Leafpool walked into the queen's den, the soft sound of newborn kittens mewing ever so softly. Leafpool could also smell Ferncloud's sweet milk that flooded the nursery. Gently placing the borage next to Ferncloud, the two of them gently bumped heads together. Ferncloud purred softly as she then pulled away from Leafpool to lick her three new kits on the heads.
Firestar then walked in, his orange fur practically glowing in the sun. He chuckled softly as he looked down at the new addition to the clan.
"Have you thought of names for them yet?" Firestar asked her as he sat down staring at the three kits. Ferncloud purred softly as she gently brought her head down to point to each kit. The first one was a soft gray tabby tom with thin black stripes and he had a thick fluffy tail with a white tip at the end of it.
"This is Rockkit."
She moved on to the next kit resting between the two, a brown she-cat with pure white paws and white ears with a white tip at the end of her bushy tail.
"This is Barkkit"
Ferncloud then finished at the last kit, another she-cat. A black and cream tortoiseshell, unlike her siblings she had a thin tail, all together she seemed sleeker, her tail seemed oddly out of place as it was cream from the base to the tip.
"This little bundle is Petalkit." Ferncloud purred softly as she gently licked the final kit across the head. Petalkit mewed softly and gently reached upwards towards her mother poking her little claws out.
"Well, I shall allow you to rest, Congratulations, Ferncloud." Firestar purred as he walked away out of the den. Leafpool chuckled softly to the queen and then turned her attention to Sorreltail, the queen started to laugh as her two kits,
Spottedkit, a black and white tom with spots littered all over his fur, with two pure black front paws, was currently chewing on a piece of bark that Darkkit, another tom cat, he was dark brown with pure black tabby stripes with thick fur, Darkkit narrowed his dark green eyes and batted the stick out of Spottedkit's mouth, which in turn caused Spottedkit to tackle his brother.
"They should be apprentices any day now, Sorreltail." Leafpool purred at the queen as the two toms continued to tumble about in their play fight. It ended when Spottedkit fell in front of the newborns on his back.
"Meanwhile, I feel like I'll never give birth." Daisy softly spoke, her belly swollen full of kits.
"In due time, Daisy, in due time," Leafpool told her as she pushed some herbs towards the she-cat. Daisy could only sigh and reach over to eat up the borage.
"I will leave, just let me know if any of you need anything." Leafpool bowed her head before walking out. Ferncloud could only purr softly as she looked down at each of her kits, Slowly Barkkit lets go of her mother's nipple and started to wobble towards Sorreltail's kits.
"No, no, over here little one." Ferncloud leaned down and picked up her small kit and brought her towards her stomach once more.
Barkkit opened her mouth, but no sound come out of her mouth, Ferncloud only tilted her head but then shrugged and licked Barkkit's head softly. Gently wrapping herself around all three of her kit's Ferncloud gently shut her eyes and went to sleep.
Around two moons's passed without an incident, Spottedkit and Darkkit both became apprentices and had their names changed to Spottedpaw and Darkpaw.
Rockkit, Barkkit, and Petalkit were now walking and talking, well...Two of them were talking, Barkkit still hasn't spoken a word. Rockkit, Ferncloud, and Leafpool all tried to get the small kit to speak, but whenever she opened her mouth nothing ever came out.
"Could she be faking?" Dustpelt asked as he watched Barkkit play with her littermates.
"I don't know..." Ferncloud breathed with a headshake.
"Only one way to find out." Dustpelt suddenly left Ferncloud's side and walked up behind Barkkit, the small kit paid him no mind as she and Rockkit started to swat the air, clearly trying to swat one another but failing miserably. With no warning, Dustpelt suddenly put all his weight on one foot as he stamped Barkkit's tail.
Barkkit's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to yowl out in pain, but nothing came out. Everyone stopped and watched as Barkkit jumped and moved her tail out from under her father's paw, they watched as she silently and frantically licked her tail.
Dustpelt turned his gaze to Ferncloud who looked down as the realization that Barkkit wasn't faking.
Leafpool frowned and trotted over, sniffing a bit, she sat in front of Barkkit and gently tapped her tail,
"Barkkit, come over here," Leafpool ordered, the was a moment of hesitation from the young kit, before she slowly and bashfully walked up to Leafpool, her ears down as she did so. Leafpool leaned down and let out a curious hum.
"Barkkit, come here," Ferncloud spoke from behind the kit, Barkkit turned and happily ran to her mother. Smiling up at Ferncloud, Barkkit rubbed affectionately against Ferncloud.
"What's wrong with her?" Petalkit asked with a slight sneer, disgust in her voice, and Leafpool frowned deeply.
