little ones [open]

Weak patches of steamy grey light struggled to claw its way into the densely woven reeds of the nursery, leaving the majority of the cozy den bathed heavily in the shadows of the early morning day. The soft sounds of drizzling rain was barely evident over the soft humming of the river and the gentle chattering of several Warriors who happened to be up at such an early hour. Splashwillow carefully curled herself more tightly around the small bundles who now shared her nest, doing her best to keep from disturbing them. Resting her head heavily on her paws, the calico Warrior let out a nearly inaudible sigh as her gaze flicked to the four bundles who were pressed tightly against her belly. She had never anticipated having a second litter, she had always presumed that her first litter was going to be the only one she raised. But Snowblossom, Minnowslip, and Duskfall were all grown up; they had sprouted up like weeds before her very eyes. And now here she was once more, somehow fortunate enough to be given another litter of kits.

The eldest was a feisty dusky grey-brown bundle of fluff named Adderkit, who looked like a tiny clone of Rainstorm- she had nearly taken a chunk out of Splashwillow's nose the first time the Queen had attempted to groom the little kit, thus giving the she-kit a reason behind such an intense name. Following Adderkit came an equally fluffy yet much more delicate silver she-kit aptly named Lavenderkit, whom despite her young age, was a stark contrast to Adderkit in the sense that she looked as if she couldn't hurt a fly. The little she-kit born after Lavenderkit was an even smaller and dainty grey tabby- whom, in Splashwillow's eyes, was easily the sweetest of the brood. Rainstorm had quietly suggested the name Lilackit for the plump little tabby, and despite her initial surprise in her mate's involvement, the name had stuck quite well. The last of the litter was a sturdy little tabby tom named Tigerkit, who displayed an incredible amount of patience whenever his sisters often clambered all over him in their haste.

There had been a second tom- a small and scrawny little calico tom who had been named Sparkkit, but he had been born still and lifeless, fated to never take a breath. Cloudstone had reassured her that she hadn't done anything wrong, and that sometimes things such as this simply happened, but the thought of the freshly-buried little tom often plagued Splashwillow with pain so deep within her belly that she felt sick.

Letting out another soft exhale in an attempt to combat the pain, the calico Warrior's gaze flicked away from her stirring kits and towards the rain-drenched clearing, hopefully awaiting the approach of her kin so that she could show off her latest litter.

It had killed her to wait outside the nursery as her siblings were being born. She'd been told again and again that her mother needed space and having a fully-grown warrior stuffed in the nursery that was already bursting from Cloudstone and Goldenpaw being there was a bad idea. But when she'd heard the first little wail of kits, Minnowslip pretty much yowled with joy, head-butting a tired Otterleap and nearly running into Ivystar with glee. She'd always wanted younger siblings, little kitlings that she could teach RiverClan moves and help mentor when the time came. But then Cloudstone had come out carrying with him a kit, little Sparkkit. The significance of the name wasn't lost on her, and gingerly, she'd been the one to take the little tom off the Medicine cat, taking him to a nice spot near the Beech Copse to bury him deep in the earth so nothing would try dig him out for a snack. It was heart-breaking, his little body seemed too big for the hole she'd dug but she tried to see it as him joining all her aunts up there in StarClan. Sparkwillow, Snowpaw, they'd keep Sparkkit safe.

Not wanting to upset her mother, Minnowslip let herself mourn for a life lost out there till she was certain that she wouldn't show it. Her pain was likely nothing compared to Splashwillow's. Now she stood outside the nursery, a little nervous but still excited.

"Hey mom, I heard you had four kits this time. Always outdoing yourself, huh." She joked nervously as she entered the nursery to gaze upon four little bundles of fur. "Oh, they're so small."

Lavenderkit pressed herself closer to her mother with her eyes tightly closed. The fluffy she-kit let out a tiny sigh as she finally felt the warmth she was looking for. Sometimes the kit would wiggle around which often resulted in her accidentally pushing or squishing her siblings.

Splashwillow blinked several times as a shape blotted out the slim amount of light that managed to work its way through the reeds of the den's entrance, her ears perking up as she realized it was Minnowslip who had slipped into the den. A soft purr rattled its way through the calico's chest as she listened to her daughter to speak, finding the slightly nervous tone of the younger she-cat endearing. Leaning back in her nest so that she could stretch her sore form out more properly, gazing up at her older kit with bleary eyes. She forgot how truly draining and exhausting labor could be- every Queen had reassured her that the second birth was always easier, but she had found it even more tiresome than the first. Perhaps because she had more kits this time? "I know- isn't it hard to believe that you and your littermates were this small only a few moons ago?" Splashwillow murmured, her gaze dropping to the kits who rested at her belly.

---

The soft voices of the two she-cats did not fall upon deaf ears, much to Adderkit's dismay. Splashwillow and Minnowslip's conversation pulled her away from the deep, dreamless sleep she had previously been in, and in a form of protest, the tubby little she-kit rolled onto her back after a moment of squirming, likely kicking Lavenderkit and Tigerkit in the process. Wriggling around on her back for a few more heartbeats, she slowly forced her still kit-blue eyes open in hopes of catching a glimpse of who was speaking- despite the fact that her eyes had opened just a sunrise or two earlier, she rarely actually opened her eyes like this due to how poor her vision still was. Downy fur sticking out in every possible direction, Adderkit continued to remain sprawled upon her back as she gazed up at Minnowslip and Splashwillow with wide eyes.

Snowblossom had waited moons for her younger siblings to be born, only to be out on patrol when they arrived. She got back in camp just in time to see Cloudstone, the lifeless form of a stillborn kit hanging limply from his jaws. Feeling a pang of sadness for the poor thing, and also a little bit of panic as she realized that her mother had kitted. Swiftly dropping the fish she caught into the fresh-kill pile, the young warrior ran into the nursery, hoping that everything had gone okay. Her eyes widened as they fell on the four small kits at Splashwillow's belly. They were so... tiny. Had she really been that size once? "What are their names?" the fluffy white she-cat asked, green eyes wide with wonder.

Lilackit began sturring in the nest, a small hum filling her throat as she pushed herself into the warmth of her mother's belly. She was by far the smallest of the kits, although it seemed her mother's milk had gone straight to her own little tummy. Behind the fluff of her downy kit fur, she was plumper than her siblings. It seemed concerning at first, but after a swift examination from Cloudstone, it seemed the she-cat would hold onto her weight, a fact that would never affect her health unless let out of hand.

As her older siblings entered the den she found herself growing anxious. She wasn't quite sure who they were yet, being too young to understand quite who anyone was besides her soft and warm mother. The tabby drove her face deep into Splashwillow's fur.