[nio]

Username: nio
Cat Name: wish upon a star (wish)
Gender: nonbinary
Rank: kit
Clan: mesaclan
Age: -
Prompt:

"It's healthy, just not... right. Help me. Please."

Wind battered at fur as the group of cats stared with a mixture of emotions at the scene in front of them. The mother, desperate, nudged the kit towards the leader of the group. Pleading in her eyes, she suppressed a sob.

A small cat in the back approached the kitten. She was young, barely out of kithood herself. She stooped to sniff at the kit, worry and fear in her eyes.

“They smell fine, healthy and of warm milk.” She blinked up at the mother. “Are they injured?”

The leading cat, a black smoke, shook her head. “I don’t see any blood, or any obvious signs of pain…”

“We should take them back to Mumblebrook and Pricklepaw.” The young cat spoke up, addressing the black smoke.

None of the cats displayed any hostility, MesaClan didn’t have proper borderlines and often loners would cross into their territory. Known enemies were usually attacked on sight, but otherwise, cats were left alone. The hunting patrol had been approached by the mother, and they all knew something strange was going on.

“Or should I go get them?” The youngster had jumped up. “Smokewhisper?”

“Yeah, Littlepaw, I think that would make the mother more comfortable. But hurry!”

—

The apprentice doctor came stumbling over the rise, puffed out. She looked frazzled, with multiple cacti thorns stuck in her folded ears.

“Mumblebrook was busy, but I came as fast as I could.” Pricklepaw looked around. “Who’s hurt? Should I have brought herbs?”

Smokewhisper shook her head. “We don’t know what’s wrong. We came upon this mother cat and her kit. She says they’re healthy but… something’s wrong.”

The apprentice doctor approached the kit and rolled them over, so their pink belly was exposed.

“I’m just going to perform a routine check up to make sure everything is okay.”

Silence broken only by the whipping of cool night wind settled in as the small crowd watched. The kit didn’t seem to be in any sort of discomfort. The mother watched, glassy eyed.

“They don’t seemed to be in any pain, and nothing seems to be wrong internally. My thoughts are maybe… it might be to early to know, but maybe the kit is mute, or deaf, or unable to smell. Or perhaps the kit has what we called wobbly-syndrome?”

The mother looked lost. The cats surrounding all had their eyes on her.

[coffee.berry]

Username: coffee.berry
Cat Name: Glasskit
Gender: Female
Rank: Kit
Clan: PeaceClan
Prompt: [467 words]

“Please. Help her.” the strange cat whispers, holding the kit tightly.

“What do you need? We’ll do anything, just... just tell me what to do.” Ghostfeather says.

“I need you to help her.” the cat repeats.

“But I don’t know how to help her!” Ghostfeather stutters.

“She’s dying. She needs herbs. Help her.” the cat says.

“Okay. Follow me to our mountain, we will put her in a nice warm den and let our medicine cat take care of her.” Ghostfeather says, and slowly walks out of the abandoned cabin.

The strange cat picks up the kit slowly, and walks out.


- - -


“I’ll do my best.” Saltwater looks sadly at the kit, while it coughs.

“Thank you so much. I will go and have a talk with your leader now.” the cat, who’s name is Frosty, says.

“Frosty, we will gladly accept you in the clan for as long as you need.” Silverstar says once Frosty came.

“I don’t care about me. I care about my darling.” Frosty says, looking at the ground.


- - -


“Have you found out what’s wrong with my beloved?” Frosty asks Saltwater.

“Yes. She has a terrible cold, from staying inside the cabin. The cold is deadly." Saltwater explains, the leaves in her mouth drooping sadly with berry juice.

"Is there any way we can save my kit?" Frosty says while tears trickle down her cheeks. "This is all my fault. I should just have started looking for a clan when she was born."

"It's alright, Frosty. You just have to calm down, and everything will be fine." Saltwater looked comfortingly at Frosty.


- - -


"As long as our guests, Frosty and her kit, are here, they will need real names!" Silverstar announces, standing on a triangle-shaped rock.

Frosty slinked up on the rock beside Silverstar, and then the commander began:

"I, Silverstar, commander of PeaceClan, call upon my fighter ancestors to look down on this kittypet. Frosty, from this moment on you will be known as Frostfur. The Twinklepaws honor your bravery, and we welcome you as a full fighter of PeaceClan."

