((Kind of like lion cubs. :3 Sounds cool to me!))

"A shame the wretch Applepaw left," Wirepelt said, itching her belly, "Is Yellowpaw's cold serious do you think?"

---

Minnowfoot trotted after Blackheart obediently, "I don't think that'll be an issue. Knowing him, he would be quicker to run off to the nearest twolegplace than battle a group of fierce cats like Crimsonclan." Minnowfoot scented a large rock at the border. "The Crimsonclan scent has begun to grow stale, do you think that they have given up their claim upon the death of their warrior?"

---

Fatepaw flinched, but recovered quickly. Pantherkit was probably the most intimidating kit he had ever met. He hoped she hadn't seen him falter. "If it makes you happy."

"Will you be my brother too? Tigerkit is such a sissy sometimes, and you're so cool!" Wolfkit meowed.

Foxkit only rolled her eyes and swished her tail in impatience. "Can I have a mouse mummy?" 

"Come on kits," Flareblink purred, "You are all just as perfect as each other, fighting isn't necessary."

Fatepaw's tail swished. How he wished Flareblink's words were true. Fighting is necessary, and it wasn't easy. One always risked bleeding and injury fighting; very terrible thing, it is.

---

Wiretail sighed unhappily, "Cobrafang was slaughtered today, and I have been punished for it," she spat, tearing ravenously at the mouse. She faught not to swallow it; it had been a while since her last meal. She spat it carefully into the first kit's mouth, Specklepaw.

Specklepaw meowed quietly and swallowed her share in disgust. Wirepelt was never a good queen, in her opinion, always covered in fleas, and her chewed food tasted like... well, she wasn't sure what it tasted like, only that it was very distasteful indeed.

---

"You probably over estimate them," Minnowfoot meowed dismissively, "The tales the elders tell of savage intruder clans and their deadly strategies are only myths." 

"I guess, but if what Cricketcomet had said was true, then even if they aren't that bad, they could kick our tails," Blackheart said, as he scented yet another tree.
--

"It's not necessary, but it's fun!" Pantherkit yowled, grabbing Tigerkit's tail, which twitched and moved, trying to get out of her grip.
"No, fighting is bad. Even play fighting," Goldstream meowed sternly. Tigerkit finally pulled his tail away from his sister and watched a butterfly dance into the nursery. He bundled up his muscles, and leaped into the air, and landed with a thud, the butterfly clutched in his paws.
That was amazing! Goldstream thought, as Tigerkit let the butterfly go, and she caught Flareblink's eye, hoping he had saw Tigerkit's leap.
"That was awesome!" Pantherkit squealed, dog-piling Tigerkit. "Geroff!" Tigerkit grumbled, clawing the dirt annoyedly.
--

"And we still haven't found Snakepaw,"  Thistlepetal fretted, not hearing Wirepelt's muttered comment, "I don't think he'd be able to survive on his own. I-" she looked around, then lowered her head and spoke very quietly to Wiretail, "I hope the mountain cats find him. This is a horrible place to raise a kit."

((That's why Crim is so appalled XD Brace yourself! Short post incoming!))

"No, it's terrible," Wirepelt fretted, "The father of all of these kits is Crimsonstar, he would throw a tantrum if he knew they weren't his kits." 

"There's a slight problem with that," Wiretail said, "Crimsonstar probably hates me, like, more than the usual for Crimsonclan," she admitted, "I don't think we've ever been so close."

---

"I can care for myself just fine," Crim snapped moodily, "I don't need a bag of fleas and ticks like you telling me where to go. Forget I asked, I'm leaving."

---

Gladestar peered out of her den, "I have so been in the roleplay!" she snapped, "It's just that no cat seems to want to talk to me, and I'm not organising patrols!" She trotted out further, "Something to report, Blackheart?" 

"They would never accept me," Wiretail sighed, "I have fleas, ticks, Starclan knows what other parasites, and I threatened to kill one of their own kits. I don't think I'd be able to get used to their kind of life." Wiretail looked up at Thistlepetal, "And I couldn't fake not having kits, I want to be a part of their life, they're all that's left of my love..." she trailed off.

---

Crim paused, regretting her words immediately. She stood, and might have left, but instead she sat, "I'm supposed to be a medicine cat," she admitted, "I can cure your ticks if you wish. I shouldn't have yelled..." She looked back, "I'm just... I don't know, embarassed? I went down pretty much without a fight. It's a hard thing to take."

