It only occurred to her later that Swallowfern hadn't answered her question. Typical for her! "Is that why Finstrike is so strange? Because Whitefoot has disappeared?"

Swallowfern tilted her head. "I don't know," she confessed truthfully. "He's been like that ever since Motleycloud became his apprentice. When you live in MoonClan, you just have to get used to them. They might seem strange to you, but that's simply how they are. Believe me. I've known them all my life. You have nothing to fear."

Larkkit was relieved, although she was now aware that she had quite overreacted. I bet nothing more embarrassing has ever happened to another cat.

A short meow sounded. Sandblossom had turned to them and was looking at them with her grass-green eyes. "I for one think they should stop behaving like kits," she declared sullenly. "They hold the most important position in the Clan. Surely it's not much to ask that they stop their rabbit-brained games."

Swallowfern flattened her ears. "So what?" she retorted in a sharp tone. "That obviously doesn't stop them from doing their duties just as well as any other medicine cat. Anyone who denies their competence can see just as well as a mole!" Snorting, she turned away again.

Frightened, Larkkit waited for Sandblossom's reaction. Swallowfern was brave to raise her voice at her, for the orange she-cat didn't like being treated with a lack of respect at all. Fortunately, Sandblossom didn't react.

Larkkit went to join her littermates, who were washing their furs. "Did you hear that?" she hissed out between clenched jaws. "We have nothing to fear."

Dashkit lay on her side and spread her small, spiky claws extensively. "Hm," she simply said. Still, it was obvious that she wasn't convinced. Once she had set her mind on something, a plan or an opinion, it was difficult to dissuade her.

Behind her, Leafkit raised his head. "Told you!" He narrowed his eyes, and Amberkit nodded in support as well, even though she didn't express her opinion back then. "You just overreacted."

Angered, Larkkit jumped to her paws, her fur ruffled and her tail swishing jerkily through the air. "Not true at all!" she protested.

"Yes, it is." Leafkit purred smugly. He shut his mouth as Junipertail, Stormkit and Firkit came into the nursery.

Turning to his three sisters, Leafkit whispered, "Firkit looks like he went swimming with Willowpaw!"

Firkit's pure dark brown fur was so soaking wet that he was almost black, and he was shivering from the cold.

"What in StarClan's name happened?" Sandblossom stood up, concern in her gaze.

Junipertail herded the stricken Firkit to his nest, while Stormkit scampered exuberantly after them. "He fell in a brook," the dark red tabby queen mewed, and began to vigorously ruffle Firkit's fur against the direction of its growth.

"Why does she do that?" Larkkit whispered confused.

"She's drying his fur, otherwise he would get sick," Dashkit answered.

Disapprovingly, Sandblossom flicked the tip of her tail. "You should have warmed him up immediately."

"I did. But Stormkit was eager to get back to camp already."

The light grey tom pounced on a scrap of moss lying around in the den and threw it into the air. Then he threw himself on his back and deftly caught the moss again with a forepaw. "Firkit is almost six moons old and still can't walk properly," he snapped, earning a nasty look from his mother.

Larkkit sighed. She was looking forward to the day when the two of them would be made apprentices. It was so full and stressful with them in the nursery.

The next moment Hailstar called for a Clan meeting. Swallowfern, Sandblossom and Junipertail left the nursery to attend. Before she disappeared, Sandblossom turned to the kits. "Stay here," she reminded them. "This is not for naughty kits."

No sooner had the queens mingled with the crowd that had gathered in front of the Moonmound than all six kits rushed forward and pushed each other from the opening, all with the same thought: to get the best spot so they could listen as well.

But when the meeting was over, no one had been able to follow it. Larkkit quickly dashed into her nest, and so did her denmates, so that the queens wouldn't suspect anything.

Larkkit snuggled into a narrow gap between Amberkit and Leafkit. Falling asleep next to her family was the best thing in life. She closed her eyes and gradually relaxed.

Still, she found no rest for the time being, for her claws itched to know what Hailstar had to talk about. Quietly, so as not to wake the others, she asked, "What happened?"

But Swallowfern only wiped her mouth with the tip of her tail. "Shh," she whispered. "Nothing for little kits' ears!"