Morningdew
"Are you ready kits?" I whispered quietly and they all nodded their heads, their eyes dancing with excitement. I peered out of the nursery and saw a light layer of snow on the ground, I didn't remember seeing it earlier. I looked up at the sky and couldn't see much because the clouds were blocking the moon and the trees were blocking the snow, I shrugged the kittens were fluffy a little snow shouldn't hurt them.
"Ok follow me, stays close and stay quiet do you promise?" another wave of nods and I slowly began to creep from the nursery and behind the tall laurel bush where the clan made dirt. "It smells back here." Silverkit wrinkled his nose, "Im surprised you noticed it over your stench." Ravenkit teased getting a whack from his brother, "Hey, watch it!" Wishkit squealed and I rounded on them, "Kits please, you have to be quiet and stay focused. This is a…secret mission for warriors and we cant be seen understand?"
Now re-focused they got back in line behind me and we made slow but steady progress through the woods. My breath was clearly visible and I could now see a heavier fall of snow as we got into the thinner parts of the forest. I heard Wishkit let out a small sneeze, which got loud hushing from her brothers. "Hurry now kits, its not much further." I said urging them on, the thick fur between my pads made it easy to traverse the slick snow but the kits had not developed the protection and they soon began to whine about cold feet and noses.
"Mama, I'm cold. I don't like it out here." Wishkit whined,
"Yeah, our nest is warm and cozy. I don't want to be a warrior if we have to be out here in this stuff." Silverkit huffed. Ravenkit remained silent but I could see he was beginning to shiver. Panic began to rise in my stomach as I looked at how much further we had to go, the snow was getting heavier now and I moved to curl the kits against my warm belly and they all cuddled together. I had to move them to a shelter, the camp was too far to go back now and the cave was too treacherous to get to in this weather.
I looked around and begged Starclan for help, "Bluestar, please help me find shelter for my kits. I know it was stupid to come out here but Nightfang deserves to see his kits." My prayer was silent but it made me feel warmer as the wind picked up and the cold nipped at my ears an they began to sing. Suddenly I heard the loud caw of a bird above me, my head shot up and I saw a large black raven sitting on a branch that hung over a fallen log, the very one I used to fake my kits birth. The raven cawed again and jumped from the branch, his large beak pecking at the ground as if he didn't even feel the snow that began to coat its ink black feathers.
"Kits, there is a log over there lets take shelter until the snow stops ok?" they didn't answer and I had to nudge them to get them to move. They protested but when they noticed the log was warm and full of moss they quickly chirped with delight. I curled around them and I heard the caw of the raven as it flew off. "Thank you" I whispered to my ancestors and we soon became warm and happy again. "So is this what warriors do?" Silverkit asked, his head poking out of the circle I had created with my body. "Don't be dumb, warriors don't hide!" Ravenkit said, popping his head out next to his brothers.
"Im not hiding, I would never hide!" Wishkit said shoving herself up between Silver and Ravenkit. "Well kits we are not hiding from any normal enemy, this is the weather neither I or Starclan can control that."
me with the same question. "Um, well I am not sure. The snow is keeping us from getting to the surprise." I said sheepishly, "Then lets go get it and go back home!" Silverkit burst and began to wiggle from my embrace,
"Coming from the cat who complained about the cold." Wishkit snickered, "That wasn't me! That's was you poop head!" he fired back, "Ravenkit your coming right?"
Ravenkit curled closer to me, "I think we should stay here, its safer and stuff." Silverkit began to protest but a sound cut through the snowy silence and we all grew stiff and quiet,
"Morningdew! Are you out here?" Nightfang called and my heart felt like it would burst from my chest, uncurling myself without warning getting surprised squeals from the kits and I slid out the front of log and called out, "Over here, in the log."
