Stones (Book One) The Beginning

chapter 15

Ceaderstripe, Fluffypelt, Heatherfur, and Hemlockheart all padded back into the camp, mouths full of prey, after their hunt. They padded over to the fresh kill pile and deposited their prey.
"I really needed that," Heatherfur mewed with a sigh.
The four she-cats all started laughing but Ceaderstripe stopped as she saw Burntwhisker pad by.
"I'm thinking needed it more," Ceaderstripe mewed sadly.
Suddenly a tan she-cat with white paws dashed into the camp, panting.
Ceaderstripe spun around, "Aunt Sand!?" She yelled joyfully, running to the she-cats side, "what are you doing here!?"
Creamtail poked her head out of the nursery to see Sand standing in the camp, "Oh, my dear sister!" She cried running to Sand's side, "what are you here for? Is everything ok!? Are you ok!?"
Sand nodded, "I'm great actually, I just regret joining you here earlier," she mewed, "I'm a mother now, just like you."
Suddenly a brown, gray, and black tom padded into the clearing with two small kits in his jaws.
Sandy turned to look at the tom, "this is my mate, Clyde, and our two kits; Apple, the Calico she-kit, and Pine the black and white she-kit," she purred.
"I'm so proud of you," Creamtail purred, "my little sister is a queen."
"Hm?" Sand questioned her sister.
"Oh my, you font understand clan ways. I mean you're a mother," Creamtail mewed with a laugh.
"Oh," Sand mewed, "well I will need to learn."
Ceaderstripe tilted her head, "what do you mean?" She mewed hopefully.
"I'm going to consider staying there with my family," Sand nodded, "we need help to survive, Clyde is an exceptional hunter but not enough to grant us survival this cold season."
"I'm sure Stonestar would love to speak to you again!" Creamtail mewed excitedly, "Oh and I forgot to introduce you to my family! You already know Ceaderstripe, Hemlockheart, and Berryfur, but you don't know my new kits. Kits! Come here!"
Sandkit, Dawnkit, Amberkit, and Mudkit, padded out of the nursery and ran to their mothers side.
"Kits this is my sister Sand, the cat you're named after," she mewed looking at Sandkit.
"You named your kit after me?" Sandy mewed in astonishment.
"I thought I would never see you again,"  Creamtail bowed her head.
Sandy nudged her sisters head up, "well I'm here now," she mewed softly.
Creamtail nodded, "anyway, the tan tom is Sandkit, the orange tabby she-kit with the tan muzzle is Dawnkit, the orange tabby tom is Amberkit, and lastly the tan she-kit with brown stripes is Mudkit," Creamtail mewed nodding to each kit in turn.
Dawnkit bowed her head, "welcome," she mewed quietly.
Amberkit bowed down as well.
They both straightened up and Ceaderstripe noticed that Creamtail was beaming with pride.
"I'll go see if I can get some cats to expand the nursery!" Ceaderstripe mewed dashing of.
"I'll help you!" Hemlockheart yelled racing after her.
"And I'll go speak to Stonestar about your arrival," Berryfur mewed, drawing out the a in and, then padded off.
Ceaderstripe and Hemlockheart padded into the nursery.
"What's going of out there?" Silvereye mewed lifting her head.
Hemlockheart looked at the black she-cat, "Creamtail's sister is here," she mewed.
Silvereye stood up and her kits began to cry, "hush. I'm going to go say hi. The one time I met your aunt we became friends," she mewed.
Ceaderstripe nodded, "Ok, we will be expanding the den. She brought her kits and mate with her," she mewed.
Hemlockheart started to press on the wall of bracken by the entrance and Ceaderstripe joined her.
"Here, I'll help her, you get more bracken and twigs," Heatherfur mewed to Ceaderstripe.
"I'll help you Ceaderstripe," Star mewed, "I think my kits can be without me for a little while."
"Ok," Ceaderstripe mewed dipping her head in gratitude before padding out of the den.
Star padded out of the den after her.
Ceaderstripe stopped in her tracks when she saw Burntwhisker sharing tongues with Rubyfur.
"Let's go over here," Star mewed swishing her tail towards the side opposite of the dark gray tom and the reddish she-cat after noticing Burntwhisker's actions.
Ceaderstripe nodded distractedly as she turned and padded to where the she-cat had pointed to.
The two she-cats quickly gathered sticks, twigs, and loose bracken and took it back to the den for the expansion.