An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Summary: With a harsh Leaf-bare on the horizon, the Clans are in a bad way. Petalkit is growing up under the stern gaze of her father, Ravenfur, when suddenly everything changes. Stuck in RiverClan until WindClan can produce enough catmint- something no Clan has in these temperatures- she does what any kit would do. She adapts.
Chapter Title: Story Time
Sedgepaw let out a low rumble, paws flexing. He batted at her tail. "Come back to me, warm pillow."
"Can't," she said, though the urge was there. Petalpaw glanced at the herbs stuck to her arms with cobwebs- not many of them had survived the trip. "Whitestripe needs me."
Petalpaw soon realized that most of the Clan was still asleep, recovering from the long trip. The black and white she-cat was still exhausted herself, stumbling and slipping on the old and wet hay. Thankfully, she didn't run into any of the sleeping bundles, so no one was witness to her lack of grace. The low murmuring of Cloudwillow caught her ear, making it swivel to the side.
"I actually got my name as a joke," he meowed earnestly. "See, when I was a 'paw, I ran into this big willow tree."
There was a snort she quickly identified as Checkers'. "What were you running from?"
"I wasn't! That's the embarrassing thing!" There was a purr in his voice, the mortification an old and scabbed wound. "I was trying to show off my scenting skills, and I kept calling back to see if Dawnbelly was watching me. Then I bonked into the willow. Where did you get your name?"
"Meh," Checkers said, shrugging. "My mother liked watching Twolegs play checkers."
"It's a game. They bat these little circle bits around with their paws."
"She didn't think so. Most of the kits she saw never really seemed all that interested in it."
Cloudwillow slowly shook his head, baffled. "Twolegs are weird."
This was immensely satisfying to write tbh.
