the sleeping kits and made their way to the littlest one who was still crying for their mother to come to the rescue. "You have such spirit for one so little, don't you? I should keep an eye on you."

The ticked tabby then picked up the kit who was still crying and brought it back to where the family was huddled. Fishbone, her mate, woke up as the female nestled back down with the kit and he watched as they began to groom the little one.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, concerned about the sudden movement of his mate.

Cinderstar looked up from grooming and smiled at him. "Yes, we just have a little explorer here is all," they replied with a chuckle before turning back to grooming. "Must take after you, perhaps he was looking for the water."

Fishbone chuckled nervously and gazed lovingly at his mate and children. "I can't wait to find out," he breathed happily, thinking about the possibilities of future adventures with his children; something he never thought would be possible before he met Cinder.

[Ladyskittels]

Rabbit and her father sat in an open field in the clan's territory, enjoying the pleasant breeze and the sounds of the animals in the distance and the sun's warmth on their backs as they talked. The gentle breeze carried with it the tantalizing scent of flowers and food from the hunting party having been so close by. As the cats paused their conversation, they could hear the tiny rumblings of Rabbit's stomach.

Her father laughed at the sound and shook his head. "Why is it you're always hungry when we go out?" He asked with a pleasant smile on his face.

The kit shrugged and returned his smile. "I don't know, just always hungry I guess," she replied as she turned her head over to the source of the scent. "How is it that they can get so much food, father?"

"Would you want to be a hunter, Rabbitkit?" He asked his daughter out of curiosity. "I can give you some lessons if you'd like."

"I haven't thought of becoming a hunter," she mused, still gazing in the direction of where the smell was being carried on the breeze. "But I would love to have a lesson or two anyways; maybe I'll be good at it?"

The tom cat nodded encouragingly, pride welling within himself as it usually did when interacting with his daughter. "That's the spirit, Rabbitkit! You can try it out for a little bit and see if it's something you might like; no need to choose something right now. You're still so young."

Her father led her to a more open spot in the field where the grass was shorter so they could see what they were doing. When they got there, they stopped and started to practice stalking. Rabbit got low to the ground as she followed instructions and waited for her father to tell her to take a few small steps. She took a few clumsy steps before tripping over her own paws and fell to the ground.

"Ouch!" She said in frustration, scrunching up her face. "Dad, why am I so bad at this??"

"You aren't bad, sweetheart. Everyone starts out like this; the more you practice, the better you'll become. Come on, try it again." His words were so encouraging that she nodded and decided to try it again.

[Ladyskittels]

The next day, the kits were treated to waking up in an empty den for the second day in a row; neither of their parents were with them, just one of the queens that was grooming herself in the corner of the den. Rabbit smiled, excited for the opportunity to have another game of cat and mouse. She loved playing with her brothers now that she was bigger and more able to keep up with them for the first time in her life- it was such a freeing feeling to be able to keep up with them and have a shot of winning.

"What do you wanna do today boys?" She asked them with a confident flick of her tail. "We could play another game like yesterday if you want to."

The boys thought about it for a little while and shrugged. "Maybe we could play the same game as before, but we had something else in mind," her brother Ratkit replied, giving a wink to her other brother that Rabbit thought nothing of at the time.

"What kind of game were you thinking?" She asked, thinking about what kind of fun things the three of them could do that day, not picking up on what should have been obvious cues that her brothers were up to something.

"How does hide and seek sound? You go first- we'll all go outside and two of us will hide, then one of us will find the other two." Spruce said, returning the wink of his brother.

"Perfect!" Rabbitkit replied out of excitement, barely being able to contain herself. "Who gets to hide first? I can, and maybe Spruce can hide with me?"

The brothers looked at each other and exchanged a glance before nodding in unison at their sister. "Sounds like fun," they said with smiles on their faces.

"We better go quick before Queenie over there catches on," Rat said in a whisper, nodding toward the adult that was still busily grooming herself.

Everyone agreed and slunk outside the den quietly as to not cause suspicion from their babysitter for the day. Once outside Rat began to count and the two other siblings ran off to hide. Rabbit didn't see where her brothers went, but she scurried up a tree and hid from them; sure that none of them would be able to find her.

"Guess I was right," the kit sighed sadly a few hours later, sorrow in her tone. Her brothers had not even attempted to come after her- she had seen Rat run off when he had finished counting and figured the two of them were off doing something by themselves. Considering the game lost, the kit decided that if her dumb brothers could have an adventure without her, she should be able to have one without them too.