"Please Ivystar."
Lilyfeather sat outside the leader's den with her three kits playing just behind her. The grey tabby leader was pacing in front of her with her tail lashing.
"Ivystar," Lilyfeather meowed. "My kits need to know who their father is. They're three moons old now and I have been buried in questions about why their father has never met them."
"You should have thought about that before," Ivystar hissed. She glanced over to the kits scornfully. "And how do I know you're not just trying to escape?"
"I am a loyal FrostClan warrior," Lilyfeather hissed.
Ivystar stopped pacing and faced the tabby queen, deep in thought. An idea popped into her head. "Very well!" she meowed almost too cheerfully. "You and your beautiful kits can go meet Cloudfur. I will send two warriors with you to escort you safely to their camp."
"I don't need—."
"Flamefoot, Goldenwhisker!" Ivystar called. The two named cats instantly bounded over to the small group and dipped their heads. Curious, Eagletalon followed them when he noticed Ivystar talking to Lilyfeather. "Escort Lilyfeather and her two—uh, three— beautiful kits to MistClan so they can talk to Cloudfur."
The two warriors looked slightly confused but nevertheless, followed Lilyfeather and the three kits out of the camp. Eagletalon grinned at Ivystar. "Have you finally gotten rid of the little white rat?"
Ivystar let out a sigh. "Not yet," she admitted before she purred maliciously. "But, we'll soon see where her loyalties lie."
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Snowkit let out squeaks of happiness as she bounced around, taking all of the sights in. It's all so amazing! She sniffed the air and smelt the scent of the trees and the grass, purring in delight.
A lot had happened since Thunderwing and Willowstep's vigil. The nursery had gotten so crowded since a she-cat named Aspenfang had moved into it, expecting kits within the next moon or so. Snowkit couldn't wait to have new friends to play with, especially now since she never saw Hawkkit or Hailkit anymore. Brackenheart always took them out to teach them basic moves since they were now six moons old and were going to be apprenticed soon.
Goldenwhisker huffed as Snowkit suddenly smelt something new and different. The earthy and interesting, yet slightly pungent scent wafted around her nose and she purred. "What's that smell?"
Flamefoot and Goldenwhisker shared a glance. "We're at the MistClan border. What you're smelling is the MistClan cats' scent. Filthy, disgusting creatures."
"We'll stay here and wait for a patrol," Flamefoot grunted.
"You don't need to stay, Flamefoot," Lilyfeather meowed. "We'll be fine. Cloudfur won't kill his own kits."
"We were given direct orders," Goldenwhisker huffed. "We are loyal to our leader and we will follow her directions."
Lilyfeather growled softly, but she heard a shuffling in the leaves and pricked her ears. She pushed Rosekit, Robinkit and Snowkit behind a bush, hiding them under the large leaves.
Goldenwhisker had apparently heard the same thing. She lowered herself into a pouncing position and let out a low growl. "I can hear a MistClan patrol." She gestured for Lilyfeather to walk up to the border which the tabby she-cat did.
The patrol passed them, growling and they sent over a blue-grey tom. He ran up to the group of FrostClan cats snarling. "Take one more step, FrostClan cat and I'll slice you into crow-food!"
"Calm down," Lilyfeather meowed calmly. "We only want to talk to Cloudfur."
"Whatever he's been accused of—!"
Flamefoot stepped forwards, growling. "He has not been accused of anything yet, Bluefang. Take us to your camp so we may talk to him."
"Do you think I'm mouse-brained?" Bluefang laughed. "I'm not going to take you to our camp. I'll bring him here and you may talk to him from your side."
He flicked his tail and sprinted away, disappearing into the mist surrounding their side of the forest.
"He's really fast!" Robinkit mewed in awe.
"All MistClan cats are, Robinkit," Goldenwhisker meowed. "While they got the speed, we got the brains."
"And the obvious good looks too!" Flamefoot pointed out as he purred in amusement.
The three kits all purred at Flamefoot's comment and the orange tom glanced down at them, noticing Snowkit's white pelt.
"Well... most of us did..." he added quietly.
Bluefang suddenly emerged from the mist, followed by a majestic white tom. The blue warrior ran up to the FrostClan cats snarling. "If any of you cross the border, we'll rip your entire Clan to shreds!" he growled.
Goldenwhisker's eyes blazed with fury. "If Cloudfur touches Lilyfeather, he'll wish he was never born!" She lashed her tail and both she and Flamefoot left for the camp.
Bluefang growled at the cats as they left. "If I even—!"
"That is enough, Bluefang. You may leave."
The blue tom closed his mouth and dipped his head at the white tom, leaving the two cats alone.
