Light filtered through the tangle of brush and sticks that made up the nursery roof, casting a warm glow onto the cats below it's beautiful rays.

  One of the cats being a small white she-kit named Quietkit. She purred lightly as she snuggled deeper into her mother's silky fur, keeping her warm. She was almost asleep when she felt someone prodding her in the side.

  "Quietkit!" The voice hissed quietly. "Quietkit, are you asleep?"

  A small growl came from Quietkit as she groggily opened her eyes into a menacing glare. "Well, I was almost asleep when you started bothering me!" She mewed. She stared up at her brother, Stormkit.

  After a moment of contemplating, Quietkit finally got up. She began to stretch as her brother started bouncing around. "Hurry up! Auttumnfeather said we could go explore the camp today!"

  Quietkit immediately perked up. "Really?" She asked, her tail lifting as she stared hopefully at her brother.

  He nodded frantically, his tail flicking from side to side as though he couldn't wait any longer. "She said when we both woke up we could go check out the camp." His tiny mew was full of excitement.

  "Well then, what are we waiting for?" Quietkit asked, already turning for the nursery entrance. The two siblings began running for the exit when a voice stopped them.

  "Where to in such a hurry?"

  Quietkit turned around and met a pair of shining brown eyes. "Hi, Mosstail!" She mewed in greeting to the newest queen. Mosstail was a bubbly light-grey she-cat who had moved into the nursery a while back. Her swollen belly was an obvious sign of coming kits.

  "Me and Stormkit are gonna go explore the camp!" Quietkit squeaked, causing Mosstail to purr.

  "Be careful not to wander into Severstar's den." The queen advised. "He loves kits-not so much intruders." She teased the young she-cat.

  Quietkit nodded in understanding. "I'll stay out of his den. Promise!" She mewed a quick goodbye before bounding towards the nursery opening. She stopped at the exit, where Stormkit was waiting for her.

  She tipped her head. "You waited for me? You seemed so excited before!" She teased.

  Stormkit rolled his eyes before nodding. "Of course! You're my best friend!" Quietkit purred before turning to the light outside of the nursery. "Ready?" Stormkit asked.

  "Yeah!" Quietkit squeaked; the two ran out into the camp with excited faces and hopeful stares, unaware of their mother watching with loving eyes.

  The light outside of the nursery was brighter than Quietkit had expected; she squinted for a moment before her green eyes adjusted to the camp. They then widened as she took it all in.

  To the left of the nursery was a den-like shape, with a small opening at the front. It was covered in an assortment of leaves, brush, and sticks. Next to it was one similar. Then there was another den-like structure, but it was too far off for Quietkit to get a good look.

  "It's..big?" Stormkit commented, staring in wonder around the camp. Quietkit nodded, distractedly gazing around until someone caught her eye.

  "Mousekit!" She called to a gray tom, who was laying a little ways away, seeming to be a bit bored.

  When his name was called he instantly perked up. "Hey!" His voice was bolder than Stormkit's, but you could still tell he was young. He was a kit, but he was a little bigger than the two kits who were approaching him.

  Quietkit sat down in front of him, staring happily into his brown eyes, which reminded the young she-cat of Mosstail's. Stormkit took his spot next to his sister.

  "So, Auttumnfeather finally let you out of the nursery?" He asked.

  Quietkit flicked her tail. "Yup! I was as surprised as you are."

  Mousekit's whiskers twitched with amusement. "Do you like the camp? Want a tour?"

  The littermates shared a glance before accepting the older kit's offer. 

  The sun was almost starting to set when Quietkit, Stormkit, and Mousekit started for the nursery. During the tour, the two littermates were shown the warrior's den, apprentice's den, medicine den, and the leader's rock. Mousekit's favorite place of course was the apprentice's den, as he was so excited to get to sleep there.

  Quietkit instantly flopped down next to Auttumnfeather when she reached her nest, Stormkit was right behind her.

  Their mother let out a purr of amusement. "Did you two have fun?" Her question went unanswered as the two kits began drifting into sleep, having dreams and soon to be adventures.

  Quietkit started becoming restless in her sleep. Something was bothering her, though she couldn't tell what it was. In a flash her eyes were open; she bolted upright. She looked around the nursery. It was dark, so she couldn't see much. At first she was going to go back to bed, but that feeling was still there. Starting to get worried, Quietkit started sniffing around the nursery.

  She was careful not to wake anyone up as she moved. She went all around the den undetected, until she reached Mosstail. Seeing the queen was fine, she started walking back to her nest. That's when a moan came from Mosstail.

  Quietkit's head shot around as the gray queen groaned in pain. Becoming fearful, the little kit called out. "Mosstail? Are you okay?" She whispered.

  "Get Smallpelt!" She hissed.

  Quietkit flinched. She couldn't remember where her den was, and it was too dark. Instead, she bounded back to her mother, wincing as Mosstail let out another groan. Quietkit prodded her mother in the side. "Auttumnfeather!"

  Her mother's head instantly shot up. "What's wrong, Quietkit?" She asked, still seeming to be a bit tired.

  "It's Mosstail! She sounds like she's hurt." Quietkit mewed hurriedly, kneading her paws into the ground.

  Quietkit watched as her mother rose to her paws and made her way over to Mosstail. She mewed a few quiet words to her, and then bounded out of the nursery. Panic began to set in as Quietkit sat and watched, too scared to move. What's wrong with Mosstail?

  An idea popped into Quietkit's mind. She turned and looked for her brother. When she found him, she began to shake his white and black fur. "Stormkit!" She hissed, glancing back to see if Auttumnfeather was back yet. She then turned back to her brother. "Wake up, it's important!"

