Winterkit looked at Autumnkit, they were both about four moons old now and they took up a lot of the Nursery! Everyone was squished. Winterkit walked out of the Nursery, squeezing through. She looked at the twinkling stars that danced around Silverpelt and smiled at her ancestors. Looking back down to adventure around camp. She hopped up onto a rock and looked around, the camp felt so different at night! Now that Winterkit was close to apprenticeship, she felt much taller. Jumping off the rock she gave a random hop of glee, looking around and giving a flick of her tail, she could eat from the fresh-kill pile soon! When she was five moons, like Dappledpaw and Tansypaw those three moons ago! She looked at the three Crimsonkit, Swiftkit and Spikekit sleeping in the Nursery. They were one moon now, they could play games now! She smiled, then turned to see Owlfeather setting out Moonrise patrols. She saw Finchshade's patrol that contained Owlfeather themself, then Dahliaheart's patrol that contained of Mudsight and Hallowedpaw. Who she assumed must be getting a night session from other warriors that aren't his mentor. She said goodbye and good luck then went back to her nest and fell asleep.
Winterkit woke up and travelled out of the Nursery, her eyes scanning the clearing as she looked down and saw her fur beneath her eyes, she sat down, embarrassed and started to lick her chest and fur to smooth it all down. Winterkit saw Tansypaw and Dappledpaw sharing a frog together, they were six moons, lucky. Winterkit herself was only four moons, her tail swished in envy, she couldn't wait to be Leader one day and take care of the whole clan. Plumflower approached Tansypaw, her hairless pelt cold beneath the wind. She started mewing some inaudible mews to Tansypaw and Dappledpaw got up onto his feet and yowled loud enough for Winterkit to hear. "Can I come?" He shouted, his eyes lit up in excitement. Winterkit saw Plumflower smile and respond, Winterkit turned and ducked into the Nursery.
Winterkit awoke to see Sunup. She must've slept in for awhile because the Dawn patrol just came back, she saw Tempestpaw and Soulstar leave the camp, must be a training session. She looked over at Crimsonkit, Spikekit and Swiftkit, who were talking to eachother in small words but happy ones. She hopped on over to them. "Hey, wanna play clan?" She kept her words short so they'd understand. The three kits nodded. She smiled and then turned to Autumnkit. "Hey! Come play clan! Dappledpaw! Tansypaw to! Let's play clan!" The other three kits raced over to them, looking at the younger kits all with different expressions.
Dappledpaw whispered to Winterkit. "Do we have to play with them? They're not smart enough to play clan."
Winterkit nudged him. "It'll be fine! They can learn from it." She then turned to Glazesight and Foxfire. "Can Spikekit, Crimsonkit and Swiftkit play with us!? Dappledpaw and Tansypaw can supervise them!"
Dappledpaw stared at her with her jaw wide open.
Tansypaw purred and closed his mouth, giggling as he huffed angrily at Winterkit.
Winterkit looked at him and shrugged in a 'sorry' then turned back as Foxfire responded. "Fine with me! What about your little Swiftkit, Glazesight?"
Glazesight mewed. "It's all good." She started to wash her paw.
Winterkit turned. "Right! Then it's settled then. I call dibs on leader!"
Dappledpaw huffed. "Awww! Then I call dibs on the stinking deputy." He opened his mouth and pointed at his tongue with an unsheathed claw.
Tansypaw purred. "I want to be a warrior!" She jumped.
Autumnkit nodded. "Me too!" He mewed.
Crimsonkit quickly responded. "Me three!"
Swiftkit batted him. "No me!"
Spikekit hissed. "Me five!"
She watched Autumnkit let out a little laugh. Winterkit, using her tiny claws, scratched his face to make sure he wouldn't make the kits upset. Autumnkit gave a frown, tracing his paw around his face to make sure he wasn't bleeding. Winterkit sighed. "Then who will be medicine cat!?" She looked around.
Adderpaw approached them. "Hey what are you guys playing!? Can I play?" He shook leaves out of his pelt, Winterkit turned to him in happiness. "Yes! You can be the medicine cat!"
Adderpaw shrugged. "Yea sure." He didn't sound too thrilled, but not to angry either.
Winterkit jumped up onto a rock just beside the medicine den, she let out a call. "All cats of Pineclan that are old enough to climb the highest trees gather here for a clan meeting!"
The kits gathered and Dappledpaw sat on a tree stump close by the rock Winterkit sat on.
