Creamfluff's Hope

*/\* Chapter Ten */\*

One moon and three quarter-moons had passed since Creamkit's decision. She hadn't talked to anybody and had just stayed in her nest all day. Rainspeck thought something was wrong and got Silverleaf, but he said Creamkit wasn't sick or anything else like that. Rainspeck had brought Creamkit prey to eat since she wouldn't leave her nest. Softkit and Butterflykit had stopped fighting after two days and were now always bugging Creamkit to come and play with them.

Aloeheart stayed near Creamkit, Blizzardspots always forcing him to join patrols. Creamkit had went outside of the nursery the other day and had seen Snowymeadow and Hawkflight talking. Nightmoon was sitting in a corner, glaring at them. Cloverpetal sat next to her, his tail on her shoulder.

Creamkit told herself that she would start talking again once she became an apprentice. That way she'd only have to talk to her mentor. She was two moons older than Softkit and Butterflykit, but she didn't think Butterflykit would be a warrior apprentice. She always hung out around Silverleaf and the medicine den.

Now, Creamkit was five moons old. She'd gone so long without saying a single word, even she couldn't believe it. Cats had started talking about her behind her back, but Creamkit didn't mind. No one was angry at each other, so she figured she was doing the right thing.

She was currently in her nest with Rainspeck sharing prey with Aloeheart in the middle of camp. Butterflykit and Softkit were playing a game outside, and Lilypurr was sleeping. She suddenly felt a paw on her shoulder, and she squeaked in surprise. Whipping her head around, she saw Aloeheart next to her.

She quickly flattened her fur in embarrassment. Aloeheart smiled softly at her and sat down beside her. "Creamkit, everyone's worried about you," he mewed gently. Creamkit flattened her ears.

"I know they are," she responded, not making eye contact with her father. Aloeheart's eyes widened.

"That's the first time you've talked in moons." He curled his tail around her. "What's bothering you? I know something is."

Creamkit frowned and kept her eyes away from his. "I just want to... know more about... my... mother," she lied, slowly saying the words to get an idea of what to say. Aloeheart nodded.

"Rainspeck promised you that she'd tell you more about her when you're an apprentice, right?" Aloeheart pressed his nose to her ear with a purr. Creamkit nodded.

"I want to know more about her right now though," she meowed quietly.

"Well," Aloeheart got to his paws. "You don't have to wait much longer now, and you should start talking again. Everyone misses your voice." He gave her head a lick before leaving the den. Creamkit stared at her paws in amazement. She'd just had a talk with a warrior, and it wasn't an in-trouble-talk either! Then she started thinking. Maybe she should start talking more. No one was fighting, so she'd done what was needed to be done.

Creamkit got to her paws and smiled. She exited the nursery and looked around for Lilypurr's kits. They were pushing a pinecone back and forth to each other. It was Creamkit's pinecone she'd given them when she was a tiny kit. She ran up to them and Butterflykit looked up at her before smiling.

"Can I play?" Creamkit mewed, Softkit following his sister's gaze to look at Creamkit. He smiled from ear to ear and nodded.

"You're talking again!" He jumped up and down joyfully. Creamkit purred and swept her gaze around the camp. Aloeheart wasn't there, or Rainspeck. They might've gone out for a walk.

The pinecone bumped into Creamkit's paws, and she looked down at it before sitting down and pushing the pinecone to Softkit. Softkit passed the pinecone to Butterflykit and she hit it to Creamkit. Creamkit passed it back to Butterflykit who gave it back to Creamkit. She gave to it to Softkit, and they continued to do this for a small amount of time before Creamkit's parents came into the camp.