The cats of PeaceClan shouted her name "Frostfur! Frostfur!" and a smile started forming in her face.


Saltwater crept up with the kit in her mouth onto the rock too, and Silverstar said:

"This kit is honored by the whole clan, and by all the Twinklepaws who are gathered here to name this newly-born kit. With the power of the moon, sun, and clan, I name this kit Glasskit!"


The cats of PeaceClan whispered her name softly, not wanting to wake her.

[miraphoenix]

Username: miraphoenix
Cat Name: tbd
Gender: Nonbinary [he/they]
Rank: tbd
Clan: Havenclan
Age: >1 moon; nugget
Prompt:

Nighttime patrols were uncommon for Havenclan, but not unheard of, especially on the long arc from summer into winter. The sweet smell of salmon from the river brought in predators and rogue cats alike, and patrols had to be arranged to ensure the safety of the clan.
The days were long, but the nights were getting longer, and the wind carried the wet scent of rain in from the ocean.
Rain… And something else.

Lichenstep paused, and the twitch of her tail brought the patrol to a halt. She sniffed the air, whiskers twitching and her ears pricked. Behind her, Oakstrike watched the darkness, suspicion in the old warrior’s eyes.

There!
Was that… Was that a cat?

It was a cat, and her words cut the Havenclan cats to the core. It was clan policy to invite all cats in need of aid and assistance back to camp, but never before had a patrol come across a kit in distress like this. Still, something in the adult cat’s words didn’t sit quite right, and the small band of warriors passed wary glances between each other; something was off, but what was it?

Odd feelings or not, however, the silence in the cool breeze cut through Lichenstep’s fur; if the air held a chill for her, how must it feel for the kit against the cold ground? If there were to be any answers, the patrol would need to get the kit and their mysterious companion under cover as soon as they could. Lichenstep rolled through options in her mind, and settled on bringing the kit to Forest’s Heart, despite the distance; although the patrol could scratch out a shelter from the wind, the clan had new kits, with the milk and the warmth queens could provide.

“We are from Havenclan, and our camp is not far from here,” Lichenstep called, casting her voice so her words were not swallowed by the growing wind. “Will you come with us? We mean you no harm.”

In the silence that followed, the strange cat picked up the tiny, white kitten and walked towards the patrol. Crabapple and Bitterntuft moved to shield her from the wind, now flecked with cold, late summer rain. Oakstrike, always the wary warrior, brought up the rear, leaving Lichenstep to lead the group to the shelter and safety of Forest’s Heart.


Luckily, the patrol had not been far from the warm limbs of the great tree, and the six cats reached camp before the wind brought the threatening rain. With a bit of encouragement, the patrol plus their guests entered through the hidden entrance in one of the exposed roots, and tread carefully through the passageway, lit with bioluminescent fungus and a few of the strange crystals they had gained in trade with Moonclan.

Only a few cats were awake in the central chamber of the tree, and both took an immediate interest in both the strange adult cat and her tiny charge.

“Oh, you’re not hurt, are you?” Maplesong asked, her voice low so as not to disturb the sleeping clan. “I’m our junior healer; if you need, you can come with me.”

“About the kit—” the stranger began.

“I believe I may be able to help with that,” Stargift whispered, a faint smile on their face. “My litter is only a little older than your charge, if you would like me to watch them?”

The strange cat nodded, and carefully placed the tiny infant at the queen’s belly. With gentleness and care, Stargift tucked the kit into place, purring soothingly as they settled the youngster in amongst their own kits; no matter the strangeness of the circumstance, they were not about to let a kit go cold and hungry on their watch.
With the kit settled in, and Maplesong shepherding the kit’s caregiver off to the healer’s root-den to check her over for any wounds or injuries, the patrol was left to settle into their own nests for the night, but all present were still left with lingering questions.

“What do you suppose is the matter? With the kit, I mean,” Crabapple whispered, casting curious glances in the direction that Maplesong had taken the adult cat.

“We didn’t even catch her name,” Bitterntuft added with a faint yawn, rearranging the shredded cedar bark of her shared nest, even as they entertained the idea of Maplesong returning soon.

Lichenstep and Oakstrike exchanged glances in the darkness. Each could tell that the other harbored suspicions, even though the suspicions had been overruled by the urgency of a kit needing care.

