The summer air was hot and dry and Bramblekit mewled with discomfort. "It's hot in here, mamma," she complained.
Her mother, Owlflower, chuckled. "Why not go outside and play with your brothers?" she asked, waving her tail in the direction of the nursery entrance. There, the squeals of Bramblekit's littermates, Dustkit and Carpkit, could be heard.
"All they do is fight," said Bramblekit with distaste. "I don't like that. It's boring. I wanna hear a story."
"Which one?"
"Umm...about how our camp was found?" The story of how Lavenderheart, then an apprentice, had found what was now Cherryclan's camp was one of the many stories that the cats of Cherryclan took pride in.
"Alright," sighed the queen, preparing herself for yet another recital of the lengthy story. "It goes like this..."
Carppelt looked stealthily to her kits, then back at the human. It was a losing battle, as the human held a net and with one swing, would easily capture her. "Go," she hissed to the three kits hidden in the shadow of a nearby trashcan, shivering as they watched the silent battle play out. The tom, biggest of the three, shook his head as he prepared to step out. Wherever his mother was going, he wanted to be with her.
"No, Birchkit," whispered one of his sisters, a dark ginger tabby. She put a paw on his back, ready to pin him if necessary. Birchkit hissed in reply but pulled back. "Mother said we have to go," Cherrykit murmured. "C'mon."
Cherrykit sprang free of the shadow with her siblings, Birchkit and Pikekit, momentarily surprising the human who lost sight of his target briefly. Taking advantage of the confusion, Carppelt ran in one direction and her kits in the other, thinking they were soon to be reunited. This was never to be, however, as Carppelt was captured and lived as a house cat for the rest of her days while her three kits made their way to Hibiscus, their mother's friend, who took them in after hearing their story.