---

Gladestar thought for a moment, her tail twitching in contemplaton, "They must be preparing for something big," she said, "This is the perfect time for us to strike, if we are to make a stand at all. Winterfrost, how is Orangepaw's training? Are you aware of Fatepaw's as well?"

"Fatepaw is, like Blackheart said, scared of anything that moves," Minnowfoot reported sullenly. 

"Maybe if I made him a warrior, he would cheer up," Gladestar meowed, contemplating it. "He is plenty old enough, and his training is going well."

"Fatepaw might not appreciate making Orangepaw a warrior but not himself," Minnowfoot put in, worried, "He might loose interest in training, or go rogue."

"Fatepaw wouldn't go rogue, he is too skittish. We might make him a warrior as well, it might give him the courage he needs. What so you think Winterfrost?"

---

Wiretail frowned, "He and I aren't exactly in good graces now either way... do you think he wants company tonight? It may not be too late..."

"What have we here?" said a thickly accented voice from the mouth of the nursery. A silvery she-cat with narrow green eyes stood, her fluffy tail held high in esteem. Her darker stripes highlighted her figure, thin and agile, and framed her features, exotic.

"Heathercomet," Wirepelt said, holding back a hiss of hatred. The she-cat was of kittypet origin, and one of Crimsonstar's favorites. They were intimate often, and her bragging only encouraged jealousy from lesser she-cats, "What are you doing in the nursery?"

"I was wondering if dear Thistlepetal could tell me if I were expecting again, since our useless medicine cat has fled town. You see, my last litter went quite horribly, and I would prefer to not repeat the past," Heathercomet replied silkily. "And as for you, Wiretail, your fleas are enough to discourage any cat for nearing you, let alone Crimsonstar. I have already been with him on this eve. So tense, what could have caused it, I wonder?"

((Haha XD Heathercomet is such a harlot -dictionary.com it XD))

---

"Crim isn't my birth name," she admitted, "Applepaw is. I never got to be a full medicine cat before I was captured," Applepaw sighed, "Go on, have your laughs. A cat my age, still an apprentice. I am Crim now, simple as that." 

Crim shrugged, "It is different, I was born a clan cat, I knew what I was meant to do since I could walk, I was born for this, but I haven't earned my place anywhere. I need to get back to my home clan and see what has gone down, who replaced my mentor, Starclan rest her soul. That cat, whoever it is, has my job." She looked up to Silverpelt, "I'm sorry," she said again, looking down again, "I get carried away at these things. I doubt I'll ever be able to fit in a clan again, anyways. The twolegs took me to the cutter," she said with a shudder, "and Crimsonclan only took me in for convenience, because they thought I could fight."

---

Heathercomet purred and cuddled Crimsonstar lovingly, glancing at the low kit caretakers disdainfully. "My love, let us go somewhere more tasteful. Hunting maybe? Or down to the stream?"

Wiretail's ears flattened in sumbissiveness and she fell quiet, any further comments hushed. Heathercomet could probably have whoever's kits she diesired without complication. Life is unfair.

---

Gladestar nodded, "Then the decision is final; Orangepaw will be a warrior, but Fatepaw will train for longer." With that, she stod up on the tall rock and yowled for a clan meeting. The other cats jumped down from their perches and dens into the smooth clearing. "Orangepaw, please step forward," she meowed, once they had settled.

Orangepaw nervously stepped forward, his heart bouncing with pride and excitement. He was going to be a warrior! He puffed his chest out proudly, and waited for his brother to come to his side. But he did not.

Fatepaw twitched in slight excitement when Orangepaw was called, but he already knew that he was not ready to be a warrior. He dipped his head slightly when his brother made eye contact.

((g2g)) 

((Grrr... Hurry up, elf. XD))

"You are more aged than you let on, Arlen," Crim meowed, going to the elder's side, "What is it that ails you? Your joints? I know some painkillers that grow in the swampier areas down here, closer to where Crimsonclan camp. They will do well to release your pain."

((If I could draw cats better, I would draw this moment XD But I can't, so I practice on~

Hmm... I'll bet you're wondering why I call you elf, I dunno really XD Too much Dragon Age: Origins for me, I suppose.))