Heathertail / She-cat / white cat with dark brown legs, face, and ears and a light brown tail / Queen / in the nursery / tagged: Brindlekit, Rainkit, Cloudrunner
Heathertail woke up when she felt someone kneading on her stomach; she was no longer producing milk, but her kits still instinctively kneaded her stomach when they needed attention. Brindlekit in particular was quite a pawful. She opened her eyes slowly, and sure enough, the brown tabby she-kit was mewling for the comfort of her mother, her brother still asleep beside her. Heathertail purred and touched noses with her daughter, then started to groom Brindlekit, starting at her head and gradually working down her body. The she-kit purred back and closed her eyes in contentment, then drifted back to sleep. It was just past sunhigh, and cats all around camp were sharing tongues. The seal point queen wished she could join them, but since there were no other queens in the nursery to look after her kits, she had to stay stationed where her kits could see her (or, rather, where she could see her kits, lest they start trouble). Checking that Rainkit and Brindlekit were still asleep, she padded to the front of the nursery and spotted her brother, Cloudrunner, carrying a small rabbit in his jaws, heading directly towards her.
"Hello, Heathertail," he meowed affectionately.
"Care to share this rabbit with me?" Heathertailʻs stomach growled at the scent of the fresh-kill, and she nodded. Cloudrunner set the rabbit down and lay down across from her, waiting to tuck in while his sister did the same.
"Back from your hunting patrol already? Tell me, who caught this for you?" she mewed teasingly, taking a bite after she did so. The flavors of the forest danced across her tongue.
Cloudrunner / Tom / white cat with ginger ears and nose / Warrior / in front of the nursery / tagged: Heathertail
Cloudrunner answered lightly,
"Actually, I caught this myself and thought Iʻd share it with you." He took a large bite, hungry from the long but bountiful hunt. It was customary for the apprentices to bring the queens and elders fresh-kill, but he enjoyed spending time with his sister, brash as she may be. The white tom glanced at her slumbering kits and barely suppressed a proud smile.
"I see Rainkit and Brindlekit are growing up nicely," he mewed.
"Theyʻll be apprentices soon, isnʻt that right?" Cloudrunner watched Heathertailʻs chest puff out with pride, and she responded, her eyes glowing,
"Yes, in three more moons theyʻll be out of my fur." She took a rushed bite of rabbit before she spoke again,
"And Iʻll be able to be a warrior again! I can hardly wait to return to the forest and feel the wind in my fur." He was surprised; it was entirely unlike his sister to be nostalgic, but perhaps having kits had softened her heart somewhat. He certainly hoped so, for his own sake; even as kits, Heathertail had tormented him ceaselessly and with great joy. Cloudrunner joked,
"If you can fit through the entrance to camp!" The seal point queen glowered at him, and he went quiet, taking a large bite of rabbit to keep his mouth full.