"Greetings, Lilyfeather," Cloudfur meowed as he dipped his head in greeting.
Lilyfeather copied the tom. "Cloudfur."
A long and awkward silence pursued. The two cats both stood, staring at each other, unable to find the right words after being separated for so long.
"...I haven't seen you in moons," Cloudfur purred. "What brings you here, my love?"
"Don't start that again," Lilyfeather hissed. "I've moved on. I've grown up. Don't call me that again, Cloudfur."
"Very well, my dear," he teased triggering a growl from Lilyfeather. "Why have you come to see me? I thought your Clan made it very clear that they didn't want you to have anything to do with me."
Lilyfeather nudged Rosekit, Snowkit and Robinkit out of the bush. "Meet our kits."
Snowkit glanced up. So this is my father? She looked at her siblings who were both shaking slightly. He doesn't seem so bad so why does everyone hate him? She smiled at him, but to her annoyance, he was still looking at her mother.
"O-Our kits?" Cloudfur asked.
"Kits, meet your father." Lilyfeather smiled at them and gestured for them to go and introduce themselves.
Cloudfur bent down to have a better look at them. He looked at Robinkit first who shakily gave his father a smile. He smiled back then turned his gaze to Snowkit.
"Hi!" she mewed.
He blinked, then turned to look at Rosekit. Snowkit's pelt prickled with jealousy as he sniffed Rosekit and nodded his head.
"This one is the one I'll take back with me," he meowed, picking Rosekit up by the scruff.
Rosekit squealed and unsheathed her claws, struggling to get free. She twisted and turned, trying to scratch the white tom. "She's got a warrior spirit," he remarked.
"Put her down!" Lilyfeather hissed as she unsheathed her claws and struck Cloudfur across the face.
Cloudfur dropped Rosekit in surprise and the little kit bolted back over to her siblings and hid behind Robinkit, panting. Cloudfur's dark blue eyes burned with anger and he unsheathed his claws to retaliate.
"How dare you!" he yowled as he sliced his paw downwards.
Lilyfeather dodged his attack and hissed at him. "How dare I? You have no right to take my kits away!"
"Our kits!" Cloudfur growled.
Snowkit trembled and whimpered as she watched her parents fight. Lilyfeather noticed this and sheathed her claws. She laid down next to the kits, purring and cooing. She glared at Cloudfur who sheathed his claws and noticed the kits trembling. He inhaled and exhaled deeply then laid down so he was eye-to-eye with them.
"Hi kits," he purred, "I'm your father Cloudfur."
Lilyfeather purred at him and nodded her head in approval. She pushed the still shaking Rosekit towards Cloudfur.
"Don't be rude," Lilyfeather chastised as her daughter just stood there, staring. "Say hello."
"Hi..."
"And what's your name?" Cloudfur prompted.
"My name i-is Rosekit," she mewed softly.
Cloudfur smiled at Lilyfeather. "Such a beautiful name," he purred.
Rosekit licked her chest fur in embarrassment as she purred shyly. Cloudfur glanced over to Robinkit. "And what's your name, my son?"
"I'm Robinkit," he mewed. "And I'm going to be the medicine cat of FrostClan someday!"
Cloudfur smiled at his son, but Lilyfeather let out an exasperated sigh. "You can't, sweetie," she meowed. "We already have a medicine cat apprentice. There can't be two."
Robinkit put his head down and sighed. Cloudfur lifted his son's head up high with his muzzle. "I know you'll make a great and strong warrior," he purred. He leaned closer and whispered into Robinkit's ear, "But to get what you want, sometimes you just need to learn to take things by force, my boy."
Lilyfeather growled. "No he doesn't. There is no way he will turn out like you."
Cloudfur put his paw to his chest mockingly. "Ouch."
Snowkit frowned and continued to impatiently wait for her father to notice her. "I'm Snowkit!" she mewed suddenly. Cloudfur glanced at his third kit. Her snow-white pelt matched his own and it was like looking at a reflection.
"Nice to meet you, Snowkit," he purred. "I must say, you have such a lovely pelt."
Snowkit radiated with happiness. No one's ever told me that!
"And what are you hoping to become, Snowkit?" he asked. "Are you going to be a mighty and strong warrior?"
The white she-kit puffed her chest out proudly. "I'm going to be the leader of FrostClan," she meowed.
Rosekit's eyes widened and she jumped up in excitement. "Ooh! Me too!"
"I said it first!" Snowkit whined. "You can't be the leader too! I'm going to be the leader!"
"Not if I become the leader first!" Rosekit retorted.
Snowkit's fur bristled. Rosekit always takes everything I want!
"Yeah, well, no one's going to stop me from becoming the leader," Snowkit argued. "Nothing will get in my way. Not even you."
