[noctali]

There was a gentle rumbling in the den, the rumbling of sleeping kits and their mothers. But Mottledkit was wide awake, having tossed and turned her way back to consciouness.

She didn't even have any idea what had been so pressing that it had woken her up. All she knew is that a hearbeat ago she was asleep, and now she was awake. 

She looked over at her sleeping brother and mother, who had taken the time that her kits were asleep to have a rest herself. A well deserved rest, we run her ragged Mottledkit thought to herself. She may be smaller than Shrikekit, but what she lacked in size she made up for (and then some) in enthusiasm. She had enough of that for three kits. 

Wiggling and squirming, she freed herself from underneath her brother's foreleg, where she had burrowed earlier to get comfortable. Thank StarClan, she managed to do it without disturbing either him or Duskrose. Free to do as she pleased now, as long as she was back in time for them to wake up (because Duskrose would only worry if she woke up and Mottledkit wasn't there), she trotted out of the nursery with her head and tail held high.

Outside, the main body of the camp was abuzz with activity. Warriors were coming back from and just leaving for patrols and hunting parties, the latter ones holding fresh-kill in their jaws. Yet more cats were returning with water-soaked moss for the elders.

Lionstar was in his den, doing leader-y type things.

Mottledkit, still holding her tail high in a display of high confidence, trotted to the fresh-kill pile, freshly restocked, and began to nose around it, taking in all the different scents of the different prey. That's when she made up her mind. She would bring some food back for her mother and brother, and hopefully get some herself.

Gently continuing her nose around the pile, she found a gigantic mouse right at the bottom. That one. Taking its tail in her jaws, she pulled it out, sending a cascade of fresh-kill tumbling toward her. 

358 | Hellion Fawn (Lionstar mention)| Someone save her?

[Hellion]

Pawsteps guided by memory alone navigated the trail back to camp. The rest of the patrol he led following behind him, bits of chatters milled about the group but Aspenfire remained uninvolved. Readjusting back into TreeClan full-time hadn't been an easy affair. The guilt of having considered leaving his birth for a she-cat in another Clan still bore into him. Thankful, in a strange way, for Silvestar requiring him to seek Lionstar approval prior to leaving. He felt a certain appreciation for the RainClan leader. Even if the guidance was meant to absolve them all of his and Ferngaze's crimes against the warrior code. That time spent trying to decide if that was what he really wanted to be helped. He had come to the conclusion that he could not leave TreeClan and that he could not leave his mother or preferred sister alone. They needed him and Ferngaze would be safe in RainClan for the time being. Once the kits were born, they could consider leaving the Clans all together or some other suitable solution.

That solution never came. Rumors tore through the valley, Silverstar's daughter Ferngaze had died during kitting, her kits along with her.

Heartbroken to the brink of succumbing to his emotions, Aspenfire fell into despair. Even as the days continued to pass, he found no hope. Some noticed, most talked to him and offered him words of wisdom without knowing the full reason for his anguish. It seemed Duskrose did.

On quiet nights when her kits slept and her own thoughts kept her awake, she finds quiet companionship in Aspenfire. Moons separated them but in the softness of night Duskrose confessed a truth she had only shared with her brother, Aspenfire did the same. Confirming to her the rumors. Sharing in their grief they realized they were not alone. From that day on Aspenfire had taken an interest in Duskrose's kits. A protective role is taken up on behalf of Duskrose's kits.

While their relationship remained purely platonic, Aspenfire had gotten good at being able to watch over them from a distance to avoid any unwanted rumors.

So, as the black and white tom-cat reentered the camp, he spotted Mottledkit right away. Watching in slow motion as the fresh-kill pile slipped and started to fall. He went into action, pulling her back with a forepaw to save her from the worse of the pile. "Careful," He warned, providing her some space to gather herself again. "If you wanted something special you should've asked for help, where is your mother?" His cascading questions went along with his attention shifting across the camp, attempting to find the orange and white she-cat.

42 Moons TreeClan Tom

Aspenfire

Honesty has a power very few people can handle

## @noctali Notes: I couldn't help but use Aspenfire instead <3

[noctali]

Mottledkit was definitely not expecting the pile to fall, but fall it did. Images flashed past her mind's eye of being buried by fresh-kill. The hunter becomes the prey. What a laughable concept. 

A forepaw yanking her swiftly away jolted her back to reality, the pile toppling harmlessly less than a tail-length away from her new position. Had she been still a moment longer... Mottledkit shuddered to think. Given a moment to gather her thoughts (and her confidence), a question was fired at her: "Where's your mother?" Looking Aspenfire in the eyes and holding his gaze, Mottledkit (who by now had regained her composure) flicked with her tail toward the nursery. 

"Both Mother and Shrikekit, when I left the nursery, were still asleep." Suddenly a terrifying thought occured. "You're not going to tell her, are you? I wasn't meaning to cause any harm I just wanted a walk and to pretend to be an apprentice... I was going to take the mouse I pulled out to Mother and Shrikekit and surprise them with a tasty mouse when they both woke up."

She took a look around, noticed the disarray of the pile, and felt awful. 

Putting her mouse, the one that had caused all the trouble, down to the side of her, she began to replace all the prey she'd strewn everywhere. 

"Please, Aspenfire... Don't tell her. I can take any punishment you or any of the other warriors or even Pumafang and Lionstar would give, but having Mother mad at me is just not something I can deal with. I love her too much to upset her, ever."

279 | Hellion Fawn @jet (Lionstar and Pumafang mentions) | Bless her heart <3 I love her too much she's too cute 

[Hellion]

Aspenfire chuckled, Mottledkit's distress wasn't funny in the cruel humor sense, but the young she-cats thought she would be punished for toppling over the fresh-kill pile was.

"No one has been punished for knocking over the pile," He reminded her, taking a moment to help her move most of the prey back into a pile shape. His full height aiding in putting some pieces back on top.

"I don't tell your mother either if you promise to be more careful," He reminded her, a relaxed smile on his face, using all his charm to ease Mottledkit's anxiety about the situation.

"If you carry that mouse and head straight back to her, no one will no you knocked over the pile," He added, flicking his tail in the direction of the nursery.

42 Moons RainClan Tom

Aspenfire

Honesty has a power very few people can handle

## noctali Notes: can we call this end? Aspen is dying later this season