I didn't even see his night black pelt approach until he was nose to nose with me, his striking amber gaze was filled with worry and relief as he dug his face into mine. "I missed you so much." He whispered and we both began to purr, "Are the kits with you? I was worried about them getting caught in this storm." I breathed again, with a little nod I pulled back from the entrance to let him enter. His coat was slick with snow and his nose was cold but he radiated with warmth as he laid his eyes on his kits.
They stared at him and then at me, unsure of what to make of this strange cat. "Kits, this is Nightfang he is the deputy of Windclan." I said introducing him, "He smells like the stuff you bring us from the forest." Ravenkit sniffed, Silverkit pushed passed his brother, his blue eyes looking straight into Nightfangs, "Im going to be a powerful warrior too!" he puffed out his little chest and Nightfang purred loudly,
"I see, look how strong you are already!" Ravenkit moved to his brothers side, "Im going to be a great warrior too! Im going to the best Windclan has!"
"No you wont, I will!" Silverkit pushed his brother and they began to wrestle right in front of Nightfang, I let out an embarrassed sigh but Nightfang looked as if he would explode with happiness. I looked passed the rom and saw that Wishkit hadn't moved, eyes focused on her fathers. "Wishkit, come say hello to Nightfang." I urged and Nightfang looked at his daughter, "Hello Wishkit."
"You look like me." She breathed, her voice astonished. "Your eyes, they look like mine!" her brothers looked from Nightfang to her, "Yeah he does!" they said and Wishkit jumped over her brothers and landed her nose bumping into his paws ungracefully. "Yes, you take after me my kit." Nightfang said licking her head lovingly.
"What do you mean?" Ravenkit said, "Berrynose said Scorchflame was our father and he died saving our mama from falling off a cliff! He was a hero!" Silverkit said giving Nightfang a suspicious stare. Nightfang looked at me, "I uh didn't exactly tell them who we were meeting tonight. I didn't want anyone to over hear us." I said nervously. "Well kits, Scorchflame was a brave and loyal cat but he wasn't your father. Nightfang is." I said, feeling it was better to tell them the truth than try to follow the mouse around the bush.
"Wait, but he is from Windclan, he cant be our father." Silverkit said laughing as if I was joking, "Yeah, Scorchflame is our father everycat says so." Ravenkit said agreeing with his brother and I grew nervous but when I glanced at Nightfang he looked unaffected, in fact his eyes still held the same warmth and happiness they had when he first saw the kits. "I like him, he can be my father if he wants." Wishkit perked nuzzling into Nightfangs fur.
"Kits, I know you don't understand right now but Nightfang is your father and he loves you just as much as I do." I said wrapping my tail around my sons, "But mama he is from Windclan, Lilyheart says we cant have friends from other clans, he is an enemy!" Silverkit said, he sky blue eyes looking confused.
"The warrior code says that you shouldn't have friends because it clouds your judgment when battle comes, and to love your clan above all else. However my loves, there are many different types of love. The love you have for your kits, the love you have for your mate and the love you have for your clan. Your hearts are capable of loving more than one thing." I said, begging for them to understand. Ravenkit looked thoughtful but Silverkit looked over whelmed, "But then why cant he come see us at home? Why haven't we met him before?"
Nightfang hung his head low to look at his sons, "I would love nothing more than to be with you always, but the other clans don't understand love like we do. If we were open about our relationship then it would cause hardship for you kits, Morningdew and I except the boundries and it has only made our love stronger. Just because I cant see you everyday doesn't mean that I don't love you."
"I love you papa!" Wishkit said jumping onto his head and nipping his ear. He laughed at her play and flipped his head so she fell on her back, "I got you little mouse!" he growled playfully and covered her face with licks and she laughed,
"Well, I guess I like having a deputy as a father, even if he is from Windclan." Silverkit said, wanting more to join in the play then anything. Ravenkit stayed at my side for a moment before giving into the impulse to play, "Me too, I like him!" and soon Nightfang was covered with his kits, "Oh no! im being outnumbered by Thunderclan warriors! Starclan help me." He howled and the kits grew even more excited.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, our kits accepted him with open paws and our family was whole. It was better than it looked in my dreams, and Nightfang looked happier than I have ever seen him. Aside from the first time Nightfang and I spent the night together, I had never been happier than I was right now.
