Prologue
"Come on Thornheart, your mate is having your kits." Stormpaw knew it wasn't his place to say such things, but his littermate was in pain. Mapleflower had become a warrior before her brother due to Stormpaw having an accident that involved him crippling his leg. Mapleflower was a young strong queen, now she was having Thornhearts kits. Her said mate was paralyzed to move from his spot outside the nursery.
"What if I lose her too?" Thornheart whispered aloud. Stormpaw bristled at the dangerous thought but made his fur flat.
"You won't, go on." Stormpaw nudged Thornheart forward and padded with him to the entrance. A cry of pain with a smaller cry was heard and at once Thornheart races in, his once fears forgotten. Stormpaw ran to the entrance, peering in seeing the pair of mates together while the medicine cat, Brokenpelt, was by Mapleflowers belly.
"Mapleflower I need you to push, this one is coming out in just a moment." Brokenpelt sighed as she licked one kit a few fast strokes before passing the kit to Thornheart, who had moved over to his mates belly to get closer to the kit. Stormpaw went over to his littermate and nuzzled her to distract her.
"Common Mapleflower, Just think of what's going to happen after you give birth to these kits, our mother would be so proud when she sees them from the warriors den." Stormpaw comforted her as he licked her ears. Mapleflower moaned and pushed with a shudder.
"Two toms, one more to go." Brokenpelt said as she pushed the kit towards Thornheart, while he placed one to the side and licked the next tom. As the last kit slid out, Mapleflower tried to look over while panting.
"Congratulations, two toms and one she-cat." Brokenpelt said as she stretched out her neck to pick up the smaller she cat, but she stopped, her neck fur rose as she let out a startled yowl. The small kit let out a mew and cried out. Brokenpelt started at the small cat with an unreadable expression, her eyes glazing over. Stormpaw gently moved the kit out of the way, Mapleflowers red and brown dappled pelt fluffed up while Thornheart growled, his black tabby fur up as well.
After a few heartbeats Brokenpelt snapped out of the trance and dipped her head.
"Please excuse me." She turned and walked out of the nursery. Mapleflower brought her kits close to her and got the first good look at them. Both toms inherited their fathers black tabby fur but the she cats pelt was odd. She had dark red and black dappled pelt, one paw white.
"Oh my precious kits." Mapleflower mumbled while they suckled.
Thornheart licked her ears while Stormpaw purred. Stormpaw was pleased that his kin had survived, unlike Thornhearts first mate, Lizardstripe and their litter. They all became still born while Lizardstripe had died from blood loss. Stormpaw remembered the heartbreaking night unfortunately, the loss and sadness that hung over the camp like a heavy cloud.
"What are you going to name them?" Stormpaw asked. Mapleflower looked at her littermate before turning her head.
"Lizardkit, he deserves an honorable name." She said while looking into Thornheart eyes.
"Rainkit." Mapleflower stopped to look at their daughter, then she turned to Stormpaw.
"Would you like to name her?" Touched, Stormpaw looked at his little kin.
"Dappledkit." He said while touching her with his paw gently.
"Lizardkit, Rainkit, and Dappledkit, welcome to Shadowclan." Thornheart says while nuzzling Mapleflower. Stormpaw looked at the happy family, sighing in happiness.
"Welcome kits."
Chapter 1
Dappledkit sneezed, letting her pet fluff out and opened her eyes. The curve of her mothers flanks where blocking her line of sight but Dappledkit quickly sat up. Her mother and brothers were asleep as well as the other nursery queen, Blackcloud.
Dappledkit looked around to find the nursery not as small and cozy as it had been when she had her eyes closed. Standing and almost falling over, Dappledkit had quickly regained her balance and jumped out of the nest.
"Where do you think you are going little one?" Her mothers voice sounded as smooth as silk which had startled Dappledkit.
"I wanna go out!" She said and tried to push away from her mother. She knew she wanted to go out into the world with the real warriors. Like her father Thornheart, who always visited and would tell her mother about the outside world. But Mapleflower just picked her up and moved her back over. The mix of fur and warmth pulled Dappledkit back to a sleepy state and fell back asleep.
Dappledkit lifted her head just in time to see Mapleflower exit the den. Her mother had always left early in the morning to get the tastiest morsel from the fresh kill pile. Only being a few days old there was already a routine in her life. Dapplekit didn't mind though she liked how the past few days had went. The den always felt warm with the sun slightly peeking through the branches of the brambles.
