A Little Stream

[Yoko]

(OOC: XD Clever title. I'm not usually a fan of private threads but for plot reasons, I'm pretty sure this has to be private. So this is an invitation to Spike's charrie Littlestream only okay? XD))

The golden tom padded swiftly between the lush bushes and tall trees. His raven furred brother was bouncing along beside him. Rabbitheart smiled brightly. Ravenkit was running circles around him, sniffing plants and looking around with dark blue kit eyes. How could any cat expect such a brilliant kit to hang around an empty nursery all day?

As his paws touched the hot gray stones, Rabbitheart slowed his pace and too a deep breath of the cool air. Before them lay a long shimmering snake of clear blue water. The river was lovely and large, curving slowly in the heat of greenleaf. The water hardly looked real, much less drinkable.

"OUCH!" Ravenkit squeaked, having burnt his paw on the hot stones of Sunning Rocks.

"Try again," Rabbitheart encouraged, you'll get used to it.

His younger brother was not yet an apprentice. Ravenkit's paws were not hardened by the stones and sticks of the forest floor. The kit hesitantly placed his paw back onto the stones and eased his way along. He looked uncomfortable but not in pain.

"So where is this moss?" The kit asked, a little agitated now that he had been shocked by pain.

"It should be nearer to the river. Come on, and be careful of the edge. A river is not the same as a little stream. It is stronger, and can sweep you under and away in moments if you aren't careful," Rabbitheart mewed casually as he led the way to the river's edge.

"So how come RiverClan cats can swim?" Ravenkit mewed.

"It's a secret of their Clan, I suppose," Rabbitheart replied. "All clans have their own special abilities and secrets. I hear RiverClan can't even climb trees."

Ravenkit's eyes went wide as he looked at his brother. Rabbitheart made sure his brother did not touch the water as he searched the clear river for the mossy green that could be used for nests. Vaguely, he was aware that they were completely exposed to any cat across the border, in bright daylight. But Rabbitheart was not the type to worry about such things.

[spike]

Littlestream was overjoyed at the idea of being out of camp so long. Wandering the riverbeds, enjoying its trickling sounds, watching some birds fly overhead; it was a good day. She had collected a few fish even though fishing wasn't her talent. She had buried them elsewhere and the little tabby decided a good walk would suit her. Gingertail and Robinwing might've head back already. But Littlestream was in no mood to deal with the stress of Clan life. No, a nice, breezy walk along the riverbed was quite enough.

Until it was interrupted. The she-cat paused and parted her maw to breathe in deeply and hastily at that. Her narrow shoulders went taut at the scent of ThunderClan. She was never a fan of fighting. Violence answered nothing in her opinion. But as the warrior code said, she had to protect her Clan's territory so she probably would have to look at this little scent before she continued on.

She jogged a bit quicker now with her small paws making good distance at the pace she had set. The tabby part of her pelt flashed here and there like the scales of a fish while the white glowed as if it were ice on grass. She lifted her snowy paws higher as she found her strength building up for this encounter. ThunderClan was small, not defenseless. There were some pretty terrifying cats among them and she knew that her small stature would have to hold enough ground to match one of them if it was a scarier cat.

She leapt onto a rock near the river's edge and was about to yowl out only to stop and blink in confusion at what she saw. A tom and a kit. The younger of the two was a deep, midnight black that was quite the contrast to the older cat's. The older of the two was golden and quite handsome. She swiveled her black-ringed ears and settled for a calmer approach, just to assure this ThunderClan cat didn't think about crossing that border. He was too close to the edge of it for safety.

"Quite a strange sight," she commented with a loud purr. "A warrior and a kit wandering around in open territory. You know, any other patrol might've pounced on you two but I'm not in the mood." Littlestream felt very good-natured today after her talk with her WindClan friends. Deciding to not chase them off right away, she easily slid down the rock and crossed a thin part of the water to approach the border. "But honestly, what are you two doing wandering so close to this border?"

Oh, this view helped much more. This was a younger warrior from ThunderClan. Littlestream remembered that face because she had seen him at a few gatherings. Rabbit... Rabbit- something. He wasn't very old but plenty old enough to know the code. The kit was unfamiliar but she figured he knew the kit was around. Lucky him I'm not in a bad mood today, she thought playfully.

[Yoko]

Rabbitheart stood behind his brother as the little dark-furred kit dipped his forepaw in the water. For a second Rabbitheart thought it might be too deep, but Ravenkit's forepaw easily touched the springy moss on the slope of the river bed. On a flooded day or when the river might have had a faster current, Rabbitheart would have told him to stay out, but the day was hot and slow so naturally the cool water flowed smoothly.

"Okay, Ravenkit," Rabbitheart mewed, looking as if he were an excited kit himself. "Unsheathe your claws and carefully tug up the moss. Go slow so you don't tear it too much."

