Warriors: Silent

6

      Frostpaw uncertainly followed her Clanmates into camp. She could hear a commotion behind the protective thorn walls even before entering the clearing. Why was the Clan awake?

  Frostpaw looked at Cricketlegs for answeres, but he seemed just as confused. It had to have been past moonhigh- the rest of the Clan should be sleeping. The crowd shuffled one-by-one through the gorse entrance and into the clearing beyond.

  "What's going on?" Mothstar asked firmly when Needlepelt poked his head from the warriors den.

  He flicked his ears, pretending to be tired and agitated, but even Frostpaw noticed the glimmer in his slit eyes. "Warmheart's had her kits."

  Frostpaw's heart fluttered and she began padding towards the nursery, but Mothstar was quick to cut off her path with his tail. "She's tired. You can visit them in the morning if she's ready."

  Frostpaw dipped her head, disheartened, but nonetheless fascinated by the muffled mewing coming from the nursery- empty for so long and now filled with tiny kittens.

  Mothstar leapt limply on Clanrock. "While the birth of PineClan's new warriors is exciting to all, we need to rest," He started, "Distracting Dawheart from Warmheart will not be tolerated."

  The Clan murmured their understanding and began to melt away into their own dens.

  Tiredly, Buckpaw and Frostpaw walked on sore feet into the apprentice den- a thick cave of brambles growing alongside a pine tree near the camps entrance.

  Mosspaw lifted her head from her nest upon their entry. "How was it?"

  Frostpaw mumbled incoherently while she trudged to her nest directly by her friend. She flumped inside and yawned, closing her heavy eyes. "Sleep tight." Mosspaw purred, grooming Frostpaw till she fell asleep.

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  Frostpaw awoke to a paw roughly prodding her side. "Come on, sleepy!" Mosspaw whined, "Crowfur said we could visit the kits!"

  "Mmf." Frostpaw mumbled, still sore from the previous nights travel and excitement.

  Mosspaw took Frostpaw's shoulder with her teeth and pulled, "Come on!"

  "By StarClan! Fine!" Frostpaw groaned, getting to her feet and stretching shakily. Then, padding out of the den and into the bright new-leaf sun, "You owe me a mouse."

  "I'll give you five." Mosspaw said, twitching her whiskers in amusement and trotting to the nursery- fluffy tail held high.

  Frostpaw began to squeeze into the bramble-made cave that is the nursery, taken aback by the warm milky scent.

  "It smelled like stale air in here when we cleaned it." She whispered, mostly to herself.

  Then there, in the back of the nursery, Warmheart laid on her side with her back against the wall. Crowfur perched next to her, his yellow eyes glowing in pride.

  Mosspaw curiously, gently, strided to the queen. "How are you?"

  Warmheart purred loudly in response. Frostpaw had never seen a cat so happy, and slowly approached the white-and-red mother.

  "They're so tiny." Mosspaw gasped, staring at the pile of sleeping kits, all pressed into their mother's warmth.

  "They're mouse-sized." Frostpaw agreed, leaning forward to sniff them. They smelled musky and warm.

  "What are their names?" Mosspaw asked, looking up with perked ears.

  "This is Slatekit." Warmheart began, licking a light grey tom that meweled in sleepy protest under her tongue.