“It ain’t often that a parent calls their kit ‘it’,” the gruff old warrior started, one amber eye open and watching the entrance of the root den, their tail swishing against the cedar bark.

Lichenstep furrowed her brow, shaking her head.
“Are we sure that is her kit?” she asked, keeping her voice as low as she could without being heard. “What would cause a parent to bring her only kitten out into the dark of the night, instead of waiting out the rain somewhere more sheltered and protected?”

Silence fell over the group.
No-cat could deny that was a possibility; for having a kit that young, the adult cat didn’t seem to be particularly well-equipped to be caring for the youngster, and they couldn’t explain why any parent would bring a healthy kitten—much less one so young—out into such a dark and blustery night.

“Perhaps the morning light will bring more answers,” Lichenstep added after the long, heavy silence. “Crabapple, would you mind waking Herringfern and Salmonrun for the night watch? I doubt I’ll be much help in solving this mystery until I’ve had a good night’s rest.”

[953 words]

[wildsight]

Username: wildsight
Cat Name: tbd
Gender: male
Rank: tbd
Clan: sunclan
Age: x
Prompt:

The night sky was partially cloudy, yet the moon could still be seen. Silvery moonlight fell down upon the lands of Altan, giving whatever it touched a wondrous glow. As usual the lands were quiet and particularly deserted, save for a small patrol of cats that were currently traveling along the border. They were no other than Those of The Rising Sun - Sunclan.
XXXXThe patrol was particularly small tonight, consisting of Applesnap, Maplewish and Weaselskip. The rosetted feline led the way along the border, her pale yellow gaze scanning that which laid ahead and what was surrounding her. The night was dreadfully cold, such was normal among the lands of Altan, and Applesnap was quite grateful that she harbored a thicker pelt, unlike some of the more...unlucky felines.
XXXXAnd they'd be miserable considering the current conditions. The wind had suddenly picked up, ruffling the trio's pelts. Sheesh, with the wind combined with the temperature, even she was beginning to feel it. Letting out a breath, the rosetted molly spared a glance over her shoulder. "Alright you two, I believe we've done enough for tonight. The wind is picking up and I don't want us to get caught in a sand storm." She called to them with a flick of her tail, turning around to head in the direction of camp.

The wind whipped sand and varying other debris about, occasionally forcing the felines to squint, but it wasn't dangerous enough to force them to stop all together. But they would be pulled off coarse.
XXXXSuddenly, the air seemed to grow tense. Applesnap slowed her pace instinctively, before turning to look behind her. She then noticed that only Weaselskip remained behind her. "Where's Maplewish?" She questioned the tom, who seemed just as clueless as she felt. "Great Altan, if she's run off again I'll-" She cut herself off before she could go any further, letting out a long heavy sigh. Before she could give any orders to Weaselskip, she noticed a form in the distance. Could it be? "Come with me." She ordered, before cautiously yet purposefully approaching the creature. it was indeed a feline, even more importantly, one they knew.
XXXX"Maplewish! By the might of Altan, if you run off like that ag-" A sudden raise of a paw broke the rosetted's sentence. The calico slowly turned to the ginger molly, eyes wide. "Don't either of you smell that?" She questioned. "Is this a game? We have no time for your little games tonight." Applesnap replied.

But then, Weaselskip spoke. "Wait. I think I can smell it too. I don't recognize it though. Maybe it's just a passerby?" The tom suggested. Applesnap's nostrils flared for a few moments, before finally catching the scent. Weaselskip was right - the scent wasn't familiar. And there was something else along with it...panic, perhaps? "No passerby strolls through the territory in such a manner. We're going to investigate." She decided instantly. Maplewish turned to her, eyes even wider than before. "We are? Do you really think that's a good idea?" She inquired.
XXXXThe ginger female's eyes narrowed. "Yes, yes I do. And if you'd like to return to camp, that is absolutely fine with me. You're free to tag along, so long as you don't cause any more trouble." She snapped back, before turning to Weaselskip. "Let's go."
XXXXThe two felines then traveled onward, Weaselskip offering a shrug toward Maplewish. The calico let out a huff before yelling "I'm coming!" and hurried after the two. Applesnap didn't even bother to yell back, perhaps due to possibly losing whoever they were after. Whoever it was seemed to already be quite worked up, she was sure they wouldn't even think twice about sticking around if they heard a group of cats screaming at each other, one in particular frequently threatening the other.

