SPLASH'S CAMP
MOON 3 - PART ONE
Despite the cold start to newleaf, greenleaf came early. Flame had only lived through a single greenleaf, and in it's absence, he had forgotten just how hot it could get. He had been stuck in camp, underneath the overhang, since sun-high. It was about mid-sun, now, with the sun slowly making its way towards the horizon. Flame lay stretched in his nest, panting.
He turned his head to the entrance, watching as Twig padded in holding a ball of soaked moss. He bent down and dropped in on the ground in front of Flame. "Drink up, you need this."
"Thank you, Twig." Flame sucked some water from the moss, feeling relieved as the cool water made contact with his tongue. He took a brief second to gasp for air, before going back in for another drink. "Sorry, I'm just so hot right now. That feels great." He wiped his mouth with a paw and adjusted his position, tucking his legs under his body. "By the way, Twig, have seen Splash?"
"Not since this morning. She said she was going hunting." Twig replied. Flame watched him with attentive yellow eyes. In the moon since he'd come to live in their camp, he'd gotten pretty leggy. Flame was careful not to let him out of camp for too long due to his age, not wanting him to run into trouble. That kit could cause problems with a fallen leaf. He thought. But he's about the age I was when our mother let us out of the barn for the first time... Soon, I think I'll take him out to catch his first mouse.
"Well," Flame started. "She was talking about catching us a turkey. That would feed us for a while." He purred.
"What's a turkey?" Twig tilted his head, confused. "Is it like a deer?"
Flame chuckled. "A turkey is a big kind of bird. They're brown with bright blue heads, and they make loud noises unlike any robin or blue jay you've ever heard. A cat your size would be no match for their massive feet." He thought back to his kithood again. "When me and my sister were young, our father showed us something I'll never forget. It was a turkey, sleeping on the branch of a tiny tree! We thought that branch would snap and take the bird tumbling with it, but it never did."
Twig's eyes were massive, like full moons. "Woah... I hope I get to see a turkey someday!" He hopped in place. "When I'm older, I'll catch the biggest turkey anyone's ever seen, and feed us all forever!" He stood up on his hind paws and batted the air, earning another laugh from Flame.
"I'll hold you to that, Twig." Flame smiled before leaning down to take another sip from his ball of moss. The two sat and continued to chat. The sun continued to slowly inch towards the horizon line.
Rushed pawsteps caught the attention of both cats. Splash hurried into camp, her eyes wild and filled with worry. She was drenched, and in her jaws she was holding the scruff of a tiny kitten.
Despite his exhaustion, Flame jumped to his paws. The world seemed to swim in front of his eyes for a moment, and Twig rushed to his side to steady him. "Splash, is that a kit?!" He said to her.
Guilt flashed across Splash's face as she set the kit down at her paws. It was all curled up and soaking wet, letting out wheezy breathing noises. "I'm sorry, Flame! I was out hunting when I saw a monster off the Thunderpath, out that way by the shore of the lake. I was going to get in for a closer look and then immediately leave, but I saw them holding something in their weird paws before they threw it in the water! They left, and I went to see what they tossed, and it was a kit!" She was talking so fast that Flame could barely understand her. "He was drowning, Flame! I couldn't leave him!"
"It's just the two of us hunting, Splash. Just you, even, until I feel better. If we keep bringing in kits, we're going to run out of prey." He felt a pang of regret for saying what he did, knowing the poor kitten was half-drowned. Splash looked dejected. "But..." He said. "I can't exactly say no when you've brought him to our camp."
"Thank you, Flame." Splash sighed a breath of relief. "He looks old enough to eat fresh-kill, but I'm worried that he might have water in his lungs. Whenever he breaths, it sounds awful." As if to prove a point, the kitten let out a wet, thick cough. "I don't know what to do about it."
Twig padded up to the kit, sniffing him over before standing straight up to look at Splash. "I know someone who can help him!" He meowed enthusiastically. "Please, Flame, let me help out. It might not be a turkey, but this is still important!"
Splash looked at Flame with a confused expression. "I'll explain the turkey thing later." Flame said quickly. "I... I wasn't planning on letting you leave camp alone... But you're right, this is important. Bring your healer friend as soon as you can, okay?" Twig nodded and ran out of camp, disappearing into the trees.
"I hope they can help him..." Splash said, she grabbed the kit around the scruff and padded over to her nest, curling around him and licking his fur opposite-ways to dry him off.
Flame's tail twitched with uncertainty. "Me too." He said back, padding back to his own nest to cool off once again. "Have you thought of a name for him, yet?"
Splash looked down at the kitten. "N-no... I was so caught up with getting him back here that I didn't even think about that." She sat in silence for a moment, staring at him. "Nothing's coming to me..."
"I bet you'll think of something." Flame said. He'd only been up for a moment, but he was beginning to feel dizzy again. "Wake me up when Twig gets back, okay? I'm still feeling unwell." He yawned and curled up, drifting uneasily off to sleep.
2025
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