HALLO! Or as you would say in English, hello! I'm taking German this year. We are now on chapter dreizehn! Thirteen!

I'm bored, whatever. I'm also a leetle disappointed that none of you mentioned my birthday in your reviews. I didn't have the best birthday celebration. Meaning none, I had none. BUT I'M MOVING ON FROM THAT (and holding a grudge for all eternity against the rain which ruined driving conditions...)

Review time!

HiyaStacyL wrote: "Thank u for this much needed chapter! BAD EELSPOTS! *Kills him*,

Ok, all done and dusted, can I suggest that Brightpaw should be called... *Drum roll please!*
Brightburger- Ok don't worry I'm joking, but you should call her Brightrain, because all the time it feels like she's being rained on.

Thanks for reading, not sure if you'll reply, but thanks!

Stacy..."

Reply: "Trust me, I needed the chapter just as much as you did. He deserves to die slowly and painfully. :D You'll find out if that happens soon enough!

Hmm...Brightpaw, your new name is Brightburger! Nah, just doesn't roll off the tongue like Stargleam...I kid, I kid.

But in all seriousness, while I love the idea and the thought behind it, I'm not sure if it suits Brightpaw's personality. And -rain is a bit of an awkward ending. However, I love the fact that you were into this story enough to put so much thought into a name for Brightpaw and send it in! I love when the readers interact with the story!

Oh, I always reply. Except for one chapter where I was really rushing, but as a principle, I always reply.

Thanks for reading, Stacy!"

Pandean wrote: "HA! Take that Eelspots you awful motherfucker! You should've been killed because banishing is too good for you! Poor Brightpaw, but at least no one thinks she's a slut and everything now. Hopefully the clan will all begin to treat her with respect again. I'm glad that you're using Nettlekit! I feel bad for Eelspots's real mate though. It must be super hard to find out your mate raped his apprentice. I hope the two of them grow close. I'm glad Dawnpool told what was going on. I also like how realistically Brightpaw's motherhood experience is. It's not all sugars and rainbows because it shouldn't be because she's totally in over her head but you can see she's trying. I can't help but think this might not be the end of Brightpaw's situation though."

Reply: "Yeah, banishing probably was too good for him, we'll see if he has the grace to stay away from the clans from now on or if Featherstar will have to take stronger actions. Most of the clan will definitely start respecting her now. Volefur won't, but he's an old grumpy elder, he doesn't respect anyone. ;) I enjoy using Nettlekit! She jump-started all the kits, actually, without her there would be no others, so I adore her wittle fwuffy face!

Dawnpool was not expecting that, and it was very upsetting. They've had two litters together, after all. It's definitely hard on both she-cats. And actually, if you go back, Featherstar told Dawnpool. I put in a little detail at the beginning-Dawnpool gets called out of the nursery to talk to Featherstar, because Dawnpool was being kind and supportive towards Brightpaw to begin with, so Featherstar asked Dawnpool to talk to Brightpaw about it. So that was REALLY hard for Dawnpool.

I remembered bowel movements from ages ago, and while in other stories it seemed just a tad too gross to include, Brightpaw is learning all this stuff. So yeah, we get to read about her licking her children's butts. Ugh. As for your last thought...you'll just have to see! :D"

ImSpiderman wrote: "Oh. My. Fucking. StarClan.

Eelspots is now banished. Time to track him down and destroy- er I mean... um reducate him on rights and wrongs. Yeah! Reducate..."

Reply: "Hey now, destroying Eelspots could be part of his reeducation! You never know."

Apologies for taking so long, I've been working on the storyline for this. It has seeccrreett details on it, too.

Anyway. Story time!

1 moon later

"Alright, good training session. Go bring that to the elders, you two, then Brightpaw, you can go back to your kits."

"Thanks, Hawkclaw." Brightpaw followed Scorchpaw with her two water voles and placed them in front of Ripplefoot and Volefur. Volefur merely grunted and set to devouring the vole.

"Thanks, Brightpaw," Ripplefoot said. Brightpaw smiled at the elder. Despite being related to...Brightpaw shut her eyes. No. She wouldn't think of that now.

"I'll see you later, Ripplefoot." Brightpaw left the elder's den and hurried to the nursery. Just in time, too, for as she entered, two small kits ran into her.

"Oof!"

