Flamepaw's Destination

Chapter 30

"Wake up, Momma," came a quiet whisper beside Flameclaw's ear.

"You can't say it that quietly," came another voice.

"Well, how should I wake her up then?" the other retorted.

"MOMMA, WAKE UP!" the other shouted loudly.

Flameclaw awoke with a jolt to find her son, Goldkit, staring at her, proudly smiling. It had been his voice no doubt that had screeched into her ear. Daisykit stood beside him, seeming a bit embarrassed. Snowkit still lay asleep by Flameclaw's side like the perfect angel she was.

"Finally, you're up!" Goldkit exclaimed.

Flameclaw let out a little grunt and stretched out her paws, careful not to disturb Snowkit.

"And why do you need me up so badly?" she asked, morning light shining into the nursery. Some of the other queens were still sleeping, and Flameclaw hoped her ignorant kits had not woken them.

"We want to play!" Daisykit whimpered.

"Why didn't you, then?" Flameclaw wondered. 

"Because we want to go outside!" Goldkit exclaimed.

Flameclaw let out a groan. As much as she loved her kits, they were a bit rambunctious at times. While they were not even a moon old, she was already looking forward to their apprentice ceremony.

"Well, as soon as Snowkit wakes up, we can go outside," she promised.

"Ugh," Goldkit groaned.

"Snowkit, wake up," Daisykit said, padding to her sister's side. She pushed on her sister's pale flank.

"Daisykit, leave her be," Flameclaw snapped.

Snowkit's eyes opened to reveal her emerald green eyes. She let out a groan and squinted her eyes against the morning light.

"Come on, Snowkit. Momma is going to take us outside to play!" Goldkit exclaimed.

Snowkit slowly rose to her feet and let out a low yawn.

"Why don't I ever get to sleep?" she complained.

"Let's go outside now. We don't want to disturb any of the other queens," Flameclaw advised.

She slowly led the kits outside into the lively SnowClan camp. She watched as their eyes lit up with excitement as they noticed all the other cats chatting, being assigned on patrol, and sharing prey.

"I want to be an apprentice soon!" Daisykit exclaimed.

Flameclaw chuckled slightly. "You still have many more moons to go, Daisykit. I know it can be hard. When I was a kit, all I wanted was to get out of the nursery and be an apprentice."

"In RiverClan?" Snowkit asked.

The kits were aware that both Flameclaw and Barkfern had not been born in SnowClan. While they sometimes asked Barkfern about RiverClan, many times they asked Flameclaw, wishing to know more about her mysterious old clan.

"Yes, in RiverClan," Flameclaw purred. "Except many of the kits were older than me, and I had no siblings to play with. My best friend, Mothwing, went on to become a medicine cat apprentice. I was very lonely."

"I feel like that with Applewhisker's kits," Goldkit admitted. "They're so much older than us."

"You'll have new playmates soon," Flameclaw promised. Many of the queens were to be giving birth within days.

"I hope so," Daisykit replied.

"Let's play!" Goldkit exclaimed.

Flameclaw took a seat and watched as her kits planned out a game to play.

"I want to be leader!" Goldkit exclaimed.

"You were leader last time," Snowkit pointed out.

"Yeah, and I was deputy, so I think I should be leader now," Daisykit argued.

Flameclaw laughed quietly as they argued on who was who. Eventually, Daisykit ended up becoming leader with Snowkit as her deputy while Goldkit was the leader of a NightClan, a clan that adjoined borders with SnowClan.

She watched as the three tumbled about and laughed softly. Her kits had a lot of energy and emotion. She had been happy watching them grow over the past moon. She observed each of her kits, noticing how Goldkit looked so much like her with the same ginger pelt and green eyes. Daisykit's eyes, however, were a bright blue, perhaps from Barkfern's side, though Barkfern's eyes were green as well.

She watched Snowkit run about, admiring her dazzling coat. She had never imagined any of her kits to be born pure white.

Flameclaw let out sigh, imagining her kits playing in the RiverClan camp instead. Goldstar would chuckle lightly and continue on assigning patrols, her parents would happily watch and try to determine which kit looked the most like them. Mothwing would constantly check up on them to make sure their health was well.

Flameclaw knew this would never be, but a part of her heart longed for this possibility. She wondered how Mothwing was getting on, hoping she was doing well out in the forest. 

"Well, what are you up to?" came a voice behind her.

Flameclaw spun around, smiling softly. Barkfern stood behind her.

"Hey," she mewed.

"Hey," Barkfern replied, sitting down next to her. He focused his attention on the kits and laughed slightly.

"Playing games?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," Flameclaw relied. "Daisystar and Snowpelt of SnowClan are fighting against the evil Goldstar of NightClan."

"Sounds exciting," Barkfern noted.

"Oh, very," Flameclaw responded. "I was saving the other queens from their annoyance this morning."

"They wake you up again?"

"I really appreciated Goldkit screaming into my ear," Flameclaw said.

Barkfern chuckled. "He's just a rambunctious kit, that's all," he said, turning his gaze toward his only son. He then looked back at Flameclaw. "Do you think they'll let me break up their game to speak to them?"

Flameclaw nodded.

She watched as Barkfern spoke up and the kits paused, rushing toward their father and screeching with delight. Flameclaw smiled, glad the kits liked Barkfern so much. The two had been nervous to become a mother and father, but their kits were very close to them, and they all loved each other so.

Barkfern often visited the nursery and the kits, even when he had patrols. Flameclaw was glad he did so. She recalled back to her days a kit when it felt like her father was too busy to see her. Of course, she loved him either way, but she had missed him greatly during her time in the nursery.

Barkfern stuck around a little while longer before warrior duties called him elsewhere. He told Flameclaw and the kits good-bye and went off, waving good-bye with his striped tail. The kits waved back, shouting for Barkfern to visit soon. When he was gone, Flameclaw noticed the kits appeared to be tired after a morning of playing.

"Let's head back inside the nursery," she suggested. "Then, later, we can gather some new moss for your nests."

The kits agreed and happily padded inside. Flameclaw took one last glance back at the SnowClan camp before entering the den. She smiled weakly, knowing one day she'd be a warrior with Barkfern. But for now, she turned her attention back to her kits and smiled, settling down next to them in the nursery.

Her heart warmed as they curled up beside her, burying their heads into her fur. She leaned down and licked the head of each one of her kits then placed her head down beside theirs, feeling their chests move up and down against hers.

"I love you, little ones," she whispered.