Dim Light (Stormwind)

Rainstorm grimaced once his apprentice’s back was turned, allowing a flicker of hurt and resignation to cross his face. He understood why his nephew didn’t like him, but that didn’t mean he regretted attempting to stop Riverflight. He had thought it too risky at the time, and it was only pure luck they succeeded in rescuing her.

Puddlepaw dipped his head to his mentor, a gesture of respect that he didn’t really have all that much of. “Right,” He mewed simply, sitting down with his back turned to the tom.

Rainstorm looked up from his grooming and blinked slowly at his nephew. “Yes. We’re going on a hunting patrol soon.”

Puddlepaw eventually spotted Rainstorm and trotted up to him. “You wanted to see me?” While Puddlepaw himself had no recollection of any of this, he’d heard the stories from his mother, father, and his clanmates, and he knew that his mentor had once tried to keep his father from going back to rescue his mate and their kit, him. For that reason, the relationship between the two had been frosty at best.

Rainstorm groomed his cream fur, eyes half-closed and tail flicking.

Puddlepaw stepped out of the apprentice’s den just then, glancing around and blinking as he sought out his mentor, Rainstorm.

Riverflight smiled softly to himself when Puddlepaw emerged from the den and into the clearing. While there was no doubt he was also thinking about their two lost kits in that moment, he remembered the three of them, Spottedpelt, Swiftstream, and himself, trekking through the deep snow with Puddlekit, in a desperate bid to catch up with their clanmates. And none of that had been in vain.

Swiftstream purred softly in agreement, watching the kits a little wistfully, her thoughts drifting to the two kits she had lost before they were even born.

Spottedpelt laughed along with the kit, her chuckles broken up by loud purring.

Riverflight, while he did see the female out and about with Shadowleaf’s kits, preferred to focus on the kits instead. “It’s good to see them all so strong and happy after everything we went through.” He murmured to his mate. Dimclan can be strong again.

Berrykit eventually flopped down on top of her, giggling uncontrollably.

“Ah!”  Cried the warrior, thrashing her head softly as if attempting to dodge Berrykit’s blows, but to no avail, the female unable to hold back a loud purr.

Berrykit giggled, crawling up Spottedpelt to bag at her ears.

Spottedpelt let out an eep as she was unexpectedly pounced on, but quickly realized who had hunted her and let out a dramatic mew of “Oh no, the mighty Berrypounce has struck me down!” The female flopped over onto her side.

Berrykit grew bored with the mossball and snuck up on Spottedpelt while she was distracted, pouncing on her tail.

Spottedpelt watched the group of kits, feeling happier in this duty than she had for a very long time. I may not be able to have my own yet, but until then... The she-cat purred softly to herself.

Pebblekit finally managed to snatch up the mossball, only to have it promptly stolen from her again by Mistkit. She let out an indignant wail and chased after the youngest of them.

With a quiet purr, the deputy began to share tongues with his mate, grooming her pretty pelt as the happy sounds of kits having a good time echoed through the hollow.

Spottedpelt snatched the ball again, flinging it straight up into the air and purring loudly as she watched the kits batting at it.

(Shadowleaf has six kits)

Swiftstream huffed irritably at him.

All six kits tumbled out after her, each trying to grab the mossball.

Riverflight joined Swiftstream, satisfied with his day’s work, and purred quietly as he settled alongside her.  “No tickling this time, I promise,” huffed the cream-furred tom.  

Just then, the moss ball game spilled out of the nursery and into the clearing just outside of it, Spottedpelt helping to keep the game going by batting the ball whenever it got away from the young kits.  She was careful to keep her eye on all six of them as they gradually moved out of the nursery for the additional space the clearing provided.

Swiftstream made her way to the edge of camp, settling herself in a laying position.

Riverflight clearly disagreed with his mate’s assessment but cut it out all the same. He padded beside her all the way back to camp before splitting off with the other two warriors to add their catch to the burgeoning new fresh-kill pile.

Swiftstream growled and swatted at him. “Not funny. Stop it.” She sneezed.

The tom gave Swiftstream a cheeky smile, pretending to look around nonchalantly and not pay attention to her as he also began to slow down, soon drawing level and tickling her again.

Glaciertail watched the pair with a bit of longing. Maybe I should spend more time with Shadowleaf and Rainstorm.

Swiftstream sneezed in response and glared at him, falling back a little so he couldn’t do that.

Pebblekit whined innprotest and tried to tug the mossball out from underneath Spottedpelt.

Riverflight felt more like an apprentice than he had in ages, the adrenaline from his earlier stunt still coursing through him. Smirking around his squirrel, he lifted his head, using the prey's dangling fluffy tail to tickle Swiftstream's nose.

At the next opportune moment, Spottedpelt scooped up the ball, quickly laying back down atop it, but she could hardly suppress her purr. She'd left just enough of the ball sticking out from under her pelt that Pebblekit could pounce on it.

Swiftstream and Graycloud headed back to camp with the two toms, only the golden she-cat not holding any prey.

Berrykit tossed the mossball to Ebonykit, while Pebblekit tried and failed to intercept it.