An Unknowing Meeting

Sweetkit bolted out of the nursery, giggling with excitement. It was early but since she had managed to be the first one groomed she was able to slip out of the nursery while her mother was still busy with her two siblings. Prancing through the snow Sweetkit giggled again, looking back at the nursery only to trip over her own feet and crash into someone.

Being almost 6 moons old now, she was now easily big enough to knock another cat off their feet where as before she would have only jostled them. Squeaking in surprise at the impact, Sweetkit shook her head before looking over at the cat she had crashed into.

Thistlefall had been minding his own business, loathing in the warming weather that early spring provided, when suddenly a gruff shove at his paws set him off balance. He swayed a bit, jutted a fore leg out to the side to catch himself from fully falling. With a huff of irritation he looked downward toward the kit who caused him to stumble.

Was it one of Willowwhisker's kits? It couldn't be, yet it was. He scrunched up his muzzle and backed up a bit. "Watch where you're going" He scolded in a monotone voice.

Sweetkit shrunk back a bit, not used to getting snapped at for her clumsiness. After all, it wasn't her fault she was clumsy, she just was. [color:f475=##eea2b4]"Oh um... I'm sorry...." Peering up at the tom Sweetkit narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side before taking a step closer to him.

"You're a warrior... Right? You have to be! You're way too big to be an apprentice. Sweetkit's eyes brightened as she nodded her head in agreement with herself. Hopping forward another tail length Sweetkit's ears and tail perked up. "Could you teach me a battle move? Or how to hunt a bird?" Sweetkit, now getting carried away, quivered in her pelt. 'He's huge! I bet he's an awesome warrior!'

Willowwhisker got up, padding out of the nursery after all of the kits. She had been really busy lately, taking care of them all by herself. Her head hung low as always, but a certain voice reacting to her kits made her jerk up her head in an instant. Dont you touch my kits!"Sweetkit, darling, would you please come here?" her body quivered although it wasn't even cold, and she knew why. When Sweetkit approached, she followed her last sentence in a hushed tone."Please, Sweetkit, stay away from him...

Thistlefall paused, glaring for a moment at the kit before shifting his expression into a more cool one. "In fact, yes, I am a warrior..." Before he could continue, the all too familiar voice of Willowwhisker came from a few lengths away. He looked up, stealing a glance her way before looking down at the kit. So she is Willowwhisker's, I was right... He thought with a smug expression.

The grand tom took a step forward, to was where Sweetkit was parked between his two fore paws. "Hey, she's just wanting to learn a bit from a big bad warrior, can she not do as she pleases?" He toyed with his words, basically in a teasing manner. Then, he looked back down at the kit, "You wanna learn a battle move? I'll show you how to fight." He offered with a grin, swiping a paw gently and playfully in front of Sweetkit's muzzle after moving away from her a bit. He knew she had no idea he was her father, and he planned to keep it that way, at least for a long time... He cast a daring look back up at her mother, his past mate.

Her head filled with anger as Thistlefall threw his words around like a rag-doll. Bad thats for sure... She sighed inwardly, her hopes dwindling away of her kits being protected from their father. "I-I-..." She sat for a moment, her head pounding. Her face had a confused, but dazed look on it."Thistlefall, could I speak with you please? In private? Her statement wasn't a request, but it certainly wasn't an order either. It was more of a question that needed no answer, but she kept her tone soft for the sake of Sweetkit, and deep down inside, herself. She flicked her tail in annoyance towards the nursery entrance. She turned away, padding over to where their conversation would be out of earshot for Sweetkit. She stood rather than sat down, her muscles tense and her tail and ears constantly flicking. I hoped this would never happen...

"In fact, yes, I am a warrior..." Sweetkit's bounced up a bit, excited but stopped when she heard her mother calling her. Sweetkit looked over at Willowwhisker, shrinking down a bit at the noticeably tense tone in her mother's voice. Ears lowered Sweetkit took a few steps towards her mother, crossing enough space to just barely catch her mother's pleading statement. "But..."

