The moon drew shadows over the highlands, tracing them with each careful stroke. Tonight, it was relatively quiet, with only the occasional rustle of bracken and hoot of an owl to give away that this wasn't just an elaborate painting. A furry heads poked out of a well-woven thistle den. Then another. And another. Until four tiny, two-moon-old kits were exiting their nest, pelts quivering with excitement. A grin on the gray-black she-kit in the lead portrayed her emotion for the expedition, but she seemed to be the only one feeling that way. The light brown tabby at the back looked worried, her tail bushed and tall, her hackles lifted, and she jumped at every hoot of the owl they'd already seen flying by more than once. The dark gray tom on the lead kit's left was just plain tired, his smaller, more agile frame unable to keep up as well as the others. And the darker, nearly black brown tom was unreadable, his eyes as distant as the mountains beyond.
"So?" The light brown tabby finally had the courage to ask. "Where are we going, Sage?"
"You'll see, Robin," the leading she-kit promised, surveying the landscape with a quick glance before turning around to her brothers and sister. "This is really cool, I promise. Eagle! Get your head out of the clouds!"
Snapping back to the present, gulping, Eagle nodded. His wide green eyes, now focused more intently, rested on Sage. "Yeah? What?"
Rolling her eyes, she turned to the remaining member of their tiny patrol.
"Rock? Are you okay?"
The tom had fallen even further behind, eventually just stopping and resting, his breathing labored.
"Yeah," he gasped. "Can we, just, slow down?"
Nodding reluctantly, more intent on the her brother's health than the destination, Sage trotted back a few paces to where he rested.
"I want to go home to Hollow and Grouse," Eagle decided, heading backthe way they came. Sage stopped him with a flick of her tail.
"We haven't even been there yet!" She exclaimed, exasperated.
"We're all exhausted. Let's have Hollow bring us here in the morning while Grouse is hunting."
Annoyed by the point her sister was making, she sighed. "Fine. We'll head back to the nest. But I am coming back tomorrow. With all of you."
After an agreeing nod from her siblings, they began their trek back to the nest in the waning light of the crescent moon.