The Mighty Hunter (Riddle, Tangle <3)

[Deleted]

((OOC: ... X3 Tumblekit has to be the most adorable character I have ever played.))

It was another day, and his belly rumbled uncomfortably. He was terribly hungry, but Mama hadn't returned yet with food. She hadn't returned yet for two sun-ups. The starving little kit's ear twitched slightly as he roused himself from his soft moss nest, his jaws opening up into a tiny kit-yawn as he stretched his limbs. Mama had told him that she would come back, and had told him not to wander too far from their den. Tumblekit brushed a bit of moss from his fur, and crawled up the tunnel leading to the entrance of their den. It was another day. Perhaps Mama would return today.

Mama told him that this den had been the den of a fox many moons ago. She thought it was a safe place, because the scent of fox lingered around the area and would discourage any other predators. Even now, the fox-smell stuck to his fur along with the scent of the forest, and the scent of his Mama. The fox scent hadn't really bothered him, because he had always known it. Tumblekit didn't know what a fox was, so Mama had explained to him that it looked a little like a small, red-furred dog. He hadn't known what a dog was, so Mama just chuckled and cleaned behind his ears.

He settled himself down at the entrance of the tunnel and began to groom himself, dragging his tongue over his paws. He could hear the tweeting of a bird and wondered what kind of bird it was. A few days before she had left, Mama had climbed a tree and caught a bird for them to eat. She had told him that it was called a 'thrush', and that normally it would be much bigger. She had been worrying that prey was becoming scarcer and scarer around their den, and that she had to go farther and farther to get fresh-kill. Tumblekit was again reminded of his hunger as his stomach rumbled once more.

Mama hunted all the time. Maybe he could hunt for himself! That itself was a grand idea to the little, malnourished blue-grey kit. He would catch a bird and surprise Mama when she came back! Tumblekit leapt to his paws and bounded off into the underbrush, towards the sound of the chirping bird. It couldn't be too far, because it sounded close. Tumblekit couldn't hide his excitement. Mama would be so proud!

He crashed through the undergrowth, tail up and flicking. His mouth watered at the idea of a full belly once more. He was so caught up in his 'hunting', he didn't realize that any prey nearby was long warned of his approach and had taken shelter. Tumblekit didn't realize he was chasing away his prey until he heard the warning call of a bird high above his head, in the trees, before several of them took flight. He slid to a stop, watching in disbelief, until he could no longer hear the fading sound of their flapping wings.

Disappointment surged through him, and his very whiskers drooped. How would he hunt now? Mama would be angry that he had wandered so far from the den. Tumblekit peered around, suddenly very unsure of his surroundings. Where was he? It was then that the scent of strange cats filled his nose and mouth, and he realized he had gone farther from the den than he had thought.

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar had been gone a whole moon and decided it would be wise if she scent marked the boundaries of the territory. She was following the trail not by scent or sight but by memory of her terrain. She bounded up the hill and rubbed against a tree when an unfamiliar scent hit her nose. Wrinkling in disgust she followed the tiny trail that seemed to be lost among the brush. She sniffed around not sure what she was following. All she knew was that the scent was close and that she was closing in. She growled at the thought of an intruder, and after the whole Dirtfur affair they were certainly not welcome. Letting her nose guide her she happened upon a kit not really sure what to make of him. She let out an exasperated sigh of relief when she saw the little tyke. She dipped her head low before peering out of the shadows. "Where is your mother child?", she asked curiosity peeling from her tongue. She was rather surprised to see such a young life alone without his mother but even as concerned as she was her heart ached for the little kits mother to be gone. It ached for the longing to make this kit her own, since she could have none maybe this was a gift from the Stars to bring her heart joy and faith.

[Deleted]

Panic began to rise up in his chest as he spun around in a circle, his blue eyes wide. Where was he? He hadn't gone far from the den... could he? Tumblekit felt scared, and guilty. Why hadn't he just stayed in the den and waited for Mama to come back, instead of traipsing off into the unknown? And now, he was lost, and Mama would probably never find him. Tumblekit felt like a fool. What would he do now?

He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of a voice, a new, foreign scent drifting into his nose at the same time. Tumblekit spun around to face the stranger, his fur fluffing up to make himself look larger than he was - which wasn't much, for he was already incredibly small to begin with. Mama had warned him not to talk to strangers, because there was always the risk that strangers would hurt him. Surely they would see, though, that he was big and threatening, and think twice about attempting to lay a paw on him.

