So much to write, so little time!

I felt my fur brush against something. Something soft. "Mother?"

There was a rustle of leaves against stone, an ancient sound, and the shape next to me pressed closer. Closer, so that I could almost lean my head upon it... "No, silly, mom's over there."

I felt a single twinge of annoyance. "Then who are you?"

"Runningkit. Learn to listen, you furball." Suddenly, the warmness left my body, and I squinted against the morning sun. "Hey! I was just falling asleep!"

"You've had all night to sleep, dear," another voice rang out from before me. "Now this is your mother."

"I knew that," I muttered, paws shifting on the ground. "Where are we?"

"This is the medicine cat den- we're staying here for now," she answered, an edge to her voice. "I tried to tell Riversoul..." Something flashed in her eye like amber, and she shook her head. "Nothing. We'll move back to the nursery very soon."

Runningkit's nose twitched. "Well, can we go outside?"

"I don't know... You're still so young," my mother began, but Runningkit whooped in delight. "That's great! We can go explore the camp that she was always mumbling about and-"

"I did not say you could go..." She started again, but as soon as Runningkit's tail dropped, she added, "but I'm sure exceptions will be made very soon. You're only, what, two sunrises old?"

I cocked my head. "But this is the camp, right? There isn't anything out there to hurt us. We'll stay safe, I promise-"

Before she could answer, or listen to the rest of my sentence, a dark head peeked out from the vines surrounding and draping the outside of the den entrance. "Everything all right there?"

There was a certain regal accent to the way the new cat spoke, and somehow, I didn't quite like it. I could tell that my mother felt the same way, too. "Yes, Riversoul, we are doing quite fine without you."

Riversoul's whiskers twitched at that comment, but made no further movements. "I see. How are the kits managing?"

"We're doing just fine," Runningkit cut in. "Bored, too. Can we please go outside now?"

Something flashed at the edge of her mouth- a smile? But it disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared. "Maybe, sometime soon, I imagine. What did your mother say?"

"She said it was... Fine!"

Riversoul did that weird expression again. "Then you may explore the camp. I can't quite remember when I was ever so lively..."

Somehow, I couldn't really imagine Riversoul as a kit- ever. Some cats, you just feel looked old the moment they were born. "I'm sure it was... Great then," I ventured.

Her smile vanished almost immediately. "Oh, yes. Salmonkit, is it not?"

"This may be discussed later," my mother began, her tone a bit higher than usual, but Riversoul acted as if she was never there. "You are quite an... Interesting little kitty, don't you think?"

"Riversoul!" My mother shouted, louder this time. "I think this is enough, really. Let the kits see the world for themselves."

She didn't answer, and I could almost see the trace of something nervous when her eyes met with mine again.