Thornheart's Acceptance

Chapter 2

     It was a little over two and a half moons since Thornkit was brought into the clan. She was now an unstoppable force that wanted to explore very thing she could and was now constantly asking questions. Most of them she asked to Antpelt, to whom she had grown the closest to in such a short time. When he was not on border or hunting patrols, he could be found with her, telling her about the four Clans, what the forest was like outside of camp, and attempting to answer her many questions.

What was this Clan like?

Why did they do it?

Where did the Clans come from?

If the stars are warriors that have died, then is the moon one too?

And if it is, who?

If not then is that where they meet for clan meetings? Like the highrock?

But there was one question that no one was prepared for.
"Hey Crowclaw, can I ask you a question?"

Crowclaw was fixing her nest, when she looked over at her before saying, "My permission never stopped you before," as she went back to her nest.

"If you're not my mom, then who is?"

Crowclaw stopped abruptly and snapped around to look at Thornkit. When her kits started calling her mom, all it took was Thornkit calling her mom once before she made sure she knew that she was not her mother and she was never going to be her mother. The other kits made sure to let her know this any chance they could. Crowclaw neglected to ever do anything about it. The only one who ever tried to put a stop to it was Lilyheart.

Lilyheart was a white she-cat with green eyes. She was one of the nicest cats Thornkit had ever met. Her two kits, Hawkkit and Willowkit, were just as nice as their mother. Unlike Crowclaw, who always let her kits make fun of her, she could still remember when Lilyheart walked in on Poppykit and Owlkit making fun of her.

"So If Crowclaw is not your mother then who is?" Owlkit asked, shaking his tan-brown speckled pelt teasingly.

"Does it matter? If Crowclaw is not her mother, than we are not really litter mates. And thank StarClan for that. Look at her pelt! Could you imagine have a kit that looked like her?" Poppykit said.

Poppykit had a full black pelt with amber eyes, and even if Thornkit hated to admit it, Poppykit had one of the pettiest pelts in the clan. Nothing got matted in her fur too often, and it made her look like she was twice her weight and didn't have the same color as the sand in the center of camp, but Thornkit didn't want to let her know that's how she felt.

"That's not true! Antpelt says it looks like the sun going through the trees during leaf-fall!" Thornkit said, her pelt bristling.

"Have you been outside of camp?" Poppykit asked, knowing that she had gotten under her pelt. "No? Then how do you know he's not just saying that to make you feel better about your ugly pelt? Because no tom will ever want you as their mate," she said, snarking.

"Have you been out of camp?" There came an angry voice, and as Lilyheart walked in her eyes narrowed and her pelt puffed out.

"Lilyheart, how are you?" Owlkit said, not meeting her eye

"Does your mother know what you've been saying?" She didn't give them time to answer "I'll tell you she would be so disappointed in the two of you! Go now, before I tell Brackenstar. And if I hear you talk like that again, I will tell Brackenstar!"

The three kits tried to walk out of the nursery with their heads bowed, but before they made it out Lilyheart said, "Not you Thornkit. I need to talk to you," Thornkit stopped, head still bowed.