"Who are you?" he spat, arching his back in a threatening way and hissed, all the while slowly backing away from the strange cat. Tumblekit hoped that his fear was masked by his attempt at looking big and tough - if this cat wanted to hurt him, he had to show that he wasn't afraid to fight back. He would show that he was capable of leaving this cat with bites and scratches worthy of any of the warriors that apparently wandered this forest!

As soon as he was out of range of this cat, he planned on turning tail and running; though, he didn't know where he would run to, for he did not know his way back to his den. Tumblekit knew he was quick and fast, and he knew there could be no way this stranger could catch him. His Mama always told him he was sleek and swift of foot, like a rabbit.

Her smell was slightly familiar, the scent of one of the clans his Mama had told him about. Mama had also told him that the clan cats marked their territory by scent-marked borders. Had he wandered over one of those borders? He didn't know. Maybe he had. And maybe he hadn't - and if that was the case, she could be in his and Mama's territory. He didn't know.

Tumblekit felt his back end bump into a tree and he fell backwards over one of the tree's roots. With a squeal of shock, his rear and back legs went over the root, while his front paws flailed momentarily in the air, before he fell flat on his back. "Ah!" He squeaked, his blue eyes wide with surprise.

At that very same moment, his stomach gave one of the largest rumbles of hunger yet, and he couldn't help but mewl in pain as his belly twisted, informing him that it needed food. The tiny, malnourished, starving kitten whimpered in agony and fear, and was suddenly very scared. What was this stranger going to do to him now she knew he was very weak?

[Tanglekit]

The smile that twitched at Tanglestar's lips disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. She had always dreamed of kits and now here was one that layed right in front of her, motherless and alone. She thought to Sunflash and thought of how he would think of Tanglestar carrying a kit into camp telling him that it was their son. She knew that he had given up a great deal of privilege to become her mate, and being kitless had to be unbearable. She would be the happiest cat in the world if this kit was alone in the world. She watched as the little fur ball bristled to twice his size when he heard her voice. She chuckled before sitting down keeping the distance between her and the kit not wanting to frighten the poor creature. "I am Tanglestar, leader of Thunderclan.", she murmured gently. She didn't want to scare the poor thing off and find it starved some days later when she felt the need to safe this cute little kit. "Where is your mother?", she asked again persistently. She was quite curious as to why the kit was so far from anything familiar to him and alone on top of it. She watched the baby curiously as it backed away from her warily. Surely she wasn't that scary, or was she? She watched as the scene abrubtly changed and the poor kit fell backwards and yelped. THen she heard the dear kit's stomach growl. How long had the kit been alone and how long ago was the last time he was fed? Maybe they would never know. "Are you hungry dear?", she meowed slightly looking around for a sign of prey.

[Deleted]

He was on his back, hungry and afraid... No, he wasn't afraid. He was downright terrified. Tumblekit mewled as once again his belly twisted in a aching pang of hunger, scrunching up his face in agony, and once it had past he was left panting. All of the sudden, he felt too weak to even move much less put up a fight. He was helpless Hunger was something he had been increasingly familiar with, but not like this. This hunger was crippling, and he wanted so much for it to go away.

She was the leader of one of the clans? Did that mean she was powerful? Mama had told him that the leaders of the clans had nine lives, and were very noble deserved the utmost respect. Did this mean she wouldn't hurt him? Mama said leaders made the wisest decisions, and were compassionate about all cats but loyal to their own first. She wouldn't hurt him... would she? With that thought, Tumblekit's fear of her began to ebb away slightly.

"Mama went out hunting. She said she'd be back." He mewled, his voice quiet, a significant change from his voice from before. Tumblekit whimpered. "She said she'd be back, but she's not. She said she would..." He repeated, in a much more softer voice. A sudden realization dawned on him. What if she had abandoned him? But Mama loved him! She wouldn't have left him. What if she had been hurt?

He felt so hungry. When the clan she-cat asked him if he was hungry, all he could do was nod his head. His fear was driven away by the prospect of eating again. How long had it been since he had last eaten? This was the third day Mama had been gone, hunting to feed both of them. She had said that prey was much more scarcer in their part of the forest, but he was much too distracted by the discomfort in his belly.

