Runningfeather - Thank you for the kits!

Hawksun9592 - Nope, then again who would like having kits in FlameClan of all places?

Mossy Cloud - I know, is it weird I feel bad for Smallbee even though I'm the creator of this and made her entire life sad? Also, thank you for the kits!

DragonClan - I noticed you had been gone for the few weeks, and I'm glad you're back! And of course you can make up a kit or two for Smallbee, I'll be happy to see one of your characters being one of her kits.

October, 12th, 2020

Steadily she climbed out of the nest, breathing in the fresh morning air. Days passed and she hadn't seen Ashtooth, everytime she thought she seen him it ended up being a different gray tom.

With a twitching ear she frowned. What had happened to make him completely stop seeing her? Not like she missed the bitterness, but she still wondered what had happened.

"Smallbee, why are you outside? It's freezing, not even the apprentices are allowed outside." Crystaljaw had dropped the bird she carried and now helped the young queen back into the nursery.

Huffing she fluffed out her pelt. She wasn't a weak little kit that needed to be walked back to her nest! Smallbee sat down with a small growl. With an embarrassed lick of her pelt she smoothed down her pelt to see Pollenkit watching her curiously.

"What?" The harshness of her mewl didn't scare the little golden kit. And instead Pollenkit puffed out her pelt, almost just as... "Are you copying me?"

Pollenkit squeaked. Hopping on her toes as she purred, eyes brightened as she jumped around her adopted mother. Smallbee just sat there. What else could she do? Playing with kits seemed boring, and Pollenkit was only two moons old, and yet she still didn't speak much.

Although the golden she-cat played with Foxlight's two kits, she never spoke once. And instead used her tail and ears as signals, which the other it's seemed to understand perfectly fine.

"Go play," she mewed, waving a paw.

Pollenkit shook her head. Standing straight up and pointing to where Foxlight curled around her two kits, fast asleep.

Twitching an ear she sighed. With an unsheathed paw she plucked a piece of moss from the ground, rolling it into a ball. "Go fetch." Tossing the ball she watched with half interest as the little she-cat raced after it excitedly.

*

Soon the weather got warmer and the snow mainly melted. Thanks to the sudden warmth prey was out once more, and patrols were out constantly.

Icaruswind was gone most of the day. Only coming back when his patrol held a mass amount of prey, their jaws so filled that the queens went to help.

Now she stared down at the pile that was given to the queens. All the prey was small and scrawny, even if there was a lot, two, maybe three pieces, was enough to feed only one cat.

Flinching she ducked as someone touched her cheek. Giving a nervous chuckle as she seemed Icaruswind beside her, his head tilted slightly. "I caught a rabbit, big enough for us two to share." He offered, noticing her hesitance to take prey from the now small pile.

Relief washed over her as she raised to her paws. Only stopped as Pollenkit walked after them, her lanky tail sticking straight up. Amusement flashed across Icaruswind's face as he meowed. "Looks like we have a little follower."

Smallbee nodded. "Pollenkit should start being weaned." She commented on a mumbled sigh.

The tom gave a grunt of agreement before sitting down. He crouched down, snatching a bite off the rabbit before letting her tear off her own piece.

Beside the young tabby queen Pollenkit leaped at the dead rabbit. Attacking it's long ears, tiny paws batting the stiff body before she rolled and jumped at Icaruswind.

With a small growl he forced his pelt flat. Gaze flickering to her before he nudged the golden kit away from him, and back at the piece of fresh-kill.

Smallbee had finished off her own amount of prey. Now she cleaned her face with brisk strokes of a wet paw, her pale eyes narrowed onto her adopted kit. Making sure that Pollenkit was safe out in the deep snow, and that no-one tried to step all over her.

The silver warrior had sat up and started to groom his pelt with his gaze locked onto her, which she felt burning through her dense fur. Ears twitching she raised to her paws and yawned. Sunlight barely lit the area up, and a new chilly breeze swept its way throughout the entire camp.

"Pollenkit! Get to the den," she yowled.

Squeaking the small kitten leaped at her adopted mother. Tail waving in the air before she twisted and trotted in a waddled line to the nursery.

Smallbee jumped as a tail touched her flank. Swerving her head around she saw Icaruswind beside her, his gaze narrowed with curiosity. "Going back to the den so soon?" He asked.

Huffing she fluffed out her pelt. "What, do you want me to freeze out here?"

The tom flattened his ears. Quickly she panicked, flattening out her own pelt and pressing into his side. Head resting under his chin as she mumbled. "It's cold, and I don't want to leave Pollenkit alone,"

Icaruswind purr rumbled, shaking her own entire body as he gave the top of her head a few licks. "Alright then. Crackedstar will probably have my tail if I don't join another patrol before dark anyhow."

Parting, she watched him leave their space to join a group of warriors. She sighed outwardly. A cloud of icy breath clouding her eyes before she spotted Icaruswind's patrol leaving the camp, out of her sight and into the frozen woods.

*

The bitter frost bit through his thick coat and nipped at his skin and bones. Frozen, he stumbled through the camp, carrying the body of a limp squirrel, into the nursery.

It was much warmer in the dark den. Moss softened the hard earth and trapped the warmth and smell of milk in the tight space.

"How are they?" Purred the tom, who dropped the squirrel at his mate's head. Crouching down to look at his beautiful kits, who now had their ears opened, but eyes still closed.

Chameleaonmock uncurled herself to blink lazily at the gray tom. She rubbed her eyes before sitting up, dislodging the kits from her stomach. They mewled in protest, crawling around the nest to try and find their mother once more.

"Fine. Mintleaf has checked up on them a lot lately, and she says their healthy for leafbare babies." Explaining, the split-faced queen licked a paw and drew it over her ear. Gaze locked onto her kits, joy shimmering in her eyes.

Hornetrun couldn't help but purr. Even though the first half of his life had gone to.. well, the Dark Forest to put it lightly, he still had the rest of his life to look forward on.

A beautiful mate and three healthy daughters. He had the most beautifulist she-cat in the entire forest as his mate, someone to love till his muzzle grew gray. And now he got to watch Ospreykit, Beekit, and Starlingkit grow up to be fine warriors, and hopefully have kits of their own.

Heaving himself to his paws he pushed his muzzle against his mates cheek. Purring as he wrapped her into a tight cuddle, wrapping his kits up with his tail. This was the life he dreamt about, and now it was his, and nothing would take that away from him.

October, 14th, 2020