"Mama, when is daddy gonna get back?" Burnkit asked, her widely spaced ears perking up in intrest. "Dewfall should be back in a few minutes." She said, licking her kitten's head.

The little ginger kit giggled, snuggling into her mother's fur. "Sunkit, don't eat that!" Mudfoot called to her brother, who was holding a beetle in his jaws. The golden ginger tomkit froze, jaws half open, and the beetle crawled out of his mouth. It stuck onto the fur on the bottom of his jaw, and then fell to the ground.

"Sorry." Sunkit said, looking sheepishly up at her mother. "Don't eat bugs, they're not good for you." Mudfoot said, though there was affection glowing in her blue eyes. She licked Sunkit's head. "Be careful what you eat." She said, kindness in the point she cat's tone.

Sunkit looked at his sister, who was laying on the ground, watching them. "Come play with me." He said, and Burnkit stood up, rolling her green eyes. "All right." She told him, and padded closer to Sunkit.

Her brother squealed, and batted a small stone that had been lying nearby at the Ginger and black she kit. Burnkit flicked it back, crouching for the next throw. "What are you two doing?" It was their sister, Maplekit. The little ginger she kit padded out from behind the nursery, flicking her tall ears in interest.

"Playing throwing stone." Sunkit replied, sending the stone skidding toward Maplekit. The little she kit lobbed it between her siblings and they both jumped at it. Burnkit landed just on top of Sunkit, and they went rolling. Burnkit hopped off of her brother, tossing the stone at the golden tom.

Sunkit attempted to jump on the stone, but ended up skidding into the nursery. The other inhabitant of the nursery, Larksong, padded out, her brown tabby fur ruffled. "Be careful!" The queen said, her green eyes reproachful.

"Sorry." Sunkit shifted his paws, looking at the ground. Larksong's eyes softened, and she nudged the kit's face up to face her. "Just look where you're going." Burnkit heard her softly say with a look of reassurance in her green gaze. The kit nodded, and Larksong heaved her heavy belly back into the nursery.

Burnkit raised an eyebrow at Sunkit. "You better be glad that it wasn't the warriors den, or Cardinalwing would line his nest with your pelt!" She joked, nudging her brother's leg. She watched the look in her brother's eyes brighten, and the golden kit laughed weakly. She tilted her head. "What's wrong?" She asked, prodding him with her words.

"I'm just worried about harming her kits." He said, staring fixedly at the ground. Burnkit sighed. "They'll be fine, you barely moved the nursery." She said comfortingly. "But I'm always bumping into her." He said, concern in his voice and eyes.

"If queens were so weak that the kits would die when a young cat bumps into them, I don't think cats would still be alive today." She reassured him. "Still, I think-" He broke off at the sound of pawsteps heading toward camp.

Dewfall padded out of the camp, his light grey pelt wet with the mist of the morning. He was followed by his apprentice Nightpaw, who was carrying a pigeon, and his friend Rabbitleap. The ginger tom was carrying a blackbird.

"Oh, a blackbird!" A blue-grey she cat padded up to Rabbitleap, admiring his catch. "Berryleg, it's not that much." He said modestly. Burnkit watched as her father deposited his catches, a mouse and a vole, on the pile. Then, flicking the water from the tips of his ears, he padded up to their mother. "Hello, love." He purred, nuzzling his mate.

Mudfoot sighed happily, and asked  "How is it out there?" Her green eyes were full of love, but for a moment, a dark shadow passed through them, something that she couldn't identify. Then Burnkit noticed something forced in her mothers smile.

Dewfall, however, did not.