The Sun Rises (Open)

The question that soon made itself heard between her kits was one she was already expecting. She was somewhat surprised at how well they took the death of their father…but then again, they were still young and never got to actually interact with him, so it was understandable they wouldn’t feel the grief she did. She couldn’t hold back a chuckle as they forced both parts of Artemis’ name together, much like she had done when she first met him “Leopardstar didn’t name him, and his name is weird because is not a warrior name, kits. Your father was born very far from here, beyond the borders of our or any clan’s territories, beyond any land we know, in a place called Oasis” This…was the second bit of information she wasn’t sure how her kits would take, knowing her father was not a warrior but a rogue.

Better know the truth from her than by any other cat, though…

Her smile returned to her muzzle with Hailkit’s question “Oh, strong enough to engage in a fight with a full warrior. When the war against RiverClan took place our father joined our numbers and fought as valiantly as any warrior from our clan, even when he didn’t have to. He even was behind the rescue attempt of our clanmates as they were held hostage by Ivystar, and it would’ve been successful hadn’t it been for the fear of our captive clanmates of a second war breaking out if they came back with him and the small patrol he gathered when they had the chance” The war against RiverClan wasn’t as common when sharing tongues as it was in the past, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the kits had heard about it already. After all, even after all this time the war’s aftereffects were evident and several clanmates still suffered from them.

Then it was Ridgekit’s turn to get an answer “There are more codes than just the warrior code, yes. While the warrior code helps us walk the path our ancestors wanted for us, every clan has their own set of rules and each cat has their own moral code, which dictates how we behave beyond those rules. For example, nothing in the warrior code says anything about outsiders being taken into the clan, but we accept them if they prove themselves worthy because we know that any cat has the potential of becoming a great warrior someday, regardless of origins. Just like you wouldn’t talk lowly of a clanmate or attack them just because their opinion or appearance isn’t one you like, because we know that would be wrong”.

After looking and Pricklekit she just chuckled and twitched her whiskers a bit before answering “You definitely took after his fluff, and I’m almost sure that even size, but you need to grow up before I can tell for sure on that last one”.

Beekit wrinkled his nose. "Eww! You're saying I'm half ROGUE!? What's wrong with normal warriors?"

Blizzardshine's voice had a strangely alluring quality to it. It held Hailkit's attention and made her want to keep on listening forever. At her young age, she had a hard time describing it. Well, it might simply have been because Blizzardshine was her mother. Cuddled up against the fluffy queen, she allowed that voice to wash over her. Her bright eyes fixed intently on Blizzardshine as she continued to listen to the "story" that was being told. What she heard caused her to blink in surprise. Their father was a rogue? However, before she could say anything, Beekit beat her to it. She flashed her littermate a glance. He definitely seemed disgusted by the idea. "Too close, Beekit." She grumbled mildly, "Don't shout into my ears." In the short period of time that they had been alive, each kit had already been taught the basics of the Warrior Code. Taking a mate outside of the clan had certainly not been on the to-do list. "You mean you broke the code, Mom?" She asked. The question wasn't asked in an accusatory manner, just in the manner of a kit wanting to know something. Blizzardshine seemed to think really highly of their dad. If that was so, then his origins didn't matter.

There was more to it, of course. Hailkit's eyes continued to sparkle as Blizzardshine recounted Artemisodan's exploits. He was both courageous and powerful. Despite being a rogue, he could match a warrior in strength. Would she be that strong one day? The words "war" and "RiverClan" especially caught her attention. She latched right unto them. It was with squirming impatience that she waited for their mother to finish answering Ridgekit and Pricklekit's questions. "Mom," She blurted once the other kits had received their answers, "tell me more about the war!"