the blooming briar

Why could she have not been smarter? How could she not have thought twice about getting so close to Eagleburn? He was so kind, gentle, considerate--but he was not her mate. He was not Bayspots, who remained distant and cool in conversation to her.

Even Eagleburn noticed first when her pregnancy began to really develop and sensed something amiss. The sickness of her last pregnancy came back with vengeance, and it took every last bit of effort from her and Suntuft to avoid Eagleburn's keen sense for detail. Hunting patrols were performed alone, on the excuse that she would be hunting longer and for her sister. Border patrols were politely turned down by Suntuft, who claimed Brightstorm was more valued in camp, and that they had plenty of other warriors to take her place.

Eventually, she began to simply hide in the nursery.

Until it was time.

"Suntuft--"

Moons had been long, and much as she had yearned for this day, anxiety spiked through her blood as the familiar contractions tightened her gut and sent stabbing pain through her. Nudging Suntuft with a paw, her sister, sound asleep with her two bundles nestled close, instantly roused.

"I'm up, I'm up--"

Shaking sleep out of her head, when her kits began to mewl, Suntuft calmed them with a quick lick to each of them. They were only a week old, but already full of energy. Envy lanced through Brightstorm as she looked at them, feeling the loss of this precious privilege already. This would be the last time her kits would be so close to her.

"Go." Jolting from her melancholy when Suntuft bumped her backend with her head, Brightstorm stepped away. "Just as we practiced, go to the hollow oak, and I'll meet you there."

Suntuft lifted her head, peering out the nursery. It was only her and her sister, the other expectant queens still in the warriors' den.

"StarClan must have blessed us this moon to have the kits come now," murmured Suntuft, gazing appreciatively at the moon in the sky, and silently thanking it for keeping their clanmates unaware.

"Now," she hissed, headbutting Brightstorm again, "Go! You can make it."

Uncertain and afraid, so many emotions competing to rise to the surface, Brightstorm tucked back her ears and lowered her tail as another contraction sent her scurrying off, darting through the camp shadows. Behind her, she could distantly heard Suntuft digging up her collection of herbs from the back of the nursery, and as she ran, Brightstorm swore she felt something observing her.

Shaking off the feeling, she raced onward, praying fervently to StarClan to ensure the safety of her kits. She didn't care if this birth claimed her--that much felt deserved for bringing these kits in under such selfish circumstances.

***

"They're beautiful, Brightstorm."

Barely had Brightstorm managed to stay awake. Exhaustion--mental, physical, emotional, all of it--threatened her ability to remain conscious, but for this precious moment, she endured. Blinking weariness out of her eyes and forcing her mind to focus, with tired fondness, she peered down to her belly.

Four kits, healthy as could be, nuzzled and drank from her wellspring of milk, and sweet as the bonding moment was, it was bittersweet. Soon, she would have to eat the herbs Suntuft brought to stop her supply of milk, and help her carry the kits back to camp under the pretense of finding them. They were hers only here and now, under the gaze of StarClan, but soon...

Brightstorm closed her eyes, trying to keep tears at bay. Sensing her sister's distress, Suntuft, who laid against her back, comfortingly groomed her.

"We don't have to go back yet," she murmured, nuzzling her, "The night is still young and we have time."

Brightstorm nodded, and carefully settled her chin down on her paws, watching her kits squeak and squeal as they nursed from her.

"I'll be sure they stay in your life, however possible," Suntuft continued, settling her cheek against Brightstorm's shoulder, studying the bundles of fur. "We'll figure something out... Maybe one day, we can tell them the truth."

Brightstorm's heart squeezed. What truth? That her mother was disloyal, and fed them lies about their heritage to hide her shame? While she knew this was a far, distant concept, still did she already feel sick from worry, wondering what these kits would think of her if they were to ever know.