Sweetkit stopped as the warrior padded forward, standing above her. "Hey, she's just wanting to learn a bit from a big bad warrior, can she not do as she pleases? You wanna learn a battle move? I'll show you how to fight." Sweetkit's eyes brightened and her ears perked up at the idea but hesitated when she saw the expression on her mother's face. "Thistlefall, could I speak with you please? In private?"

As her mother flicked her tail at the nursery entrance, Sweetkit's ears lowered again and she bowed her head and padded towards the nursery, her tail dragging behind her.

Thistlefall watched in dismay with an expression ridden with annoyance as Sweetkit padded away in a defeated manner. He let out a snort, turning his attention to Willowwhisker. "Sure... why not." He grumbled, tail flicking as he trailed behind the queen, but not too close...

She smiled weakly at Sweetkit, sorry to ruin her fun."You can come out in a bit." She turned to Thistlefall, her muscles still tense. Drawing in a breath, she began to speak."I thought we had an agreement. She is my kit and until she is older, she will not know you are her father. Do you really think she deserves to hold the burden of having you as her father?" 'Why am I like this...?' She looked down at her paws, 'Calm and friendly, calm and friendly.'

Her next words were genuine and true, as could be told by her tone. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She thought, and for a good while, too."I'd like to be on better terms with you. If the kits ever found out, I'd like them to know that things are better now. So please, even though... even though..." Her growing stutter took her over, but she shook her head to clear away any remainders of it."Even though Brindlewhisker is your mate, not me. So please, could we... I guess, makeup? Just friends, I don't like being your enemy, and that's what it feels like."

Sweetkit, had been padding slowly to the nursery so when her mother started talking to Thistlefall she was still within hearing distance. "She is my kit..." Sweetkit's interest peeked, her ears perked up and she looked back towards Willowwhisker only to trip. Landing in a heap with a quiet umph, she quickly looked back, noticing that her mother hadn't noticed her blunder and was still talking.

"Do you really think she deserves to hold the burden of having you as her father?" Sweetkit's eyes widened in shock and she sucked in a deep breath. 'M-My father?' Tuning out the rest of what her mother was saying Sweetkit's eyes focused on Thistlefall. 'How can he be my father? Mommy doesn't even seem to like him... I mean, what she said was really mean.' Pushing herself up onto her paws, having initially forgotten she had tripped, she focused back on her mother and what she was saying. "Even though Brindlewhisker is your mate, not me. So please, could we... I guess, makeup? Just friends, I don't like being your enemy, and that's what it feels like."

Very confused, Sweetkit almost sat down to watch the two of them but then realized that she was eavesdropping. Turning she creeped towards the nursery as quietly as possible, knowing if she went too fast she would end up tripping again.

Thistlefall let her finish before speaking. "I was never going to tell her I was her father, so please, relax." He started, flicking and ear before continuing, ignoring the tone of her voice but noting her stiff muscles.. "Makeup? How? You were quite angry with me, what makes you say that now?" He mewed calmly.

"I never really held a grudge on you, I just moved on, you know?" He huffed. "But if making up is what you desire, then sure, I have nothing against that."

Willowwhiskers ear perked at the slightest sound of struggle. She shook her head, focusing on Thistlefall.      Never really held a grudge. This whole time, she had been blinded by her own opinions, and she felt horrible."I-I'm so sorry." As a single tear slid past her face, she turned away before he could see it, shaking it from her muzzle.''Sweetkit!? Oh my Starclan! How much of that did you hear?!" She isn't ready... She isn't ready... Her face was stricken with horror, she should have made sure she was actually in the nursery, and now she knows... everything. Turning back to Thistlefall, she began to walk towards him in a very swift fashion."We need to talk to the kits. Sweetkit..." She looked towards her."Sweetkit, could you please come over here for a minute?" It broke her heart to have to tell the kits that she had lied about their father, but it had to be done.

Sweetkit froze, wincing at being caught, and turned to look at her mother slowly. As her mother called her over the she-kit padded up to the Queen and Warrior, the guilt evident on her face though there was also a bit of a stubborn glint in them. "Y-yes?"

Thistlefall perked his ears, looking past Willowwhisker to see that Sweetkit was only just now stalking into the entry. Now he didn't even have to hold a secret, her own mother had revealed it.