[Silver]

Mousekit
LightningClan

F.E.A.R. has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything and Run,’ or, ‘Face Everything and Rise.’

Morning had come, as it always did, bright and early. The day was cold and among the tall grass in the upturned roots of a tree hid the tiniest lost little soul. His black and white fur was covered in mud and the blood from his parents final stand to defend him. He was terrified, he was cold, he was hungry, and he was oh so alone. Instinct told him to stay quite until one of his parents came to find him, but then the terrible images of the nights before came back to him and tried to drown him in their horribleness and he knew he couldn't stay alone. 

He was too young, too vulnerable, not strong enough to be on his own. He could smell other cats, but his large ears were only open for things that might eat him so that he could try and run away. He was well hidden and it would be difficult to reach him where he hid, but he was still alert even as he huddled there and shook as he desperately tried to get dry and warm. Finally, after hours of silence and terror, he let out a tiny mewling cry; a cry for his mother or father to come find him.

It was a cry of a kit desperate to be found, one longing for comfort and safety. He was lost, he was alone, and he was oh so afraid. What if that monster came back? What if a flying monster found him? What if the rain came again and he drowned or lightning struck his hiding tree and caught fire? So, left without another choice and only memories of blood and death to keep him company, Mousekit kept mewling in that way only very young kits could; wanting only for the comfort of warm fur and the unconditional love of a parent.

The choice is yours.

Tags | Abyss

[Abyss]

As the sun began to rise into the sky, a dark figure found themselves making their way out of the Warrior’s den of the Lightningclan camp. Bright green pools scanned the camp, watching as other cats slowly began to wake and emerge as well. At the quiet sound of her own stomach rumbling, Batear turned and went to the prey pile, pulling a vole from the bottom of the pile.

Just as she finished pulling meat from the small creature, she heard the familiar voice of Owlmind call her name. Her head lifted as she heard multiple names called along with her own, one of which was Windspirit. She hadn’t actually went on a patrol with the newer Warrior since she earned her new rank, so being assigned to a morning patrol with the silver tabby was a welcomed gesture.

Once the patrol had left, Batear found herself branching off away from the others, covering more distance as they neared the edge of the territory. She had intended to walk the edges and leave her scent, but she stopped. A strange noise filled her large ears. It was quiet as though it were in the distance, but it was still there. It resembled that of a squeak, which automatically put the thought of prey in her mind. Crouching down, the slender she-cat began to make her way in the direction of the sound, which she was surprised to find was still happening.

As she came closer, confusion suddenly sparked as she listened to the sound. At first it sounded like a mouse, but then it sounded like a kit. It kept alternating between the two, which was so much more strange.

“What…?” Unsure anymore, she stood and began to walk, the sight of an upturned tree coming into view. At first she considered walking passed the tree, until she realized that the sound was louder now. Ears twitching, she stopped not too far from the tree, waiting for the sound to come once more. She didn’t have to wait long, and when it came, it became much more apparent that this was no mouse. Suddenly more alert, she lightly trotted forward towards the tree, slowing down near where the roots stood high. She took a few slow steps forward around the tree, curving her head to peer inside of the roots. She spotted something small and furry within the roots, but she couldn’t quite tell what it was due to the darkness. She had the urge to call out, but she didn’t want to startle whatever it was, regardless of whether it was a kit or prey, or something else altogether.

441 | Silver | Sorry that it isn't the best post or most detailed >.<

[Silver]

The sound of movement nearby caused Mousekit to huddle closer in his hiding hole and cease all sound he made as he cowered from the unknown. When a shadow appeared nearby he cringed in terror, shaking like a little leaf and trying his best to puff up while soaked through with mud and blood so he looked bigger. Really he was just scared and now there was a monster there to eat him. So he tried to be brave and let out a tiny hiss of sound followed by a terrified squeak as he pressed himself into an even smaller ball.

Except...the shadow was cat shaped and dark, so maybe...I shouldn't be possible though not after the night before. Still, he could ask and at least if it wasn't who he thought it was he was well hidden and safe enough from most bigger things. So in a tiny, hoarse voice he squeaked out a single word in a tone that said he wanted to hope but didn't dare. "P-papa?" Had his father survived and come to find him? Was there someone still in the world to love and care for him?

