- The Origins of Smolderspirit -

Chapter Two: A New Friend

"Coppercub! Please don't bite your brother's tail!" Emberfern called to her kin. Patchcub let out a whine that sounded more like squeaking, and Coppercub stopped. "S-sorry, Momma," Coppercub mewed, and licked his brother's ear. They went on to play more, and Emberfern sat down with a sigh. Her cubs were about to be a moon old, and they had grown restless. She had taken them outside while it was warm, and was happy to get some peace.

"I'm so pleased that you're more quiet, and less bitey, than your littermates, Smoldercub. Your brothers can be a bit much at times," Emberfern said, looking down to her runt cub. Smoldercub looked up at her mother and purred. "Well, toms are weirdos, and she-cats like us aren't, Momma!"

"H-hey, I heard that!" Coppercub meowed defensively, but in a playful tone. Smolderpaw put her paw on her ear, and stuck out her tongue. At that, Coppercub rushed over and pounced on his sister. The two rolled for a bit, before scrambling to their feet and chasing after each other, purring excitedly. Emberfern sighed tiredly.

"Cubs will be cubs," said a familiar voice. Emberfern turned to see Rosespot, who was also a queen. She's also Emberfern's closest friend. Her cubs had been born seven days before Emberfern's. Rosespot was a light, cream colored queen, with pale blue eyes, and a rose-shaped spot on her chest. Emberfern shook her head, chuckling in a weary tone. "What am I gonna do with these three?" she asked, and the two laughed. They decided to share tongues together for a bit. It was not long before Smoldercub spotted one of Rosespot's cubs.

He was peering around the queens, seeming to have hidden behind his mother. But then he seemed to have made the decision to awkwardly walk over to Smoldercub. "Hello there!" he said, with a happy expression on his face. Smolderpaw looked at the tom cub, unsure of him. "Hi," she responded, keeping her body still, her tone reserved.

"I haven't seen you around! What's your name?" the cub asked, his eyes beaming with friendliness. Smoldercub grinned, feeling more open to speaking with him. He seemed nice!
"I'm Smoldercub! Nice to meet you!" she said. The young tom squeaked, "I'm Owlcub!"

The tom was ginger, with dark grey tabby patches, and had tufts like that of an owl's on his ears. He had two different colored eyes. Blue and yellow. Unlike her brothers, Smoldercub had a green and violet eye. No one knows how it happened, but cats assumed it must've been from one of their ancestors, who now hunts with The Clan Within The Stars. She had found a cub like her!

The two sat and chattered about stories they had heard the seniors talk about. Just then, some other cubs came up, seeming to appear from the nursing den. "Hi, I'm Cedarcub! I'm Owlcub's brother," one of the cubs brightly expressed. He was cream-colored like Rosespot, except he had darker stripes and white paws, along with a white chest and muzzle. Smoldercub couldn't help but stare at his green eyes. "They're so pretty!" Smoldercub thought. Cedarcub then said, "And this is my sister, Lilycub!"

A smaller, white cub came out from behind him. Smoldercub felt as if her breath had been taken away! She had beautiful blue eyes like a calm sky, and silver stripes! She had the cutest pink, speckled nose, and was very fluffy. "Hello. It's nice to meet you," said the cub in a soft, gentle voice.

"Hello! You're very pretty!" Smoldercub said. Lilycub's ears seemed to perk up, and her whiskers twitched. "You think so?" she asked. Smoldercub nodded, grinning widely at Lilycub.

"It's great to meet you all! Do y'all wanna play a game?" Smoldercub asked the three. Owlcub, Cedarcub, and Lilycub all looked at each other, then back to Smoldercub, smiling. "Sure!" they said in unison. Smoldercub called over her brothers, and they came running. Then, they partnered up. Owlcub and Smoldercub took on the title of Lions. Coppercub and Cedarcub ran fast like Leopards. Patchcub decided to be allies with Lilycub and be Tigers. Then, the games began.