Warriors: Hidden Secrets - Blood Moon

Chapter 13

Tinypaw looked at the four kits, their energy filling the whole den. In a few moons they would become apprentices, but for now, they were content with playing and making their mother work hard. Cherrymist, their mother, quickly grabbed Aspenkit and pulled her back inside the nursery, blocking the entrance with her body when the kit tried to escape.

"How are you able to control all of them?" Tinypaw asked, pushing Sparrowkit away from her tail. "They seem more energetic than I remember."

"They have grown," Cherrymist purred, looking fondly at her kits. "And they love playing games, sometimes I think they disobey me on purpose, especially Wolfkit."

"Blossomkit seems healthy," Seedpelt reported, letting the kit go back to his littermates. She grabbed Sparrowkit next, pulling him away to examine him.

"They have grown so much, I wish I could have spent more time with them when they were smaller and more innocent," Tinypaw commented. I've grown too, Tinypaw thought, thinking of her training. During her three moons of training, she has learned most of the herbs and what to do with them, and how to treat certain illnesses. She still had a lot to learn but Seedpelt was proud of how far she had come.

"Tinypaw, why are you smaller than Dewpaw?" Wolfkit asked, jumping easily onto her back. "I thought you were littermates but I can jump onto your back easier." Compared to her littermates, Tinypaw looked two moons younger because of how small she was born. As she stood by the kits you would think she was only three moons older than them.

"I was born small, and I grow slower than normal," Tinypaw explained, Seedpelt taking Aspenkit.

"But you don't look like them either," Blossomkit pointed out. "You have a white pelt while they have grey ones."

"Um, well that's because..." Tinypaw was at a loss, how did she explain to this little kit. It would be easy to say she had her mother's pelt and her littermates looked like their father, but she didn't know what her parents looked like.

"She just looks like a different parent, that's all" Cherrrymist explained, looking at Tinypaw apologetically. Don't look at me like that, Tinypaw thought. It's not your fault I don't know my parents.

"Everyone looks healthy," Seedpelt said as she finished examining each kit. "We better get going, or we will get left behind." Tinypaw followed her mentor out of the den and into the clearing, where a group of cats were crowded together, waiting to go to the gathering.

"Good luck getting them to sleep tonight," Tinypaw said as she passed Cherrymist. Looking around she saw Dewpaw and Rainpaw coming toward her. She met them in the middle of the clearing and greeted them.

"We are not going to the gathering," Dewpaw said sadly, "You have to tell us what happens!" Rainpaw nodded in agreement, though he looked glad that he wasn't going.

"Honestly, I am glad for a little rest," Rainpaw admitted. "But you have to tell us what the other leaders report. I love listening to the other clans, say hi to the other apprentices for me if you get the chance." Tinypaw nodded as she heard Seedpelt call her name. Her classmates were walking through the camp's entrance.

"Don't freeze!" Dewpaw called after her as she ran across the clearing. Pushing her way through the barrier, she shook her pelt off of the snow before following her mentor. Looking up at the sky she was surprised to find no clouds in the sky, but instead silverpelt shining above them. The moon was full and bright as they walked to the gathering place.

"Looks like we have another medicine cat," Seedpelt commented as they made their way to their normal greeting place. The medicine cats always meet on a flat boulder on the side of the clearing. There was a small light brown tabby cat sitting nervously beside Reedfrost, and she looked startled when Tinypaw jumped up onto the boulder.