Wind in the Willow

Willowpaw padded into camp, his ear flicked irritably as the patrol dispersed. His paws ached from the long patrol, not yet fully used to all the traveling that came with apprenticeship. Not that he'd whine about it. The sun was warm on his short, grey fur and the hollow of the camp provided a buffer from the constant breezes that swept over the moor. He stifled a yawn as he made his way over to the apprentice den, flopping over on a worn patch of ground to stretch out on his side. Blinking lazily, he squirmed to a slightly more comfortable position and let out a low sigh. Yep. That was the spot. Perfect for a nap...

Whitekit noticed an apprentice come into camp and smirked. The young tom was bored and decided he would play with the next cat he saw, to bad for the apprentice as he walked in. Whitekit stood up and while his striped tail swayed in excitement he padded towards the apprentice den. He watched as the older tom got comfy, as he waited for the perfect time to pounce. right when the apprentice laid down, he struck, and landed on the tom's side with a triumphant mew.

Willowpaw's ear twitched slightly at the sound of approaching pawsteps but dismissed it, it was probably just one of the other apprentices returning to the den after training... He squawked in alarm, air forced out of his lungs in a wheeze as a heavy thing landed on his side. His eyes shot open, already glaring at Whitekit. "Get off you rabbitbrained pest! he sputtered indignantly. He struggled to his paws, unceremoniously dumping Whitekit on the ground, tail lashing angrily. "What is your deal!? I was trying to sleep after a patrol making sure your sorry hide was safe. Clearly Starclan didn't see fit to give you any brains." He spat, glowering down at the kit

Whitekit just stared at the older cat but his smile was gone. Why was the apprentice so mean? He just wanted to play! The little lynx ragdoll gave a slight nod before turning around. If the older cat didn't want to play then he would just go exploring outside of camp again. Maybe he would find another friend. At that thought, his smile returned. He didn't even say a word to the mean apprentice before starting to walk out trying not to trip on his white paws.

Willowpaw snorted as Whitekit left. Naturally they didn't even see fit to give a verbal response or any kind of explanation. Ugh, now his nap was ruined. He settled down to groom his ruffled fur when he noticed Whitekit heading toward the camp entrance. He glanced around camp, no one seemed to be paying the least bit of attention to him. His whiskers twitched in annoyance. Of course this was now his problem to deal with. Willowpaw's ears flattened as he hauled himself up to his aching paws and followed the kit, quickly catching up on his gangly legs. "And just where do you think you're going now? You aren't allowed out of camp unattended."

whitekit turned around to see the mean apprentice come near him. "Im going to see aspen and fern, the leader is still thinking and this is my only chance." he simply mewed before heading out to look for the cats he saw as family. He didnt even care if the other tom came, but nothing was going to stop the little guy to see the few cats who let him be himself.

Well.... That was certainly an answer... Willowpaw frowned, looking around the clearing for help, but the few who had been around had dispersed in the short time since he'd last checked. Ugh. He couldn't just let a kit wander off on his own. And it's not like he'd be able to stop Whitekit, he may be taller but he wasn't particularly strong... Brindlestar would kill him. Thornkit had already stirred up trouble with that... Riverclan apprentice. He wrinkled his nose distastefully. And Fern and Aspen... He didn't fully recognize those names, sure they seemed vaguely familiar but nothing he could place. Which... that was at least intriguing... Especially, what could Brindlestar be thinking about? Letting them join Windclan? Willowpaw sniffed, quickly shaking his head, that couldn't be it. He doubted Brindlestar would bring some outsiders into the clan even if their numbers were a bit low... He glanced at the determined kit and flattened his ears. What a bother... "I suppose you're not going to stop so I guess I have to make sure you don't get snatched by a hawk or eaten by a fox," He reluctantly muttered, following the kit

Whitekit smiled at the apprentice trying to hide the fact he was a little grateful. He knew it wouldn't be hard finding the siblings but also not to hard for a predator to get him. As the toms padded towards where the siblings were Whitekit tried to make conversation. "Im sorry for interrupting your sleep, I will never do it again." he mewed following their scent badly.

