Doveflight gasped, her eyes clearing from the fog she'd put them in as she was staring into the distance. Staring into the black forest. Behind her a mottled light brown tom padded close. His breath was warm and comforting on her shoulder and cause her muzzle to upturn in a smile.
"What're you doing over here, Dove?" Thrustpelt asked, tilting his head to the side. Doveflight huffed.
"I thought I heard her," she whispered, "I thought I heard my baby." Thrushpelt frowned and wrapped himself around his mate's body. "She always sounds so...angry...when I hear her. Loud and very angry."
"Come on, Dove, you don't need to sit so close to this darkness." Doveflight's ears twitched and she turned to look at Thrushpelt. He was forcing a smile onto his very concerned face. Doveflight smiled back, an exhausted look on her face. "It's not your fault, you know."
"Oh, Thrushpelt, you don't know that," she hummed, "You don't know the idiot I was. StarClan makes you wiser, yes, but not smart. i was terribly dumb. And I did something awful."
"Ages ago," he said, "And now you have Maple's kits to cherish. And what would Mosskit do without you? And...and you have me." Doveflight pressed her temple to Thrushpelt's chest. "As often as you need to hear it, I'll remind you that you are loved."
"Thank-" She gasped as a flurry of small balls of fur tackled her to the ground.
"Gramma! I found a turtle!" Larchkit yowled.
"He did not! I found it!" Petalkit growled.
"Come see the turtle, Doveflight!" Mosskit pleaded, "Daddy come see the turtle!" Thrushpelt looked up at Doveflight. She immediately felt warm again, briefly forgetting Maple's angry screaming. Her smile faltered slightly as she spotted Patchkit bringing up the rear. While Petalkit looked just like Firefall and Larchkit resembled Doveflight herself, Patchkit was basically Maplekit reborn. But while her face was alive and happy when she was a kit, Patchkit's face had been sad for a long while. She rose and padded to him. He stopped and looked up at her.
"Did you see the turtle, Patchkit?" Patchkit grumbled. "Speak up."
"Well, we'll just have to go find our own turtle." Patchkit gasped as Doveflight slipped beneath the kit, toppling him onto her back. "Ah, ah, ah, you're not allowed to be a turtle treasure hunter if you don't smile." Patchkit smirked and then let out a giggle.
"I wanna be a turtle treasure hunter too!" Larchkit gasped.
"Me too! Me too!" Petalkit whined.
"Papa, can we?" Mosskit said, "I'll bet we'll find the biggest and the best turtle in all of StarClan!" Thrushpelt dipped his head and smiled at Doveflight. His smile turned mischievous as he picked up Larchkit and Mosskit, placing them on his back.
"Last one to the pond is a toad!" He yelled. Doveflight huffed, throwing Petalkit on her shoulders behind her brother.
"Cheater!" Doveflight called, "Come on guys we can-" Her ears twitched, listening. Angry voices on the wind made her freeze.
"Gramma, come on, they're winning!" Petalkit's cries and tugging on her fur woke her out of her trance. Doveflight shook her head and smirked, taking off after Thrushpelt.
Maybe Mapleshade was lost. But at least she could show her kits a fun time.