His blue pelt clung to his body as if pulled tightly there. Tumblekit had been small to begin with, and now he wasn't much smaller than a squirrel. He was skinny and malnourished, and he hadn't been fed in days now. He managed to roll onto his belly and climb over the root he had tripped over. Still wary, he carefully approached the strange clan cat, muscles tensed, ready to flee away, though he probably didn't even have the strength to do so. His energy from before could probably be attributed to a rush of adrenaline; the thought of food had spurred him on to rush after his prey, but now it was gone, and now he felt weak.

"... You won't... hurt me, will you?" Tumblekit asked, eyeing the she-cat with a critical eye. "I'll bite you if you do." It was a threat, yes, but it was painfully obvious that 'his bark was worse than his bite'. He barely had the strength to get up and walk over, much less put up a fight if any cat wanted to hurt him now. Tumblekit knew, though, that his claws and teeth were sharp and at least would leave some nice little scratches, at least.

Now that he looked into his eyes, the last of his fear slipped away. Something told him he could trust this Tanglestar, something... like a whisper. But no other cat was with them, in this little clearing. And yet, Tumblekit's blue eyes stopped showing fear and apprehension, and began to show trust. Something whispered to him to trust this she-cat, and he listened to it.

((OOC: Long post is long. XDD))

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar's plans were thrown askew at the mention of a mother and disappointment welled up in her chest. Her left ear flickered and pulled itself back when the little kit grimaced in agony. Surely the poor creature was hungry, how could he not. New hope rose in her chest as a thought passed through her head. "When did you mother leave you?", she asked calmly moving slowly closer to the kit making ever step precise and deliberate. One thing she didn't want was for the kit to get scared and run away into the perilous world. She sat next to Tumblekit and wrapped her tail around him noticing how cold he was. Her left ear flickered once more before she saw a squirrel pounding at a nut cracking into the shell. She couldn't resist the chance to catch prey, whether the kit would eat it or not it was food for the good of the clan. Tanglestar leapt at it surprising the poor animal killing it swiftly. She brought it back to the kit dropping it at his feet. "Eat then we can talk.", she said sternly.

[Deleted]

The blue-grey kit drew his paws in close, and tucked them under himself. Her question made him feel even more alone and lost. Mama had been gone... she had left to get food, and she hadn't come back. She had told him she had to travel farther and farther each day. He hadn't ever imagined how far she had had to go until now, because he felt so far away from the den. Had she ever come this far away? Had she ever met a clan cat like Tanglestar?

"Mama left three days ago. She told me to stay in our den b-but I got h-hungry and thought I c-could catch something m-myself..." Tumblekit suddenly felt ashamed. Mama had told him to stay put. She would be angry if she returned to find him gone, wouldn't she? But she surely would understand how hungry he was... he had had to go find food, or else... he didn't know what would happen.

He felt Tanglestar's tail wrap around him and he couldn't help but shut his eyes and drink in the comfort and familiarity of this action. Mama used to wrap her tail around him, just like this, when he was frightened or upset. She would soothe him with gentle licks and soft words, and hold him close until he felt better.

He missed Mama. He didn't even know when she would be back. What if something had happened to her? What if she was hurt? What if she was dead? No... Mama couldn't die. She was Mama, and she had promised him she would always be there for him.

The she-cat suddenly became still and he felt her shift as she turned to look at something. Tumblekit opened his eyes and followed her line of sight and saw she had caught sight of a squirrel. He could not here a single sound from her as she stalked the squirrel, slowly, her paws barely even touching the ground. With a graceful, seemingly smooth motion of great speed and skill, caught the creature in her claws and killed it. He had never seen prey being killed before, and his eyes were wide in amazement and awe.

He wanted to be able to do that. He wanted to be able to hunt down his own prey, and be able to kill it with that much skill. He wanted to be able to catch squirrels, and voles and mice and birds. "Thank you!" He squeaked automatically as the squirrel was placed in front of him, and immediately he ripped into it. Normally, Tumblekit would be much more polite and less of a 'messy' eater, but he was starving. This squirrel tasted like the best fresh kill he had ever had and ever would eat.

Tumblekit had easily eaten half of it by the time it occurred to him that maybe he should share. Mama had always shared with him, up until prey became so scare she made sure he had eaten before she ever even dreamed of eating anything. He rotated his ears up toward Tanglestar, and then pushed the squirrel gently towards her. "Mama said it's polite to share." He mewled, looking up at her, gratitude and respect in his eyes.

