The Choice

Chapter 4

"Are you serious!"

"Yeah, I am serious! She told me herself!"

"I can't believe Sheepwhisker actually mentored Graystar! She really said he was all serious and stuff?"

"Yeah. Kind of funny, right? She even said he was leader material back then."

Hawkkit was telling Orangekit about how Sheepwhisker had mentored Graystar. Flurrykit was outside the nursery entertaining Boltkit, Lionkit, and Patchkit, as the three of them didn't believe Hawkkit when he told them, but Orangekit did, and she kept firing questions at him. 

"When I'm a warrior, I'm going to mentor the next leader, too! Then when I'm an elder I'll just hint about it all the time." Orangekit announced, giving her friend a cheeky grin.

Hawkkit laughed, "Oh yeah? Well then I'm going to become leader before that! Then I'll make your apprentice deputy, and you can brag all you want."

"Wait! I changed my mind, make me the deputy! Wait, no, I'll make YOU the deputy, and I'll be the leader. Yeah, and then we'll rule every clan!" 

"All right, save world domination for later." Silverstreak said with a chuckle, pulling Orangekit to her, licking her ruffled up her. 

Cherrygaze purred drowsily. The black and white she-cat had just moved into the nursery, carrying Jaystorm's kits. Hawkkit liked Cherrygaze; she was kind and not stuck up like some queen-to-be's were.

Sandkit, who was also in the nursery, looked at Hawkkit, "It's not that hard to believe. Bramblethorn is Whitefang, Milktail, and Ivyleaf's father. You probably didn't know that." 

Hawkkit glared at him skeptically, "How did you know that?"

"He told me about it in one of his stories."

'Yeah, of course he knows, he's so smart.' Hawkkit thought in a sarcastic manor. 

Orangekit looked at Sandkit, "That's cool! I like how there are so many things we don't know. And we just get to keep learning! I mean, when we're warriors, we'll only know about our clan. What about the other clans? Or, beyond the clans! Their are so many mysteries we don't know about."

"Quite the inquisitive kit you have there, Silverstreak," Cherrygaze remarked in a gentle, joking manor. 

"Oh yeah. That gets her and her siblings in trouble a lot." Silverstreak responded, sounding exasperated. 

Boltkit, Patchkit, and Flurrykit all tumbled into the nursery, Lionkit trotting behind them. The three of them laughed and squeaked, though Lionkit just trotted over to her mother. 

"Silverstreak, they're too reckless. They keep chewing on me, when all I wanted to do was listen to one of Bramblethorn's stories! It was a really good one, too, about how he had to chase away a dog, but I couldn't hear anything over their giggles." She pouted. 

"Ooh, I've heard that one!" Orangekit squeaked, pulling away from her mother. 

"Kits, calm down. Birdflutter will be back from her hunting patrol soon, so I want you to behave yourselves because she'll want to rest. Have Bramblethorn continue the story for you, I'm sure he'd love to finish it." 

"But mom! We want to play!" Boltkit whined. 

"Yeah! It's not our fault Lionkit is whining." Patchkit added. 

"It kind of is..." Hawkkit muttered, defending the outnumbered she-kit. 

"Kits." Silverstreak said more sharply, "Stop being so loud."

"Come on, guys, stories are fun too. Maybe he'll tell the fox story!" Flurrykit chirped. 

"Fine," Boltkit muttered, and he, Patchkit, and Flurrykit left. 

Silverstreak sighed, "Lionkit, come here, your turn to get groomed."

The small kit obediently sat next to her mother, who began to groom her golden fur. 

"Hey, Hawkkit. I'm bored. We should throw around some moss!" Orangekit said excitedly, gathering some moss up into a ball. 

"Play outside kits, I want to take a nap while it's quiet," Silverstreak said after she finished grooming Lionkit, putting her head on her paws.

Lionkit was sleeping peacefully, most likely lulled to sleep by the soothing feeling of being groomed. 

"Okay," Orangekit nodded, "You should play too, Sandkit! It'll be a lot of fun, and I know you're good at the game."

Sandkit shrugged, and the three of them padded out of the den to toss around the ball of moss.