Rabbitheart demonstrated, expertly dragging out half a tail-length of moss in one very slow swipe. Ravenkit attempted to do the same, but his claw was apparently too tangled. The little kit tugged and tugged, but by the time he pulled his claw out there were only tendrils of the soft green stuff.

Both brothers were startled by a voice acros the river. Rabbitheart looked up and stiffened his powerful leg muscles, quite prepared to leap in defense of his brother, but it was only a RiverClan she-cat across the river. Instantly, he reverted to his relaxed state, his sky blue eyes showing his amusement at her words.

He replied in jest, "Us two, a strange sight? I think that a RiverClan She-cat coming out to confront a great warrior and his fierce little brother is much stranger, don't you think Ravenkit?"

Rabbitheart glanced back to see his kit brother bristling furiously, dark blue eyes furious in contrast to the playful sky blue of his counterpart.

"Open? This is our own territory! We'd love to see you try to attack!" Ravenkit hissed.

Rabbitheart ran his tail over his little brother's spine. "Now there's no need to be rude, Ravenkit. She's on her own territory as well."

Rabbitheart looked back at the strikingly beautiful she-cat, hoping his brother did not offend her too much. He really hated to cause trouble, especially in such peaceful times. He had seen her at a few Gatherings, but recalling names had never been his strong point.

"So why are you out in the open as well?" Rabbitheart querried with his charming smile. "Fishing perhaps?"

[spike]

The tabby tilted her head at the kit that had started snarling and testing her to attack them on such poor lands to attack. Ravenkit... that tom called the youngster Ravenkit. She grinned as the warrior calmed the tom down. He was a nice cat, one she honestly wanted to befriend and not make a foe.

Oh, that's right! He's Rabbitheart! I remember him now. He's a young warrior. Never heard of the kit. Maybe that was the kit I heard some wariors talking about. Then again, I didn't think that he was an older brother either. Rainstorm never mentioned Ravenkit as far as I know. But why should I care? I've rarely approached that cat. Too scary.

She crossed the distances to the river's edge, right across from the two that worked for moss. "It's... Rabbitheart, right?" she inquired nonchalantly. "I was just wandering around. Fishing, not so much. Call me a bad RiverClan cat or something but I'm not much of a fisher. Guess I'm a better border patroler or something. I caught you two, didn't I?"

She settled on the edge and tilted her head at the two ThunderClan toms. They really were a sight to behold. One was a tiny black kit with a fierceness of a full-grown warrior. The other was relaxed, calm, and easy-going. She liked him, that was for sure! No stress radiated from him. Nothing about him reminded her of the awful work of Clan life. He was just plain laid-back.

"What about you two? Seems as if you are trying to get some moss but I don't think you two are doing it completely right." Littlestream wrinkled her nose playfully and gazed at the mess Ravenkit had caused. She gave Ravenkit enough credit to reach it and pull that much but to get it whole, it took a lot more than just tugging it away from its home-rock.

[Yoko]

Rabbitheart was startled at the look of recognition that crossed the RiverClan cat's face. He could not remember ever meeting her, though vaguely he recalled seeing her pelt mingled with a group of other she-cats at past Gatherings. He remembered distinctly how odd the group of she-cats were because the scent coming from them were definitely of RiverClan and WindClan. Other cats had commented on how close the group looked, but Rabbitheart hardly had time to ponder this, as his father, Rainstorm, spent every Gathering showing him around as if he were an apprentice. None of this recollection of past Gatherings helped him in discerning the she-cat's name.

Calmly he replied, "Yes, my name's Rabbitheart. And this," he gestured with his tail to the fuming black kit, "is my little brother Ravenkit. What's your name, if you don't mind my asking?"

He chuckled, a light heart-felt sound, not twittering like a bird nor the mocking caw of a crow. A RiverClan cat that does not fish? How odd! But I suppose a majority of cats in the whole forest don't fish either.

"Catch us? I think you have it a little backwards, we caught your attention." he mewed, smiling. Something about her made him do that. Around any other "rival Clan" cat he might at least sheild his brother from view, but Littlestream did not have that arrogant, taunting air about her. She seemed only to be teasing, and in return he teased back.

It really was too nice a day to seriously argue, not that he would have, even if the day had been bad. His brother, clearly did not share this view, as the black kit was flicking his claws bravely at the RiverClan she-cat as if his little outstretched paw could reach across the waters.

"You think you can collect moss any better?" Ravenkit spat.

"Yes, please us how to collect moss properly," Rabbitheart mewed politely, whiskers twitching in amusement.

Ravenkit glared up at his big brother for patronizing him, but Rabbitheart just smiled at him. Relax, Ravenkit, your fur will fall out from all that stress.