"Tell me another story!" Littlekit begged, resting her tiny front paws on Roseface's tail. "Yeah, another story!" Rabbitkit agreed, looking up from chasing her bobtail. "Please, Momma?" Peachkit said, giving her mother the most innocent look she could manage. "Alright, alright," Roseface laughed, "Just *one* more story, that's it." The kits crowded around their mother, anxiously awaiting their beloved stories. "You spoil them too much," Meadowwood hissed from her nest. "You don't spoil your kits enough," Roseface argued stubbornly.
More kits crowded around Roseface, for she was the best storyteller they'd ever known. Even Spottedface, Hawkkit's, Mosskit's, and Frecklekit's mother listened. Dustkit scooted over beside Peachkit and Sunkit sat with Mosskit, but all were watching Roseface intently. 'Someday I'll be as good as Momma!' Littlekit thought happily, 'I'll have my own kits and I'll tell my whole clan the bestest ever stories!' She glanced at Sunkit and sighed pitifully. Sunkit had already started helping Chickadeetail in the medicine cat den, so she'd never be able to have kits if she so wished to continue with that. "Littlekit, pay attention! We're waiting for you!" Dustkit seethed. "Now now," Spottedface reasoned with a few chuckles, ''Littlekit is known to get lost in her thoughts; don't be too harsh on her." Littlekit smiled at the red spotted queen and turned back to her mother.
"Now, by all the suns and moons, don't go picking at me if I get this story wrong! I was only an apprentice then, but I know my version of it well," Roseface began, her blue eyes closed in concentration. Littlekit closed her matching deep blue eyes, too, to mirror her mother's image. "The rain hailed against our pelts, cackling evilly at every cry we let out. I looked down and couldn't even see my own paws, for they were buried deep in the snow. It whipped harshly against us, sucking the fur from our skin. But we prevailed - and only because of Doeear's encouragement. This was before she was made deputy, you know. Our old deputy, Quailtail had recently died to a snowstorm much like this." She paused when Spottedface sighed, mourning her mentor. "I was with Elmstalk; Elmpaw then, Milkcloud, Frosttail, and Fallenheart. As you know, I was mentored by Fallenheart so it'd made sense for me to come along, as did Elmpaw's mentoring by Frosttail. I trudged ahead, shivering deep to the very core of my soul. Milkcloud suddenly collapsed to the ground, her blue eyes fluttering open and close.
We all rushed forward, but Doeear reached her first. She urged the warrior on, and made Elmpaw escort her back. He was very reluctant about that until Frosttail yelled at him." Her eyes clouded in rememberance, and Littlekit whispered every word to herself, trying to etch them into her brain for safe keeping. She could picture the scene: her father must've been smaller then, as all apprentices were. She cpuld definitely see the black-and-white tom arguing with poor, gentle Frosttail. She could also see Milkcloud fall over, her light yellow fur a dent in the pure white. She could see strange Fallenheart jumping at every small movement, and Doeear encouraging everyone and pushing the furthest.
"This was when Milkcloud was pregnant with Orchidpaw, Branchkit, Spikekit, and Hickorykit, mind you. " Spottedface shuffled her paws awkwardly, no doubt remembering the kits who hadn't survived. "No one had known then. Of course, she was properly fussed over when that leaf of truth was turned. I watched Elmpaw's and Milkcloud's shadow fade away from my vision, mere dots spotting the foreign snowy horizon. We trudged on, Doeear never once uttering a complaint, but spending her time barking encouragement at us. Oh, I haven't explained why we were going from camp!" She shook her head disdainfully and Littlekit snuggled closer to let her know she was forgiven.
Roseface smiled and licked her smallest daughter, then returned to her story.
Frecklekit was barely listening. Sure, he loved Roseface's stories but watching her beautiful daughter was even more interesting. He watched as Littlekit nestled under her mother's tail, patiently waiting for the story. Her deep blue eyes didn't notice his yellow ones watching her. He smiled dreamily to himself, imagining her talking to him. "Maybe you should go sit with her instead of staring, you creep!" Mosskit, his sister, giggled quietly. If Littlekit heard, she gave no sign. 'Maybe I should,' Frecklekit thought, watching his paws nervously. 'No, she's too busy listening to the story.' He sighed inwardly and tried not to steal any glances as the black-and-white she-kit. Roseface had not yet started her story, pretending to be thinking very hard. She was, actually, really watching Frecklekit with an amused smile as he spied on her daughter. The smile faded to a protective frown. All the queens stole a few glances at the helpless Frecklekit; Spottedface could hardly contain giggles as Roseface curled her tail tighter so the red tom wouldn't be able to see Littlekit.
"We were on that expedition to bring news to FoxClan; we'd found one of their apprentices wandering on our territory. I believe she is Spottedsky now. Back then, of course she was called Spottedpaw." Spottedface shifted and Littlekit wondered just how awkward it was to share a name with another cat - well, almost. "Anyway, Spottedpaw had been hunting when she had the unfortunate classic case of getting stuck in those tricky clumps of brambles at the border that you should always be careful of. She'd been caught there for quite a while. We hadn't sensed the snowstorm to be so bad…Or so sudden and abrupt. Upon this accusation, we set off in the middle of the night." Rosesong looked down to realize mostly everyone had fallen asleep, leaving only Littlekit, Dustkit, and Frecklekit. Not even the queens' had managed. Littlekit's head dipped sleepily, but she jumped back up. Rosesong purred and gently nudged her daughter. "Sleep, my little wonderer." Dustkit frowned that the story was finished, but reluctantly returned to Meadowwood's side. Frecklekit yawned and curled up in his nest.