Submission (#1274) Approved

The day was ripe with possibilities. A tiny form trotted softly leaving only small imprints in the fresh powder as the only hint of life for miles, the gentle crunching of his feet was the only thing he could hear. He looked out towards the horizon through the forest of white branches glistening and heavy with the weight of snow. It was midday, the sky bright and vibrant mirroring the landscape ahead of him with white wisps dancing in slow motion as far as the eye could see. Only small bits of blue broke through the monotony. Everything was silent and calm. Quietness like this was only experienced in this region the little kittom had called home for so long; Strynhalde.

A breeze blew over the landscape and he fluffed his fur. The chill of the air didn't bother him, he had taken after his mother greatly with his neck and all four legs being covered in long thick fur. The wind died down and he shook little flecks of frost off his fur creating a glistening mass of reds, yellows, teals, and blacks. He was striking in appearance, if not some of his elegance thrown off by the fact that he was always running around making a mess of himself. His mother would surely give him a good tongue bath when he got back to their den. He shivered at the thought and suddenly bolted off straight ahead.

"Where should I go today..?" He thought, glancing around at the scenery. The burrows, perhaps? No, the animals there might get mad at him again. He didn't understand why they'd want to sleep all the time when there's so many fun things they could do! He had tried showing them last time but a very grumpy ball of fluff bit the nose he so carelessly stuck into their hole before screeching at him to leave. He could try climbing the rocks to get up to his favorite sunning spot but the fresh snow would make that difficult. The thought of his paw slipping so far up made him disregard that idea quickly. He looked around and his eye caught a bright sheen in the distance.

"The river!" It had been a while since he'd been over there. Quickly changing directions he bolted off with a spring in his step towards the water. A small shadow appeared on the ground next to him and he glanced up to see a black bird following above him.

"Helloooo!" He let out an enthusiastic mew up towards the bird. It merely glanced down at him not breaking its glide. The kittom smiled, he loved every creature he met and was grateful for the company, even if they couldn't speak directly.

Coming up upon the edge of the water he slowed his pace to an even brisk walk, his breath creating a small cloud of fog in front of his face. The water had frozen over the night before but it wasn't frozen solid yet. Colorful fish swam just beneath the surface, the thin layer of ice creating a perfect lens to view them. The fresh water was so clear one could nearly make out the bottom of the shallow river at the right angle. He stayed still at the river's edge for a while, ears perked towards the small forms drifting around effortlessly. He swayed his tail gently across the snow soundlessly watching and admiring them and all their varied colors.

One small fish swam tantalizingly close to the young kittom and in an instant his eyes widened and he struck out a paw to pap the fish on the head but all he got was a solid thunk! of it hitting the ice instead. Now he'd done it, he scared off all the fish. Feeling silly at the realization of his impulse he huffed and got up, eager to find something else interesting to do now that his entertainment was gone.

He looked around frowning slightly. While there was a lot to do here he had felt like he'd already done everything. This was his home, his territory, it was where he was born. He had made himself familiar with it since he was a wobbly, wriggling nugget stumbling out of his den, much to his parents' dismay. Every tree and every rock had no mystery left in it anymore. And while he never got lost and could always find his way around he felt as if that took a lot of the fun out of being out and exploring. He sighed and pawed at the snow, even making sculptures became dull when there was a never ending supply of snow and his friends weren't around for a snowball fight.

A nearby caw broke through his contemplation. The bird was perched up on a tree branch still keeping one shining black eye on him.

"Do you want to play with me?" The bird answered by flying off and disappearing into the distance.

"Well fine then, I didn't want to play anyway..." He muttered under his breath. At that moment he caught sight of a long bright cyan tail swaying in the distance.

"Mama!" He started rushing over as fast as he could, his spark quickly coming back to him. He caught up to her in no time and she turned around and smiled at him.

"I thought I'd find you out here, Kai. What have you been up to?" He told her about the fish and the bird though he lost his usual energetic steam halfway through. She tilted her head at him and nudged him with her cheek.

"What's wrong, Kai? It's not like you to be so down." He paused for a moment and shifted, looking away from her.

"There's nothing left to do here." His mother chuckled and replied, "Of course there is, dear. You've always found something to do no matter where you go."

"But there's nothing new anymore! When I turn over a rock I know what kinds of bugs are going to be under it. I know every single tree in the forest and know where all the good berries are growing. I want to be surprised again and find new places to explore! I want to see the city! And fields of grass! And what if the sky looks different somewhere else? I wouldn't know."

The grey spotted Elnin softened her features and smiled gently at him. She knew this day would come but it didn't make it any less bittersweet. She had always known he was an adventurer at heart from the moment he opened his bright, shining teal eyes but she still hadn't expected this moment to come so soon.

"I think it's time for you to go exploring." She said after a pause and he turned his head at her curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, isn't there a place you've always wanted to go? I've seen you looking at those maps of yours a lot lately."

He perked up, his face brightening. "I really want to go see Kyendi! I love the forests here but the forests in Kyendi are nothing like what we have. I've heard they're huge and go on forever! And they're filled with all kinds of plants and animals that I've never seen before. And they have so many waterfalls, like, everywhere you go! And even floating islands! That's so cool!!"

"Kyendi, hm? It'll be a long journey, you know. Kyendi is very far away from here." She said, her long elegant tail coming down to meet her side.

"Yeah, I know, but I think I can do it! I've read a lot about adventuring and dad has shown me a lot of stuff! My friend really wants to go too, so I won't be going alone, don't worry."

She beamed at him and headbutted him gently. "What are you waiting for then? I think you should be getting packed right now, don't you?" He smiled so wide he felt like his cheeks were going to fall off. He was ecstatic. This was finally it - his moment to start his journey as an adventurer! A real adventurer! Without hesitation he bolted off towards their den.

"I'll see you back at home!" He called back to her over his shoulder, his speckled tail fluffed in excitement bouncing after him. She looked on at her son slowly disappearing into the white landscape and lowered her tail, her ears laying not nearly as perked as a moment prior. She turned her gaze upwards and saw the clouds had closed in on the last remaining specks of blue. Small snowflakes had already begun falling once more, dusting her pelt and making it catch the light and shimmer. With a slow blink she gradually made her way back towards their den to help him pack for his quest.