Bloodflower

Chapter 30

"So how has it been, being a warrior at last?" Quickstorm prompted. As always, he was an eager father waiting for Rosethorn to tell him how her life had been.

Rosethorn swallowed the bite of scrawny mouse she'd been chewing. "It's barely been three days since my ceremony," she reminded him.

"Then your update will be short," Quickstorm replied. "Come on, tell me something!"

Rosethorn rolled her eyes fondly. Some things never changed. And I'm very glad for that.

"Well, it's been great not having to ask for permission just to hunt," she began. "It makes me feel like I'm getting a lot more done each day. Like I'm being much more useful, especially now that leaf-bare has really started." She glanced down at the mouse, which was living—well, now dead—proof that the coldest season had begun.

"Yes, the Clan is going to need as much prey as they can get," Quickstorm meowed. "The more hunters, the better."

"The more apprentices, the better," Rosethorn snorted. "It'll be a happy day for Nightshade and I when Rainfoot's kits are finally six moons old. That way we won't be stuck doing all the chores like we're still apprentices!"

Quickstorm purred. "Well, it won't be long now. And maybe Adderstar would let you and Nightshade mentor two of them."

"That would be wonderful," Rosethorn mewed. "I'm really interested in Acornkit. She's a bit of a troublemaker, but she clearly wants to be as helpful as she can."

"I think you'd be a great mentor for her." Quickstorm nodded toward the nursery. "You should start spending more time with the kits so Adderstar can see that you're interested in mentoring one."

"That's a good idea," Rosethorn agreed. "In fact, I think I'll take them the rest of this mouse. They need it more than we do right now."

"Go ahead, then," Quickstorm responded.

Rosethorn stretched luxuriously before taking up the half-eaten mouse in her jaws. As she padded over to the nursery, she relished the feeling of sunlight warming her back. When she entered the den, she was surprised to find Dawnpaw inside.

Her cream-colored sister glanced up from the kits. "Oh, hi," she greeted her with a friendly flick of her tail. "Is that mouse for the kits?"

"Yep." Rosethorn set the fresh-kill down near Rainfoot. "How are you?" she asked the dark gray queen.

"Exhausted!" Rainfoot huffed. "These kits have enough energy to run to the Moontree and back. But I've never been happier," she added, gazing lovingly at her kits, who were lazily wrestling with one another in a separate nest. "They'll be apprentices in no time."

"Yes!" Acornkit sprang to her paws. Her dark ginger pelt was bushed out. "I can't wait much longer. I want to hunt and fight, and I want to see the forest!"

"But I'll be a way better hunter than you," Flashkit boasted, his blue eyes shining playfully. "I'm a lot faster!"

"No, you're not!" Acornkit huffed indignantly.

"Yeah, he is!" Crowkit mewed. "You're a slow slug!"

"I'll show you how quick I can be!" Acornkit hissed, leaping on top of Crowkit. As they wrestled, Flashkit joined in, and the three kits quickly turned into a writhing, squealing mass of fur. Leafkit scrambled away from the fight, her gold eyes narrowed irritably.

Rosethorn purred. "They're certainly lively," she agreed. "And it looks like Crowkit got over that cough he had."

"Yes, the tansy worked quite well," Dawnpaw meowed. "He's feeling fine now."