"Dad! Dad, dad, dad!"

"Mrgh…. What?"

Twigtail would've rolled his eyes. "Come on! You promised to show me how to get secrets out last night!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Oddfoot rolled over onto his stomach, using his shorter leg to lift the rest of his body. He shook his head and yawned, blinking, eyes still heavy with sleep. He looked past Twigtail and then around the den. "Starclan, it's hardly even dawn."

Twigtail nodded enthusiastically. Oddfoot sighed, cautiously leading Twigtail over the sleeping warriors. He closed his eyes tight in the cold sunlight of the camp. Without a word to Rowanstar and the gathering dawn patrol, the two times headed out. Twigtail was pressed close to Oddfoot.

"Where are he going?" he chirped.

"Down by the river."

"Oh," he mewed quietly, "Do you think Riverclan will try to fight us?"

"Riverclan knows better to attack a medicine cat," he purred a laugh, "It's still our shoreline. We'll be fine."

Twigtail nodded and stopped when Oddfoot told him to.

"There's a shell in front of you," he mewed calmingly, "Do you feel it?"

Twigtail carefully reached out and felt around. Soon enough his paw landed on a small, cold, ridged thing that came to a point at the end.

"Is this a shell?"

"Yes."

"It feels pretty." He crouched down, touching the swirly shell with his whiskers so he wouldn't lose it. "Now what?"

"Now you whisper your secrets into it."

Twigtail nodded and did so. He whispered everything, careful to make sure Oddfoot wouldn't hear. Once he was finished, he sat back up with a paw on the shell.

"Did I do it?"

"Not yet," Oddfoot stepped closer and tapped Twigtail's hips with his tail, coaxing him to stand. "Pick up the shell."

Twigtail did so, carefully. He expected it to be a bit smaller and less covered with gritty sand, but he held it by the shorter side tightly but carefully in his jaws. Oddfoot nodded approvingly. He spoke softly, carefully luring Twigtail to step into a shallow part of the river. The cold water flowed past quickly, and if Oddfoot wasn't standing behind him, Twigtail was sure it would drag him away.

Oddfoot used his muzzle to nudge Twigtail's head upward a bit, then turned him ever so slightly.

"Alright, good. Now, Twigtail, throw that shell as far as you can!"

Twigtail shut his eyes tighter cautiously. He was nervous he'd end up hitting a cat square in the forehead on either side. Nevertheless, he tried, twisting his head and releasing the shell. It landed with a pathetic thiwp! and Twigtail was sure it didn't go very far.

"Nice job!" encouraged Oddfoot, purring and rubbing their cheeks together. Twigtail smiled. "Do you feel better, now?"

Twigtail nodded enthusiastically. Oddfoot purred.

"Great. Now I'm going back to bed."

Twigtail would've rolled his eyes. "Daaad!"