Lionkit was playing with Snowkit and Mistlekit because her mother still wouldn't let her out of the nursery. I am a moon old already, she thought. Why can't I see camp!?
Her brother, Bramblekit, pounced on from behind and she fell onto her belly. She let out a muffled "oof". This startled Snowkit, who couldn't hear him coming and Bramblekit looked anxious as he seemed to be wondering who to apologize to.
Lionkit quickly pulled herself from under Bramblekit and sat next to a giggling Mistlekit. Bramblekit dipped his head. "Um.. Sorry Mistlekit!" Mistlekit purred. "No need!" she mewed. "Snowkit is just deaf, he can see that you are sorry!" Snowkit sat next to the other side of his sister and glanced at Bramblekit.
"I knoowww," Snowkit mewed, his voice distorted from being unable to hear sounds, but rather vibrations. "Pleeez don't snek up on me next time." Lionkit had to stop herself at laughing at Snowkit's voice and a glare from Mistlekit definitely helped. "Sorry!" Lionkit squeaked, running to Goldenflower.
She purposely hid under her mother's tail as a joke. She peeked her face out and gaze a silly smirk. This woke up Tawnykit who glanced at Goldenflower for some clarification. Goldenflower sighed lifting up her tail, leaving Lionkit to ask the same question she asked that morning. "Can we see the camp yet, mother?" Lionkit stared up at her mother, her amber eyes begging.
Goldenflower sighed inwardly. "I suppose you three," she paused giving a soft look at Bramblekit, who was still playing with Mistlekit and Snowkit. "Are getting too rambunctious for the nursery. You might as well explore with Snowkit and Mistlekit."
Lionkit sprang up excitedly. "Really?" she asked. "No lies?" Tawnykit stood up and glanced at her mother, a confused look fogging her green eyes. "We're going outside?" she asked. Bramblekit froze, his amber eyes widening, allowing Snowkit to actually pin him. Goldenflower nodded. "You five can see the camp until sunfall," she mewed. "And maybe Willowpelt can get some sleep as well."
The very pale gray queen raised her head tiredly. "Don't worry about them, Goldenflower," she sighed. "I can manage." "I'll watch them," Speckletail murmured, glancing at her daughter. Goldenflower nodded. "Thank you Speckletail," she mewed.
Lionkit was the first one to dart outside the nursery, Tawnykit just behind her. "It's so huge!" she mewed, as Bramblekit, Mistlekit, and Snowkit peeked outside. She turned to see a pale gray tom with darker flecks exit another den. "Is that Ashpaw?" Lionkit mewed. She knew he had become an apprentice a few days ago, but she never really personally knew the tom. Mistlekit nodded. "That's him," she replied.
Lionkit ran up to Ashpaw to ask him about what it was like to be an apprentice. "What's hunting like?" she asked. "Battle training?" Ashpaw chuckled awkwardly. "Well, it requires lots of skill and teaching," he replied. "But you should ask Swiftpaw, because I have a patrol to join." Ashpaw padded over to the other side of the camp, where a bright ginger tom, a fluffy white apprentice, and a dark brown tabby tom stood.
Lionkit frowned and Mistlekit sat next to her with Snowkit tagging along. Tawnykit ducked into the den and Lionkit dashed in after her. Tawnykit was on top of their older half-brother and he was frowning. "I suppose you want to ask about my apprenticeship," Swiftpaw muttered, clawing at the ground. Bramblekit nodded as he trudged into the den as well. "Well," he grunted. "We'll have to talk outside." He cast a sidelong glance at another flecked cat, who Lionkit knew was Fernpaw. She yawned as she tucked her nose under her tail.
…
It was dark when the five kits returned to the nursery. Speckletail was carrying Lionkit by the scruff and that made all the other kits follow. "Swiftpaw had so much more to say!" Lionkit complained. "Why can't we listen to his whole story!?" Speckletail sighed, her voice muffled. "Goldenflower wanted you five back by sunfall," she mewed. "Not by moonrise."
Speckletail put Lionkit down next to Goldenflower's belly. "She gets more like her father every day," she muttered. "I remember him always being so excited. He and Whitestorm would get into trouble so often, that Bluestar had to keep them away from Goosefeather." She rolled her eyes. "It turns out that Goosefeather was right about him."
Lionkit glanced up at Speckletail as Tawnykit and Bramblekit settled down next to her. "Right about what?" she asked. Speckletail shook her head. "You'll understand when you are older," she rasped. Lionkit yawned. "I want to be older now!" She blinked, her eyelids were heavy. I want to know who my father was, she decided as she fell asleep.