Maybe, but somehow his heart sank at the thought because that thing had killed them both and there was so much blood and...He shuddered from terror and grief and the cold, but there was nothing for it, he'd spoken and now it was time to find out the consequences of his actions.

--

Tags | Abyss

[Abyss]

At first, the black Warrioress found her judgment to be lacking. She was uncertain of what this little creature was, in the beginning at least. She could see a tiny bit of movement coming from whatever critter was inside of the roots, but it partly blended in with the darkness, preventing her from making out any shape. It wasn’t until the being released a hiss-like sound, followed by a frightened squeak, that one of her suspicions was correct: this was a kit. Suddenly, her demeanor changed.

The tall she-cat allowed her body to relax, hoping not to seem as threatening. She slowly lowered her body to the ground, laying down in front of the roots so that she appeared less large and intimidating. Her head slightly tilted to the side, trying to peer inside the shadows and see the kit better, but they were really pushed back inside, too far for her to see or even reach if she tried. But, still, she didn’t want to scare them even more than they already were.

“It’s alright little one, I won’t hurt you.” she said calmly in a gentle tone, being sure that she didn’t speak too loud. If the kit was hurt then she would need to find out, though she couldn’t do much from where she was. There was a dull scent of blood wafting from the roots, suggesting that the kit might really be hurt. But the scent was mixed in with other scents such as mud and dirt. Where had this kit come from?

“Are you hurt?” She tried to make her voice as soothing and calm as possible, for sounding frightened herself or worried might make the situation worse.


283 | Silver

[Silver]

Mousekit let out a low keening sound of distress when he didn't get the answer he'd hoped for. This wasn't his Papa, this was a stranger cat. She seemed nice, and she was talking to him quietly, but he was still so afraid she'd hurt him if he came out. Maybe though...maybe he could talk to her a bit? She couldn't reach him, so it should be alright, shouldn't it? "Y-you are a cat, aren't you? You're not another monster trying to eat me? Um...I don't like monsters; especially the flying ones." His little voice cut out for a long while and he went silent as he shook from the cold.

Finally, after a long time being silent, his little voice came again. "I-I'm not hurt. Mama and Papa they...the monster was trying to eat me and...they saved me. It was scary so I ran away. I'm cold and hungry and I want my Mama and Papa but...I don't think they're ever coming to find me. The monster...the fought it...they..." The terrified mewling began again as he started calling to be found. He really wanted his life to go back to normal, but some instinct told him nothing would ever be normal again. His parents would never come, the monster had taken them away. He wasn't safe and wouldn't ever be so ever again. Some monster would get him and take him away too, surely.

At least he had someone to talk to in the meantime. And maybe she'd get him something to eat or maybe she'd found his Mama and Papa and they were really alright. He had to hope with all the faith in his little heart.

--

Abyss

[Abyss]

Upon hearing the frightened squeak that resulted at the sound of her voice, Batear knew she needed to be here. The kit was scared, that much was plainly obvious, and even though they didn’t seem overly keen on coming out to greet her, they needed her. Something was wrong, and she could sense it. She needed to get the kit out of there and back to camp, back to Kindleflare so that it could be confirmed whether they were hurt or not. If the blood that she smelled was in fact the kit’s, only Starclan knew how much time she had.

Surprisingly, the kit began to speak with a tiny voice, asking if she was a cat and not a monster. At the mention of a monster that flies, she could only assume that he meant hawks and eagles, though he must have been too young to know what those were.

“No, I am not a monster. I’m a cat, just like you, ” she mewed in a low voice, laying her head on her paws in front of her, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness within the roots.

The kit went silent, which was concerning for a moment, but they spoke again. This time, they stated that they weren’t hurt, but their parents...Listening to the kit’s innocent voice and what he said, Batear felt a tug at her heart. Their parents must have been killed by a bird not too long before the kit got to where they were. The kit was alone, only the scent of his parents’ blood left to suggest that they were still with him. The crying that then came from the kit within the roots only made the Warrioress’ chest hurt more. This poor little kit had no one…

A surge of determination coursed through her suddenly, knowing that she needed to help the little one. There was no way that she could ever leave a kit defenseless in a valley like this one.