"We'll see," Brightstorm whispered, unwilling to speak ill of Suntuft's positive thinking. Drowsiness overcoming her again, nearly did she manage to nod off--until the sound of a branch splitting sent both she-cats into high alert, the kits squealing as Brightstorm jolted.

Squinting at the shadows, Brightstorm bristled, Suntuft at her back lifting up her hackles as she stood, ready to defend the nursing queen, only for both she-cats to freeze. Brightstorm felt her stomach plummet deep into the earth as a cat emerged slow from the moon-dappled shade, the scarred, black-furred tom revealing himself.

Eagleburn's sightless eyes trained upon the noisy kits.

"Those kits are mine, aren't they?"

She saw Sunivy and Rainpounce emerge from the warrior's den, the curtain of ivy trailing off their backs. Smalldrift yawned alongside Brightblaze and Robinpaw, who were already gathered. Primpaw sat outside the Herb Hollow accompanied by Streampaw. The brown tabby had been unfortunately bitten by a snake, and he still had a few days left to heal. Cicadasplash heaved themselves up behind the brothers, shaking their short pelt as they did so. Her father, Icespots, came up to her and her littermate, purring and licking them between their ears, "You'll be amazing," he reassured. She wondered.

The silver-blue rosetted she-kit craned her neck up, watching Palestar jump up on Great Rock with ease, even from all the way at the bottom she could see his muscles flex under his long speckled coat. Would she be that strong when she became a warrior?

"Tuftedkit and Bluekit," Palestar began, casting calm green eyes to the two kits, and the latter was suddenly all too aware of the fact they were in the front of the crowd, and couldn't feel Clovershade or Icespots behind them. They took a deep breath.

"You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior's name, you will be known as Tuftedpaw and Bluepaw." The leader took a moment to gaze at the Colony, seeking out two warriors with a smile.

"Rainpounce, you are ready to take on an apprentice."

The rosetted she-cat beamed, nudging her sister Sunivy before padding to the front of Great Rock.

"You have received excellent training from Brightblaze and you have shown yourself to be spirited and a brilliant fighter. You will be the mentor of Tuftedpaw, and we expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Bluekit watched the gray warrior come up and touch noses with Tuftedkit- no, Tuftedpaw, and murmer something that only the two of them could hear and wink. Tuftedpaw giggled.

"Bluepaw," the small cat almost jumped, forcing her fur to stay flat and praying to the stars no one saw her startle like that. She returned her gaze to Palestar, dark blue eyes round and brow furrowed in deep concentration. If her sister could do it, so could she! She'll make Clovershade and Icespots proud!

It wasn't until Palestar had started to name her mentor that Bluepaw blinked and realized she had tried so hard to look focused, she wasn't that focused at all.

"Sunivy, you are ready to take on an apprentice."

The ginger molly let out a high purr, making her way to the front as Palestar continued.

"You have received excellent training from Smalldrift, and have shown yourself to be bold and a great hunter. We expect you to pass on all you know to Bluepaw."

Bluekit, now Bluepaw, stood on her tippy toes to touch noses with her mentor, accidently bumping them together. She let out a squeak of embarrassment, but Sunivy chuckled, and redid the gesture smoothly. "I promise to try my very best."

"As do I," the tabby whispered back, "We'll be unstoppable."

Bluepaw released a breath she didn't know she was holding, and stood up as the colony cheered their names. "Tuftedpaw! Bluepaw! Tuftedpaw! Bluepaw!"

She could pick up on Clovershades melodic voice, and Icespots trill that seemed to rise above everyone's else's. She had done it, Bluepaw had done it! They were very pleased with themselves and stood up straight with pride as Clovershade wrapped her and her sister with a long feathery tail, purring congratulations.

Her father came up to them with big proud strides, and she could feel warmth radiating from him as he nuzzled his kits. Bluepaw guessed it added another layer of pride, the fact that her father used to be a housecat, and now he had children who would be raised as full Dawn Colony warriors. "Look at my kits, my darlings, official apprentices! We'll soon be going on patrols and hunting together. Are you excited?"