  Her brother, less frantic than Quietkit was, reluctantly sat up and yawned. "What's wrong?" He asked, drowsiness evident in his voice.

  "Something's wrong with-" Quietkit's voice was cut off as someone slid through the nursery entrance. She turned and saw a figure leaning down next to Mosstail. Auttumnfeather slipped in after them, watching for a moment before she returned to her kits.

  Quietkit snuggled into her mother's fur as the white and brown she-cat sat next to her kits. Stormkit took a spot next to his sister, watching as the figure placed her paw on Mosstail's flank, which was barely recognizable in the dark.

  "What's happening?" Quietkit murmured.

  Auttumnfeather leaned down and licked her daughter's head. "Don't worry, dear. Mosstail's having her kits."

  Joy flooded Quietkit. New playmates! She thought, her frantic demeanor turning happy in a flash.

  "When will they be here?" Stormkit asked.

  His question went unanswered as the figure turned to the three cats, their eyes flashing in the gloom. "Go get Shineleaf. He needs to be awake for this."

  Auttumnfeather nodded quickly before slipping out of the nursery once more. Quietkit took a few steps to stare after her mother, noticing the first rays of light shining onto the camp. Morning already? Her thoughts were interrupted by another groan of pain coming from Mosstail.

  "You're doing fine, Mosstail." The voice came from the figure.

  By now the cats in the nursery were waking. Quietkit recognized the scent of Dancingfeather as the queen moved a little in her nest. The dark gray queen murmured motivating mews to Mosstail. "You're going to be fine, Mosstail.  You've got this." Quietkit saw Mosstail flick her tail in acknowledgement.

  Voices sounded outside of the nursery a heartbeat before another figure slipped into the den. Quietkit recognized the scent of tom. "Hey, Mosstail." A strong voice came from the figure, who began licking Mosstail's ears. "You're doing great. Just listen to Smallpelt and stay calm."

  As the sun began to rise, Quietkit was able to see the gray and white she-cat nod slowly, groaning in pain shortly after. Then she took a moment to take in the tom's appearance. She took in his sleek tortoiseshell pelt; his eyes were as blue as the afternoon sky. 

  "Hey," A voice sounded next to Quietkit. She turned and met a pair of glowing brown eyes, followed by the scent of Mousekit.

  "Hi," Stormkit and Quietkit said in unison. They shared a glance before turning back to Mousekit.

  "Dancingfeather said I should come over here with you guys to give Mosstail space." He murmured quickly, laying down next to Quietkit. "Are you excited?" He asked, his eyes gazing up at the sun's rays that were slowly filtering through the sticks of the nursery.

  Quietkit nodded. "Mhm."

  "Hey, now we won't be the youngest in the nursery." Stormkit nudged Quietkit in the side, who purred.

  All three kits' mouths closed when Mosstail howled in pain. Quietkit glanced at the nursery entrance and saw moving pelts beyond.

  It had been a while since Mosstail's kitting had begun. Stormkit, Quietkit, and Mousekit were quiet most of the time as they lay together, sometimes wondering what the kits would look like. They all came to an agreement of at least one gray kit.

  Auttumnfeather had come back a little bit later, and Quietkit happily took a place next to her mother.

  She was starting to doze off when she heard someone speak "One is coming," Smallpelt's voice shook Quietkit from sleep. As another growl of pain came from Mosstail, Quietkit didn't know what to say. She was feeling anxious, scared, excited, jumpy; she didn't know what to do until she heard Smallpelt mew, "It's a tom!"

  Quietkit's ears perked up as she watched Smallpelt lay a small scrap of gray fur next to Mosstail's belly. Love glowed in the queen's eyes for a moment before she groaned in pain once more.

  "Last one," Smallpelt murmured.

  Mosstail howled one more time before Smallpelt lay another scrap of fur next to her belly. Quietkit saw brown, white, and black fur. "A she-cat." Smallpelt murmured,  joy lacing her words.

  Mosstail's mate, Shineleaf, licked her cheek. "You did great. Our kits are beautiful." Mosstail leaned down to lick her kit's fur. 

  "They most definitely are." She purred.

  Quietkit turned to her mother. "Two new playmates!" She squeaked.

  Auttumnfeather licked her head. "Not just yet. Those kits are young, so we can't play with them until they're older."

  Quietkit nodded slowly before turning to Stormkit, who was sleeping as Quietkit had almost. "Hey," She whispered to her brother, who didn't move an inch. "Stormkit!" Her littermate suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of annoyance in their green and amber depths.

  "What?" He asked, stretching his legs.

  "The kits are here!" Quietkit mewed excitedly.

  Stormkit perked up. "Really?" He turned to try and see them, but Mosstail's body blocked them. "Do you know what they look like?"

  "There's one gray tom, and a black, brown, and white she-cat!" Quietkit mewed happily. 

  Mousekit, who was woken up by the talking, raised his head. "I can't wait to meet them." Quietkit nodded in agreement.

  It was sundown by the time Quietkit was settled down in her nest again. Most of the day was a few cats who wanted to meet the new kits, and a bit of time playing outside of the nursery. Now she was really tired, and just wanted to lay down, but their was still excitement in her that she couldn't tame.

  "So when we're old enough we'll really get to leave camp? And hunt? And battle?" Quietkit and Stormkit question their mother as she lay her head down next to them. She nodded in amusement, though Quietkit could have sworn she saw something flash in her mother's eyes. Something like fear.

    "When you become apprentices, you will have the opportunity to do all those things." Auttumnfeather murmured. "But for now, you need to get some sleep." Quietkit and Stormkit curled up next to their mother. "Goodnight my dears."

  Quietkit let her eyes close as her thoughts swam around her mind. As she dozed off, she wondered how great of an apprentice she could be.