Chapter Text
The ground was cold, the moors were powered with soft, freshly fallen snow that lightly glistened in the dim sunlight. The ringing mews of kits could be heard as a lean tom bolted out from the snow and down into the tunnels as he headed for the nursery. “The kits are here!” A young black she cat with white mitts called as Cobrahiss stood frantically in the entrance of the den.
“Orchidsfrost are you alright?!” Cobrahiss meowed as he rushed over to his mate.
“Yes, I’m fine . . .” The she-cat mewed calmly as she licked the head of a small, snow colored kit. “But look at our kits, aren't they just the most precious things..” The she-cat mewed lovingly before tilting her head upward to face Cobrahiss. Cobrahiss padded closer to his mate and examined the three small kits looking at them with love and sincerity.
“Have you picked out any names yet?” Cobrahiss purred as he put his nose gently on top of Orchidsfrost’s head.
“Oh, it's just so hard to find the perfect name, I'm going to wait until they open their eyes.” The light brown she meowed as she pressed her nose to Cobrahiss’s chest.
“Are you hungry?” The tom asked, with warm loving eyes. “I can fetch you some fresh-kill.” Cobrahiss purred softly as he stood up straight and pointed his tail in the direction of the entrance.
“I would love that!” Orchidsfrost mewed enthusiastically as she licked her lips in anticipation.
“I'll get right to it then.” Cobrahiss padded out onto the moor, twitching his ears at the slightest sounds. A flicker of movement alerted Cobrahiss, the tom sprang to his paws and darted over as he raced across the snow. The snow was thick and icy, so Cobrahiss’s paws were clotted with it, but he still managed to catch up to the rabbit. The rabbit squealed in fear as it tried to duck under some nearby brambles, but Cobrahiss leaped forward and sank his teeth into the throat of the rabbit. Killing it almost instantly, the warm blood stinged in the tom’s mouth as he triumphantly padded back to camp with the rabbit in his jaws.
Fostedkit looked up, her eyes still in a haze from being abruptly woken by the chatting of her clanmates. Frostedkit sat comfortably on her mossy nest, it wasn’t leaf-bare anymore so everything was much warmer. She turned her attention over to her mother, Orchidsfrost, who was angrily scolding her two litter-mates Hawkkit, and Falconkit for pestering the older cats in the hollow. Frostedkit’s eyes darted up to meet her mother's gaze as she gently padded over and mewed excitedly. “Can I go outside the den and play with the other kits?” The she-cat stood firmly as she swayed her silky white tail to and fro.
“Sure, we can head out the tunnels in a bit, just let me finish talking to these two..” Orchidsfrost hissed sternly as she nipped both the brown kits on the rump before bundling all three of them into her tail and strolling out the hollow. “Be careful, I’ll be watching you three from over there.” Orchidsfrost mewed gently as she pointed her tail to a flat rock where other queens were laying. “Now go play.” She shooed the kits away gently with her nose allowing them to scamper off and play with some of the apprentices before patrols started.
Frostedkit leaped out enthusiastically as she stumbled and budded into the side of a dark tom with white spots all along his pelt. The young she-cat swerved as the dark tom playfully stopped Frostedkit with one white splotched paw.
“Are you alright?” The tom mewed, crouching down to meet the gaze of the young she-cat.
“Oh, I’m okay!” Frostedkit yelped excitedly before adding “My names Frostedkit! What's your name?” The small white kit yipped as her gaze met the apprentice’s.
“My name is Snakerootpaw.” The tom chuckled before standing up straight and meowing kindly “Do you wanna play a game? I’ve got a while until the next patrol.” Snakerootpaw barked happily
as he grabbed the small white kit by the scruff and carefully padded over to a small rock that was gently poking out of the ground before setting the kit down.
"I love games!" Frostedkit mewed excitedly as she bolted off the ground and zipped around Snakerootpaw in circles.
"Alright, here's how you play, first you grab a moss ball." Snakerootpaw explained as he reached out and grabbed a soft fuzzy ball of moss from a nearby rock. "Then you just toss it back and forth, it's actually pretty simple." The tom mewed enthusiastically as he passed the moss ball to the small kit. Frostedkit lunged forward on the moss ball and snatched it right from under her paws, quickly tossing it to Snakerootpaw.
"Snakerootpaw, Hemlockpaw!" A tom from across the clan yelled.
The black tom turned his attention back towards Frostedkit, looking down strangely at her, then muttering quietly. "I'll see you later, Frostedkit." Snakerootpaw grinned eerily before padding off to his mentor. Frostedkit sat uncomfortably, alone for a few moments until her litter-mates, Hawkkit and Falconkit, bounded over to her.
"Mom says it's time to head back to the hollows." Hawkkit exclaimed hesitantly, seemingly frustrated, not wanting to got to sleep this early. Orchidsfrost trotted over to her three kits gracefully, her vibrant blue eyes glimmering as the setting sun beamed off of them.
With a long swoop, Orchidsfrost herded all her kits together before purring "Alright my loves, it's bedtime." The brown she cat then flicked her tail towards the entrance of the hollows, as the three kits went bounding over, tumbling and tipping before they settled down quietly beside their mother's belly in their mossy nest.