Yes and Of course the sisters replied, before Tuftedkit gave one last hug before bounding to her new mentor who sat beside Sunivy and Tuftedpaw.

"I'll let you go to speak with your mentor too," Icespots said, waving a tail, "I'll be talking with Clovershade, so after you're done we can have sun-high meal together."

Bluepaw nodded, passing Larkfur who gave her another congratulations, before slipping into Palestar's den.

"Isn't this exciting, sisters mentoring sisters? Together? Oh, we'll have so much fun!"

She heard Rainpounce exclaim, excitedly flicking her fluffy tail, which Tuftedpaw copied.

Sunivy laughed, then saw Bluepaw arriving and welcomed her with a grin. "I can't wait to train with you, Bluepaw, I know all sorts of tricks."

"Those tricks never helped you beat me in sparring!" Rainpounce chortled, and Tuftedpaw giggled. Bluepaw stifled a laugh, pretending to cough and covering her mouth with her tail.

Sunivy threw a mock look of disdain at her sister, then rolled her eyes. "Mhm, right."

Sunivy and Rainpounce continued to swap stories and anecdotes of their apprentice time, simultaneously complimenting and insulting each other at every turn, then bursting out laughing The two apprentices occasionally joined in on the banter, wondering about all the things they'll be doing. And suddenly Bluepaw didn't wonder if she was going to be a strong warrior or not, she was just having fun - and that's all that mattered that morning.

Events Referenced!

Tuftedpaw and Bluepaw have started their apprenticeship

Primpaw was bitten by a snake and lived

Larkfur must speak with the leader soon about something they found on patrol

I wonder what Larkfur spoke to Palestar about?

Don't know how to get rid of this, sorry 😭😭

Dawn Colony

LEADER

PALESTAR — a long-furred, light fawn-gray speckled tom-cat with green eyes.

DEPUTY

LARKFUR — a short-furred pale gray she-cat.

HERBALIST(S)

CICADASPLASH — a dark gray and white ticked tabby tom with a short coat and pale green eyes.

— APPRENTICE, STREAMPAW

WARRIORS

SMALLDRIFT — a short pale gray she-cat with gleaming blue eyes.

— APPRENTICE, ROBINPAW

ICESPOTS — silver bengal and white tom with amber eyes .

BRIGHTBLAZE — dark gray tabico she-cat with yellow eyes.

FALCONTAIL — dark ginger speckled tom with yellow eyes.

— APPRENTICE, PRIMPAW

SUNIVY — ginger tabby molly with white paws and blue eyes.

— APPRENTICE, BLUEPAW

APPRENTICES

RAINPOUNCE — medium-furred gray rosetted she-cat.

— APPRENTICE, TUFTEDPAW

ROBINPAW — long-furred dark ginger tom with amber eyes.

STREAMPAW — white rosetted tom with green eyes.

QUEENS

PRIMPAW — brown speckled tom-cat with amber eyes.

TUFTEDPAW — fluffy golden smoke she-cat with amber eyes.

BLUEPAW — a silver-blue rosetted she-cat with dark blue eyes.

CLOVERSHADE — a gentle, long-furred white she-cat with hazel eyes. permanent queen.

Nursing Sandkit, an abandoned kit found by Smalldrift.

ELDERS

N/A

SANDKIT — a short-furred light brown tom-kit with kitten blue eyes.

KITS

Sedge Colony

LEADER

SMOKESTAR — a refined, long-furred dark gray senior molly with pale green eyes.

DEPUTY

MOTTLEDSHADOW — black and ginger spotted tabby she-cat with pale green eyes.

HERBALIST(S)

RAVENWHISPER — a dark gray tom with black tabby stripes, a distinct scar over the left eye, and a far-off amber gaze.

SWIRLSONG — a silver marbled-tabby molly with amber eyes.