Dappledkit quickly nuzzled against her litter mates due to the lack of heat now that her mother was gone. Rainkit and Lizardkit both adjusted themselves against their sister and went back to a deep sleep. Dappledkit couldn't sleep though, her mind wondered to the camp when she heard the rise of other cats. Dappledkit had not yet been out the nursery and she wanted her brothers to open their eyes today so she could.
Dappledkit sighed and peeked over the nest to see the other queen, Blackcloud, sleeping peacefully. Rustle of the ferns from the entrance of the nursery caused Dappledkits focus to change. Thornheart padded in and purred at seeing his daughter, who sat up straight to grab onto her father. Thornheart purred and curled up into the nest, making sure that his kits slept while Mapleflower went off to stretch her legs. Dappledkit nuzzled her fathers chest.
"When can we go out?" She asked. Thornheart simply licked her head.
"As soon as your brothers open their eyes." Dappledkit sighed and jumped on Rainkit.
"Wake up and open your eyes already, I wanna see the camp!"
Dappledkit cried as Rainkit squeaked and pushed up into a sitting position. Rainkit opened his eyes slowly to see Dappledkit wiggling in her fathers paws to tussle with him. Rainkits ears flattened against his head and he let out a small hiss, swiping at his sister.
"I was having a good dream!" He mewed and went back to trying to snuggle next to Lizardkit, who grunted once he felt weight on him.
"No get up!" Dappledkit yowled and jumped on Rainkit who squeaked and started to tussle with his sister. Thornheart purred and licked Lizardkit on the head.
"Come on my son, don't you want to see the camp?" He asked in a sweet voice, to which Lizardkit growled and nuzzles back into Thornheart side. Rainkit and Dappledkit both continue to tussle but stopped when they saw Blackcloud rise slowly. The black long haired cat sat up with a sigh, her bloated belly showing clearly. Blackcloud looked at Thornheart and gave a small smile.
"It's nice to see you so involved with your kits." Said Blackcloud while licking her paw and drawing it over her face. Thornheart nodded.
"I'm glad." She said. Dappledkit jumped onto Lizardkit, trying to push him to open his eyes and get moving. Lizardkit grunted and pushed her off. Dappledkit was about to retaliate when Mapleflower had padded back into the den. Mapleflower purred and touched noses with Thornheart, both quickly switching so Mapleflower could lay in the nest. She smoothed down Lizardkits fur when he mewed in protest to moving. Dappledkit simply pushed Lizardkit from behind and turned onto Rainkit. Mapleflower turned her attention from the two kits and purred at Lizardkit, who started to slowly open his eyes. Bright amber eyes had looked into the same pair of his mothers eyes. He purred and pushed into her fur. Dappledkit saw this and raced over.
"Your eyes are open!" She shouted and saw the identical pairs of eyes. Dappledkit wondered what color her eyes were, Rainkit had his fathers dark blue eyes, and Dappledkit hoped she got her fathers eyes as well. Mapleflower purred and started to groom Lizardkit.
"Once you all are clean and nice, we can go outside the den." Dappledkit ran to her mother wanting to be groomed faster so she could get out. Thronheart gave brisk licks to Rainkit while Dappledkit waited patiently. Blackcloud purred.
"Such a cute show." She said and padded out of the nursery. Thornheart went out as well claiming loudly to the cats outside that the kits were coming out for the first time. Dappledkit was finally finished grooming and ran towards the entrance, stopping quickly upon seeing several eyes turned to her. Rainkit suddenly ran into Dappledkit.
"Hey come on move!" His mew rang through out the clearing causing a lot of cats to twitch in amusement. Dappledkit padded out with her head held high, Rainkit and Lizardkit fallowing in turn. Dappledkit stopped suddenly seeing her father. Purring she raced over and ducked beneath his belly.
"Oh Dappledkit you were so ready to come out and now all you want to do is hide?" Thornheart said while pulling her out. Dappledkit simply turned seeing a stocky brown and black she cat padding to Mapleflower.
"Dappledkit come here!" Called Mapleflower. As she charged across the clearing, her brothers hid behind their mothers paws.
"Hello little kits, I'm Branchtail." Said the she cat.
"Are you Mapleflowers mother?" Dappledkit squeaked out. They both had the same face and ear shape, as well as eyes, and bushy tails. Branchtail purred at Dappledkit.
"This one is very smart." Rainkit pushed out of his mother suddenly.
"I'm smart too!" Lizardkit voice his opinion too which caused Branchtails whiskers to twitch.
"Of course you all are, your my kin you are already so talented." Suddenly a rusty red and white tom can up.
"Maybe its because Thornheart is there father." The tom joked. Branchtail simply glared in a light hearted way.