"I don't know...I don't think she can talk." Leafpool breathed out as she looked down at Barkkit.
"I'm sure she can talk! She has to be able to talk. Barkkit, Just say my name." She ordered Barkkit to do, Barkkit opened her mouth and spoke, but nothing came out.
"Barkkit, this joke isn't funny-" Dustpelt started but Leafpool sighed gaining all the attention.
"Dustpelt, She's not speaking, you stepped on her tail and she didn't make a sound. I think she might have a condition where she can't speak."
"But she can purr! I heard her as I was grooming her! How can she purr but not speak!?" Ferncloud demanded as she held Barkkit close to her stomach.
"I don't know, but...Let's give her another moon, if she doesn't talk, then maybe...We might need to talk to Firestar about her being disabled." Leafpool bowed her head slightly as she backed away. Ferncloud frowned before looking down at Barkkit, her kit looked up at her and smiled.
"Barkkit, let's play!" Rockkit happily crouched down ready to pounce. Barkkit ran up to him and the two started to tumble about. Ferncloud turned her gaze towards Petalkit, who now had her head up in the air as she refused to look at Barkkit.
"I'm not playing with her." Petalkit simply said before strolling into the nursery with her head high in the air. Ferncloud just sighed out and laid back down on her nesting, reaching over, she grabbed Petalkit by the scruff of her neck and dragged her daughter under her so she could properly groom her.
"Barkkit will talk soon, don't be this way, Petalkit." Ferncloud sternly told her daughter between licks.
The moon came and went and Daisy had her kits, well, kit, she had one kit, a full cream colored she-cat named Softkit. Aside from that, and Sandstorm moving into the nursery, much to her dismay, nothing really changed. Barkkit still hasn't spoken a word, and it's gotten everyone concerned.
"Ok, just open your mouth and try to form the word 'Hello.'" Sandstorm ordered her to do. Barkkit opened her mouth, she mouthed the word but nothing came out of her mouth. Sandstorm frowned, then ordered her to do it again, Barkkit seemed annoyed as her ears lowered a bit and her eyes narrowed. She did so again, but once again, nothing happened. Sandstorm this time mimicked Barkkit's annoyed look and sighed.
Petalkit was off to the side, her ears lowered as she watched the two interact, frowning the kitten ran up to her mother and let out a whine.
"My stomach hurts." She let out a pitiful whine as she tucked herself under her mother's arm. Ferncloud let out a soft airy chuckle.
"Is that so? You were fine just moment's ago." Ferncloud giggled softly and Petalkit lets out another whine.
"It just started..."
"Really?"
"It hurts so bad..."
"Then I guess I should get Leafpool-"
"It doesn't hurt that bad!"
"Petalkit..."
Petalkit moved from under her mother and lowered her ears bitterly.
"Fine, I don't have a stomachache."
"You know better than to lie to me, Petalkit. What's going on?" Ferncloud asked and Petalkit just looked away, her cheeks puffed out bitterly as she sat there.
"Nothing...Nothing. Forget it." With that, she bounded away.
"Just. Say. Sandstorm." Sandstorm ordered Barkkit, the kit at this point grew rather bored and just started to bat around a small ball of moss and soon started to chase it. Sandstorm let out a sigh and shook her head,
"Ferncloud, I think you should speak to Leafpool about her..." Sandstorm told Ferncloud as she watched Barkkit play with the ball of moss.
"I...I know...Do you think she'll have to be a medicine cat apprentice?"
"I don't know. It's the end of the world if she is, Leafpool could use an apprentice."
"Yeah. I know...I know." Ferncloud sighed and just crossed her paws.
"Hi, Barkkit." Spottedpaw greeted the brown she-cat warmly, Barkkit looked up at Spottedpaw and flicked her ear slightly at him.
"Here watch me, lower yourself to the ground, that way, you can pounce better on the moss ball," Spottedpaw told her as he got low to the ground, slowly Barktail mimicked his movement and got low to the ground.
"Lower, your flank is too high." He pressed his paw to her flank and lowered her a bit more. "There that's good...Now...Pounce!" He ordered and she did so, landing on the ball, she silently cheered as she then swatted the ball away.
"Then again...She shows promise." Ferncloud chuckled as she watched Barktail play with the moss ball, Petalkit stood outside the den watching her littermate and could only narrow her eyes and lower her ears.
"She better not...She doesn't deserve it.." Petalkit whispered, swallowing hard, Petalkit, turned and walked away, her tail high in the air. Her sister doesn't deserve any of it, none of the attention she's gotten from everyone, none of it. Petalkit was going to prove that Barkkit was faking it if it was the last thing she did.