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar knew she had seen a loner or rogue she-cat dead by the Thunderpath but the question was whether or not it was this kits mother. She sniffed the kits head registering his scent and her eyes widened in sorrow and hope. Tumblekit's mother was dead but that meant Tanglestar had a son. How joyous was it that she had gotten her own baby to care for and love. She purred deeply looking at the Stars. She would have to do something big and soon. "Dear child you mother is gone and will not return to you.", Tanglestar said solemnly. She hated being the bearer of sad tidings and wasn't at all prepared for how the kit might react. She looked down at the squirrel and shook her head not wanting to steal any food from the kit.

[Deleted]

His belly had never felt so full in his short life. Even now, after his large meal, his hunger was gone and he felt stronger and more full of energy. Though it would probably still be several days, perhaps even quarter-moons, until the skinniness disappeared and his fur reached its full luster, he looked better. It was then that the she-cat spoke to him, in a voice of sadness

At first, Tanglestar's words did not register to him, and he stared at her, as if he hadn't understood. He blinked, feeling stunned. How could this be? Mama couldn't be... gone. She had to come back! She was Mama! She had promised to come back! She had promised! Disbelief welled in his chest.

And then... it hit him like a great, impassable tree. Something told him that Tanglestar was not lying. His Mama was gone. Mama was gone, and he would never, ever see her again. The little blue-grey kit began to tremble and a thin wail of grief erupted from his mouth. "Mama! Mama! He began to cry, but his voice tapered off into a quiet whimper.

His Mama was gone...

Tumblekit leaned into Tanglestar's fur, burying his head into her chest with a sniffle. He didn't want to face the world right now. He wanted to stay here, and hide his face forever. His Mama was gone, and he was alone. He was an orphan. It was a feeling that made him want to curl up and wail, but he couldn't bring himself to do even that.

He stayed like that for several minutes, but it felt like a painful eternity. Finally, Tumblekit peeked out of the clan leader's chest fur, first at the squirrel, and then up at the she-cat herself. "What am I gonna do?" His voice was small and quiet, and suddenly the tiny kit looked frail and more lost than ever. "Do I have to leave?"

Even the thought of leaving made him shiver. Where would he go? He knew of no place than the forest. The forest was his home. It was all he had ever known. It was all he had now. He buried his face in Tanglestar's chest fur again and huddled close, needing now more than ever the feeling of someone cat, any cat, to make him feel as if he weren't so alone.

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar pursed her lips as the little kit wailed at the loss of his mother. She grimaced seeing such a young kit exposed to such pain in his short life. His words had at some sort of wordless awe. NO! This little kit would not could not leave Tanglestar. Her motherly instincts enveloped the hadsome little kit and she nuzzled him gently. "No dear one. I can be your mother if thats alright.", she said smiling warmly. She leaned down and licked the kit on the forehead whispering comforts in his ear.

[Deleted]

There were no words that could really describe how tiny, and how alone Tumblekit felt. There would be no more rainy days curled up with Mama, with her telling him stories of great cats doing noble things. There would be no more reassuring whispers from Mama that everything was fine and that nothing was wrong. Even now, it felt as if she had been gone for a long, long time, but his heart still hurt and his grief was still fresh. He was alone.

Tumblekit felt like a single blade of grass amidst a barren patch of earth devoid of any other plant life. He had always believed his Mama would be there for him, to hold him close and whisper to him that everything would be fine. He wondered where Mama would go now. She had told him of death, and of how all good cats went to join their ancestors and deceased friends and family in the stars. Had she been a good enough cat to hunt among the stars? He hoped so.

He looked up at Tanglestar sadly, curling his tail around his paws, his shoulders hunched in his pain as she murmured to him, softly telling him that she could be his mother if he wanted. "A... a m-mother?" Tumblekit felt torn. What would Mama think?

A voice, so soft and so warm, whispered in his ear with a passing breeze. He caught a whiff of the scent he knew most. "Don't worry, my darling. I will always be with you..." His ear twitched, and he knew he was the only one who could hear that voice. It was so familiar. He sighed sadly, wistfully, straining to catch his Mama's scent again, and the scent lingered for a few moments more.

