Sun streamed in through the roof of the den, meeting unwilling eyes that blinked open on their own accord due to the starkness of it. "Great StarClan...somecat needs to patch the roof again," Lionkit mumbled.
Without a patched roof, the greenleaf sun became unbearable to be directly under- especially when trying to sleep. Whitekit moaned in agreement, sitting up slowly and stretching.
The kits had matured somewhat. Whitekit's fluffy white coat was sleeker now, her eyes going from their blue of kithood to a soft green; Lionkit's, to a warm golden color, her pelt more smooth and less kit-like every day as well. Four moons had passed.
"Whitekit! Lionkit!" Ashfoot's voice sounded from outside.
The sisters hurried out, not wanting his nagging to wake their mother, who was still asleep in the nest. "Yes?" Whitekit asked, sitting with her tail curling over her paws.
"Keep close watch of how a dawn patrol works. You two will be apprentices soon, and training is vigorous. Can't have you falling behind. Taking on a mentor and learning the code, as well as the skills to hunt and fight, are a great responsibility."
Lionkit resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but didn't, and did as she was told.
"Buzzardtail, take Crowdusk, Onetalon, and Pebblesnow to check the borders," Oakstar announced from the Tall Rock.
Ashfoot turned to the kits. "I'm going too. You get to follow me and remain under my supervision, so you get an intimate look. Patrols are important. We have to make sure StreamClan and the others don't invade our home or take our prey. Without our knowing of course."
Whitekit gave her sister a look that said; "Does he ever shut his muzzle?"
Lionkit's whiskers twitched in a silent agreement, and she even grinned, but only after she was sure the deputy's back was turned.
They had left, but Sorrelfur woke up in a panic. "Where are they?" she cried, emerging from the nursery.
"Buzzardtail?"
Flintcreek trotted up to her, sympathy in her gaze. "Don't worry- Ashfoot took them along on the dawn patrol."
The queen frowned. "What? But they're just kits," she meowed.
Her protest was met with a shrug and an apologetic wave of her tail. "He wanted them to see what it was like so they knew what to expect as apprentices."
Sorrelfur curled her lip and hissed, glancing toward Oakstar's den. "I'll be back."
Dipping her head in thanks to the senior warrior, she padded off and made her way up Tall Rock. The climb was a bit steep, but Sorrelfur was still quite young. "Brother?" she asked, her voice shrinking and peeling away in the depths of the rocky den.
"Come in," came a reply.
The she-cat composed herself. She knew she couldn't be overly emotional about the situation; her brother would dismiss it as a new mother's worries. But it mattered to her.
"I am your sister," she began.
The large tom looked confused- why would she point out this obvious fact?- but nodded.
"You trust me."
Again he nodded, even though it was a statement and not a question. His tabby pelt bristled slightly as the seconds went by. His eyes were unblinking, amber, and calculating her every move, trying to decode her thoughts in an attempt to sway the possible rise of an argument in his favor.
"Then why did you take my kits, they're still just kits, mind you, on a patrol? Without my knowledge?"
Oakstar's calm disposition did not change in the slightest at the face of her claim at all. He did not appear mortified nor amused. He was utterly passive. "They're closer to becoming apprentices than they are being kits," he meowed.
"They are the future of ForestClan. I would never to do anything to harm them, I just think it's good for them to experience these things."
Sorrelfur did not appear convinced.
"It's not going to become a regular thing- I just would like to see my nieces with a leg up in training. Snakepaw nor Sparrowpaw didn't get that benefit, you know," Oakstar finished with a playful wink and twitch of his whiskers.
The queen's hardened resolve crumbled and she gestured a paw toward him, for if he was closer, she would've hit him. "Don't let them hear you say that," she mrrowed.
Oakstar nodded and dipped his head in farewell and dismissal, a smile still present on his lips.
Lionkit and Whitekit had done their best to remain at attention whilst on patrol, listening to Ashfoot explain everything. But a kit is a kit, and eventually the two had begun whispering amongst each other and playfighting, which resulted in a mass of fur on the forest floor, giggling insults and swiping at ears.
The patrol went on, per Ashfoot's command, but the deputy stayed behind, an unamused glint in his eye. "Are you quite finished?" he asked, clearing his threat and standing tall.
"Mouse dung," Lionkit thought.
The two straightened immediately, hanging their heads in apology. "Sorry."
Ashfoot shook his head, letting a very small chuckle tumble from his throat. "I understand- it's a lot to take in- especially in just one day. My favorite thing to do was play with my littermates when I was a kit, not listen to the warriors boss me around."
Whitekit and Lionkit began to smile back, realizing he probably wouldn't punish them. Their tails lashed back and forth over the ground as they nodded with enthusasim.
"Oakstar wanted me to take you. He wants you to excel in training," he explained.
The sisters felt a little better when he said that. Their uncle just wanted the best for them was all. They glanced at each other.
"Don't worry, we can head back now. Your mother may be worried," he mewed.
The siblings got to their paws and proceeded to follow the deputy back to camp, where Sorrelfur greeted them with vigor, grooming them, for which she was shaken off promptly.
"What did you think?" she asked.