There. The creature stood a distance away, mostly hidden due to their colors. if it wasn't due to the moonlight, it might've taken them another moment to spot them. By now, Applesnap could tell this was another feline. Quite a large one at that. Harboring a long, thick pelt, mounds of fur was whipped about by the wind. The feline certainly couldn't be cold under all that fur. But what were they doing out here? And wait- what was...
XXXX"Did you see that?" Applesnap asked the other two felines, before returning her gaze to the stranger. "No, what did you see?" Asked Weaselskip. The rosetted feline was quiet for a moment longer, before turning her attention toward her companions once more. "A flash of white." She replied, turning back to look for it again, but she didn't find it again. Perhaps she was only imagining things? "A flash of white? What could that be? A flower maybe? An owl?" Maplewish inquired.
XXXX"No. Who'd be carrying flowers in this weather? Besides you." She rolled her eyes, sighing. "And no, it was tiny." She paused for a moment, before nodding to her companions. "Come. We must investigate further...but keep your distance."

They hadn't made it very far before pausing once the feline had spotted them, suddenly turning toward them. The stranger then called out, their voice carried upon the wind. "Something's wrong with it."
XXXXApplesnap was hesitant to move forward at first. This was...odd. Wrong with what? Were her suspicions...true? With a quick glance over her fellow patrol members, the three approached cautiously. The ginger molly searched the air as they did so, thus was quick to catch the milk scent of...a kit. Before long, the tiny bundle of white fur came into view, resting on the ground between the large feline's paws. So, she had been right after all.
XXXXStill, such hardly soothed her anxieties. The pair seemed to be a mother and her offspring, but it was rather odd that she had willfully approached them. Certainly, she seemed quite anxious, panicked even. But there was not the slightest bit of a hostile nature whatsoever, not even any hesitance. She had even called out to them...a group of strangers that could endanger the safety of her kit and herself. Perhaps she was merely desperate for help...but she'd keep her guard up nonetheless.

"It's healthy, just not...right. Help me. Please." She said to them, her voice trembling with terror. Silence was quick to follow, the only sound being the wind which whipped about the stranger's fur. Her gaze rested on Applesnap, one of helplessness. It was now time for a response.
XXXXThere was only one problem...Applesnap knew nothing about kits. Peering down at the bundle of fur, the rosetted molly inspected it carefully. It was pure white, a stark difference when compared to its mother. That was odd. She began to feel even more on edge, her worries over the situation slowly taking over her mind. Something just seemed a tad...off.
XXXX"What's wrong with it? Surely, if it's healthy, then nothing's wrong?" Maplewish offered, looking at it a bit more closely. Applesnap didn't respond, instead casting a glance over the mother. Maybe this called for some...other inspection.

She was large, muscular and didn't match the color of her offspring. She'd seen larger females, but this one was closer to that of a male, which were known for their larger sizes. Of course, she had nothing against such felines - after all, she was larger than some of her clanmates. Then they had the coloring issue...perhaps this was due to the father, but she couldn't know for sure. What was she supposed to do, outright ask her? Well, it wasn't out of her character, but...right now wasn't the time for it.
XXXXBy the time Applesnap had turned back to the others, Maplewish and Weaselskip were still with the supposed mother. The kit had been awfully quiet. Too bad she didn't know more about kits, but they were just so...ugh. Perhaps the kit had an underlying illness? Some other type of issue?
XXXX"Soooo..." Weaselskip began, his gruff voice breaking through her thoughts. "What are we going to do? Take her and the kit back? Obviously, something is wrong." The patrol leader thought it over for a moment, still unable to shake her suspicions. "No. Something is not right about this. Something is...off." A moment of silence passed. "She hardly seems worried about us, unless she's simply that desperate. There must be a reason why she's out here...alone. In the cold of all times."

