This Is Mine

[Darky [Megan]]

A great discovery had been made. Yes, indeed.
Amberkit sat, looking downwards, at what he knew was a pool of treasure..

Water.

The pool of water itself was a very shallow puddle, about a feet wide all around. but the kit had not found so much as a drop yesterday and he had spent a long while stumbling around, avoiding strange cats and approaching others who had just pushed him away.

But now, he told himself, smirking in delight and furiously rubbing his paws together, now he had a small pool of water, and this would be his territory from now on. He set about doing what he had seen numerous other cats doing - he got up and carved a large semi-circle around him (for his territory was right up against the wall), with the water pool in its center, then sat down to admire his handywork.

He looked around, wondering if any cats might try to come and challenge him for his territory.

[duckyaisha]

Rainstripe was thirsty. It felt like there was sand coating her throat and tongue, but unfortunately, she hadn't been able to find any water in a while. The thick fur that protected her during cold nights wasn't helping. It was hard to find water in the dry season, she knew that, but this was ridiculous! There must be some water around.

She walked along the wall, feeling safe and secure as she searched. The gray tabby she-cat didn't want to venture beyond her safe haven. Finally, she saw it. A pool of water, guarded by only a kit. Her yellow-green eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Now, how to get it. Maybe she could run up and drink and ignore the little kit when he started to attack. That would work, but she didn't want to get injured. Well, she really needed the water. Immediately, Rainstripe burst out and ran to the pool, then began lapping up the cool liquid in great gulps.

[Darky [Megan]]

Amberkit squealed, half with fright and half with anger, when Rainstripe bounded over and began to slurp up his lovely water.

"STOPSTOPSTOP!" The kit growled furiously, and lashed at the she-cat with his sharp little claws. "You're trespasassing! That's MY water! Mine! Stooop!" The kit didn't know if the she-cat was listening at all, but he went on flailing and shouting at her. The bigger cat was licking up his water so fast it looked as if it might all be gone in a few more seconds.

[duckyaisha]

Rainstripe grimaced as the kit's sharp claws penetrated her thick fur, but she drank until her thirst had been quenched. Only then did she leap back across the half circle and lick her wounds. Amberkit had gotten her pretty good in some places, and it stung to draw her tongue across the cuts. "Sorry, kit, I was thirsty," she meowed apologetically. "I hadn't had anything to drink since yesterday," she explained, knowing that it wouldn't make a bit of difference to the kit.

[Darky [Megan]]

Amberkit, seeing red and furious as he was, stopped lashing out with his claws the second Rainstripe retreated. He listened half-hearted to the cat's words, but surprisingly, some of the rage he felt melted away when he caught the word 'thirsty'.

He turned his back to the she-cat, sitting down in a sulky position, and muttered, "I knows what if's like to be thirshty, but you coulda asked 'stead of wunning at me and jumpin' on my water ..."

The kit, not familiar with territory-guarding etiquette, proceeded to launch into a hissing ramble about manners.

[duckyaisha]

"Well, if you had known I wanted a drink, you might not've let me and I might've lost my chance a drink," she explained. Really, Rainstripe didn't care that much about what other cats thought about her, especially not a pesky kitten. She was planning to leave soon anyway. She'd gotten what she'd wanted in the first place.

[Gosh]

'Is that what I think it is?' a black tom thought as he watched the two cats from a distance. But he paid no mind to the kit and the she-cat. His eyes only saw the gleaming puddle of water. He licked his dry lips and padded up to them.

"Excuse me," he meowed to the she-cat, assuming she was the mother of the kit and that they had found the water. "I am quite thirsty and I was wondering if I could have just a few sips of that puddle you have here." Nightbreeze did not beg, but he did not try to look threatening.

[duckyaisha]

Rainstripe immediately backed away as the black tom approached. She hadn't been fearful around the kit because it was a rare and desperate occasion in which she had made the first move. After withstanding an attack from him, she wasn't much scared of the small bundle of fur. But this, this was different. The black tom was a stranger, an adult cat, and though he hadn't sounded threatening, he scared Rainstripe, like most unknown cats did. It was in her interest to get as far away as possible, but still able to see Amberkit in case the black tom had only been holding back from attacking because she was there. She wanted to defend him, since he was just a kit, after all.

[Darky [Megan]]

"Yeah, well ... You dunno what I might'f done and anyways, you isn't the only thirsty one around here ..."

Amberkit's ears perked at the new voice and he leapt around, sulkiness evaporating. "Now there - he asked for my water!" the kit stated, in a loud voice, then paused. The look on the older she-cat's face was troubling to the kit. It looked worried, frightened even. It was a face he had seen on his parents many times before ...

Amberkit turned to the black tom and looked him up and well ... up again. He didn't seem so menacing. "Well ..." he began, remembering that he had a question to answer to. "You can haff a drink, just don't finish up the water."

[Gosh]

Nightbreeze nodded and padded forward a few more steps. Then he stopped, dipped his head, and lapped up some of the water. When he raised his head, he stepped back and meowed, "Thank you, kit. What is your name? I am Nightbreeze."