Tumblekit realized Tanglestar loved him. Even in the short time he had been with the clan she-cat, he could tell. As much as he missed his Mama, she was... gone. Tanglestar was offering to be his new mother. And the little blue-grey tom knew that Tanglestar could never, ever be his Mama... but she could be his Mother. Where else could he go? He knew he would surely die if he stayed on his own. He was alone.

If he died, he would see Mama, but Mama would never want that at all. Tanglestar would never want that. He knew that if he went with Tanglestar, he would never be alone again. He would never be this alone. He never wanted to be this alone again.

Tumblekit understood... he needed a mother. As this dawned on him, once again he caught a whiff of his Mama's scent, and heard a distant, faint purr. Mama understood. He needed a mother. And Tanglestar would be just that.

His Mother.

Tumblekit let out a weak, shaky purr and once again cuddled into the clan leader's chest. "Mother... He didn't want to ever leave her side. She was his mother now, and he didn't ever want to be alone without her. He wanted to be with her, and be welcomed, and never feel so lost and lonely again. With a loving nuzzle, looked up into his new Mother's eyes. "Mother."

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar purred with happiness when the kit accepted her as his mother. Her chest rumbled and she felt a deep emotion in her heart that had never been there. Motherly love. She never wanted to be parted from this kit ever again not even when he was a warrior. She wanted to have him beside her forever and ever. Her purring didn't cease until the kit nuzzled her. Her chest screamed with excitement. She scooped him up onto her belly and rocked him gently back and forth. "Would you like to meet my clan?", she asked him, thinking of a very special tom in particular.

[Deleted]

All of the sudden he wasn't alone at all. He had a mother again! He had a new mother! She was the leader of Thunderclan. He was the kit of a leader! Tumblekit felt a surge of new-found excitement. He eagerly wanted to see his new life, and what it would bring.

If he was the son of a leader, did this mean he was going to be a warrior? Wouldn't it? His eyes brightened in excitement. He was going to be a clan warrior! And he would fight and hunt for his clan. Tumblekit imagined himself, strong and quick, and smart. He would be the best warrior in the forest! He would make his Mama's spirit proud. Mama had always respected and loved the clans, though she had made sure to avoid them. She had even named him using one of their customs.

He giggled as he was scooped up and settled against the she-cat's belly. The blue-grey kit nuzzled into her chest, his heart soaring. Right then and there, he knew that Tanglestar loved him as much as she'd love one of her own kits. And something told him that he was in a safe place now. His life with his Mama, the life with just the two of them, had ended. This new life with his Mother's clan had now just begun.

He still missed his Mama dearly, though. Tumblekit didn't ever expect that pain to go away entirely, but it was still fresh and it still hurt. Already, though, it was slowly going away. It was hard to feel sad at all when he was being rocked back and forth. He liked this. It was very comforting, and he felt warm and loved. He would never forget, though, that Tanglestar was his Mother. She would never be Mama.

"Your c-clan?" His voice trembled in excitement and his eyes brightened even more. Her clan! He was going to meet the mighty warriors of Tanglestar's clan! 'My clan', he thought. He was a Thunderclan cat now. The tiny little tom-kit let out a purr, his tail flicking back and forth in anticipation. "Yes! I wanna meet them!" He mewled, his voice high in trepidation. Tumblekit hopped a few steps away from the she-cat, thrilled.

What would they be like? He could barely even imagine the cats he would soon meet. Would there be cats like him, small and swift? Or stocky and strong, like his Mama had told him his father had been? Would there be other kits? He had never really met another kit before. His siblings had all died, but somehow he had survived. What would they think of him?

"Will they like me?" He asked, his blue eyes going wide. Tumblekit suddenly gasped,"What if they don't like me?! What will I do?!" He felt dismayed. What if his new clan didn't like him? What if they sent him away? But surely Tanglestar wouldn't allow that to happen. It couldn't happen. They would never send a kit away.

They just had to like him. He was the kit of a leader now. They had to like him. And why would they not like him, anyways? With a mewl of worry none the less, he slipped under Tanglestar's belly and huddled underneath her, feeling safe and protected in the small space.

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar purred getting up and leading the way back to camp. She let her tail rest on his shoulder not ready to lose this new-found kit. She walked at a slow enough pace as to not stress him out. She smiled warmly when she saw the camp reach out in front of them and purred with deep happiness.

((( Sorry it was so short I will make a new post in the camp where Tangles introduces him!!)))

[Deleted]

((OOC: Alright ^_^ I'll let you make the thread there. ))