Little Ones [semi-open]

Despite the ever-going hustle and bustle that filled the camp, the nursery was bathed in a sleepy and content silence. Snuggled up within a soft nest made of various feathers and moss laid Splashwillow, whom was tightly curled around three small bundles. Letting out a soft breath, the calico she-cat relaxed her protective stance around the three kits that were sprawled out alongside her. Kits! She still couldn't believe that Starclan had viewed her as fortunate enough to bless her with a healthy litter of three, totally perfect kits.

First, there was Duskkit; the only tom of the litter. His stout form, dusty coloring, and amber eyes more closely resembles that of his father, Rainstorm. Then there was Minnowkit, who's dusky coloring and intense amber eyes made her also look more like her father than anything else. And finally, there was sweet Snowkit, who looked like a near exact copy of her aunt that had passed long before the kit's actual birth. How could she have been so fortunate? Sparkwillow and Snowpaw never even got to live long enough to truly have a family! Fending off the lingering thoughts of her deceased littermates, Splashwillow carefully rolled onto her back with another soft sigh. At least now that her kits were old enough, she could show them to Rainstorm and Otterleap.


ooc) short gomen

Snowkit sleepily rolled over as her mother shifted, her mind slowly drifting up from a young kit's unconscious slumber. Her bright, fluffy white fur stood out against her siblings' dusky pelts and her mother's calico fur, making her as noticeable as the sun peeking through the clouds on a rainy day. When she opened her eyes, they shone a vibrant green, sparkling as the sun's rays came in through the nursery entrance. The moment she was fully awake, the tiny RiverClan kit pounced on Minnowkit, her sister. There was a mischievous look in her eyes. "C'mon, Minnowkit, let's go outside! We can see the apprentices, or listen to the elders, or maybe see Fishstar! Do you think Dad is out there this morning?" Her voice was clear and high-pitched, as bright and happy and innocent as she was.

Rainstorm paced outside of the nursery, his eyes focused on the trail his paws slowly made into the dirt beneath him. He hadn't seen much of his new kits since they were born, but his concern grew the moment he laid eyes on them. The tom had barely stayed long enough to learn their names before he rushed away from his mate and into the territory for fresh air.

T-Those kits. While the one was a bright white, most likely from her mother's side, the other two resembled him. No... They resembled his father. The warrior couldn't help but scoff. Of all the cats their kits could resemble, it had to be Duskfall. He would even prefer if they had his disgraceful mother's pelt.

Despite the hatred in his heart for the brown tom he once called father, he couldn't look at his kits with the same passion. His eyes always met their forms with confusion. They were his kits but they were a stark reminder of bad memories. He didn't know what to think. Nobody could know what he felt, besides perhaps his sister. Especially not Splashwillow.

For now, he would put on a brave face and wait until the kits left the nursery. It was rather crowded in their at the moment, and he was sure they would come out anytime soon. They were old enough by this point.

The dusky colored tom kit opened his yellowish eyes as he heard his sister Snowkit. The tom shifted his white socked paws from under him as he shakily at first got to his paws"Hey don't forget me"Duskkit piped up.

Minnowkit mewled against her mother's pelt, curling up tight before rolling around in the warmth. She was so small, yet rather active.

Otterleap nearly wept at the corner of the nursery he was occupying again. His daughter was a mother, he was a grandfather. Each of the kits were so precious and small. Though time had passed since their birth, he still couldn't believe it. Unlike his daughter's mate, he'd hung around, been their for her like her mother should have been. The Queens had come to accept the presence of the older warrior as he tried to take up as little space possible. He adored his child, and his grandchildren. He was the proudest warrior in the five territories in this moment. "Let your siblings and your mother take their time, Snowkit."

Snowkit in particular struck a harsh cord within him. His precious daughter that he'd lost to the mist seemed to have been reborn in a leafbare kit. It was frightening, what if he failed this one too? But he didn't want to ruin this happy family with his doubts so he swallowed them. Instead, he swore silently that he'd do everything in his power to make them happy, to make them all safe. And he knew that Rainstorm would do the same, though the tom seemed more reserved than he liked. Also it helped that all their kin were strong too. Ivyfall and Fishstar would rather die than see another kit lost, he knew for sure.

Snowkit's lower lip stuck out in a pout at her grandfather's admonition. "But Otterleap," she wailed, "I wanna go see the camp! And Fishstar and Ivyfall and the elders and the warriors and all the apprentices! I'm gonna be an apprentice real soon, so I gotta get to know 'em. And I thought the elders were s'posed to tell great stories. Don't you wanna come too, Duskkit?" The fluffy white she-kit scrambled out of her mother's nest and ran up to the brown tabby in the nursery corner, her large green eyes full of innocent hope. Even though she acted like most kits, there was something about her manner that made her seem slightly older, and if anyone looked at her askance she looked identical to her namesake, whisker-for-whisker. "Please?" she begged, having noticed that Otterleap seemed to have a soft spot for her even more than her mother did. Maybe they would let her go outside and see the other Clan cats on her own- finally!

Eyes flicking open at the sound of her kits voices, Splashwillow begrudgingly twisted around to glance at the eager expressions of Snowkit and Duskkit. She knew it had only been a matter of time until they were tripping over their little paws in their eagerness to see the outside world, but did it have to be so soon already? It seemed like just yesterday she had given birth to them and now they could walk with hardly an issue? Thankfully, Otterleap saved her from having to immediately respond to her young kits impatient words. Feeling another rush of adoration and gratitude towards her father for his nonstop involvement in helping her look after her litter, the Queen allowed the tom to finish soothing Snowkit's impatience before she finally spoke.

"I..suppose we can go outside," Splashwillow began with a hint of uncertainty, "I'm sure it will do you three some good to burn some energy. Wake up Minnowkit and we can go." She finished, her gaze falling onto the dusky brown she-kit as she spoke, her voice still soft. She knew that Rainstorm was likely still busy and that was why he hadn't been able to spend much time with their kits, so hopefully the kits would get to see the tom during their little adventure outside. Carefully rising to her paws in the rather cramped space of the nursery, Splashwillow took a moment to awkwardly stretch her stiff form as she waited for her kits to clamber to their paws after her.