Nutmeg's adventure( Nutmeg in ThunderClan AU)

Chapter 3: Is this what Clan life is like?

A/N: I don't own Warriors. Erin Hunter does. I just play with the characters.

" Speech"
Thoughts, dreams
' Flashback'

The next day newly named Lilystep padded out of the nursery den, stretching her back and legs. She noticed how a red tortoiseshell tom with a distinctively bushy tail was talking to a small group of cats, consisting of a dark brown tabby tom with long front claws and amber eyes, a young dark grey tabby tom, a ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes, a young reddish-brown tom with a lighter underbelly, chest, and paws and a black tom with spiky fur.

" Looks like Redtail is in the middle of giving orders to border or hunting patrol. " She heard the voice of one of the other she-cats who shared the den with her, a pale grey she-cat with rather unusually blue eyes.

" Willowpelt. How are you today? " The duo heard the voice of a tom calling out. Lilystep's companion turned to look in the direction of the voice, seeing the mottled sandy grey tom with a white chest and, blue eyes, his being of darker shade  than that of his mate.

" I'm fine, Sandypelt. Even though the kits kicked quite a bit during the night. " The grey she-cat told him, purring.

The tom purred. " They are probably restless. After all, it won't be long before they will arrive. I'm sure that mother can't wait to meet her first grandkits."

" I'm sure she can't. I can't wait to meet them either. " Willowpelt purred, sounding excited and nervous at the same time at the thought.

Lilystep listened to the buzz of the Clan around her, feeling slightly overwhelmed. There are so many cats. How do I ever get to know who is who?

After a few moments, she noticed Goldenflower padding out of one of the dens. The golden tabby headed towards Lilystep, purring.

" Good morning.How are you, Lilystep? Did you sleep well?" Goldenflower asked, looking at her while still purring.

The brown and white tabby nodded, purring now, too. " I slept well. The nest was surprisingly comfortable. " She told the bigger she-cat who nodded.

" It's because of the amount of moss in the nest. And the nursery is built in a way that minimizes the draft for the well-being of both the mothers and their kits. Have you spoken to your denmates yet?" Goldenflower asked, looking at her.

Lilystep shook her head. " No, I haven't yet. I don't even know their names, except for Willowfur  and Cloudpelt" She told Goldenflower, hesitating slightly before the names.

" Willowpelt and Cloudfur. Cloudfur was the queen who gave birth a bit before we came back  to the camp. Apparently, she had three kits, but one of them, a diluted tortoiseshell and white shekit was stillborn which means that she was born dead. " Goldenflower told her, her voice shaking slightly at the thought.

That explains why she was curled up around the two kits so tightly.
Lilystep nodded, looking solemn. " That's horrible. To lose a kit before it has a chance to live. "

Goldenflower nodded, her amber eyes dark. " It is. Thank StarClan, two of the kits survived. "

" StarClan? What or who is that? Another Clan in the forest? Jake never mentioned it while telling stories about the Clans.  " Lilystep asked, sounding curious.

" StarClan is a group of Clan cats that have died and now watch over their living relatives from the stars. They will send prophecies and omens to the leaders and medicine cats and will give the leaders their nine lives. " Goldenflower explained.

" That sounds impressive. I wonder if will I ever see them. " Lilystep thought out loud.

" You possibly will, since each apprentice will go to the journey to the Mothermouth, a cave where there is a massive glowing stone called the Moonstone. By touching it we can communicate with our ancestors in our dreams. " Goldenflower nodded, purring.

" Really? Have you met any of those cats in your dreams?" Lilystep asked, looking at her.

Goldenflower nodded. " Yes, I have, but I can't tell you about it. Dreams brought by Moonstone are sacred and not to be discussed lightly. "

" Oh, I understand. " Lilystep nodded, getting even more curious about the mysterious stone and the Clan of dead cats associated with it.

Later that day when Lilystep was sunning herself she noticed the white she-cat with dark blue eyes approaching her. What does she want from me?

The white she-cat looked at the brown and white tabby with a slightly curious expression.

" Lilystep, right? " The white she-cat asked.

Lilystep nodded. " Yes, I am Lilystep. What do you want? " She asked.

" Were you really a kittypet? The reason I'm asking is that one of our former leaders left the Clan to become one. " The white she-cat asked, sounding curious about it.

" Yes, I lived with housefolk, if that's what you mean. " Lilystep replied, nodding.

The white she-cat looked at her. " What was it like? "

" It was good but could easily be a bit dull. Also, the fact that if a she-cat had kits they'd be taken from the mother almost instantly they were weaned and didn't need her milk anymore was scary.  That's one of the reasons why I asked to join your Clan.  I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing my kits ever again after they'd been taken from me. " Lilystep replied, her mew shaking slightly at the end.

The white she-cat's eyes were wide at the thought of that happening to every she-cat who lived with Twolegs.

" That's cruel. Don't they think about how the kits will feel after being separated from their mother and siblings?" She asked, dark blue eyes filled with worry.

Lilystep shrugged. " Apparently they don't think about it. Or that's what it seems to me.  "

After a few heartbeats, they were approached by another she-cat, this one a grey tabby. She was also one of Lilystep's denmates.

" Good morning, Brindleface. How did you sleep? You look like you didn't sleep at all. " The white she-cat purred, looking at the grey tabby.

The grey tabby ,whose name was apparently Brindleface looked at the white she-cat with a slightly drowsy expression.
" You are correct, sister. I didn't sleep much because the kits were kicking and turning the whole night. " She replied.

It looks like her kits will be here soon. It's no wonder why she wouldn't get sleep, Lilystep thought, glancing at the grey tabby.

Later that day when Lilystep was eating a mouse she noticed Lionheart talking with the white she-cat from before. Looks like she likes him and the other way around.

She noticed Goldenflower padding by her, followed by two younger cats, the blue-grey she-cat with sandy grey speckles and green eyes and a dark grey tom with white paws and blue eyes. The young cats seemed excited about something.

" I can't wait to kick Longpaw's tail again during a sparring session. " The tom mewed, his tail flicking excitedly.

" By making him trip on it?" The she-cat asked, letting out a mrow of laughter.

The tom flicked his ear. " Maybe, maybe not. "

" Calm down, Juniperpaw. Longpaw is older than you so he knows more moves. " Goldenflower purred at the excitement of the apprentices.

" Only by 2 moons. And him being older doesn't mean that he's better fighter." The tom, Juniperpaw muttered under his breath.

Lilystep felt slightly overwhelmed again by the number of cats milling around her. I'll never be able to tell who is who.

A/N: What do you think? Should one of the toms in ThunderClan start getting close to Lilystep or not?