As Winterkit went on a bundle of juniper berry fell on her head, she shook it off and jumped in surprise, looking down at the juniper she saw scattered that led to the medicine den it made her think. Am I destined as a medicine cat? That's insane! Her claws scraped across the rock, she'll be a leader! I'm not a medicine cat! Winterkit blinked open her eyes to see Dappledpaw.
Dappledpaw pondered. "You alright there Winterkit?" He tapped her.
Winterkit looked at him. "Yeah..I think I'm going to nap, you can be the leader now." She jumped off the rock, staring at the juniper berries.
Dappledpaw shrugged. "Okay cool, Tansypaw you can be my deputy!"
Winterkit crept into the medicine den. The best I can do is clean up the berries. Winterpaw shrieked as she bumped into Smokeleaf, looking up. "Sorry Smokeleaf!" She dipped her head. Winterkit grabbed a stick that Smokeleaf offered her and she started to stab the berries, nudging them back to her. "Sorry.."
Smokeleaf gave her a friendly stare. "It's fine, I'm sure a warrior will get some more. Plus, the juniper berries aren't rotten."
Winterkit blinked tiredly and realised she must've been sleeping for awhile because it was Sun-down. She walked out of the den and looked around, spotting the huge apprentice shape of Tempestpaw and Soulstar. Hearing in on their conversation. "Night Training is very important, we are called Shadowclan after all." He huffed with a purr, walking out of the camp with Tempestpaw beside him, a faceless expression from what she could see. Winterkit turned, seeing Rippleleap in front of her, she hissed in surprise and fell backwards.
"You should be in your nest!" Rippleleap mewed, trotting over to the fallen Winterkit and picking her up by the scruff. "My you're getting heavy! Growing a little bit too quick!" She dropped Winterkit beside her brother Autumnkit and wrapped around them, falling asleep.
Winterkit kneaded the nest and looked up at the stars, eventually falling asleep too.
Winterkit and Autumnkit had been banned from leaving the nursery after they accidentally trampled on a herb. Winterkit felt so bad, Autumnkit wasn't all that bothered. She picked at a leaf until Rippleleap re-entered the Nursery. There wasn't much room in the nursery anymore now that there were seven kits! She shook her pelt. She had overheard Rippleleap talking about Tempestpaw and Hollowpaw getting their warrior names to one of the queens. 'Tempestcrow' and 'Hollowwisp' were their new names. Her ears flicked up in interest. She felt something tug at her tail and with her small unsheathed claws she hit them. Her ears perking as she realised it was her brother. "Sorry!"
Autumnkit twitched his tail in irritation. "You've got a twig in your tail, literally."
Winterkit rolled her eyes until her mother, Rippleleap chimed in. "You do too! Honestly Winterkit you need to learn your brother isn't lying." She mewed firmly, but Winterkit could tell she was slightly amused.
Winterpaw turned her head to see the stick. It was just out of her reach.
Rippleleap bent down and pulled it out.
Winterkit gave a mewl and threw a paw at the air. But she was thankful it was out.
"You're getting fluffy, Winterkit!" Rippleleap mewed.
Winterkit purred in amusement. Tansypaw bounced into the Nursery with Dappledpaw beside her.
Dappledpaw turned to her and grinned. "You're going to be six moons in two moons!" Dappledpaw said excitedly. "Then you'll be apprentices, just like us!"
Winterkit and Tansypaw rolled their eyes.
Winterkit looked at Rippleleap as Autumnkit stared out of the Nursery. "Can we leave? We've been in punishment long enough, it's been a week!" Autumnkit grunted from behind.
Rippleleap sighed. "You can." She nodded, stroking her shoulder with soft licks. As Autumnkit sprinted out Rippleleap turned to Glazesight.
"I'm going to get some fresh-kill. Will you keep an eye on Winterkit?"
Glazesight purred in amusement. "Yeah sure." She turned to Winterkit and blinked. "You've got a tough mother, Winterkit! A punishment for a week, ha! I'm sure the medicine cats found a replacement for that herb in a Sunrise." Winterkit giggled and trotted out of the Nursery, leaving the kits and the queens to go breathe the fresh camp air again. Her fur fluffed up in surprise.
Dappledpaw and Tansypaw bolted after her. "We're going to go eat something, want to come?" Tansypaw mewled, turning her head.
Winterkit bounced. "Okay!" She followed them, right now she was only allowed to eat small pieces of prey like scrawny mice or stuff like that. Since she was still able to feast on milk, besides the fact that her teeth were growing in.