Sparkpelt's Tale

The chill of leafbare always brought the cats of ThunderClan together.

Sproutkit was trembling, but despite it she trudged out into the snow. Her littermates, Blazekit and Tricklekit, padded out behind her, and together they stood in the belly-deep snow. They would be apprentices next moon - will it still be snowing? Will I have to explore the territory in all this?

She scanned the camp. All across the camp, the warriors were speaking or cuddling together. Bristlefrost lay with her mate, Rootspring, who was visiting from SkyClan for the moon. Their kits, four moons younger than Sproutkit's litter, jaunted among the rocks and snowdrifts surrounding them. This was their fifth litter, with half of them currently living in SkyClan, and the other half living in ThunderClan.

Myrtlestrike came padding in with her patrol; Snaptooth, Plumstone and Flamesong. What an honor it must have been for the queen, to lead a patrol made up partly of warriors more senior than herself!

That's going to be me one day, she thought.

"Come on," she meowed at last, "We won't get there by staring!"

She led through the snow, being the broadest of her litter, and they followed in line. "Why can't the elders come to us?" Tricklekit complained from the back, his gray-and-white splotched pelt scattered with snowflakes.

"Because they're old," Blazekit replied, lashing her little tail. "Duh. Their bones will freeze up."

"No, it's their blood," Sproutkit said knowingly, "Their blood will turn to ice."

"Are you sure?" Tricklekit replied.

Sproutkit scoffed and trotted to the beech branches which hid the elders' den. "Do you think Cloudtail is awake?"

"Doubt it," Blazekit mewed, "He's super old."

"The oldest!" Tricklekit agreed.

"I wonder if he's older than Grayst..." Sproutkit's voice trailed away as their grandmother Spotfur padded past them.

"Hello," Spotfur said, her voice cracked. "What are you lot up to in weather like this?"

"We're going to hear stories from the elders," Sproutkit explained confidently. "Cause it's so cold."

"Brightpelt's kittens are too loud," Tricklekit offered. "That's also why."

"I see," Spotfur laughed, swinging her tail. "Well, you three have fun. And be nice to Brightpelt's kits," she said, before continuing on.

After she was out of earshot, Blazekit mewed, "I don't think Cloudtail's older than Graystripe."

"How do you know?" Sproutkit asked.

"Well, see, remember miss Squirrelstar? She told me a story once..." 

"Squirrelstar?" Sproutkit cried incredulously. "She died when we were three moons old!"

"So? We all remember her! She told me a story!" Blazekit replied loudly. "She said that Graystripe was her papa's best friend, and that Cloudtail was her papa's sister's kitten. So Graystripe had to be the same age as her papa, and her papa's sister had to be the same age as her papa, so-"

"Coulda been a littler litter," Tricklekit said.

Blazekit felt silent with a "hmm."

Finally they reached the tangled roots, and Sproutkit led the way inside. "Hello!" she prrped.

"Good evening!" came a groaning cry as Cloudtail rolled over and stretched his trembling limbs. "What brings you littlins here in this weather?"

"We want to hear a story!" Sproutkit yowled, running in and gazing at the ancient cats.