First Day

"Cedarkit, wait for me!!"

"Shh!! Coalfern'll hear us if you don't keep it down!" the dark-faced kit whispered fiercely, trotting out of the nest with little time left for his sisters to follow. Still, they tumbled after him, clumsy and sleep-riddled as the thin strips of sun streamed in from the trees, signifying dawn's arrival.

"Come on! I bet we can catch a mouse before anyone even notices we're gone," Cedarkit gloated, his voice a little louder now that they were in the clear - or, so he thought.

"Oh? Have mice been running into camp lately?" A new voice made him freeze, and he turned around, his head leaning back to look all the way up at the amused face of a red tabby, her whiskers twitching with mirth.
"W-who're you!?" he squeaked, his fur bushing out as he arched his back. "We don't taste good! You better back off!"
"Cedarkit, she's a warrior!" Sunkit pressed, with Marshkit watching shyly.

The she-cat snorted, nosing at Cedarkit to knock him off balance before she picked her head up. "I'm Amberleaf. I already know all three of you little ones. You're up a bit early, aren't you?"

"Well, I'm not tired. I'm ready to go outside and earn my warrior name," Cedarkit declared proudly, puffing out his chest as Amberleaf rolled her eyes.

"Oh? How about you show me around camp, then, Cedarstar?" she teased, and he blinked, staring up at her.

"U-uh...well...um.."

"Oh! I see; you're still a bit sleepy. I'll just jog your memory," she decided, turning and flicking her tail off the top of his head. He sneezed, and looked back at his sisters before he clambered after her, the other two decidedly following.

They approached a large, hollowed-out tree stump, aged and blackened by what could only have been a fearsome storm. Cedarkit couldn't have imagined how tall the tree must have been before it ended up like this.
"Woah," he breathed, his eyes stretching wide. It was huge!

"This," Amberleaf meowed, her voice soft, "is Lilystar's den. You know who that is, don't you?"

"Of course! Can we go say good morning to him?" Marshkit mewed, her eyes bright with hope - but she deflated as Amberleaf shook her head.

"You may be his kits, but he'd still better get his rest first. He's a busy cat, after all!" she chirped. Marshkit nodded, shuffling her paws - but it wasn't for long. She trotted after Amberleaf just the same, peering at the overhang of tree roots where a few warriors were curled up in the shade of the den, snoring softly and peacefully.
"Here's the warriors' den," Amberleaf said. "We live just off of an overhang, so all of our dens are built the same way! You've seen the nursery, of course, and the apprentices' den. They're side by side, after all."

"How do you decide who sleeps in the outer parts? Won't they get cold?" Sunkit asked, staring at the rather crowded mess of nests.

"Well, that's where new warriors make their nests," the warrior replied. "In fact, I'm the newest warrior! I sleep right at the edge of the den." The kits stared at her in surprise. "The apprentices are the same way, but there are fewer of them, so there's always plenty of room."

"Don't you want a better spot?" Cedarkit squeaked.

"Well, it would be nice, but I'll get my turn soon. The more seasons a warrior has in their experience, the better placement you get with nests. After all, a warrior can't stay one forever!"

"Yeah, 'cause they get old," Cedarkit snickered, before he grunted as Sunkit swiped a paw at him.

"Where's the elder's den?" Marshkit mewed. "Coalfern says they stay by Lilystar. Is it the space under those big tree roots?" They sat, curved and bare, like a crouching spider, providing a protective shell around the few nests inside.

"That's right, Marshkit! Very good," Amberleaf purred. "The elders stay by Lilystar so that, when they join StarClan someday, they'll be guided by one of the noble warriors who granted a life to Lilystar."

"Woah..." Cedarkit's stunned mew was heavy, and his eyelids were drooping as he yawned. Then, two big yawns came from his sisters, betraying their exhaustion from the little tour they'd had.

"Looks like I need to get you back to Coalfern," Amberleaf remarked fondly, ushering the sleepy kits back to the nursery. 

"Thank you, miss Amberleaf," Marshkit mewed softly, yawning once more as she tumbled into the nest, nestling against the sleeping Coalfern's warm belly. The other two gave tiny mewls of gratitude before they slipped back into a comfy nap, letting the young warrior trot away in warm satisfaction.

"You're welcome, kits," she hummed, warmth lightening her paw-steps.