“Listen little one, I want to help you. Would you like some food? I could find something for you, but you would have to promise to stay here, okay?”
361

Silver

[Silver]

Quiet sniffles left Mousekit as the gentle voice of the one that revealed herself to be a cat soothed over him. His large ears twitched and he could hear she was upset but why would she be? She didn't know him, he was just a little kit and only his parents loved him. He mewled again, then quieted when she mentioned food. His stomach clenched up in pain then growled from hunger. He had to do something since he didn't want to die.

He fell silent for a long moment, then finally took a risk and did what the very young always did; trusted. "Um...I'd like food, yes. A-and I'm not coming out of here, it's scary out there. Things try to eat me, like the thing in the nest before. It was big and horrible and had sharp teeth. Um..." He stuck his head into the light, large ears and equally as large green eyes peeking out at the larger cat before he drew back and hid again; unable to be brave when he could be seen. "Um...I-I...m-my name is M-mousekit, w-what's yours? A-are you here to take care of me until Mama and Papa come back? I don't want to be alone."

He had to hope she was friendly because he knew his life now hung in the balance.

--

Abyss

[Abyss]

There was a long pause of silence, which was slightly concerning. In her head, she secretly hoped that the little one wouldn’t say no. Granted, he was scared and obviously wasn’t quick to trust someone new. But he had to be hungry. There was no way that he wasn’t. She wanted to help him. Her motherly instincts had kicked in immediately when she realized that this was a kit, and now, even if he did say no, she didn’t think she would be able to just walk away.

Thankfully, the little one within the tree spoke, saying that he did indeed want food and that he wouldn’t leave. He was too afraid to. On one paw, that was a good thing. But on the other, it was sad that such a little kit thought this way. No kit should have to be by themselves, fear coursing through them that a predator would tear them apart at any second. This only made her desire to help him increase.

Suddenly, a little face peeked out at her. Upon seeing the face, her bright green eyes went wide. The face before her looked surprisingly like her in the sense that his face had a similar shape and structure to herself, as well as her siblings and her mother. A longer muzzle, a thin face, bigger eyes, and large angled ears that weren’t at all proportioned to his head. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. There were lots of cats with similar appearances to her and her family in the valley. She could think automatically of one cat within Lightningclan that not too long ago looked similar to this kit, which was Goosepaw. This kit wore a coat of black and white, reminding her of her mother back at camp, which pulled at her heartstrings even more so. But what caught her attention the most was those eyes. His eyes were a light but bright green that stood out. Seeing those eyes, a memory flashed through her mind of a particular cat, someone she hadn’t seen in quite a while.

The face disappeared as the kit shrunk back into the roots, his face hidden once more. She then heard the little one speak again, stating his name and asking for hers, as well as asking if she would take care of him until his parents returned. One ear flattened against her head, a hint of sadness going through her heart. But she put on a smile as she spoke.

“My name is Batear. And I do want to take care of you.” She then began to stand, but stopped part-way through. “I am going to go get some food. Don’t worry. I won’t let you be by yourself for long. I will be back as soon as I can.” She then slowly backed away, standing fully and darting away from the tree. She had to find prey, and quickly.

Luckily, the hunt hadn’t taken too long. She had made her way through the nearby grasses that she hadn’t already gone through, catching the scent of mouse. She had been quiet enough that the mouse didn’t hear her, so she was able to pounce and catch the little rodent quickly. She ran as quickly as she could back to the tree, gently chewing on the rodent in her mouth as she ran. As she approached, she slowed her pace, going into a crouch-walk when she reached the entrance of the roots. She froze for a moment, looking for any tiny sound or movement to make sure the kit had in fact stayed. Though, there was no way he actually had chosen to leave. He was too scared.

She gently set the slightly chewed mouse at the inner-entrance to the roots, hoping that she had made it a little bit easier to eat. She wasn’t sure how old this little one was, so who knew if he was able to eat completely solid prey yet. Since she didn’t know, she did it as a precaution. Plus, he was hungry, so softer food meant he could get some meat in his stomach quicker.