Brightpaw looked down sternly at the small kits who had been trying to escape. "Tumblekit, Adderkit, did you get permission to leave the nursery?"

Adderkit nodded quickly. "I did! I wanna hear a story from the elders!"

Brightpaw sighed. "Then you may go, Adderkit. Tumblekit, I believe you've been told you may not leave the nursery under any circumstances?"

Her smallest son scuffed the ground, looking down sullenly. "It's not faiw," he muttered, "I nevew get to leave! Why not?"

Brightpaw's heart wrenched, but she knew she couldn't change her mind now. "You know the rules, Tumblekit. Why don't you play with Blueshine's kits?" Several days after her kits had opened their eyes for the first time, Brightpaw had been persuaded into letting them out of the nursery to hear a story from the elders. Just a few minutes out in the cold had been enough to give Tumblekit and Shadekit colds.

After that, Goldensky had recommended that Brightpaw keep them in the nursery until they grew bigger or it got warm again. At a moon old, Tumblekit and Shadekit were finally starting to catch up to their littermates, but in general all five were too small for Brightpaw to feel comfortable letting them out again.

Herding her reluctant son over to their nest, Brightpaw settled down. Shadekit was asleep, but the minute they felt their mother return, Nettlekit and Lichenkit wriggled around and latched on. Still sulking, Tumblekit walked over to where Splashkit, Swallowkit, Specklekit, and Greykit were. Listening to the conversation, Brightpaw heard them complaining about Pricklekit.

Brightpaw frowned. Dawnpool had mentioned how she was worried about Pricklekit the other day. He was either asleep all the time, or he just didn't want to play with his siblings. Out of the five, Pricklekit had taken Eelspots being banished the hardest. Since nobody was willing to explain why his father had to go away to Pricklekit's satisfaction, Pricklekit now was very angry with his mother and Brightpaw.

Lilystep walked into the nursery and went over to the nest where her kits were asleep. "Is something wrong?" Brightpaw asked, concerned.

Lilystep shook her head. "I'm fine. Have you seen Mistystream's kits?"

Brightpaw glanced around. "Just Greykit. The others might be in the elder's den, though. Why?"

"Mistystream has greencough. Goldensky said it might be better if I nurse her kits for a while to avoid them getting sick." Brightpaw shivered. The clan had avoided greencough so far. Hopefully, Mistystream would be the only one.

Lichenkit had apparently not liked what she was getting. With a hiss, the small she-cat batted Brightpaw's belly and rolled away, whining. Brightpaw sighed and nudged her daughter back. "What's wrong, Lichenkit?" Brightpaw began grooming the top of Lichenkit's head, then stopped. Lichenkit was burning up. "Lichenkit?"

Lichenkit opened her eyes, still kit blue, and looked up pitifully at Brightpaw. "It hurts!" she whimpered, "I don't feel good, Bwigh'paw!"

Brightpaw glanced over at Blueshine, who was watching her kits play. "I'll watch them," Blueshine said," seeing Brightpaw's look, "You take Lichenkit to the medicine cat's den."

Brightpaw picked up her daughter by the scruff, trying to ignore the round of whimpering that caused. She rushed to the meicine cat's den, only to see both meicine cats busy. Pebblefall was mixing together herbs, while Goldensky looked over Silverkit and Smokekit, frowning with worry while behind him Mistystream sniffled and fretted. When he saw Brightpaw coming in with Lichenkit, he groaned. "Another one?"

Not waiting for a response, Goldensky came over and took Lichenkit from Brightpaw. Putting her next to the other kits, he looked the three over. "I was hoping it wasn't true," Goldensky mumbled to himself, looking scared for some reason. Brightpaw wondered if he was thinking about what happened when he was an apprentice. She knew it had been bad, but she didn't think Goldensky was still upset about it. She hoped it wouldn't affect his medical care.

After a few minutes, Goldensky looked up. He seemed surprised to see her still there. "Go back to the nursery," he snapped, "Mistystream can care for Lichenkit until they're no longer contagious. In the meantime, your other kits will need you."

"Will she be okay?" Brightpaw asked, trying not to whimper.

Goldensky shrugged. "I don't know. But I won't be able to help her with you hovering!"

What's that? New conflict just when you think the story isn't over?

Will Lichenkit die?

Why is Pricklekit so secretive?

Maybe I'll answer the questions...soon. ;)

~Topaz