The Awakening Storm

01 | astray

5/25
 QUARTER MOON LATER
____

L E A F

If it was one thing or the other, I would've very much preferred to stay in my nest and sleep all day. But by the looks of it, of course I couldn't.

Not even training or patrolling was tasked to me as soon as I went up to Dawnsky. Just supplying the elders and queens with moss in the morning.

Padding into the queen's den with moss dripping down to the ground, I tried not to wince from the soreness of my jaw. Inside was already crowded despite there only two queens—and of course Leapflight's kits.

"Leafpaw!" The kits squealed as I halted a few mouse-tail length away from the Petalshade, who's belly was already swollen with Embernose's third litter of kits. While the news of kits should've brought happiness, there was nothing but weary and tiredness written all over Petalshade's face.

I felt a surge of sympathy for the queen. It must've been a hard time to deal with the fact she lost another kit who turned out to be a traitor of Skyclan.

Putting the wet moss down, I blinked at the kits fondly. "Hello," I greeted.

"What do you have there?" Driftkit, a gray tom with brown eyes, demanded.

A very energetic one I see, I noted. A darker version of Driftkit with dark blue eyes came Splashkit who was even more boisterous than her brother.

"It's a moss, bee-brain!" she retorted.

Then there was Nectarkit, a brown tom with light blue eyes. He was the most quietest one out of all the three and would often be seen sitting off to the side with a quiet demeanor and curious expression.

That's good for Leapflight, I hope.

Shooing the kits away, I nudge the moss closer to Petalshade and Leapflight.

"Thank you, Leafpaw," Leapflight mewed, throwing me a grateful glance. The kits scuttled around her, squealing and hissing until she told them to hush and play in the corner.

"And don't go outside," Leapflight added firmly. "It's dangerous."

The three kits sulked but within moments they began wrestling with each other. I blinked at them fondly remembering how Silentpaw and I had done the same thing.

Silentpaw, I thought. I miss her.

Sometimes I wish we could put the past and problems behind us. Shaking my head from my thoughts, I zone back to where Leapflight was now lapping the moss.

"How is everything going?" I asked.

The light brown she-cat sighed. "I'm doing well but—" She stopped, turning her gaze to Petalshade who was snoozing softly.

It had been a moon since the battle with the rogues. A moon since Thunderclan had fallen under their rule. A moon since Shaderock and Blackstorm went under their leadership.

Basically a moon since everything came crashing downhill.

"It must be hard," Leapflight murmured. "Losing someone you thought you knew so well only to find out that they weren't who you thought they were. It's almost like you never knew them at all. All gone. Mostly likely dead."