WARRIORS

RIPPLEBEAM — a blue tabby tom with a small cluster of forget-me-nots tucked behind the left ear and green eyes.

DRIZZLESPRING — silver-gray smoke-point she-cat with hazel eyes.

LOTUSEYE — ginger she-cat with a white underbelly, a big claw mark scar across their chest, and bright green eyes.

HICKORYBLOOM — white bengal molly with hazel eyes.

SILVERCLAW — lean, white tom with a silver speckled cape and yellow eyes.

SWANCREEK — delicate, pale tom-cat with light green eyes.

STONESPECK — gray ticked tabby tom with a scar across their shoulders and yellow eyes.

REEDRUNNER — red seal-point she-cat with keen yellow eyes.

APPRENTICES

N/A

QUEENS

N/A

ELDERS

BOUGH’HEART — an orange tabby-tom with long fur and green eyes.

KITS

N/A

Talon Colony

LEADER

GOLDENSTAR — well-muscled, short-furred tom with a golden ticked tabby coat and hazel eyes.

DEPUTY

DARKHAIL — a black ticked tabby tom with silver striped markings and dark green eyes.

HERBALIST(S)

IRIS — elegant long-furred cream-colored she-cat with yellow eyes.

WARRIORS

PATCHEDNIGHT — a short-furred dark gray torbie she-cat.

WINONNA — long-furred silver she-cat with blue eyes.

SPARKTHORN — dark ginger tabby patched tom with nettle leaves hanging behind their right ear and green eyes.

— APPRENTICE, CLIFFPAW

APPRENTICES

CLIFFPAW — a ginger she-cat with blue eyes and a scar running down her muzzle.

QUEENS

LEOPARDFALL — grey and golden torbie with a white chest and yellow eyes.

Mother to Lightingkit and Crowkit, both toms.

ELDERS

LILYWHISKER — long-furred ginger bengal tom with a graying muzzle and dark blue eyes.

OWLBREEZE — light brown she-cat with dull green eyes.

KITS

LIGHTINGKIT — a long-furred dark brown marbled tabby tom-kit with dark blue eyes.

CROWKIT — black tom-kit with a white tipped tail and blue eyes.

Poppy Colony

LEADER

EMBERSTAR — lithe, long-furred ginger tabby tom-cat.

DEPUTY

FENNELEARS — a long-furred brown tom with a scar on his right shoulder and green eyes.

— APPRENTICE, DEERPAW

HERBALIST(S)

GOOSEBURR — a short-furred black marbled tabby tom green eyes.

WARRIORS

ELMBRANCH — ginger smoke she-cat with sky blue eyes.

BEECHSTRIKE — amber-eyed light brown marbled tabby point she-cat who’s decorated their tail with jay feathers.

WRENWARBLE — golden speckled and white tom with yellow eyes.

CREEKHARE — brown smoke tom with a pale muzzle and green eyes.

SKYSTEP — pale ginger bengal molly with blue eyes.

ROWANSCALE — dark brown speckled tom-cat with dakr blue eyes.

DAHLIASTRIDE — golden tom with hazel eyes and red feathers adorning their tail.

APPRENTICES

DEERPAW — dark ginger marbled she-cat with dark blue eyes.

QUEENS

MISTMOTH — pale gray she-cat with a striking long scar running across their left flank and yellow eyes.

Adopted Fogkit and Meadowkit, a tom and she-kit she found abandoned.

ELDERS

N/A

KITS

FOGKIT — a gray tabby she-kit.

Speckleback was becoming better. He still, of course, wasn't in the territory getting herbs, so Daisyshadow simply rolled her eyes and went back to preparing her bedding. Currentkit was watching with interest.

Daisyshadow eventually noticed, and she shook off a small mossball piece. "You're almost old enough to become an apprentice, you know."

