A Wonderful Frost-Filled Night {Open}

Frostwing was lying in the nursery when the familiar hustle and bustle of camp slowly woke her up. It was a nice sound to wake up to, unlike the shrill wailing of her kittens that so often woke her up instead. It had been several sunrises since the spectacular and exhausting night that she had given birth to her daughters, and she was quickly adjusting to motherhood. It was definitely a rollercoaster ride, but the worry that she wouldn’t know how to be a mother had subsided the moment she laid eyes on her small bundles of fur. She was a bit saddened they would never know the comforting rumble of the waterfall that she had known back in the mountains, but she was glad that they’d probably never know the hunger, heartache, and fear that she and her tribe mates had known in her old home. If she could go back, she wouldn’t take back her decision to follow Stoneteller to the clans. Her life had much improved since then, and she had even been able to start her own family without an incessant worry for their immediate safety and hunger. She knew she’d have the ability to feed her young daughters, and she knew her clanmates wouldn’t hesitate to protect them, if need be, either. Of course she still worried, but she’s been told by the other queens that that was normal for any mother, especially a new one.

With a content sigh, she gently shook away her thoughts and began nosing her kits awake. “Good morning, sweethearts. It’s time to wake up. I’m sure your father will be by to see y’all any minute now.” She cooed softly before starting to give each kit a nice grooming of their sleep-ruffled fur.

Featherkit woke up as her mother licked her fur. She purred and touched her nose to her mother's cheek. Though her eyes were still closed, Featherkit went straight to her mother's belly and started to feed. When she was full, she looked up at her mother and blinked open her yellow-green eyes.

Featherkit looked around in wonder. She saw her own orange and black patches and her mother's own patches. She yawned hugely but stood up. "Can I go outside now, Mama?"

Pigeonkit let out a tiny, high-pitched mewl once she felt something nose her side. What a shame. Her precious nap had been disturbed. Sighing in disappointment, the small kit lifted her head and glanced around at the walls of the nursery and her siblings beside her. As her mother, Frostwing, started to groom her with her warm tongue, Pigeonkit couldn't help but begin to whine in protest.
"Awh, c'mon, mama!" She muttered, "I don't need to be groomed! Warriors aren't groomed by their mamas!"
She felt a rush of relief once it was over, and she sprung to her paws to head to head toward the entrance. Her small head poked out of the nursery as she glanced around the camp, hoping to catch a glimpse of her father, Nightstorm.
"Why do we have to wait for him to come?" She asked, "Can't we go find him ourselves?"

"Yeah! I wanna meet him!" Featherkit squealed. She tottered out of the nursery and squeaked in excitement. "It's so big out here!" Featherkit mewed, looking around the camp in wonder. She sat down on the dusty ground outside the nursery, searching for her father. She shivered as a hard gust of cold wind hit her tortoiseshell and white fur. "Come out here, Pidgeonkit! We can warm each other up and look for Daddy!" Featherkit squealed into the nursery.

"Heeeeeeey!" Jaykit protested in a fit. The calico she-cats mouth was agape; her eyes scrunched as her mother tamed stray tufts of fur from the top of her head. "Stop it, Mama!" She glowered at her mother with her large kit-eyes, stumbling backward to flee from her mothers care. Turning her tail towards Frostwing, she floundered over to Pigeonkkit's side. Looking out on the large camp in front of her, she yearned to get her apprentices ceremony. The wait was absolutely horid! If she had to wait for a moment longer, she felt as if she might explode."C'mon, Pigeonkit. Let's go git 'em ourselves!" And with those words, she raced out of the seclusion of the nursery for the first time in her life. Her eyes grew wide as the hustle and bustle of camp suddenly became real. The freshkill pile, the apprentice den, cats sharing tongues! It was all so wonderful, and she couldn't wait until she could go about as she pleased. Looking back on her sister with an astonishing smile, she beckoned her forward with her tail."Don't be a scaredy-mouse! Come on out!"

Nightstorm still felt as if he was walking in a dream, even though it had been quite a few days since that dream had become a reality.  Was he really a father?  Though he hadn't really imagined what it would be like in his youth, he had always enjoyed spending time with kits, playing with them and helping to at least partially guide them as they grew.  He had felt the beginnings of such a parental commitment with his apprentice Sootpaw...but as soon as he had laid eyes on his four beautiful daughters, he felt as if everything had changed.  His leaf-green eyes shining with immense joy, he picked up a plump mouse from the fresh-kill pile and jogged over to the nursery, excitement fueling his every step.  Just as he was about to reach the entrance though, he almost tripped over a small shape that had dashed out into the sunlight.  He had to skid to a halt to narrowly avoid crushing her with a much-bigger paw, but his smile didn't cease.  "Be careful there Jaykit, rushing out into camp without warning is an easy way to get trampled."  His words were serious, but his tone was not; a laughing twinkle enlightened the ebony-black tom's face as he purred down at his daughter, and nudged her gently with his front paw.  Bending down, he placed the mouse on the ground, and whispered not-so-sneakily; "Hey, do you want to take this to Frostwing for me?  Maybe one of your sisters can help you."  The mouse was almost as big as the she-kit herself, and he couldn't help the flood of adoration that came with that fact.  They're so small, so precious!  Oh StarClan, they're the greatest blessing I've ever received.

Featherkit crouched down and sprang up, landing on Nightstorm's tail. "I got you, Daddy!" Featherkit mewed. She walked around to his face and looked into his eyes, the same color as hers. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Hello!" She purred.

The fur on the back of Pigeonkit's neck stood up, rigidly, "I'm not a scaredy-mouse! I'm braver than you!"
With that, she leapt out of the nursery after Featherkit and Jaykit, but paused in shock as a familiar dark figure almost tripped over Jaykit. A small laugh escaped her maw as she began to bounce on her paws as she looked up at her father. Admiration glittered in her deep blue eyes as a grin began to spread on her muzzle.
"Hi, papa!" She exclaimed, "Wow, that's a huge mouse! I didn't know prey could be that big! Did you catch that all by yourself? I want to catch big mice, too!"
After the she-kit finished speaking, Pigeonkit hurled herself at Jaykit, tackling her sister with laughter in her eyes, "I caught a big scaredy-mouse!"

OOC: Super late on this!! I'm very sorry! College is keeping me from spending time here! Also, very short post ;^;

IC: Mosskit purred in delight as she watched her siblings play around. She was a tiny bit tired so she refrained from participating.