Weaselskip warily glanced over to the stranger, who was currently chatting with Maplewish. "That's a thought...but...we can't just...leave them." The molly paused for a moment, before rolling her eyes. "I never said we would leave them. What I am saying is, that we're not taking a stranger home with us until I'm completely sure its safe to. Who knows...she could've been out looking for someone. Maybe its not even her's. Does 'it' even have a name? What if this is all a set up? I don't know and I'm not taking any chances..." Turning to Maplewish, she waved her tail about to gain the molly's attention, before beckoning her over.
XXXX"Weaselskip, I need you to go to Altan's claw. Call for a messenger bird, we need one of the healers. Wait for them, then lead them to that nearby cave. That's where we'll be." She ordered in a hushed voice. The tom nodded, before turning away, heading out upon his quest. Turning to Maplewish, her voice held a bit more firmness to it. "You are to come with me. We are to protect the mother. We need to escort her to the closest cave to Altan's claw." She told her, before adding. "And don't question anything or give any hints about where we came from or who we are. I don't trust her." The calico nodded after a moment, joining the rosetted feline at her side. "Okay, but...why not? She's just a little lost mother with a poor little kit." Applesnap merely spared her a glance. "I said, don't question anything."

The pair then turned to the mother, Applesnap a few paces ahead of Maplewish. "Alright, we're going to help you. Grab 'it' and let's go." The large feline glanced between the two, before grabbing the kit by the scruff. "What happened to your friend?" She inquired through a mouthful of fur. "Oh, don't worry about him. He'll show up at some point, I'm sure. Now, let's hurry before we get caught in a storm or something." Applesnap replied. And then they were off.

What laid ahead was beyond her. She could only hope she wouldn't regret this decision.

[lovage]

Username: lovage
Cat Name: tbd
Gender: tom
Rank: tbd
Clan: fogclan
Age: x
Prompt:
the snow of the mountain blew hard against the fogclan patrol. they struggled against the rocky terrain that dug into their paw pads. this wasn’t anything like what they expected their night to be like, and the scent trail of the band of cats was fading harder as the night dragged on.

the barn cats had sent word to them of a band of cats who passed through and towards the mountains. the council members had selected a patrol of cloversong, the head leader, dustysun and jayflight, the protecters, and the two healers ambergaze and flamepaw. they would meet with the group to see if they would establish any alliance to fogclan, but the main reason was to see if they were the descendants of the old clans who past fogclan chased out. but, this mountain has only led to the group wishing to leave them behind, but cloversong pushed them on.

“we’re losing the scent,” dustysun called out over the wind. it was deafening and would only lead to miscommunication if they weren’t careful.

“we’ll continue. the barn cats said they went this way,” cloversong said to the tom. “scent trails don’t lie.”

“yes, but it doesn’t make sense for us to be chasing this at all,” jayflight groaned. her eyes darted upwards towards dustysun then up the cliff. her eyes widened as she saw the silhouette of a cat upon their path. “there’s some cat up there, dustysun! watch out!”

“what?” cloversong said. the wind surely didn’t help them to continued towards the cat figure. jayflight rushed ahead the rocky path from to face this figure, but dustysun got there first. standing their ground, they both took up a defensive position on a path lower than the cat’s position. “i’ll handle this,” cloversong said as she pushed through their barrier.

the wind blocked the noise of the two of them as they conversed. jayflight and dustysun kept up their guard if the cat decided to attack. but, cloversong dipped her head and headed back down towards them. “she needs our help. this cat has a kit who she says is healthy but has something wrong. i’ve already offered our assistance so we’ll stay here,” cloversong told them. “ambergaze, you’ll look at the kit. and, flamepaw, keep your eyes open for any herbs just in case we need them. the she-cat has a cave that her group has taken refuge in during the blizzard, but the other group members have yet to return from their hunt.”

“got it, but should we trust her?” dustysun asked. he wasn’t too certain about this especially since this whole mysterious illness with the kit.

“we have no choice to as this might be the group the barn cats told us of,” cloversong said. “and, we have to move fast as she has the kit.”

“that’s reckless,” ambergaze yelled from the back. he didn’t care who this was but he had to see this kit now. “that kit needs to be warmed up. we run to the cave regardless of how far it is.”

cloversong nodded as guided the group towards the she-cat. in her mouth was the kit, it would’ve been a spitting image of the mother if it wasn’t for its snow white pelt. “we’re running to your cave, so lead the way,” cloversong informed her. nodding, she turned towards the cave and broke out into a sprint without a struggle in the snow. the patrol attempted to keep up but the snow kept them from being in stride with the she-cat. they reached her cave and settled within its further branches to get out of the cold. it was surprisingly warm the further that they went down, and the snow even seemed to melt upon their pelts somewhat. “how is it warm in here?” jayflight questioned aloud.