"I wasn't aware you were apart of this conversation Toadstep." Dappledkit got a good look at the tom, he was the deputy after all. Toadstep purred and looked at the kits.
"They will take after me, look Dappledkit and Rainkit have my eyes." Dappledkit realized that Toadstep had the same eyes as Thornheart, as well as the rusty red color in both pelts. Dappledkit suddenly felt very important, she was the grandchild of the strongest warrior and deputy. Branchtail snorted and pushed her paw to Toadstep affectionately. Dappledkit saw movement from the far camp and saw a tall sturdy black and grey tom push his way through with a squirrel in his mouth. Dappledkit noticed that he was slightly limping because of a oddly twisted paw.
The tom quickly put his prey on what would be assumed freshkill pile and surprisingly ran quite fast over to Mapleflower. Both cats bumped shoulders and the tom looked over the kits.
"So these are the little troublemakers I hear every night." He purred. Dappledkit gave him a look and sniffed him before moving to her mother to peek from behind her legs. "Hello." She had mumbled, the tom purred while coming closer to sniff her causing Dappledkit to squeak and move into her mothers fur, trying to hide. Dappledkit turned her head back to Branchtail to see a black tom twining his tail with her own.
"Hello Dappledkit, I'm Hollybush." He said with his whiskers twitching. Dappledkit purred, realizing that her kin was very big. Toadstep calmly stood from the joy scene and called everyone.
"It's time to set the patrols." He began to name off names as cats started to get ready for the days duty. Dappledkit watched Thornheart touch noses with Mapleflower. Branchtail, Hollybush and Thornheart all walked away but the young grey and black tom kept by Mapleflower.
"Who are you?" Lizardkit demanded.
"My name is Stormpaw, I'm Mapleflowers littermate." He purred and flicked Lizardkit with his tail. Dappledkit had started to get a good look around the camp, seeing a stump of a big tree cracked open. She looked to her family, no one was paying attention. Dappledkit quickly ran over to investigate. The stump opened up in the back to a bigger bramble den. It was dusty and snug in the den but Dappledkit could see shapes of cats in moss nests.
"Look Birdsong, it seems that our newest clan members found our nests!" Said a small white and soft grey she cat. Dappledkit turned to see Rainkit and Lizardkit bundle in as well.
"Hello little ones my name is Redfang, this is Birdsong and that grumpy old black tom is Boulderleg." Boulderleg grunted when seeing the kits and turned his head back to his nest.
"Hello!" Dappledkit said in excitement. Lizardkit walked over and purred at Boulderleg, who looked up and gave him a questioning look.
"This is the elders den I have a feeling that you all will come here often, I have the best story to tell." Redfang boasted. Birdsong snorted and stretched forward to sniff at the pelts of the kits. Dappledkit looked back at Rainkit, only to see him with Lizardkit near Boulderleg. Dappledkit turned back to Birdsong and let her sniff her. Birdsong and Redfang both purred and settled back down.
"I suppose it's up to me to teach you kit manners." Said Boulderleg.
"What manners? When Duckpaw and Duskpaw were kits you were telling them how to hide near the leaders den and throw moss without being noticed!" Said a stocky but frail white nosed, black she cat. As she passed Dappledkit she smelt sour. Dappledkit cocked her head and saw a long scratch on her flank.
"Whitenose! I'm sorry did my kits bother you?" Mapleflower came in quickly to the elders den. She scooped up Lizardkit and made a grab for Rainkit but fell short when Whitenose simply plucked the kit up herself, however the frail old she cat couldn't hold him to long and accidentally dropped him.
"It's been so long sense we had kits. I was beginning to wonder if we would ever have new troublemakers." Dappledkit looked at Whitenose.
"What about the apprentices?" Whitenose thought for a moment.
"They are already finished with their apprenticeship, any day now they will become warriors." Dappledkit felt a nose push her. She didn't want to leave, the elders seemed so nice and wise.
"Well its time for their nap Lizardkit is about to drop." It was true, her brother was swaying on his paws. Dappledkit turned with a tail wave of good bye and padded with her mother. Mapleflower round up her kits to the nursery, all 3 kits tired and stumbling. Blackcloud was in there again fixing her nest.
"How was the camp?" She asked as the little family settled down. Dappledkit turned to Blackcloud with sleepy eyes and sore legs.
"I like the elders." She said before closing her eyes. Blackcloud and Mapleflower both purred as Dappledkit slowly fell into sleep, the bodies of Rainkit and Lizardkit keeping her warm and settled. Mapleflower had slowly wrapped herself tighter around her kits.
A full day of new adventures for the newest kits in Shadowclan.