Currentkit gasped. "Oh! Oh oh! If I train, I'll be all big like you guys, right?" Currentkit stretched up, touching his nose to Daisyshadow's shoulder. Daisyshadow purred with laughter, lifting a tail to tap Currentkit lightly. Currentkit pulled away. 

Daisyshadow realized something. She glanced around, frowning. "Where's Riverkit?"

Currentkit pointed a tail towards the medicine cat den, which was unfortunately right next to the nursery. Daisyshadow turned around, and her ears lower at the sight she saw.

Riverkit, sitting there with her blue and green eyes wide, as Speckleback was talking.

Worse, he was talking about their territory. What did he know? All he did was gather herbs- and badly, at that! Daisyshadow hunched over, fur spiking up on her back.

There was a brush against her side, and Daisyshadow snapped out of her thoughts. Currentkit stared up at her, curious. "You're gonna have kits? How are kits made?"

Ah.

"It's a secret." Daisyshadow said, smiling when Currentkit opened his mouth to complain. "No kits can know, it's the law."

"It is?!"

Daisyshadow nodded, leaning in closer to Currentkit. "Finchstar is lenient, but I am not. I wouldn't forgive myself if I broke that rule. You must understand."

And yet, he wondered if he made the right choice. He was glad he could help Cicadasplash, as they were the lone healer in Dawn Colony for so long, and he did genuinely like learning about all the different plants that grew in the territory. But was just ‘liking’ enough? From his place at the top entrance of the Herb Den, he could see the clan bustle about, finding his littermates among them. Robinpaw was pacing impatiently around their mentor Smalldrift, who was busy eating a squirrel and rolling their eyes as the young dark ginger tom kept pushing to start their training right that moment. Near the warriors den, Primpaw was chuckling along with Brightblaze and Rainpounce, the trio all pretending they couldn’t find Sandkit, who giggled loudly as they hid under fern leaves. Streampaw smiled at all the antics of his brothers, then sighed, he missed training with them. They were always together, ever since they were three kits lost in an empty field before Larkfur found them. And now their schedules didn’t line up as well as they used to. Really, why couldn’t he ever make his mind up on things?

“Oh- mouse whiskers!” groaned a voice, breaking Streampaw’s thoughts. He turned around swiftly, ducking down into the hollow- green eyes immediately fixing on a cluster of fallen dock leaves and his mentor, Cicadasplash, who looked flustered with himself.

“Are you alright?” Streampaw asked, using a paw to shuffle the leaves together so he could pick them up neatly.

“Of course I am,” the dark gray and white ticked tom huffed, “I just wish I wasn’t so clumsy these days. I’m not that old, you know.” He shook his head and gave Streampaw a soft look as they placed the herbs back to their proper place, “Thank you, Stream.”

The smaller white tom felt his fur prickle up bashfully at the pure sincerity of the other, over such a small thing, too. He felt he should tell Cicadasplash about his indecisiveness and insecurity, about wondering if he could ever make a good Herbalist, and opened his mouth to say something, anything-

“Good afternoon, Cicadasplash, Streampaw…”

Mouth half open, then quickly closed, Streampaw looked over as his mother Clovershade entered the den with a limp, one forepaw raised.

“What happened to you paw, Mom?” he asked, leaning in to inspect it, his mentor following suit in a mirrored fashion.

The snow-colored molly smiled, a bit strained from the pain of the sting, yet still amused by the pair, “It’s nothing too serious, just a bee sting on a stroll. I really should have been paying attention to where I stepped.”

“Nonsense, those bees are sly things, they enjoy stinging, I tell you!” Cicadasplash guffawed, giving a nudge to Streampaw and instructing, “Fetch me those blackberry leaves we gathered yesterday, would you?”

Streampaw nodded, going to the farther end of the herb store and plucking the small round leaves. He watched the tom stare at the leaves, then back at him, before saying, “Come, you’ll be taking care of the patient this time, I’ll show you what to do.”