“Here, eat up.”

689 | Silver

[Silver]

Mousekit kept himself flat against the ground with his large ears up and flicking all over the place in search of possible danger to him even as he spoke to the she-cat that introduced herself as Batear. She looked like his Papa, really she did, but she was also kind so maybe she'd stay with him until his parents came back to get him. They always came back, so they had do come back this time too, right? He went silent, lost in his thoughts as Batear left and came back again. He mewled quietly to her the way his mother had taught him; a way to let her know he was still there without alerting nearby predators as to his location in the process. He sniffed at the nearby offering, too scared to come out enough to take it even as his stomach clenched in pain again from being so empty.

For a long time he stayed pressed up where he was, terrified and not wanting to move. Finally though, hunger won out over fear and he crept through the path he'd made in the root maze that he'd hidden in until he was near enough to the entrance to both be fully seen and reach the offered foot. When he noticed it was partially chewed on already like his Mama had always done, he let out a quiet cry of sadness because he missed her so much. Batear was kind and she was like his Mama. So, using the last ounce of courage he possessed, Mousekit grabbed the offered food and drug it up and under the crouched Batear where it was safer before beginning to eat. He wasn't good with solid food yet; having only been weaned recently.

He was still pressed flat against the ground as he ate from the safety of the space beneath Batear, his little muddy frame trembling and the strong coppery scent of blood making his eyes burn and water from all his exhausted emotions. He was just so scared and he wanted his Mama and his Papa, but until they came to find him he was going to trust Batear to take care of him. Only her though, because the world was a scary place for the little kit and he wasn't sure who he could trust and who would hurt him. Batear reminded him of his Papa, so he'd trust her, but that was it. No one else, he just...he couldn't. "T-thank you."

---

Abyss

[Abyss]

Strong back legs pressed against the ground behind her, front legs bent but keeping her body hovered above the ground. Bright green eyes peered into the darkness, ears perking at the sound of a low mewl from within the shadows of the tree roots. A quiet sigh of relief fell from her jaws, thankful that the little kit had stayed and that nothing had come to tear him from his hiding place. After telling him to eat, there was no movement. While she wanted to say something, wanted to encourage him further to eat, she also knew that this was difficult for him. He had lost his parents, had run away, and was now dependant on a complete stranger to care for him. She would be patient and allow the kit to take these series of events at his own pace.

Her heart skipped the smallest of beats as a little figure slowly emerged from the darkness. As before, the little face that appeared before her was that of the kit’s, large ears, black and white coat, and large green eyes looking towards the prey she had presented. Only this time she found that more than just a cute face came from out of the shadows. As the kit’s full body came into view, the black Warrioress felt her stomach drop.

Dried up mud and splashes of blood caked the kit’s small frame, leaving his likely beautiful and soft coat in clumpy patches. His body, so small and frail, looked so thin and partially malnourished that Batear felt her heart clench. Normally, her first thoughts would have been ‘how could anyone let their kit get this unhealthy?’ But this was different. He didn’t have anyone to keep him healthy…

An expression of surprise crossed her face as the kit, rather than begin to eat the mouse, grabbed the chewed up critter and dragged it towards her. As he crawled underneath her hovering chest and began to eat, she felt as though her heart were going to melt. She didn’t feel his matted fur against her, for he had himself pressed hard against the ground, but she could still feel the little bit of warmth that he had coming from his body.

Looking down at him, she knew that she couldn’t leave this little one on his own. Her first instinct was to take him back to the clan and get him taken care of. But how would he handle that? He was scared of her when she first appeared, and she was one single cat. Judging by that alone, he would be absolutely terrified to go back. What was she going to do?

Although she was hesitant, she very slowly began to lower her head towards the kit. She angled herself so that she could peer down at him, waiting to see if he would protest or grow more scared. Hoping that he would be comfortable enough with her, she got her head closer to him, trying to look him over more closely. She couldn't tell if the blood that splattered his pelt was his own or someone else's, which was concerning. At the moment, she found only one option.

