The sun was warm as it came into the den, shining brightly on Spottedkit's face, making him scrunch it in protest. It was too early to wake up! Grumbling, he opened his eyes, looking over at the nest where the other kits would normally be. He saw that they were mostly empty except for both Breezekit and Sandkit sleeping away in their nests. His ears flicked at the sound of some cats playing outside. Shakily standing, he padded out of the Nursery, feeling the cold rock of the gorge underpaw. Shaking off a shiver, he pushed past the vines that covered the den.
"Come on, Hawkkit! Just admit you like Applekit!" A shrill voice teased a few pawsteps out of the den. Spottedkit padded towards the teasing to see Nightkit, Hawkkit, and Applekit sitting a few pawsteps near the stream that went through camp, Hawkkit looking incredibly flustered. The three kits had been born a few weeks after Spottedkit and his brother Breezekit had been born. Nightkit was born on her own, and Applekit was born outside of camp. Some cats had gossiped about seeing a kittypet tom and tiny kit that looked close to Applekit's pelt had been walking around out of their territory very close to the camp recently.
Spottedkit padded up to the other kits, flicking his tail in a hello as he approached.
"Uh, hey guys. What's up?" Spottedkit groaned at how squeaky his voice still sounded. "What are you guys playing?"
"Nothing! These she-cat's are bullying me!" Hawkkit whined, throwing back his head. A few snickers came from Nightkit and Applekit standing closeby.
"Oh, sorry to hear-"
"He's just being a baby about it! Come on, hawkkit, we were just teasing!" Nightkit let out a purr of amusement.
"Yeah, sorry if you really got upset over that." Applekit chimed in finally, a smug look on her face.
Spottedkit looked over at the entrance to see Wolfpaw and Hawkpaw walking into the camp with prey and moss in their jaws, Daisypelt following close behind with herbs almost bursting out of her jaws. The she-cat had started to look older, and Spottedkit had heard her coughing a lot during the night. He hoped for the best for the old she-cat. He watched Hawkpaw set down the moss near the Medicine cat den and Daisypelt thanking the apprentice before the two headed their own ways, looking at the moss one final time gave Spottedkit an idea.
Raising his voice to get the younger kits' attention, he tried to speak as clear as he could, "Hey, uh, guys, why don't we play mossball? I think Daisypelt will give us some moss!"
Although he stuttered, the three kits turned at him excitedly, nodding before all getting up and running towards the Medicine Cat's den.
"Last one there has to clean the elders for ticks when we're apprentices!" Nightkit called out, quickly bounding across the thick roots of a fallen tree that crossed the stream, booking it towards the den, Hawkkit and Applekit hot on her paws.
"No fair! You got a head start!" Whined Hawkkit.
"Guess you just gotta go faster, then!" Applekit started to pick up speed, matching Nightkit's speed of running.
Spottedkit smiled at the other kits, watching them run a bit longer before getting up to his paws and chasing after them, heart soaring with glee.