a/n: WyldClaw: Silverstep's not a boy. they're nonbinary. Please refer to them as they/them/their.

Leopardstar couldn't wrap her mind around how soon Blackfoot had fallen in love with her. It'd hardly been five moons since Tigerclan was founded, and for one of those Blackfoot wasn't even in camp. Blackfoot emerged from the nursery to give the queens some fish, Tawnypaw had come back empty mouthed and already ran off to play with Mistyfoot's kits, and was now tossing the bones in the river.

"Hey," Leopardstar greeted, voice low. She sat down right next to him, their fur touching. Her leaf-bare coat had grown in, so it wasn't very hard to touch.

"Hi."

"I've been um… thinking. I… I love you too, Blackfoot, but I'm so scared of what Tigerstar would do that I can't let us be mates."

Blackfoot nodded, though hurt hardened his gaze. "That's completely understandable," he stepped away, heading back to the camp clearing, going back into a normal speaking voice, "Would you like to go swimming?"

"Swimming!" squeaked Talonkit, trying to fit his growing paws and body into two of Blackfoot's forward-walking footprints. Smokekit was trying as well in a different couple. Darkflower shot out of the nursery.

"No! You two are far too young to be swimming!"

"We want to go swimming too!" called Rowankit, tumbling out of the nursery and ruining Smokekit's next print, along with also tumbling over the dark tom

Tallpoppy scooped her up with her own small paws, "No, maybe when you're older! Sorry, Leopardstar!"

Leopardstar chuckled, replacing the tomkit on his feet. "They can coming! Riverclan kittens start learning to swim from the second they can walk confidently."

"I don't want them to catch something from the cold water," Darkflower said bluntly.

Leopardstar shook her head, "I've got enough to fur to warm up the both of them. Would you like to join us, worry over them a bit more?"

Laughter lit Darkflower's gaze and the corner of her mouth twitched. She looked down at her kits, their eyes shining and smiling so big Leopardstar could tell they wouldn't be drypaws.

Darkflower sighed, "I suppose I would like to stretch my legs a bit."

"We were just going to start right here," Leopardstar meowed, lashing her tail where Blackfoot had sat again. "It's very shallow tail-lengths across for short legs."

"I reckon Greenflower and Dawncloud would enjoy joining you on a quick walk," Blackfoot suggested.

Darkflower nodded, "Thanks, but I think I can do without their squabbling for a bit. Take care of them, I'll flay both of your pelts if you don't!"

"Yay!" Talonkit squealed. Leopardstar smiled, sweeping them forward to the riverbank. Talonkit took a few steps forward, soft wave lapping at his paws. He raised his legs and splashed in. He squealed, short kitten fur standing straight up.

"It's cold!"

Leopardstar nodded, "You'll be alright. Smokekit, come stand beside him." Smokekit obeyed, cringing and stiffly standing. "Now, let's get all your paws in," Leopardstar encouragingly meowed, stepping in herself, careful not to crush the small kits.

Talonkit, any anger over the coldness forgotten, splashed forward. The water a few kittensteps below this stomach. Smokekit moved too, much more careful than his older brother. Leopardstar didn't take her gaze off the dark kit. As he took his final step, a small minnow splashed right between his paws.

Smokekit squealed, tumbling back and falling on his hindquarters. He splashed with his forepaws, and once he regained his senses, turned around and shot back. He tumbled and fell behind Blackfoot's paw, shaking and gasping.

Leopardstar hurriedly picked up Talonkit by the scruff, Blackfoot doing the same. The two brought them to the medicine den despite Talonkit's protests. Mudfur pointed with his tail to a moss-and-feathers nest. He soon looked up.

"Whitecough?"

Leopardstar shook her head, "Smokekit got spooked by a minnow and both are rather chilly."

Mudfur nodded, pulling out three different herbs from his rocky store. Two were bundles of gold petals, but one was long and white. He laid in front of the kits.

"Blackfoot, get me some water soaked moss," he ordered, "Now, Talonkit. This is marigold, be a good kit and eat it alright? I know it's disgusting," he added before Talonkit could, his eyes shut tight, "But it'll be good for you. Leopardstar, lay around him."

Blackfoot set the wet moss at Mudfur's paws, heading back out without saying a word. Mudfur then drew a heavy paw over Smokekit's quivering pelt.

"It'll be okay, Smokekit. Now…" he leaned in close, voice low and calming, "These are dandelion and daisy, they'll help you calm down."

Smokekit made no response besides a shaky breath. Mudfur nodded to himself, and lifted his chin with a paw, and pried his mouth open a bit with the other. He forced the petals into his mouth, along with the marigold. He then squeezed some of the water from the moss into his mouth, forcing him to swallow.

He coughed a bit, and after Leopardstar wrapped her tail around his, his breath steadied. He looked up at Mudfur with astonished eyes. Mudfur smiled, pressing his nose to his forehead.

"You two did wonderfully," he purred, glancing at his daughter. "I suppose you won't be telling their mother of this, hm?"

Leopardstar flattened her ears, hot with embarrassment. The corner of her mouth twitched in a smile. She then stood, flicking her tail for the kits to follow.

"Come, kits. You've had a long day, I think it's nap time."