Waterstar's Heart

Chapter 1

"...and as he leapt at me, I reared up and kicked him straight into the gorge!" A old, black and white patched molly mrrowed. She was on her paws, with one paw raised. "And that is how I defeated Cop-"

"Mother, are you telling your ridiculous stories again?" Another voice chimed in.

Turning around, Waterkit leapt to his paws. "Badger! Cowpatch was just telling me about her cool battle with Copper! Remember??" He squealed, crouching low to the ground. The young tom giggled as he was pulled towards his mother. He was almost the same size as his mother, just barely shorter. He was soon to become an apprentice.

"Stories are important, my dear. You used to love my stories." Cowpatch purred, stretching her paw out to ruffle Waterkit's head fluff. A tan and cream molly's head poked up behind Cowpatch's. Her name was Houndtail, Cowpatch's mate.

"Did you hear about how I lost my tail?" Houndtail asked, grinning at Waterkit. The grey tom freed from his mother's grasp. "No! Tell me, tell me!" He begged, his dazzling blue eyes widening. Waterkit prepared to leap onto Houndtail's back, but felt a light pull by the tail. "Huh-?"

Soon enough, he felt a firm grip on his scruff. Noticing that he was being dragged out of the Elder's Den, he let out a protest, "Mooommmm!" He complained, "I want to hear her story!"

"You're not old enough to hear that story, Waterkit. Cowpatch shouldn't even be telling you her stories. They're too scary for you." She retorted, her voice muffled in her kit's fur scruff. With a huff of protest, he wriggled in his mother's jaws. "But, Bager?!" He wailed.

Soon, Badger and Waterkit were at the center of camp. She let go of her son, watching as he tumbled with a loud thump.. His mother was so boring...and so was the nursery. Thank StarClan he'd be an apprentice soon! He didn't have any kits to play with anymore since Grasspaw and Oakpaw left the nursery, which had been about a moon now. The only cats that entertained him was Cowpatch, Houndtail, and his father, Shadestar!

Sticking his tongue out at his mother, he puffed out his chest. "Mmm!"

His perked up as he heard heavy paw steps. He soon recognized them as his father's. Shadestar was a large cat, he had huge paws. Letting out a giggle of excitement, he raced to his father. He leapt onto him with an excited yowl. "She won't let me listen to Cowpatch and Houndtail's stories!" He complained loudly, staring down at the darker leader.

A glint of mischief shone in his father's gaze. He looked past his son to lock eyes with his mate, whose tail was flicking irritably. "Now, Badger, you should let Waterkit spend time with Cowpatch. Yes, some of her stories can be a bit...ridiculous, but they're important. They give lessons...they're entertaining..." he reasoned with a smile.

Waterkit nodded in agreement, looking over his shoulder at his mother.

With a distrustful gaze, Badger looked at her mate. Badger then looked at the both of them, a smile creeping on her face.. "...fine. It's not like I can keep him away anyways." She half-joked, rolling her eyes. "Waterkit, go and head back to the elder's den." With that, the grey kit let out a squeak of excitement and raced towards the elder's den.

As he made it to the entrance, he looked back over his shoulder, and grinned as he watched both of his parents begin to groom each other's pelts. Waterkit then trotted into the elder's den. The lighting in the den began to dim, and he giggled as he snuggled up next to Cowpatch.

"Tell me the story on how you lost your tail again, Cowpatch! Houndtail, tell me yours, too!" He demanded, his whiskers twitching as he waited for the elderly cat to respond.

Cowpatch's amber eyes gleamed as she nodded. "Okay, snuggle up close. It might be scary." She warned, giving the kitten's head a small pat with a white paw. Waterkit then curled up closer against her fluffy, white belly. Even though he was older, he wouldn't miss his kin's stories for the world.