Cloudfur cleared his throat and the two she-kits jumped and smiled at him sheepishly. Cloudfur smiled at them both and shook his head in amusement. The white one was quite an ambitious little kit.
"Do you want to know something?" he purred.
The three kits nodded their heads, enthusiastically.
"I'm the deputy of my Clan and someday I'm going to be the leader too," he told them proudly.
Rosekit and Snowkit both gasped.
"That's so cool!" Rosekit gushed.
"I'm going to be just like you when I grow up!" Snowkit decided.
Lilyfeather's ears drooped as she gathered her kits up quickly, pulling them away from their father.
"Well... it's getting late," she meowed quickly. "Everyone will start wondering where we are." She stood up and turned around to walk away. "Come on kits."
Cloudfur gave one last smile to his kits. "If you ever want to talk to me, just come find me, alright? I'll make sure my Clan knows that I've given you three, special permission to cross the border and that if they hurt you, they'll have to deal with me. Does that sound good?"
Rosekit, Robinkit and Snowkit's eyes all lit up and they purred in agreement.
Lilyfeather padded back over to her kits. "I'm sure they won't need— or want— to talk to you Cloudfur. But thanks for offering. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, my love," Cloudfur purred cheekily. He gave Lilyfeather a quick lick on the cheek and sped off further into the MistClan territory.
"Don't call me that."
The four cats started to make their way back to the camp. The kits bounded through Lilyfeather's feet, being careful not to trip their mother, or get stepped on.
"He seems really nice!" Snowkit mewed.
Robinkit nodded his head in agreement. "Are we really allowed to go visit him whenever we want, mama?"
Lilyfeather's ears flattened. "I don't know," she admitted. "I don't think the Clan would appreciate that very much at all."
Robinkit and Snowkit both sighed but Rosekit looked at her mother. "He's from an enemy Clan, isn't he?" she meowed. "We need to be loyal FrostClan cats, don't we mama?"
Lilyfeather purred at her oldest kit. "That's right."
The kits noticed the camp and raced ahead. Lilyfeather broke into a steady trot and together, the small family entered the FrostClan camp. Everyone turned around as they heard the sound of rustling leaves and there were more than a few shocked faces when they saw Snowkit entering the camp. Eagletalon sat with his apprentice Maplepaw, his mouth agape. He shook his head and padded over to Lilyfeather.
"I have to say," Eagletalon remarked, "I'm surprised. I thought that the little rat would have run off to join her father in MistClan."
Lilyfeather scowled at the tom. "They want nothing to do with their father," she quickly growled.
Snowkit purred. "Mama, you're funny—!" Lilyfeather brushed her tail over Snowkit's mouth. "My kits will be completely loyal to FrostClan," she growled.
Eagletalon glared at Lilyfeather suspiciously, but kept his mouth shut as he stalked off grumpily. Lilyfeather huffed and stormed back to the nursery with the kits. Snowkit followed her siblings but turned back to see Eagletalon glaring at her. She let out a squeak of surprise and tumbled back into the nursery. She jumped through the entrance and crashed into a kit.
"Hey!" the kit squeaked. Snowkit looked down and noticed Foxkit squirming and trying to escape. "Get off me!"
Snowkit gasped and jumped off her denmate. "Oh! I'm sorry Foxkit. I didn't see you."
Foxkit gave her fur a lick. "That's oka—." Foxkit's eyes widened when she looked up and noticed who she was talking to. "I-I mean; I'm not allowed to talk to you." The orange kit closed her mouth.
"...What? Why?"
"My dad says that you're a bad cat and that I am forbidden to talk to you," Foxkit answered before she closed her mouth again.
"What did I do?"
Foxkit sat there with a questioning look on her face. "I... I don't know..." she admitted with a shrug. She stood up and studied Snowkit, sniffing her friend and looking all around her. "Maybe he's wrong?"
Snowkit nodded her head. "I'm not a bad cat!"
"Maybe he just ate too many squirrels?" Foxkit meowed. "He must be going crazy."
"I promise I'm good," Snowkit purred.
"Well... alright!" Foxkit squealed excitedly. "I can talk to you now. Friends?"
Snowkit chuckled. "Friends!"
"Let all cats old enough to walk through the snow, gather around me for a Clan meeting!" Ivystar yowled.
Snowkit gasped. Hawkkit and Hailkit's apprentice ceremony! She bounded over to her mother and siblings who had heard the announcement and were already standing, ready to go into the clearing.
"Mama!" she mewed. "Their ceremony is starting!"
Lilyfeather trotted out of the nursery and Robinkit, Rosekit and Snowkit followed her eagerly. They passed the two young toms who were being groomed by their mother. Hailkit gave Snowkit a smile before scowling at his mother who licked the top of his head.
