MOON 9 - MORE KITS
"Like you would know how to care or support kits."
Daisyshadow's snide comment from earlier that day settled under his pelt, making it feel like he was burning. He cared for the kits! He cared for Currentpaw and Riverpaw as little kits, and they were turning out fine.
He opened his mouth, only for some new scent to hit it.
He whirled towards the new scent, towards the break in the new wall they were building. There was a cat with a strange and unfamiliar scent, a mixture of different environments that Speckleback probably couldn't imagine. When the cat noticed that she was noticed, she shifted to the side and pushed two small forms forward-
They were almost apprentice aged. They shared her speckled coat, though they were different in color. The brown speckled kit huddled into the silver speckled kit's side, and the silver speckled kit stared up at their mother.
"I can't... I can't care for them." The rogue muttered. She pushed them forward again, and the brown speckled kit fell forward. The silver one pushed himself beneath the brown one and lifted him up. "Brown one is Gold, gray one is Bat. I heard about you all from a friend." She turned around. "Care for them, for me."
She started to leave.
There was a whirlwind of a form, and Hollyspike was out of his nest.
Speckleback hissed at Hollyspike, but one of the kits walked up to him and pressed against his side. Speckleback, distracted, glanced down to Gold.
Gold sighed, golden eyes staring at his mother as she turned back to talk to Hollyspike. "... Why do we have to leave her...?"
"She's stupid." Bat replied, walking up to Gold's side. "That's why."
Speckleback stared at the little forms, still ignoring whatever conversation Hollyspike and the rogue were having. He leaned down. "Hey. We care for others here, no matter what. I'll care for you, as it's my job as the healer."
"A healer?" Bat glanced up. "You can be that?"
"Or fight. Most of us fight here." Speckleback shrugged. "I used to fight, but I know my herbs better than anyone else."
Finally, the rogue left, and Hollyspike limped back towards the medicine den. Speckleback turned towards Hollyspike, hissing, "Stop moving, you'll aggravate your wound!"
"I do what I want," Hollyspike grumbled, pushing back into the medicine cat den. Speckleback heard the faint voice of Daisyshadow as she started to move out of the den, as well.
Speckleback sighed. "Just stick to me if you need anything, Goldkit and Batkit."
"Oooo, new names! Thank you!" Batkit meowed, hopping in place. "Now, can we go?"
"No, you have to go to the nursery." Speckleback meowed. "At least, until you're old enough to start training." Batkit started to complain, but Goldkit shook his head.
Daisyshadow sat down in front of him. "... What is with you and kits?" Daisyshadow meowed, tilting her head. Goldkit hid behind Speckleback's leg. "They look older, though."
Bogkit bounded towards Speckleback, and Speckleback watched as Bogkit shimmied next to Goldkit beneath him. Goldkit stared at Bogkit, nodding along as she asked him some questions- about if he liked food or not.
Speckleback glanced back to Daisyshadow. "My kits now. They latched onto me."
"Probably because you were the first clan cat they saw." Daisyshadow rolled her eyes. "But... fine. Yours."
"You're free to patrol again, by the way."
"Oh." Daisyshadow's ears rose up on her head, and she looked down at Bogkit. Goldkit was smiling a little bit at her, and Bogkit giggled, holding up a small leaf that she had somehow obtained. Daisyshadow smiled. "... Okay. Thank you."
"You are very welcome." Speckleback sighed. "Took long enough."
"I say thank you enough!" Daisyshadow walked towards Batkit and Goldkit, and lowered her head to meet their eyes. "Hello there."
"You look identical." Batkit meowed, head looking to Bogkit then back to Daisyshadow. "Same stripe, same color..."
Bogkit nodded. "Yep! Me and my brothers all have a stripe!" She stretched out. "Mom likes that!"
Goldkit licked at his pelt. "... I wonder if mom liked us resembling her."
Daisyshadow's expression twisted. She inhaled, exhaled. "Probably. But you have to make choices, and she made hers to leave you behind. Who cares what she thinks?"
"Daisyshadow's correct. If she left you here, it isn't worth thinking about anymore."
Goldkit glanced to Bogkit, who glanced to him. Bogkit shuffled her tail between her paws. Goldkit glanced back up to Speckleback. "... If... if you're sure."
"Of course!" Batkit pushed Goldkit forward. "Now, where are your siblings?"
"This way!"
With that, Bogkit bounded towards the nursery. She turned back to face the slightly older kits. "We also have some cats like you, who had nobody before we got them! Now, come on!"
Daisyshadow chuckled, then got up to follow after Bogkit, Goldkit, and Batkit.
Speckleback was once again going to be the one to break the news to Finchstar, huh. Couldn't be Daisyshadow for once.
Events Referenced: A rogue drops her kits off to the clan, Goldkit and Batkit. Right off the heels of an argument with Daisyshadow, Speckleback decides to be like a dad to them. Daisyshadow recovered from birthing her litter! Daisyshadow wants to hang with the new kits Batkit and Goldkit.