The kits gave similar responses: the territory was huge, they couldn't wait to be apprentices to explore it more, but they liked camp too. Their mother gave a laugh, leading them back to the nursery.
Nightfall seemed to arrive speedily, and cats gathered under the halfmoon to share tongues. Oakstar stayed atop Tall Rock, watching as Mintcloud emerged from her den.
"Let us all wish our medicine cat well in her journey to the Starstone as she meets with her fellow medicine cats on the way. Let StarClan guide their paths!" he yowled.
The proclamation was met with cheers and words of encouragement, which Mintcloud took with a nod of gratitude and respect. She knew she must be going soon, for she had already taken the traveling herbs. She easily slipped off past the camp entrance and into the night- not to be back in the safety of ForestClan until sunrise.
Whitekit and Lionkit watched from the nursery, sitting in front of their mother. Buzzardtail was nearby- having brought freshkill to share with his mate. Prey was plentiful, and the Clan took advantage of it.
"The Starstone. I wonder what it's like to go there," Lionkit hummed.
"Me too. I wonder where it is! What it looks like," Whitekit chimed in, staring off in the direction Mintcloud had gone.
With a scoff, Lionkit turned and curled up in the nest, closing her eyes. Whitekit attempted to pounce on her, but her sister batted her away and grumbled about wanting to get sleep; in which, the response she received was something about being "no fun."
Sorrelfur was quick to return to them, wanting sleep as well. Buzzardtail wished his family goodnight before joining his Clanmates that wished to stay up.
The next morning, the Clan was in a bit of a frenzy. They were occupied welcoming Mintcloud back, whilst voicing their concerns about the dark clouds gathering overhead. Storms could be dangerous in greenleaf.
Lionkit watched this all from the den, unable to stay asleep with all the noise. Whitekit's paw dug under her chin- for the sister slept belly up beside her- and Lionkit pushed it away, causing her to wake up as well. Shaking out her white fur and parting her jaws in a gentle yawn, she took in the happenings occurring around camp. She tilted her head and tried to put the pieces together.
Buzzardtail approached, purring at the sight of his kits. "Hello little ones."
Confusion forgotten, the daughters bounded over to their father and rubbed up against him, darting between his paws and trying to climb over his back. Alas, he was too large for them to accomplish this. For now.
He laughed, engaging in some play fighting before sitting back and looking at them. They would be apprentices all too soon, he thought.
"Father, why is the sky dark?"
"Yeah, and why has everyone got their pelt roughed up over it?"
He didn't understand their questions at first, but soon Buzzardtail parted with a nod. "Clouds are coming in. Clouds mean rain, and storms. I don't believe you've ever experienced a storm," he mrrowed.
Whitekit and Lionkit frowned, looking at each other before looking at their father. "Like water falling from the sky? Mama told us about it," Lionkit mewed indignantly.
"Well yes, that's right," their father purred, pressing his nose to the tops of their heads.
He gave a nod, communicating that he had to go, before padding off. A rumble rolled through the sky, deep and powerful. The kits froze at first, staring up in awe. They were away from the confines of the nursery now, they might as well revel in the coming storm out in the openness of camp.
Sorrelfur woke up shortly after, coming to sit with them. "I heard Mintcloud saying that this storm might be bad."
A flash tore through the sky and illuminated everything for a brief moment before another barrage of thunder rippled overhead. Sorrelfur winced. "Lightning can cause fire if it strikes a tree," she explained.
"You don't want to know what fire is like. Trust me."
It wasn't long before the rain began to come down. Quickly, the forest floor became soaked, for the rain was heavy and fast. Oakstar stood on Tall Rock, ears flattened sideways. His brown tabby pelt was darker due to the rain and matted down, his whiskers dripping.
"Everyone to their dens! Ashfoot and myself will come around and make sure everything is ok. If anything happens, we will let you know," he announced.
The few cats that stood out quickly slipped back into their dens. The water was streaming along natural divots in the earth now on the edge of the ForestClan camp. Luckily, all of the dens sat on a ledge, apart of the small cove the camp resided in. It didn't take long for water levels to rise. It would be dangerous for anyone to go down there, kit or otherwise.
Lionkit and Whitekit watched as the freshkill started to be washed away.
"Oh no! We have to save it, that's our prey! The warriors worked hard to catch it!" Whitekit cried.
She had a smirk on, the smirk of a kit who wanted to do something foolish and possibly heroic. But she was almost an apprentice, after all. Without pause, she dove after it, the lower half of her body becoming damp as she landed in the water below.
"Whitekit, no! You mousebrain!" Lionkit yowled, her hackles raised and her legs tensed.
She stood, claws unsheathed as she resisted the urge to run after her sister. Sorrelfur gasped in horror. "Oakstar!" she called.
The leader carefully made his way to the nursery. "What is it?" he asked, looking almost panicked.
"Whitekit was swept away trying to recover the freshkill!" She laid her tail over her daughter's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.
Oakstar's eyes set, and he nodded once. "We'll get her back," he told his sister.
He turned and called Ashfoot to his side, explaining the situation.
Lionkit watched, but couldn't help fear for Whitekit's life. She hoped she would be alright.
StarClan, let everything be alright.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! I love hearing people's' thoughts!
Until next time!