Willowpaw softly sniffed at the apology, "You'd better not," he muttered. The constant breeze ruffled his pelt, carrying the faint scents of rabbit, heather, and the distant forest. No obvious signs of danger. "Who exactly are these Fern and Aspen?" Might as well find out about these cats who Whitekit was so set on finding before actually meeting them.

Whitekit looked back at him and thought for a minute. "Fern and Aspen are siblings. They are kittypets that looked starving and raggy looking." He mewed smiling as he was the first cat to find them, of course Heronfeather got mad at him and brought them to camp but it was worth it. Whitekit turned around and walked through some bushes to see them. He ran up to fern right away and nuzzled her side.

Fern had been quietly resting with her brother sitting next to her. The tom stiffened as the grass rustled nearby, but relaxed when he realized it was only the kit from before. "Oh, hello Whitekit!" Fern said as she sat up with a smile. She gave him a gentle lick on his forehead before noticing another cat push through the grass. Aspen gave the newcomer a stern look. It wasn't a kit, but still looked old enough to cause some trouble of it wanted. "Who's your friend?" Aspen asked Whitekit.

Kittypets? Willowpaw wrinkled his nose in distaste. And skinny kittypets at that? It seemed improbable but... Why would Whitekit have some apparent connection with these cats? And was Brindlestar actually considering bringing some soft, helpless, scrawny outsiders into Windclan? Certainly something to think about in any case.

He pushed through the grass after Whitekit, startled, though he limited his outward response to a simple ripple of his whiskers, by the sudden appearance of the two grey kittypets. He silently looked over the two kittypets as Whitekit nuzzled against the she-cat. They... certainly looked rather pathetic. Willowpaw doubted they'd serve as much use as warriors. When the she-cat spoke, he lifted his chin to look down his nose at them from the gangly legs he'd yet to fully grow into. "I'm Willowpaw." He responded haughtily. Clearly not at all impressed with any of the cats present.

Whitekit was happy to finally see the siblings again that he didn't hear willowpaw's tone towards them. "Willowpaw is from camp, I woke him up and he followed me when I came to find you guys." the little tom mewed still in fern's embrace.

Fern smiled down at Whitekit before turning her gaze to Willowpaw. The young tom's gaze was stern, but Fern got the feeling he was actually a good cat. Convincing Aspen might take a while, but he was only protective of her. She gave Whitekit a kick on his forehead when she felt a sharp pang in her belly, causing her to gasp lightly. What? No, not now. It's too soon! she thought as she groaned in pain.

Aspen have Willowpaw a nod in greeting. They all certainly seemed well fed. Perhaps living with these strays wouldn't be as bad as hed initially thought. His thoughts were interrupted qs Fern suddenly let out a pained cry. Alarmed, he stood and hurried to her side. "Fern? What's wrong?"

Willowpaw's ears flattened as Fern suddenly groaned in pain, stepping back, lip partially curled. "What's wrong with her? Is she sick?" The pair were scrawny enough it certainly wouldn't have surprised him. He considered hauling Whitekit back but immediately dismissed it, it was the kit's own fault if he came down with something from the kittypets and Willowpaw certainly wasn't going to expose himself to that risk. Especially given Windclan's... medicine cat apprentice. If he even deigned to call Yewpaw a medicine cat.

Fern could barely think as her belly tightened painfully before releasing, giving her a brief moment of relief. She looked at brother with deep fear in her eyes. "Aspen, I'm sorry. I should've told you before now. I... I'm, ahhhh!" Fern cried as the intense pain returned once more. She grit her teeth as her body prepared to do what it needed to. 


Aspen listened intently, feeling his heart sink to his stomach. Fern nearly got the words out, but she didn't have to finish. He turned his gaze back to Willowpaw. "We have to get my sister someplace safe. I think she... she having kits!" he said, trying to mask his own fear, for Fern's sake.

