Mint and water

[Wingnettle]

Mintkit (she/her)
White fur with shades of grey and blue eyes

· · ─────── ·✧· ─────── · ·

Mintkit was crouched outside the nursery, gazing into the shallow water of that part of the river. The still reflections would sometimes break after tiny waves reached the shore, but her favorite activity was looking for pretty shells and colorful rocks on the bottom. Once, she had found a crab but she was too young to know the creature. It pinched her nose, and Mintkit had run everywhere in attempt to get free from it. Now she knew well to stay away from their pincers, but their brilliant colors were always nice to see.

Sometimes some kits would come here as well and their mothers would play with them, or teach them to swim a little bit. Mintkit would stare at them hidden by the shades of the reeds, listening to their cheers and instructions. She had tried to swim like they did, but never at high waters. However, she liked walking there very much. Wet paws did't bother her, and sometimes she could spot tiny fish in the distance.
Now she enjoyed the morning sun sinking into her fur, looking for a special shell that she could use to decorate their nest in the nursery. Maybe a pink one? Those are pretty rare..

@Cherry~

[occultation]

Slatestripe padded out of the warriors’ den and stretched. He was feeling a lot better, in part thanks to Fawnpaw’s help. That cat was shaping up to be quite a good medicine cat, despite her lack of training.

He sat down in the center of camp, musing about what to do. He hadn’t been on a patrol for quite some time; perhaps he should speak with… someone about that. He didn’t really know who. Snowstar had yet to call a Clan meeting, so Slatestripe wasn’t entirely sure who the deputy was. Maybe he should pay Snowstar a visit?

That could wait. Snowstar was probably busy enough without Slatestripe questioning him about the deputy and Clan meetings. Looking around, he caught sight of a kit staring into the shallow waters by the nursery. Slatestripe watched the kit for some time, wondering what exactly the kit was doing.

Determining that he didn’t have anything more important to do, he made his way over to the little cat. “Find anything interesting?” he rumbled.

( @Wingnettle )

[Wingnettle]

Mintkit (she/her)
White fur with shades of grey and blue eyes

· · ─────── ·✧· ─────── · ·

Mintkit was startled by another cat's arrival behind her back. Turning abruptly, she realized it was just Slatestripe. She knew his name because she always observed life in the clearing from her favorite spot near the nursery. In spite of this it looked like no one knew her name, but this tom had decided to approach her and Mintkit wondered why.

She turned again on the clear mirror of water and used her paw to scoop out a pawful tiny rocks. Among the pile, a pretty black one with gray lined gleamed. Mintkit took it out and left it in front of Slatestripe. "This looks like you.."
She sat down and stared at the warrior, who was probably wondering how many cats fished rocks in Riverclan.

@Cherry~

[occultation]

Slatestripe looked down at the rock the tiny kit presented him. “It does look like me,” he observed. He wondered for a moment if this rock ended up in the pile by chance, or if this was somehow a sign from StarClan. He wasn’t usually one to “feel the presence of StarClan” in his everyday life, but he did believe that they sent signs every now and again.

He looked over at the pile the kit had fished up again. There were rocks of different colors and sizes, almost like the cats in a Clan.

Shaking himself out of his trance, he turned his attention back to this kit. “Do you spend a lot of time here, by the water?”
@Wingnettle

[Wingnettle]

Mintkit (she/her)
White fur with shades of grey and blue eyes

· · ─────── ·✧· ─────── · ·

The dark tom looked distracted. Mintkit wondered if he also liked rocks like she did, or if he'd seen something special apart of the rock that looked so similar to him.
She nodded briefly, then turned again on her favorite spot and observed tiny ripples that widened from a dragonfly's touch to the water. It felt hypnotizing.
"Yes, it's lovely here.." she murmured, more than herself than Slatestripe, who was still staring at her.

@Cherry~

[occultation]

Slatestripe’s whiskers twitched as he looked at the shallow water. Even considering how small he was, the water around the camp would only reach a little up his legs. But for a small kit like this, the water would easily be up close to her muzzle.

Although leaf-fall was approaching, there was still the threat of greenleaf storms. Those storms could swell the waters around RiverClan’s camp and sweep away unsuspecting kits who didn’t know how to swim. “How old are you, little one?” he questioned.

( @Wingnettle )

[Wingnettle]

Mintkit (she/her)
White fur with shades of grey and blue eyes

· · ─────── ·✧· ─────── · ·

There was always something to do here. Mintkit just had to gaze over the water and something would surely appear sooner or later. Now, she could make out the shapes of tiny crustaceans scanning the river bed searching for food. She wondered what such tiny creatures could eat. Maybe things that were even smaller and that she couldn't see? She knew that if she observed them hard enough, she would discover it. But Slatestripe woke her up from her thoughts, asking about her age. Why does she want to know? "4 moons."
Mintkit couldn't comprehend why a random warrior should take an interest in her. No one ever talked with her usually, maybe because she wasn't as talkative as most kits were.

@Cherry~

[occultation]

Slatestripe nodded as she answered his question. “Then you’re definitely old enough to learn how to swim,” he decided. “It might be a little scary, but it’s for your own safety. If the camp ever floods, it’s important that every cat old enough to swim can.”

He figured the idea of swimming would frighten this kit. Most apprentices were eager to learn, but they were also older than four moons. If this kit was going to be spending so much time around the water, she needed to know how to swim. “Also: what’s your name?”

( @Wingnettle )

[Wingnettle]

Mintkit (she/her)
White fur with shades of grey and blue eyes

· · ─────── ·✧· ─────── · ·

Did he just offered to teach her how to swim? She'd never thought anyone would teach her until Pikestar gave her a mentor, which should happen in 2 moons. Has he received instructions from him? Or maybe Lilyleaf? Her mother was really nice and would probably worry when she decided to stay alone on the shore. But Slatestripe looked genuinely worried on his own, so maybe he had just decided it on her own.

"Mintkit.." she replied. Did he really think that swimming was scary for her? She liked water, and she had always known that one day she will be swimming like any other cat in Riverclan.
Without waiting for further instructions, she got up and walked slowly into the water until her belly was completely submerged. She didn't mind the cold, and the calmness of the currents made her at ease. What should she do now? She waited for the warrior to come inside and show her.

[@Cherry~]

[occultation]

(So sorry for the late reply!!)

Slatestripe had to admit, he was quite surprised at the kit’s boldness. She didn’t seem afraid of the thought of drowning at all. Maybe it wasn’t even a consideration for her? He shook his head, memories of his own confidence (and recklessness…) as a young kit flooding his mind.

He sat down and curled his tail around his paws. “First, we’ll focus on your front paws. Move your front paws toward you in a scooping motion, like you’re pulling the water toward your body. Keep your front paws under the water the whole time; they should never break the surface.”

He waited for her to practice. He’d never really taught anyone how to swim before, so he hoped he’d do a good job. Slatestripe was an excellent swimmer; it was more a matter of translating that to an explanation.

( @Wingnettle )