River and Sky [OPEN after kits post]

When she'd found out she was pregnant, Birdsong had been... terrified, honestly. Terrified of what might happen, terrified of continuing in the awful pawsteps of her parents. Terrified of not being good enough. She'd been thrilled too, of course, and over time (and conversation with Turtlefur) that fear had hardened into resolve.

She wouldn't be the mother that hers had been. She wouldn't be absent and needlessly hostile. Her kits would know that they were loved and wanted, never lied to for the sake of appearances.

The kitting, and dealing with Riverclan's medicine cat, had been a whole different kind of terror. Still, things had gone... Smoothly, or about as smoothly as they ever did. Four she-kits and a tom had been born healthy and lively, and that was all Birdsong could ask for.

Four and a half moons had passed since then, and Birdsong sat just outside the nursery, quietly watching over her and Turtlefur's kits.

"Don't go far," She warned the kits, "If you get cold come back inside." There was a dusting of snow on the ground, and she had to fight the urge to call them back inside and curl around them for warmth. They'd need to get used to it, and besides, she'd been born in leafbare too. She knew it was irrational. Not that knowing seemed to make that overprotectiveness any easier to deal with.

Shellkit was the most active of the bunch, bouncing and twirling and rolling whenever she could. She could not sit still, and she was sure everyone knew it. Shellkit slapped her paws at the snow that was falling, and the amount that was very very slowly accumulating on the ground. Shellkit turned to her mother as she warned her not to go far... challenge accepted! She'll do the exact opposite! "No!" She chirped sassily with a smug, kittish grin on her face before booking it across the clearing with loud giggles.

“Ugh! Mom! Shellkit’s running away!” Creekkit whined, still by Birdsong’s side. She had watched with disdain as her wild sister ruined her coat and mixed up snow and mud. “Mom says you have to come back!” She yelled out again, her soft gray-and-white fur ruffling at her littermate’s brazen disobedience. Birdsong hadn’t really said anything of the sort, but Creekkit was sure she’d agree.

-Streamkit-

The molly whimpered at the yelling, she hated when her siblings fought, couldn't they get along?
She dashed to her mother's side, she hid under Birdsongs tail, maybe she would stop the argumen

Beaverkit was every so happily batting at snowflakes as they fell from the sky. Bouncing around, her little tail stub bobbed and moved with glee. The tiny kit giggled, turning to look at Shellkit bolted and ran. She cocked her head, then resumed her snowflake chasing.

With a puffed-out chest, kitten fluff sticking out in all directions, Otterkit brazenly declared, "Don't worry Ma, I'll save her!" After wiggling his rump in the air to prepare for his run-and-pounce tactic, Otterkit burst forward on clumsy kitten paws, skidding through piles of snow and patches of ice before he finally made it to his sister and came to a sudden halt. "Come on Shellkit, you're coming with me!" Otterkit wasn't a lot bigger than Shellkit, but he'd hold any advantage he had over her as long as he could. Gripping her scruff (or attempting to, at least) he began trying to get the other kit to budge and tumble their way back toward Birdsong.

-Streamkit-

Why are they coming closer? She wondered, why can't they just, be quiet? She tucked her head further under Birdsong tail and sighed. Why can't they all be quiet, why can't they all be peaceful?

Ah, of course... She should have expected her warning to be quickly dismissed. Her whiskers twitched in amusement despite herself as she watched Shellkit take off running. It wasn't long before Otterkit was chasing after his sister and Shellkit was being the bossy big sister. In a way she reminded Birdsong of one of her littermates, though their faces were all but half-forgotten memories except for Shadewing.

"Oh, let them play, Shell. They can't go far." or get into too much trouble... She hoped. But that was why she kept an eye on them, of course. Beaverkit seemed content to play in the snow, and little Streamkit... Birdsong gently curled her tail over the kit. "It's alright, little one." She soothed, "They're just playing."