Lizardkit scrambled out of the nest, his bright yellow eyes catching the dawn sun. The fluffy kit looked around- His sister and mother were still asleep, curled up together in a warm bundle of fur just beside him. In the back of the den, past a few empty nests, Cloudedsun was asleep, her cream belly swollen with kits. He couldn't wait to meet them! He and his sister would always have fun playfighting in the nursery, but he longed for someone to play other games with.
Lizardkit peered out of the nursery. He had never been out because Sootfoot, his mother, had never allowed him to. But he was already two moons old! He had heard some of the apprentices talking about him and his sister Halfkit. They said that they were taking ages to see camp!
Lizardkit padded forward a few steps, the clearing being no longer hidden by the well guarded bracken entrance. He cast a long, dark shadow as the kit stood in the entrance to the nursery, Looking out into the clearing- painted by early yellow light. Lizardkit was in awe as he watched the bigger warriors appear from their den, immediately getting on with their duties. She watched three cats leave camp, a muscular, brown tabby tom leading.
"Where do you think you're going?" The voice that came from behind him almost made Lizardstar bolt out of the den, it had surprised him so much. Lizardkit turned to see his mother, almost camoflauged against the darkness of the nursery, looking at him with a cold stare that made him want to back into a shadowy corner.
"I was just looking!" He squeaked, eager to defend himself. "I wasn't going to go out!"
The look of guilt was easy to read. Sootfoot twitched her tail. Irritated, she hissed. "I see that guilt on your face! I told you not to go out there without me! Its dangerous, Lizardkit!"
Lizardkit stared at his paws. "S-sorry," He muttered. The commotion between him and his mother must have woken up Cloudedsun, because she turned her head and looked at the other queen. "Don't be harsh on him, Sootfoot! ayou've kept the poor kit in here for far too long. Soon he'll be big enough to be an apprentice!" The she-cat commented, purring.
"I'm just trying to protect him!" She snapped back.
Maybe she's cranky because I woke her up early, Lizardkit thought. As his eyes gazed around the den, he noticed his smaller sister, Halfkit, was waking up.
Sootfoot sighed, turning to her kit. Lizardkit flicked his tail. He thought he was about to recieve a punishment.
"Lizardkit, You and your sister can leave the nursery. Your father can show you around" His mother murmured, getting up from her nest. The dark gray she cat nudged his tired sister to her feet. She squeaked in complaint, but quickly followed them when she realised where they were going.
Lizardkit stopped, the light bathing his blueish black and white pelt. His tabby sister padded up
next to him. Lizardkit turned to see his mother lying out beside the entrance, streatched out on her side. She looked as if she was already falling asleep. He grunted, padding off into camp, followed by his sister.
The kits dodged the warriors' paws, looking for their dad. Lizardkit could remember him, he had visited the nursery a couple times before. He used to visit every day until he got caught up with his duties. The two kits stopped in the middle of the clearing, looking around.
"Where is he? Willowshine!" Halfkit mewled, scanning the camp for his destinctive light pelt. Lizardkit nervously looked at the warriors, feeling lost and out of place in the middle of camp. He noticed three cats sharing prey under highrock. A golden tom, a lithe silver she-cat and a brown she-cat.
"That must be Honeystar!" Lizardstar told his sister, pointing his muzzle in the direction of the golden tom. "Do you remember when he visited us to introduce himself?"
Halfkit nodded, looking at the other two. "Isnt that silver she-cat Streamtuft? She came to check momma a few times last moon" His sister mewed. Lizardkit nodded. He hadn't recognised the cat until his sister had said a name. She had a better memory than him, obviously!
The two kits bounded over, the shade of the highrock cooling their pelts on the warm greenleaf day.
"Ah, kits!" Honeystar mewed, turning to the two. They were tiny compared to these cats. Lizardkit watched them carefully. His pelt prickled as he noticed that Streamtuft's face wasn't as extatic to see them as Honeystar's was. The dusty brown cat had a warm gaze though, and her pelt gave off a herby aroma like what you'd usually only smell in the medicine cat's den.
"Have you seen Willowstream? Sootfoot said that he'd show us around camp" Lizardkit's sister asked, eyes bright.
"Your father is on the dawn patrol, I'm afraid." Honeystar mewed, paws wrapped around a half-eaten sparrow.
The kits, a little disheartened, heard the brown she-cat mew- "If you'd excuse me, I could show them around?"
The kits looked up. Honeystar's gaze went from the herby brown she-cat to the two young kits waiting for an answer.
"I suppose," He sighed. The golden leader turned to Lizardkit and Halfkit. "Thymepelt will show you around, Kits"
Halfkit and Lizardkit squealed as the brown she-cat stood up. She flicked her tail and left the shade. Lizardkit quickly followed, shiverring as he stepped out of the cool and into the warm sun.
The she-cats pace was surprisingly fast, and the kits found it hard to keep up with her as she trotted around the camp, showing the two siblings where their future dens were. Halfkit sighed. "I want to practice hunting instead" She muttered to her brother. Lizardkit nudged her, "Hey, Thymepelt isn't that bad! And a tour of camp is a cool idea! You don't want to be sleeping with the elders in your first night as an apprentice, do you?" He joked quietly.
Halfkit sighed, nodding. "Yeah, guess you're right"
"....And this is the elders den" Thymepelt finished, standing just outside a tangle of brambles and ferns. Lizardkit pricked his ears, inside he could hear a few raspy voices rambling about cats he'd never heard of.
"Do you remember that young fella? Fogpaw?" One she-cats voice croaked. "He was such a sweetheart, he was! You could see it on the she-cats faces!"
"Even the faces of she cats from other clans! Shame that dog attacked during his vigil" Another she joked, coughing a few times after she spoke. Lizardkit flinched at the gory detail at the end.
"Well, you better be going to the nursery, Sootfoot will think you were eaten by a fox at this rate!" Thymepelt mewed in an entusiastic way.
Lizardkit saw his sisters black tail drop. He didn't want to go back to the nursery either!
Thymepelt sighed. "Come on kits," She muttured, padding past Lizardkit and Halfkit. The two followed her herby scent miserably, heads low. Why did they have to go back nooow? It wasn't even dark yet!
Lizardkit raised his head as he noticed his mother bounding towards them. "Sootfoot?" Thymepelt mewed, sounding concerned.
"Cloudedsun is kitting" Sootfoot replied in a hushed tone, so quiet Lizardkit could barely hear. He and his sister exchanged glances.
Thymepelt spun round, flanked by Sootfoot. Lizardkit could see the shape of Willowstream approach the cats.
"You'll be sleeping with the app-" Sootfoot was cut off by a nudge on her shoulder.
Their father mewed, "They can stay with me in the warriors den tonight". He turned his slim head and nodded at the two kits.
"I suppose. The apprentices can get rough" Sootfoot mewed.
"Well it's settled!" Willowstream mewed, obviously aware of the happy eyes of his two kits. "Warriors den tonight!"