She very slowly and very gently got closer and gave the kit a lick across the top of his head. She pulled back just in case he grew scared.

559 | Silver

[Silver]

Mousekit paused in his eating when he felt Batear shift, startled for a long moment before he started to eat again. When she shifted the second time and he felt her drawing closer to him he didn't startle, hunger overriding his natural sense of caution as he'd also decided he trusted Batear so she wouldn't possibly harm him after working so hard to feed him. Or that was the thought, at least. Then when he felt a lick to the top of his head he paused again, though this time it was because instinct urged him to rub his little head against the chest above him to show his affection. He let out a tiny warble of a purr for her, used to doing so for his mother whenever she began to groom him or thought he'd been injured. It was a tiny sound, but it showed just how much he'd been longing for affection and care.

When she only licked him once and he realized she wasn't going to continue, Mousekit looked up at his new caregiver in quiet inquiry. He did need a bath, after all, wasn't she going to give him one? His large ears went flat to his head then perked back up again as he came across an idea that seemed like a good one to him. Maybe she didn't know he wanted to be groomed and he should encourage her. That in mind he turned and licked Batear a few times before listing a bit too far to one side and falling over with a squeak of sound. He huffed in agitation then sighed at himself before putting his little rump in the air and using it as leverage for the rest of his body. Maybe showing was as good as telling after all. "Um...y-you can groom me if you want. I-I don't mind so long as it's only you doing it. I like it and I'm dirty and I'm cold and wet and you're warm. S-so...please maybe? I promise to eat all the food you brought me."

He took a few more nibbles of the food to show he meant what he said then looked back up to Batear expectantly. Could he be groomed more now please?

--

Abyss

[Abyss]

In truth, she was nervous. She had dreamed of being a mother. Having a family. Having kits of her own. Starclan knew how much she wished she could become one, yet romantic luck had not been on her side. She was overjoyed at the thought of being seen as a mother by a kit or by many. But this situation was a little bit hard for the black Warrioress.

She wanted to be a mother, and she found herself presented with a kit. But this kit was not from Lightningclan, not from herself, and was by himself. He had lost his family to what she assumed was a hawk or an eagle, and he had to of just managed to escape. He was so small and thin, the lack of nourishment taking away from what energy he still had. He knew his parents and seemed to love them dearly, yet couldn’t grasp the idea of them being gone. He was so small, so innocent, him thinking that his parents would soon come back to him pulled at her heart. He wasn’t young enough for Batear to influence that much, to make him believe that she was his mother. To him, she was just a stranger. She was a caregiver for him until his parents returned. She wasn’t his mom.

Her eyes widened as the black, white, and stained-brown kit turned his head and began to lick at her chest, leaning into the single lick that she gave him. Watching as this tiny ball of fur rubbed against her, grooming at her chest and letting out an adorable purr, the dark she-cat wasn’t sure what to do or say, her thoughts disappearing momentarily. Bright green eyes watched as Mousekit leaned to one side more so than he should have and stumbled over. His little irritated sigh, the way he pulled himself to his feet by putting his tail to the sky, and the voice that followed, all of it came to her at once. Upon hearing his quiet plea, there was a confirmation within her mind.

She leaned back down somewhat quickly, beginning to lick and groom the kit eagerly. All over his face, his little back, those tiny legs, the rat-like tail that she also possessed, those giant ears. She couldn’t help herself. She wanted to care for this kit. She needed to. As much as she almost wished that his parents were alive, that they could come back to relieve their lost and lonely little kitten of his sorrows, she knew it wasn’t likely. With the way he had described what happened, them still being alive seemed very doubtable. He didn’t have anyone. Who knows how long he had been alone, unable to care for himself. But not anymore. She was going to take care of him. She was going to protect him for as long as she could.

“I promise I will take care of you, ” she whispered in an ever so slightly quivering voice, rubbing her muzzle and the side of her face against the black and white kit. She wasn’t his mother, and she knew that she wasn’t, but, at that moment, she vowed to be his guardian.

One is the loneliest number.

WARRIOR |LIGHTNINGCLAN

Silver / 532