[ti]Private[/ti]Just Another Spring Day

[Dragon]

Kestralpaw was staying in camp today helping with the restoration of some of the dens after the long leaf-bare. The snow and wind had damaged many and they needed to be restored before it rained. She spent all morning working on the nursery when she heard someone say she could take a break. She headed quickly for the freshkill pile. As she reached it an idea came to her. Maybe Rueshine would like some company. Smiling she grabbed a vole for them and headed for the elder's den as she hummed softly to herself.



To everyone around her when they looked at Kestralpaw they usually didn't see her beautiful calico pelt that she kept clean or her bright blue eyes that were always so filled with love and life. No instead what they tended to see was her right front paw which was bent down and useless. She had been born this way, but she hadn't let it stop her. She learned to walk, run, hunt, and even fight on only three legs. Sure she wasn't as good as some in her clan but she was good enough to help the clan. Most days Kestralpaw even forgot she had one leg that didn't work, she was just so used to it now.



As she reached the elder's den she set her prey down and poked her head in. "Rueshine?" she called softly so as not to wake any napping elders. "Would you like to come out and share lunch with me?"

[Mama]

Rueshine hated being an elder. He hated laying around, when he should be working, when he should be feeding and fighting for the clan! It was unfair. The first few days, he'd try to train himself. At first, his legs would tremble, and it would get harder to breath. Then, he'd just collapse, and his legs wouldn't hold him up. The willpower was there... it was just his tiny, kitten body holding him back. The elder's den wasn't a place where he wanted to be. He was sick of listening to stories, or dealing with their awful complaining.

After Rueshine tried to tag along a patrol, but it didn't quite work, he was now stuck in the den once again. He laid on his side in an oversized, premade elder's nest. It had feathers, and soft moss, and it was made to help brittle bones and aching joints sleep better. The tom didn't deserve to get it easy because he was rejected to be a warrior. But, he also didn't want to sleep on the cold ground, so he simply laid on the edge of it and stared off into the distance.

A voice, one with his name, rang into the den. {Rueshine... what a dumb name.. Ruestrike, or Ruebite... those are so much cooler... Oh, dung, that's my name.} His head shot up with a small ear flick, and his flattened nose wiggled for a second. "Sure. Not like I have anything better to do." He grumbled before getting to his paws, and brushing past her before padding into the clearing. His little body looked so tiny against everyone else, his fur the only thing really giving him size. And even that was just whispy, curled strands.

[Dragon]

Kestrelpaw waited silently for reply. After a while you begin to think he was just going to ignore her. But after what felt like forever Rueshine finally spoke. She smiled happily as he agreed to have lunch with her. As he walked past her she couldn't help but notice how small he was. But she remained silent and followed the young tom into the camp clearing making sure to grab the vole.

Once Rueshinestopped she set the prey down and sighed happily. "Thank you for accepting my offer. I grabbed us a vole I hope that's ok with you Rueshine." Kestrelpaw was real hoping to become friends with the tom. Maybe when she became a warrior she could even get permission to take him out in the forest from time to time. She was sure he must hate being cooped up inside the camp all the time. Kestrelpaw knew she would have hated it if she had been made an elder.