Snowkit purred in amusement and found a seat next to her mother at the front of the group. Ivystar sat majestically in front of all the cats and when the sound had died down, she gazed across the crowd of cats. "Hawkkit and Hailkit," she meowed.
The Clan moved and made a path for the two kits to walk down. They both trotted proudly up to Ivystar looked down at Hailkit.
"Hailkit," she meowed, "You have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Hailpaw. Your mentor will be Nightstorm. I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you."
A large black cat padded forwards, his eyes gleaming.
"Nightstorm," Ivystar meowed, "You are ready to take on another apprentice. You have trained many young apprentices to be strong warriors and you have shown yourself to be a wise and loyal cat of FrostClan. You will be the mentor to Hailpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him."
Hailpaw touched noses with the black warrior enthusiastically. The two exchanged a few words, then moved to the side so Hawkkit could step forward.
Hawkkit!" Ivystar continued. "You, too, have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Hawkpaw. Your mentor will be Greyleaf. I know she will pass down all of her knowledge to you."
"Greyleaf, you are ready to take on your first apprentice," Ivystar meowed. The cream and grey she-cat padded forwards and sent a smile towards Hawkpaw. "You have received excellent training from the late Lightfern and you are a brave and skilful warrior. You will be the mentor to Hawkpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him,"
The Clan cheered as the two cats touched noses. "Hawkpaw! Hailpaw! Hawkpaw! Hailpaw!"
All of the cats slowly began to disperse and the two brothers bounded up to Palestripe with smiles that stretched from ear-to-ear. Snowkit sprang after them.
"Oh, I'm so proud of you both!" the grey tabby she-cat gushed.
Hailpaw rubbed up against Palestripe's legs with a purr. "Thanks!"
The two toms started to head off towards their mentors and Snowkit ran up to Hailpaw.
"Wow!" she purred. "You're an apprentice!"
While Hawkpaw continued walking, Hailpaw turned around and gave the white kit a smile. "Yeah! I know!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe that today finally came!"
"You're going to be the most popular cats in the nursery!" Snowkit mewed happily.
Hailpaw stared at her, blinking in confusion. "Snowkit..." he sighed. "Once we become apprentices, we move into the apprentice den..."
Snowkit's face fell." Oh... right..."
Hailpaw gave her a sad smile. "I'll miss you, Robinkit and Rosekit... But we'll see each other again more once you're all apprentices as well," he assured her.
Hailpaw trotted off to find his mentor leaving the white kit alone in the middle of the camp, with only her thoughts.
"What are you doing out here looking so down?" she heard her sister ask. Snowkit turned around and frowned at her sister. How can she be so happy at a time like this? she thought to herself grumpily.
Rosekit raced up to Snowkit and bopped her on the head playfully. "Remember? Mama said that after Hailpaw and Hawkpaw were apprenticed, we were allowed to leave the nursery and explore the camp!"
Snowkit gasped as she remembered her mother's promise. "Let's go find the elders first!" she suggested.
Rosekit nodded and the two kits bounded around the camp and under the warrior's paws, looking for the elder's den. After asking the deputy for directions, the two she-kits raced to the elder's den, next to a weird-smelling one.
Snowkit held her head up high. Even though she was losing two friends from the nursery, it didn't mean that the world was going to end. She just needed to wait. Because in a few short moons, she too, would become an apprentice!
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A/N: Hey, I'm back. Sorry that I haven't updated in a couple of weeks. Life's been hectic.
Anyway, we've finally met the infamous Cloudfur, and the two brothers have finally become apprentices. So much has happened (lol, not really).
I've only got two weeks left of school, then I get two months of summer holidays! I can't wait! I'll be able to update a lot more frequently then. And next Monday, I'm getting an award for topping one of my classes. I'll keep you guys updated! I'm really hoping that it's English. I've topped English for two years in a row so far, and I'd love to get it for a third time :3
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Replies to Reviews
PrincessPuffin: haha, don't be a sadness. The next chapter is up! I'm glad you're liking my story :)
dragonwritergirl112: Thank you!
The-Purple-Panda-Frog: Thank you so much. I'm so happy that you liked that part with Snowkit and Lilyfeather. It's a bit of character development as well as a sweet moment. And yes, Rosekit is quite a selfish little kitty. But what are older sisters for, I guess? XD Thank you for continuously reviewing on all of my chapters :)
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QOTC: Thoughts on Cloudfur?
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So, thank you all for still reading this. I'll have a few exams and assessments (I should be doing a biology assignment right now) over the next few days, so I can't promise to update this next week, but I'll try.
Till next time,
~Kat
