Sorrelfur was an attentive mother. Anyone could see that. In the first few sunrises after her kitting, Buzzardtail, Mintcloud, and Oakstar had come to see her.
Her mate was ecstatic to watch the growth of his precious kits. On the other hand, the ForestClan leader was more like analyzing them, as if sizing them up and trying to determine what kind of warriors they would be, wordlessly.
This sunrise, Sorrelfur had noticed something amazing. Buzzardtail had just returned from dawn patrol, slipping in the den the moment he heard her excited mews. "They've opened their eyes!"
A loud purr rumbled from the tom's chest, and his eyes were alight with pride. The kits could see now, albeit barley, but they could see. They squirmed about on wavering legs, their plump bodies wobbling as they made their way about the nest.
"M-mama?" a small voice said, kneading at their mother's side.
A delighted expression consumed the faces of both parents, who looked down at Whitekit. "Whitekit! Yes, I'm your mama," Sorrelfur meowed.
Another week had passed since then. Whitekit and Lionkit were walking more steadily now, playing games in the nursery and begging to go outside the den to explore camp. To be expected.
"I wanna be Lionstar! You can be my deputy, White..."
"My warrior name is Whitefire! You keep forgetting," Whitekit chided her sister with a playful nudge.
Lionkit nestled closer to her sister. "Mama is an enemy warrior. We have to take her down," she whispered.
"ForestClan, attack!" she yowled, flattening her ears before leaping on her mother, followed by Whitekit.
Sorrelfur made a noise of surprise, turning her head to watch her two little ones clamber over her, tiny claws unsheathed as to more easily make their way up her pelt.
With a sigh and a purr, she gently nudged them off of her. "Tell you what- if we make a Clan truce, I'll show you around camp. How does that sound? I am at your mercy, brave warriors," she mewed.
Smirking, she dipped her head in play submission.
The sisters, pleased, looked between each other and silently agreed in an instant. "Alright. We will not harm you, but you are our prisoner and you must show us around your territory," Whitekit proclaimed.
The queen stood, waving her tail to have her kits follow her from the den. She was quick to make it past the leader's den. "That's where Oakstar stays. He's come to see you a few times," she explained.
Whitekit and Lionkit had to make up for their shorter legs by almost running after Sorrelfur, taking in everything around them with bright blue eyes and awed expressions.
"There's the medicine den. Mintcloud stays there- she's come to see you too- and take care of you."
"It smells weird over there," Lionkit remarked, wrinkling her nose.
Sorrelfur glanced behind her to make sure they were close. This tour would tire them out, she knew, but she was glad they would enjoy it. The Clan overall might enjoy seeing new faces prance about camp and play soon, too. "There's the warrior den. It's where your father stays."
"It's so big!" Whitekit cried, smiling.
The mother purred and nodded in agreement. She remembered feeling the same way when she saw camp for the first time. "The elders' den. No one stays in there," she mewed passively.
"Elders...?" Lionkit inquired.
"Cats that are too old to hunt or fight for the Clan anymore. And it seems all elders are great storytellers," Sorrelfur elaborated with a chuckle.
With a haughty laugh, Lionkit pranced out in front of her sibling and mother. "I'll never be too old to fight. I'm gonna live forever, I'll be the best warrior!"
Whitekit smiled deviously and pounced on her sister. "Oh yeah?"
Sorrelfur sat and watched, amused. They were in the center of camp, so the ground was soft enough for them to tussle safely. Warriors returning from patrol glanced over as they passed by, grinning. A few even stopped.
"So these are the fabled young ones, eh?" Ashfoot, the deputy commented.
She couldn't tell if he was mocking disdain or if he was sincerely unimpressed. Not that it was unusual of Ashfoot to behave that way. "Yes," she replied.
"They've got energy," the tom added, his tail tip flicking in the air.
The queen let her guard down a bit, giving him a nod. "That they do."
Turning to face him fully, Sorrelfur's blue eyes filled with curiosity. "What about you? You're a seasoned warrior- in the best kind of way- with status. I've never seen you try and take a mate, have kits."
Ashfoot became rigid, though he managed a shrug that seemed to convey disinterest. "StarClan knows."
"I mean, your kits certainly would make fine warriors. Our ranks aren't great. We're a small Clan. Just a thought," she meowed.
The deputy just stared at her for a few moments before standing and walking off. Sorrelfur exhaled and let her attention be re-captured by her own litter. Quickly, Ashfoot's sullen tone in the previous conversation dissipated.
The sisters broke apart before tearing into a game of chase. Sorrelfur didn't bother constantly turning and twisting to keep her eye directly on them, so she let them tire themselves out. Being not even a moon old yet, it didn't take long.
By now it was just past sunhigh. She gently herded her kits back to the nursery. Safely tucked into the nest, the kits were out cold within heartbeats.
Sorrelfur sat at the entrance of the den, watching Buzzardtail approach. "Hello," he mewed.
He pressed his nose to hers before glancing past her at the kits. "I heard you showed them around camp?" he asked.
"They enjoyed it," she purred.
Buzzardtail nodded his head toward the freshkill pile, letting his mate follow. She picked out a squirrel, and they made their way to a shaded area to share.
A/N: Next chapter: we're pretty much past the *kits discover camp and romp around* stage, and we get to delve a little more into everyone's character. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Stay tuned!
