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Sagecloud and Emberfur, two Summitclan warriors, tried for several moons to have kits. Despite both being she-cats, the two were biologically compatible, and they knew that in theory Sagecloud should be able to bear a litter. It was still a surprise when Sagecloud finally became pregnant. The two became proud parents to Cougarkit, Ryekit, and Valeriankit. With all the trouble to have that litter, both assumed that would be it for them. It couldn’t have been a bigger shock to both when Sagecloud found herself pregnant again just after her first litter were apprenticed. Although the silvery cat shared the news with her mate on an unseasonably sunny late leaf-fall day, they both knew that the timing was horrible. It was never easy to bear kits in leafbare. Still, Sagecloud was young and strong, and the medicine cat had hope that all would go smoothly. 

That leafbare was an extremely cruel one, but Sagecloud delivered five squealing kittens with ease into an ice cold night. The first to arrive was a ginger kit not unlike Emberfur herself. At first, Emberfur thought she was delirious from hunger when the second kit came, a perfect copy of the first; twins. Despite the starvation that gripped Summitclan, somehow, three more little kits came, lovely and perfect for their parents to behold. That first night, the family cuddled up together in the nursery, pelts flush, desperately happy. Even Cougarpaw, now in the apprentice’s den, joined her parents and new little siblings, infatuated as she was.

The moms named the twins Siskinkit and Elk-kit; it was impossible to recall which was first born, but eventually they would come to be told apart by scent, and then, much later, scars. Siskin was named for the rich red-brown of his fur, like that of a pine siskin; Elk the same, but for the majestic alpine animal. Then there were Dawnkit and Lavenderkit, pale in color, like the gray of the sky at first light or the grey-purple of lavender flowers. Eveningkit was a deeper gray with dark markings like shadows. The kits did little but squeal and bustle for milk those first few moons. 

The family’s happiness didn’t last. There was little milk for five kits to share, owing to how little prey there was for Sagecloud. Of course the clan prioritized the kits and nursing cats, but skipped meals and dry teats took its toll. An elder caught greencough, and soon the leader lost a life to the treacherous sickness. An empty belly made the body susceptible to more than just hunger, and sickness took hold in the nursery. 

Newleaf that year came in fits and starts. One sunny day, then a week of sleet. By the time Elk-kit was ready to be apprenticed, his litter was down to three. Dawnkit and Lavenderkit perished from hunger and sickness, grieved by the entire clan, but none more than Emberfur, who blamed herself. She should have been out hunting more, should have tried harder to help her mate, she was often heard lamenting. 

Elk-kit, a bit undersized with ribs too visible, nonetheless was made an apprentice at the age of six moons. He was entrusted to the brave and kind warrior Suntalon, a warrior who also happened to be Emberfur’s brother. By the time Elk-kit was named Elkpaw, a warm newleaf had fully arrived, promising a greenleaf heavy with storms and prey. Despite the tragedy of losing two kits, Emberfur and Sagecloud couldn’t have been prouder.

Suntalon soon found that he had his paws full with his apprentice. Elkpaw was a natural born warrior, taking to training like a fish to water, yet he was also hardheaded, rude, insolent, and fickle. He did twice as many shifts caring for the elders as his littermates, and not for a love of the old, stinking cats. Yet even for all of the punishments he received, Elkpaw only seemed to grow more headstrong. He wasn’t just aggressive- Suntalon began to notice he had a way of riling up the other apprentices, encouraging them to go along with his rule breaking or instigating brawls. Suntalon trained Elkpaw hard, hoping that he could pour his excess energy into something productive and that it would prevent the energy being used for ill. 

One day, Elkpaw was practicing battle moves with another apprentice, Riverpaw. The gray tabby was twice his size, slower but tough. Suntalon looked on, having taken Riverpaw out as a favor to the cat’s mentor, Duskflame. Elkpaw had already unbalanced Riverpaw twice, and he kept sneaking glances at his mentor, making sure Suntalon was seeing what a success he was. When Riverpaw had been knocked to the ground a third time, he lost his patience. “Guess it’s easy to dodge, being as small as a she-cat,” Riverpaw hissed tauntingly, getting up and advancing on Elkpaw. “When are you going to actually hit me, Elk-kit?” Elkpaw had endured jabs from his opponent about having his uncle as his mentor and the “special treatment” associated with it (there was none), but in the heat of the moment, the remarks got under his fur. He leaped for Riverpaw, battering his chest with unsheathed claws, grabbing at his fur. He didn’t even realize he’d drawn blood until Suntalon was pulling him off, furious. 

Riverpaw lived to tell the tale with just a small scar on his neck, but something in Elkpaw changed that day. It felt right, good, attacking with no holds barred. Drawing, tasting blood. The rank smell of fear when Riverpaw realized how serious he really was. 

A few moons later, Goldenstar called a clan meeting. Siskinpaw and Eveningpaw came forward beside Elkpaw, and each was given a new name. Much to Suntalon’s chagrin, Elkpaw was called Elktalon, befitting his aggressive fighting style. Siskinfang’s name echoed his twin’s, while Eveningpaw was called Eveningpool, a decisive, calm name for a dignified warrior.

Elktalon had trained closely with Icepaw, a she-cat just a few moons younger than himself. When her mentor, Bearcloud, was killed in a border clash, there was no other warrior available to take over Icepaw’s training. Although unorthodox, Goldenstar decided to entrust Elktalon with finishing Icepaw’s training. Elktalon was thus given his first apprentice at just seventeen moons.

To everyone’s surprise, Elktalon bore a litter of kits not long after being given Icepaw to train. While the clan was aware that Elktalon was capable of bearing kits, he hadn’t told anyone he was pregnant, nor did he speak much about it afterward. His older sister, Cougarblossom, had borne a little just a few moons prior: Asterkit, Oatkit, and Harekit; and with those kits still in the nursery but weaned, Elktalon reasoned, there was nothing keeping Cougarblossom from nursing another litter. Elktalon was soon back to his warrior duties, having spent just a few sunrises in the nursery. He returned occasionally to look in on the kits he’d left for his sister to foster: Applekit, Dark-kit, and Cottonkit. They grew well under Cougarblossom’s loving guidance, and enjoyed the additional playmates that her own litter offered. 

Elktalon didn’t allow his pregnancy to set Icepaw back. He was diligent with training her, and she was soon made a warrior, Iceclaw, when Elktalon was about twenty moons old. The two remained close friends when Iceclaw joined her mentor in the warrior’s den.