[PRP] The Next Generation (Spruce/Maple/Birch/River/Sun)

[belloblossom]

Sprucetail was practically vibrating with glee by the time that she stepped out of the medicine cat den. Despite Errol's know-it-all demeanor and brisk attitude when it came to dropping informational loads upon his victims patients, she'd all but glazed over everything he'd told her after the wonderful news. Now, she just had to share it with someone. Some cats, perhaps cats who were raised with an active father in their life, may have gone to their mate - the one who had something most to do with her blessing, to tell them first, but the cats on Sprucetail's mind weren't her beloved mate, Twisted Bark, but her mothers, Sunflight and Riversong and her sisters, Mapleshade and Birchleaf. Sorry Pinedapple, but this was a celebration to be had among she-cats today!

Finding her sisters, and her mothers, would be the trickier bit. There were so many cats in TreeClan these days and with her mothers' open hearts, it only continued to grow. Sometimes, Sprucetail worried that the branches they relied upon would bend and break under all the weight of the cats that it was holding up. Still, the trees had held strong and so were the cats who lived among them.

Swishing her tail, her mismatched eyes scanned the clearing and then moved up into the branches that surrounded the Nest. A flash of cream and grey high in the treetops announced the presence of her mom, Sunflight. Wherever her mom could be spotted, Sprucetail's mother, Riversong, was always nearby.

With a deep breath, she steeled herself for the climb up, calling for their attention as she went.
"Mothers!" She chirped, trying not to let the purring bubble out of her throat as she approached. "Oh, I have the best news!" @NatiStorm @PeterPan_da144

 

[belloblossom]

When Sunflight was younger, she had a tendency to climb the highest into the branches, far past what her mentor, Duskwing, would've recommended. Then, she had a litter of her own kits and Pinepaw chose to share that thrilling habit - nearly scaring Sunflight so badly she felt like she lost three lives that day. As he grew into responsibility and had a litter of his own, Sunflight had been amused to watch her son deal with his own kit-inspired anxiety attacks, sharing sympathetically his plight.

She was getting older, now. Even with the lives she received from SunClan, she could not prevent the feelings that came with aging. She was not as lithe as she used to be, nor was she as blatantly adventurous or thrill-seeking. Finally, she was becoming a more mature leader, like Riversong had always seemed to be.

At least... she was more mature than she had been. Today, she found herself high up in the branches, staring at the sun high in the sky and pondering the future of her Clan. They must be among one of the larger Clans by now and with leaf-bare coming, the worry of feeding all these new mouths was worrying her. They'd always done their hunting primarily in the trees, but maybe it would be worth their while to explore ground hunting, along the tangled roots, too. It could be that such hunting could be easier for her senior warriors, too. She would make a point to discuss this with Riversong soon, perhaps before they settled into their nest this evening.

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the voice of one of her daughters and she shook her head to clear it, before peering down and spotting Sprucetail. She blinked warmly at her daughter and picked herself up to make the precarious climb down to meet her.

 

[PeterPan_da144]

Birchleaf had been the quietest and perhaps most observant out of all her siblings. Introspective and reserved, she had a hard time making friends. And she'd always been jealous of her siblings finding mates so easily. Until she found Moose. Now, she was happier than she had ever been.

Previously, she was snuggled up to Moose, now named Moosetracks, and sharing tongues as the sun slowly crept across the sky. She had planned to go hunting soon, hoping to help fill the prey pile before it could get too cold. He had left with a group of cats already, and she was waiting her turn.

Suddenly, her sister's voice rang out amongst the branches. Ears swiveled towards the direction of the sound, before she shifted. "I wonder what has her fur in a twist..." she would mumble.

After a few moments, she would sigh softly and push up from her spot. Stretching quickly, Birchleaf pulled her way up to meet Sprucetail. "What are you yowling about?" she would say with mild affection, something she'd grown better at pushing into her voice when around others.

 

[belloblossom]

Sprucetail was so excited to tell her mothers, her gaze searching for them, that she spooked a little when her sister appeared next to her. One of her front paws slipped off the branch before she caught herself and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"By the Old Oak, you gave me a fright, Birchleaf! You're just as sneaky as Mapleshade." She growled softly, before calming her nerves. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to hiss. I'm just a jumble of emotions, because you see, well," She looked around, not yet seeing her mothers coming to meet her, or even Twisted Bark in the near vicinity, but all the same, she leaned in close to Birchleaf's face. Sprucetail's muzzle was just tilted up to her sister's ear. "I'm expecting kits, Birchleaf!" She whispered excitedly, before pulling away and meeting her sister's gaze. In a louder mew she went on. "Isn't it so exciting? I was feeling a little out of sorts this afternoon, so I went to speak with Errol and, well, I'm not sick at all! I'm just, hm, providing for the Clan, I suppose you could say." She purred thunderously.

"I haven't told Twisted Bark yet - so don't you go off telling Moosetracks or anyone else who might want to congratulate him on fatherhood. Oh, SunClan, I hope he's going to be as excited as I am." She swished her tail from one side to the other, to keep her balance and to keep her nerves at bay. "There's no telling how many kittens there will be. I should like a big litter, of course. Three, at the very least, but more would be better. Mom had four so hoping for a large litter shouldn't be too much to ask for, right? And Pinedapple had three, so that's another point in my favor, I think. One wouldn't be nearly enough and two would be fine, sure, but more siblings are better than just the one. We would know, after all."

"Anyway, I wanted to tell our mothers, then I was going to track you and Mapleshade down... But now you know, so that's already a celebration to begin with. Oh! Would you be willing to find Mapleshade and bring her here? You mustn't tell her anything besides that I want to speak with her. I would go grab her now, except I've already called for our mothers and Mom," She pointed with her tail at Sunflight who was making the slow descent down from the treetops, "is already on her way." She leaned in close to her sister, licking her cheek. "You're excited for me, aren't you, Birchleaf?" @PeterPan_da144