[Silver]

The Nursery, as usual, was busy with queens and their kits. Warriors brought food for tired mates and fathers played with sons and daughters as indulgent mothers watched on. All was happiness and laughter despite the cold outside. Except...in one corner of the Nursery a solitary kit laid curled up in a nest all alone. The fluffy little tom was Hartkit, and he's lost both his parents and had no siblings so he was all alone. The queens kept him safe and he could play with the other kits, yet still he was lonely. He longed for the warm brush of his mother's fur and the playful laughter from his father. Why couldn't someone want him enough to keep him? Couldn't he have a family too? Surely there was another cat in RainClan that would love him just as much as his parents had.

He was normally a happy little chatterbox but now he was sad and alone and slept a lot, worrying the queens greatly. He didn't really want to play much, he wasn't always eating enough, and he rarely left his nest as it still smelled of his parents and he wanted the comfort of the scent for so long as it lasted. The little ball of fluff looked around the Nursery with quietly curious amber eyes, wondering once more if today was the day someone would come and be his family again. He didn't need much, he felt, so surely StarClan would give him a Mama or a Papa to replace the ones he'd lost. They'd never be the ones he'd lost, but at least he'd be happier than he was now being alone. Life wasn't fair sometimes and it was a lesson the tiny kit was learning the hard way all too well.

--

Fawn

[Fawn]

Hope when you take that jump

"Thank you, Russethawk."

"It's my pleasure. Gotta make sure these kits get nice and plump for leafbare." Russethawk's emerald green eyes glittered as he watched one of the queens drag a fat trout over to the middle of the nursery floor. With his own litter having reached apprenticeship, he had no real reason to linger - but that didn't stop the highly social tom from checking in whenever he could.

The queens had been very kind to his Ashflight, who StarClan knew hadn't enjoyed being cooped up in the nursery while their brood wobbled and mewled around under paw. They'd been sympathetic and helpful, and he owed them for that.

"Hartkit?" said the same kindly queen who had taken the fish from him. "Why don't you come over and eat something?"

Russethawk cocked his head in surprise. I didn't even notice the little scrap! The tom-kit had tucked himself into a corner, and with his mottled tortoiseshell-tabby coat, Russethawk had subconsciously mistaken him for a pile of dead autumn leaves. Reedtail's and Dusklight's little son. Poor fella. He knew the pain of losing parents. StarClan had been merciful, and he'd spent his entire kithood surrounded by friends and family. It wasn't until the end of his apprenticeship that he lost them.

"Come on, Hartkit," he purred encouragingly. "The more you eat, the bigger and stronger you'll get!" Russethawk reached out with a ruddy paw to gently pat the kitten's flank, grinning. "You're nothing but fluff! If you get too thin, the queens'll mistake you for bedding."

Marigoldnose laughed, shaking her head.

You don't fear the fall

RainClan || 81 Moons || Tom

Russethawk

Silver || 261 Words || Notes

[Silver]

Little Hartkit mewled sadly at the queens as they tried to convince him to come and eat. He really wasn't hungry and if he left the nest it would surely stop smelling like his Mama and Papa. Thus he just curled up and turned away from the queens, a sad little sigh leaving him and he burrowed his nose further into the nest he rested in. He had learned manners from his Mama though so took the energy to mumble out his gratitude. "No thank you, I'm not hungry." He then settled back into the nest and fell silent once more.

His voice was soft and growing weaker by the day, he knew, but couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted someone to love him so badly. The queens were nice to him, but they had their own kits to care for and surely didn't want him. He did scent a Warrior in the Nursery but didn't pay him much mind as he brought them food. His ears went back, startled, when the tom purred at him before nudging him with his enormous paw. He gave a plaintive little hiss, but it was more instinct than dislike of the action.

The queens shook their heads at him, turning to the Warrior. "Poor little thing, he's been that way since they died. None of us have been able to get through to him. I'm worried he'll waste away at this rate just from heartbreak." Hartkit snorted at that, pawing gently at a nearby leaf before huffing a breath and watching the leaf float into the air before fluttering back down. He was sad, he didn't want to die. Queens were so silly. He eyed the Warrior cautiously for a long moment before mewling at him in hopes he'd come and cuddle with him. Maybe if he was cute enough he could get some company for once.

--

Tags | Fawn

[Fawn]

[googlefont=Philosopher]

i owned every second that this world could give

Russethawk

Father. Brother. Warrior. Of RainClan.

i saw so many places, the things that i did

Instead of a smile for his efforts, Russethawk's ears pricked forward as Hartkit mewled pathetically in response, big kitten eyes beseeching. The tom's heart instantly went out to the little ball of fuzz. Losing one's parents was a horrible thing. "How about I make you a deal, Hartkit? I'll sit with you and tell you a story, if you promise to take a few bites of prey? That sound good, little fella?"

Even as he spoke, Russethawk was stepping carefully over the moss nests until he could sit down beside the orphaned kit, lending him his warmth and comforting presence. Why haven't any of the queens adopted him yet? It seemed like the most natural thing to do, right? Take in an abandoned kit, let them grow up with siblings or at least denmates who could one day become friends. Even Swanfeather had found it in her heart to take in Bravebird when he was nothing bigger than a clump of duck fluff with legs. Sad to think that the queens' maternal instincts didn't extend beyond their own broods.

with every broken bone, i swear i lived

i lived | background image | Silver

[Silver]

A tiny little bobbed tail stuck up and wiggled when suddenly the Warrior made a deal with him about eating in exchange for cuddling with him and telling him a story. He did nibble a tiny bit more then looked up expectantly at the Warrior, ears perked up and eyes a bit more hopeful than they'd been before. He snuggled happily when the Warrior settled next to him, letting his tiny body disappear underneath the larger frame for a moment before popping back out again, purring a little broken sound as his hope gained a bit of strength.

He nibbled a bit more, then mewled up at him again then tried talking. "Story please?" He really wasn't hungry still but he'd nibbled a bit so maybe that would be alright. So long as this giant tom didn't leave while he was snuggling, that was fine. The queens had called him Russethawk, he seemed nice enough but he waited to judge because his mother had always told him not to judge others by anything other than their actions and words. Cats could pretend, but so far Russethawk seemed really nice.

--

Tags | Fawn