Confusion turned into surprise, Streampaw hadn’t done actual mending yet. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Cicadasplash chuckled, “Here, chew these leaves until their smooth pulp, then apply it her paw.”

Streampaw blinked before beginning to chew the leaves, trying to be as efficient as possible. He didn’t like seeing anyone in pain- no matter how small, much more his beloved adoptive mother. They had a sharp taste, and the scent made him almost sneeze, yet he managed to do the job.

“My, my, look at this, my little Stream a proper Herbalist!” Clovershade cooed as her son applied the poultice to her left forepaw.

“Mo-ther”, Streampaw huffed, embarrassed, scrunching their nose as the taste of blackberry leaves lingered in his mouth. “I’m not a proper Herbalist yet.”

The long-furred she-cat purred, “I’m still very proud.” She flicked her hazel gaze at Cicadasplash, “How did he do?”

“Oh quite alright, just perfect, splendid really,” they nodded, giving the apprentice a cheery smile.

Streampaw smiled back, before quickly asking, “How does your paw feel now, mom?”

“The pains numbed quite a bit, but not all the way. It feels much better than before, and I take I’ll have to be off this paw for the rest of the day, yes?” She was still looking at him, not his mentor and Streampaw faltered for a moment.

“Yes- Yes I think you should. It will soothe your paw.” A desperate look at Cicadasplash, who laughed at his too-serious look.

“He’s right of course, a sign of my superior teachings, yes.”

Both mother and son snorted, the younger rosessted tom rolling his eyes.

Streampaw let a quiet purr out as Clovershade touched the top of his head with her chin, “Thank you, my dear Stream, I feel so much better. I know you’ll be a fine Herbalist.”

Streampaw felt a warm feeling tug at his chest. “How do you know?” He whispered.

“Because you’re kind, and you know how to listen, and I know you have a part of you that wants to prove yourself to everyone.” His mother said gently, then winked at the partially stunned apprentice, whose words escaped him.

With a final hum, Clovershade left, pushing her way up and through the ferns that doored the den. Streampaw watched her go, startling as he felt a tail go over his. He looked up at Cicadasplash, who continued to stare at the entrance before glancing down at them. “I know that you’re not sure about staying as a Herbalist apprentice.”

Streampaw averted their eyes to their paws.

“And that’s okay. You have a kind heart, I know you wanted to become my apprentice because you knew I was struggling to keep up with last Leafbare. If you want to go back to Warrior training now, I won’t be angry. But if you want to stick around more, and learn even more about herbs and healing, I’ll always be happy with that.”

Streampaw sniffled, a wet feeling in their throat as they leaned against their mentor. He thought about it. About going back and training with his littermates. He also thought about the warm feeling after helping his mother, the proud look in Cicadaspash’s eyes, learning the use of plants he’d never thought of before.

“I-I think, I think I’d like to stay. As your apprentice, I mean. I.. I like being it." He shuffled his paws. "Please continue to teach me.”

The old tom purred, “Of course, Streampaw.”

A rustle of fern and foliage, “May I come in?” called a young, nervous voice from above.

“It’s Falcontail!” Streampaw mewed, identifying the slightly raspy voice.

“It quite is Falcontail, yes,” the Herbalist took a step forward, “Yes, come down Falcontail! What ails you today young bird?”

Streampaw heard the voice before seeing the ginger speckled tom stumble down, “I think I’ve eaten the wrong piece of prey.”

Cicadasplash tutted, gesturing to an open nest for the tom-cat to lay in. A quick look at his apprentice sent Streampaw rummaging for chervil.

He knew what to do.

Events Referenced

Streampaw is feeling down

Robinpaw is pestering Smalldrift

Primpaw is having a good day

Rainpounce and Brightblaze are having a conversation

Sandkit is hiding under a bush from Brighblaze, but they can't stop giggling.

Cicadasplash made a mess of the herbs and is panicking

Clovershade has a sorepaw from a bee sting.