Nightfang
"Hey papa, watch this!" Silverkit said and he rolled over in an attempt to do a flip. "Very good son, I bet you can become an apprentice by next moon!" I managed to say before Ravenkit wanted me to watch him jump on Wishkits tail. "Hey! Im not prey" she squeaked and tackled him, the three kits began to play fight each other, Morningdew and I all but forgotten.
I looked up at her and the emotion in her eyes mirrored my own, "They are perfect love." I said moving to nuzzle her cheek, "Aren't they? Though they can be quite a pawful."
"Im sorry I cant be there to help you. Are you being fed enough? Is you bedding kept fresh?" I fretted but she only chuckled, "Of course, every one loves them like they are their own." Her gaze turned dower suddenly and I urged her to tell me whats wrong,
"Well, I think Leafpool might know something. She has been treating me weird and asking me specific questions about the kits ever since I was found with them in this log." My mind went back to the gathering when Jayfeather made that comment about my coat. "I think your right. I ran into them at the gathering and they also seemed off."
"Im not worried of course, Leafpool is the last cat who had the right to judge any cat for their choices. I just wish she would confront me about it so we could come up with some sort of arrangement." She breathed and I pushed my pelt to hers comfortingly. "How are things in Windclan?"
"Very well, we had our winter preparations just in time for this snow." I said looking at the snowfall, which was still going full force. "I got an apprentice."
"That's great! Im looking forward to getting back to warrior duties when the kits are grown. Whats your apprentice like?" she perked,
"Her name is Lemonpaw, she is stubborn and persistent. She works hard and despite everything I instruct her to do she will do the opposite." I sighed, "Looks like you have your paws full as well." And we both chuckled, "Whats so funny?" Wishkit said, "Yeah, I want to hear the joke!" Silverkit pipped in,
"Get off you giant log!" Ravenkit muffled underneath Silverkits fur. I was so proud of them already, Wishkit was going to be beautiful, her unique pelt and eye color will make her stand out even with her fiery disposition. Silverkit was strong and confident, I bet he would be popular. Ravenkit was quite and beneath his cool exterior I could see he was going to be brilliant. I was the luckiest tom in the forest.
The kits soon began to grow tired and as I looked outside the snow has begun to slow but there was a thick layer on the trees and floor. "How are we going to get them back to your camp?" I whispered, "We can try what we did before, I carry one on my back and the other two in our jaws." She suggested and after a moment I agreed.
The kits complained the whole way back, "Why does Silverkit get to ride on papa's back?" Wishkit whined, "My paws are cold mama" Ravenkit moaned, "Can you catch us a bird papa? Im hungry!" the deep snow made our progress slow and by the time we got to the dirt entrance by the camp the sun had begun to peak over the horizon. "The snow will delay the patrols so we should be able to sneak in." Morningdew mumbled and she set the kits inside the dirt placed, which elicited another round of complaints, "It smells worse in here than before!", "EWW, I think I stepped in it!", "Im tired!".
Morningdew bit off two branches from the laurel bush and nudged on toward me, "Here, us this to cover your tracks, the snow should cover your scent just fine." Even now she was brilliant, our gazes locked and all of our unspoken feelings were passed through our hearts as I reluctantly broke away. "Goodbye love, I will see you and the kits when the snow clears." I said licking her cheek and bounded off.
Taking her advice I used the brush to cover our paws steps, I stopped by the log to kick snow inside to cover the scents. With one last longing look back to my family I crossed the border and began to prance home.
I didn't make it far before I saw a flash of yellow break through a snow covered bramble bush. "Lemonpaw? What are doing out so early?" I scolded but instead of her hanging her head like she usually did her gaze looked stern. "I was going to ask you the same question, why did you spend the night in Thunderclan territory?"