Fern breathed heavily as her body contracted heavily. She was out of time and her kits refused to wait a minute longer. Oh, why hadn't she told Aspen sooner? The gentle silvery queen screamed in agony as she laid on her side and pushed with all her might. Another heave and the pain subsided, revealing a bright orange kit. She quickly reached over and tenderly picked up the kit, placing him at her belly just before another contraction hit her. A few more moments, and a tiny female kit was beside her. Fern was able to rest for a brief moment before another kit rushed to be born. By the time she was done, Fern was exhausted, barely able to keep her pale green eyes open, but her heart soared as she thought of her previous newborns.

The kits squirmed for the warmth of Fern's belly. Before she closed her eyes, she gazed over her precious young, The largest, a fluffy gray tabby tom with large ears, was suckling peacefully, his eyes closed. The second, an orange tabby, was finding his way through his sibling's fur, and making his way to the milk. And the smallest, a gray-and-ginger tortoiseshell, was squirming next to her large brother. Fern licked each kit briefly, with more love than she had ever felt before, before laying down and taking a rest.

The lone female kit squirmed as she truly had the ability to breath - crying out against the cold world that she suddenly found herself in. Her paws scrambled against the ground, trying to push herself towards a large source of warmth she could feel - a comforting scent that made the strange place she was in seem a little less harsh. With some effort, she managed to wiggle herself next to Fern's stomach, collapsing against the beacon of heat and comfort that was her mother as she mewed - seeking ever more comfort, to be made warmer, like the needy newborn kit she was.

The large gray tabby tomkit scuffled closer to his sister, letting his long tufts of fur warm her.

The firstborn, a spindly ginger kit, mewled loudly as he was unwillingly thrust into a cold, bright world. He couldn't see yet, but the light filtering through his shut eyelids was enough to get him to squirm in protest. He scrambled over to the large, warm shape he identified as his mother, kneading her belly with his tiny paws and looking for something to latch onto. He was feeling a completely new sensation in his belly, one he would later find out was called hunger.

The large gray tomkit squirmed and mewled sofly when he heard quiet, somewhat concerned murmurs coming from behind him. About a tail-length away, he sensed a unique emotion, however. The tomkit made his way towards the strange sense, until he bonked into Willowpaw's paws, and tried his best to look upwards, a facinated expression on his tiny, sightless face.

Willowpaw wasn't sure what to make of this whole situation, mind whirling but ultimately going nowhere. He... didn't want to be here. With these scrawny kittypets. But he couldn't ditch Whitekit. Everyone would kill him for leaving a kit unattended outside of camp. He hung back, trying to will himself to disappear since Whitekit would undoubtedly refuse to return to camp without a fuss which.... He also didn't want to deal with. When the kits were born and the grey kit bumped against him, he jerked out of his silence with a low growl, hopping to his paws. "Whitekit, we need to get back to camp." he hissed, slender tail twitching in aggravation while he studiously ignored the two kittypets. Okay, Fern and Aspen, yes he remembered their names though he would be reluctant to admit it. They were outsiders and they really needed to get back to camp before there was any trouble.

The large tomkit mewled in protest as Willowpaw moved away from where he was looking and he was hustled back to his mother's belly. He let out a high-pitched growl, but reluctantly tumbled back to his siblings. He was gonna find out more about Willowpaw, he decided, wether he liked it or not.

Aspen breathed a sigh of relief after his sister finally birthed what seemed to be her last kitten. It was a good thing he was already sitting because the shock of Fern's unknown pregnancy and sudden labor has made him weak. His focus was brought back to reality as Willowpaw ordered for he and Whitekit to leave. A boiling rage began to grow within Aspen as he jumped to his paws. "You're just gonna leave her here?" he hissed lowly. "Look at them. If you leave now, you're sentencing Fern's kits to death! What kind of heartless tom are you?"