Father Fun Time

Night dragged her paws and moped around, it seemed as if she was always bored. She had countless play fights with her siblings, and yeah they were fun. But after she was back to the same state. She passed some much bigger cats than her and her tiny beady eyes looked around. She hadn't played with her father in a long time, so today she would try to get him to play! She hummed as she saw him talking to a cat and waited for him to stop. When he did, she practically hurled herself onto his leg, trying to claw up his hindquarters. "Dad! Dad! I'm so bored, can we play a game? Or go explore outside of camp? Pretty pretty please!" The words spilled out of her tiny mouth, the desperation to get outside clearly echoed in her voice. "Please dad?" She asked, giving him big kitten eyes and untangling her paws from his thick and long fur.

It was his first time as a father, and unlike his own father, Burnt found it quite enjoyable. In keeping to themselves and simply striving to do what was best for the clan and each other, so far Stagclan had been reveling in the prosperity of their work. That meant the kits had a safe place to grow underneath his watchful eye. After checking in with Flintfang, he had intended to find Silent Snows for a moment before heading out to hunt once more. Before he could get very far, something pelted into his side and latched onto him. After a second of pause, he realized the scent of his own kit and glanced down with his warm green gaze softening. All the kits seemed to be fairly energetic, healthy and generally well. It appeared Night had all the energy of the forest today. Perhaps taking her out for at least a few moments would allow his mate a break. Dipping his head, the large tom gingerly picked her up by the scruff and placed the kit in front of him to look down at her.

"It seems like you could use some time out of camp, Night. How about you accompany me for a hunt outside the walls. Maybe we could find some herbs for you mother as well?" Burnt's voice was soft and inviting, something gentler than his usual, factual and strong timbre. As soon as he finished speaking, he set off for the camp entrance and encouraged her along with a flick of his feathery calico tail. Since the transition from out under Starclan's paws, Silent Snows had taken up the duty of acting in place of the traditional medicine cat. Unsurprisingly, she handled both the position of caring for the clan and for their kits with unyielding excellency. He found himself more and more happy to have her at his side every day. As the thoughts flitted through his mind, the tom lead his kit from camp to just outside the walls. Hopefully the task of searching for leaves and berries would entertain her for a while.

"Now there's lots of cattails and grass out here, but that's not what we want to look for. Silent Snows says there is something called Comfrey she's told me about that grows right near camp. Big leaves about this wide and little flowers. Think you can find it?"

Nights bottom practically wiggled with excitement and nodded. "I'll find her the bestest herbs!" She mewed, her tiny white teeth showing. She trailed after him, slightly running to keep pace with the large fluffy tom. She followed more slowly as they exited the camp, this being the first time she had seen the territory without having to watch her tail and only getting glimpses. "It's so pretty!" She cooed before looking up at the cat she nearly resembled. "Comfrey?" She repeated before turning around to look for it in the few feet in front of her. "Come on dad!" She said, taking off into the forest. Her only legs could carry her so fast and so far before she had to stop and catch her breath.

He watched her with interest, allowing a soft smile to cross his maw at the enthusiasm for the world that the young kit displayed. As she looked for the herb, his maw raised into the air to see if he could catch the scent of anything nearby. Before there was a chance to pursue any of the leads, Night was scampering off. Burnt followed easily after his kit. The marshlands dampened the fur of his paws and leaving the snow white a stained light brown. Later on, he would clean the fur underneath rhythmic laps of his tongue. Even if the muck irked the tom's desire to keep his pelt neatly groomed, this was his home. Thankfully, his kits were able to see and grow in that home. This future would be for them, all of them. When he reached the place that the little she-cat had stopped, he picked her up gingerly in his teeth one more to prevent her from racing off and once he was certain she was not going anywhere, the tom meowed, "Slow down, Night. There is plenty of time to see the territory. And while thing might be safe from other clans, there are still predators about. Are you ready to take them on so soon, little warrior?"

Night felt the presence of her father and his teeth gentle nipping at her scruff and raising her paws off the ground to speak. Maybe she had gotta little too excited and shouldn't have scampered off but there was just so much to see! "Okay I'm sorry. I don't want to meet any predators today!" She mewed, her voice becoming high pitched in excitement. She looked at her prong paws that dangled, they were damp and the dirty ground gave her paws and underbelly a light brown mucky look. Her mother wouldn't be that happy with her because of it but she could tell her siblings so many stories!