"You will never train my kits!" Sandbreeze spat as Breezepelt advanced on her.
"It is not your choice to make, it is theirs." Breezepelt replied.
"It is not yours either then?" She asked, still shaking with fear and anger.
"I'll let them come to me." He meowed.
Cloversplash woke up early to check up on Sandbreeze and her kits. It was half a moon later since Sandbreeze had had her kits, and Foxleap hadn't convinced Cloversplash to move to the nursery yet. He tried, but didn't sucseed. Upon entering the nursery, Cloversplash heard the usual tiny mews of Honeykit and Breezekit, along with the older sounding meows of Silverkit, Echokit, Stormkit, Blazekit, Oakkit, Spottedkit and Mosskit. The nursery was so full that Brackenfur and Molewhisker had to expand it almost double it's size. Brightcloud and Ambercloud's kits were all almost six moons old, almost to the apprentice age, so they where very excitable and bouncy. Bramblestar hinted that he might have their ceremonies a couple days early, since there hadn't been apprentices in moons.
Breezekit and Honeykit were settling in well, though Sandbreeze looked stressed, so Cloversplash often offered to look after her kits while she took some time off, time that she greatly appreciated.
Today she was looking much better, and as Cloversplash padded in, she lifted her head from her sleeping position and meowed in welcome.
"Hi Cloversplash." She meowed.
Cloversplash settled in beside her, secretly thinking that the nursery was way more comfortable than the warrirors den, but her pride got in the way of moving. I can't let everyone think that I'm just a queen! I am a warrior! She thought.
"I know what you're thinking. I grew up with you Cloversplash, I'm your best friend. No one will judge you for wanting to move." Sandbreeze meowed quietly so that the sleeping queens and kits wouldn't wake.
"I know, but there's still a while until I'm due, and I want to make the most of that time while I can." Cloversplash replied.
"It's up to you. Anyway, how's your retaliationship with Foxleap going?" Sandbreeze meowed.
"It's great, he's so nice and handsome, not to mention I've had a crush on him since we were apprentices." Cloversplash replied. "How's Snowstorm? I know he's been dropping in every morning and night to check on you. You have beautiful family."
"Thanks, I know, he's great." Sandbreeze answered this time.
After a moment of silence, Breezekit and Honeykit awoke and started mewling, waking every cat in the nursery.
"Mommy, mommy I'm hungry!" Breezekit mewed, with his sister following suite.
"Mommy where are you?" Honeykit wailed.
"I'm here my darlings, come here." Sandbreeze soothed, and they began suckling once they found their mother.
Cloversplash looked at Sandbreeze and admired them. It was no secret to Cloversplash that Sandbreeze never wanted kits, but she did look happy.
The other kits soon became rowdy, and had to be hearded outside by Brightcloud and Willowfrost.
"Can't Honeykit and Breezekit come with us?" Oakkit and Stormkit asked in union.
"I'm sorry dears, they're too young." Willowfrost meowed from her nest.
"Don't worry," Sandbreeze called from her nest when she saw they're crestfallen faces, "they'll be able to in aboutl a quater-moon."
"Mosskit, let's go see the warrirors den!" Spottedkit called. Out of all the kits, she was the most adventurous, while Mosskit on the other hand, was quieter and more peaceful.
Oakkit and Blazekit where identical in personalities, though not in colour. They were both troublemakers. Stormkit was outgoing and brave, Silverkit sweet and caring, and Echokit was loud, like, very loud. Cloversplash hoped that when she had her kits, they'd be a mix of these little angels.
"I'm going to go join a patrol or something..." Cloversplash muttered to Sandbreeze when she felt overwelmed from all the kits and the prospect of being a mother.
It was all so different, and the look Sandbreeze gave her told her that she understood.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneth the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Bramblestar yowled as the apprentice ceremony started.
"Now, as you know, we have some over due apprentice ceremonies to preform. We have had a shortage of apprentices these past few moons, but no shortage in the nursery." He meowed with a chuckle and a glance over at the four past rogues and Ambercloud.
"Stormkit, Silverkit, Echokit, Blazekit, Oakkit! Step forward." He continued.
Cloversplash heard their mothers fuss to groom them last minute as their kits fought to receive their apprentice names.
"Stormkit, from this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor will be Cloudtail, may he pass on all that he knows onto you." He paused while the new apprentice and mentor touched noses, then continued with Echokit.
"Echokit, from this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Echopaw. Your mentor will be Dovewing, may she pass on all she knows onto you." Again he paused for a moment.
"Silverkit," he continued, "from this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Silverpaw. Your mentor will be Cinderheart, may she pass on all she knows onto you."
"Blazekit, from this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Blazepaw. Your mentor will be Berrynose, may he pass on all he knows onto you."
"Oakkit, from this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Oakpaw. Your mentor will be Mousewhisker, may he pass on all he knows onto you."
Cloversplash leaned in towards Foxleap and licked his cheek. They couldn't wait for their kits to become apprentices, but until then, they'd be content with each other.