[Milestone1] Young Scholar

The morning was still early, light just beginning to truly filter through the branches of the trees that offered them so much shelter. The air was warm, practically buzzing with summer heat despite the early hour.

And really, that was just the normal for the woods at this time, wasn’t it?

The tom huffed to himself as he thought it over, steps light as he made his way through the territory, noting which herb patches could be collected and which needed to be left alone a while longer.

Mew!

The sharp cry, so young and vulnerable, made him blink, ears pricking forward as his steps paused.

What in the world?

Another mewl rang out, and he started moving once more, pushing his way through the underbrush to find…

A kit?

Laying in one of the rays of sunshine breaking through the trees, the tiny little calico was crying for its mother and clearly too young to be away from her.

Yet, even as he sniffed the air, he couldn’t find a trace of another cat.

Had the kit just been… left here?

He finished closing the distance, sniffing at the little bundle of fur. He certainly couldn’t leave them here…

“Guess you’re coming with me, little one,” he grumbled, gently picking the kit up by the scruff and heading for his clowder’s camp. A dam had recently given birth, and with only two kits it was likely she could handle feeding a third…

Seemed like the kit was in luck.

Within the next few hours, the kit was settled with the dam, and gently named Sunlight for the patch of brightness she’d been found in.

And so, safe among the small clowder, she began to grow.

Bright magenta eyes flicked from side to side as she watched the hum of activity around the camp, not even half a season old and yet inquisitive beyond most her age, whiskers twitching as she took in the sights and sounds and smells.

“Sunlight, come play!”

She rolled her eyes. “What game is it?” she asked hesitantly.

The green kit grinned, tail waving through the air. “Hunters!”

She sighed, shaking her head as she stood. “No thanks.” She… didn’t like those kinds of games. Why hunt and fight when she could listen to stories and learn herbs instead?

“Alright.” The other kit shrugged and bounded off.

Sunlight turned, making her way to the far corner of camp. “Tea?” she mewed, receiving a smile from the tom.

“Ah, Sunlight, back for more stories?”

“Please!”

“Alright, come and settle close.” His whiskers twitched in amusement.

Perhaps it wasn’t the normal thing to do for someone her age, but she hardly minded as she settled beside him.

The stories of the world, collected from all manner of travelers from all walks of life, and the histories they told were far more interesting to her than learning how to catch a mouse.

Still, eventually the story came to a close and he offered her a smile. “Why don’t you go play?”

She pouted. “Can’t you tell me another story? All they wanna do is playfight, and that’s no fun!”

He laughed, shaking his head fondly. “One day you might not mind so much.” She wrinkled her nose and earned another snort from him. “I’m sure you can find someone willing to play a simple game of tag with you, now go. You need to be a kit too!”

She rolled her eyes, but finally stood and padded away. In the end, for the day, she did find someone to play hide and seek with, so she supposed that was a win.

Maybe she didn’t need to be learning all the time.