“one of my group mates can speak to the world, and it told him of the warmth in this cave. according to him, it was where the world said it once had lava, so the lava keeps it warm even though it’s gone,” the she-cat said as she placed the kit back down. “we’re hoping that it will produce the same talent.”

“it?” jayflight whispered to ambergaze.

he didn’t seem to bothered by the way the she-cat referred to her kit as that. “i’ve done that before with kits. i always do it regardless until i know what it is, you know tom or she-cat,” ambergaze replied. “these cats are really fluffy, and with their kit fluff, seeing what it is would be harder. but, for now, i need to examine them.”

ambergaze approached the she-cat who was curled around the kit. “i’m a healer who’s been trained and using my skills for moons within my clan. i have knowledge that will help you figure out what might be wrong with your kit. may i examine it with my apprentice flamepaw, the ginger cat?” he asked.

“as long as i can stay nearby,” the she-cat said. she was obviously very protective of the kit regardless of how she felt about the kit.

“that is fine, just move if i ask you to,” he said. as long as he could examine it, that’s what he needs to do for this kit. “please back up some. flamepaw, just watch for now.” physically, the kit looked perfectly fine but cold to the touch. he decided to further examine them by gently pushing against the kit to see if there wasn’t any broken bones. the kit gave no verbal reaction and only moved slightly when pressed. that was slightly concerning, but some kits are like that from what ambergaze has seen. but, one thing is certain that being a pure white kit would mean that they’re likely to be deaf if they had blue eyes. “everything is fine, but have they opened their eyes or made any noise?”

“it hasn’t opened its eyes yet, and it’s made some noise, just a little mew here and there. it’s eaten and moved like any normal kit, so i don’t understand what’s wrong with it,” the she-cat said. she was concerned about these questions but didn’t seemed to bothered about it.

“any kin with blue eyes?” he asked. he needs to know this in order to fully come to an answer.

“some, but it’s rare in my group for blue eyes to happen,” the she-cat answered.

“well, they may just be deaf,” he replied. that was his only likely answer to this whole thing. “there’s nothing that can be done about that. but, they feel pretty cold so just warm them up and they’ll be fine.”

“thank you, and you and your group members may stay until the blizzard blows over. no cat should be out there,” the she-cat said as she pushed the kit into her fluffy pelt.

“thank you for your generosity,” he said. he walked away and approached his clanmates who all huddled up on the other side of the cave. “how is the kit?” cloversong asked.

“they’ll be fine after they have some warmth, but they may be deaf,” ambergaze informed them. but, flamepaw looked uneasy with the entire diagnosis from what the group saw. “what’s wrong, flamepaw?”

“it was weird like there was something further wrong with the kit. was there that stood out to you?”

“just the kit didn’t seemed too bother or active like a normal one, but i’ll keep an eye on it as the blizzard dies down,” ambergaze said. he could hear the wind and blizzard howling from outside even that deep into the cave. sighing, he said, “looks as if we have a long while until the blizzard stops.”

“that’ll be fine, but i don’t like this she-cat. she’s hiding something. even though i’m not a fan of kits, i’m certainly not fond of cats calling them all ‘it’ like her,” jayflight softly hissed. her pelt fluffed up further from her anger over this situation. “i’m personally keeping my eyes on her from now on, and flamepaw is probably right.”

dustysun looked relatively relaxed about the whole thing and just said, “i trust ambergaze on this one. the kit is deaf.”

tensions were building and not being able to separate will make it worse from what cloversong could see. “stop, we have a long night and possibly days ahead of us until this blizzard stops. so, we’ll keep to ourselves about the situation. i just hope this and the blizzard blows over soon.”

[aglassman]

Username: Aglassman
Cat Name: TBD
Gender: TBD
Rank: Kit
Clan: Shattered StoneClan
Age: Newborn
Prompt:

Round One

Bang! Whistlingwren startled awake, with Cherviltail groggily raising her head soon after. “What was that?” one sister mouthed silently to the other, who shook her head. Far too early for the farmer to start work, but it did sound like the barn door slamming open.

Cautiously, Whistlingwren picked her way past Delilah and her sleeping kits and peered over the edge of the loft. In the bright moonlight, the figure cast a long, dark shadow into the barn. “It’s a cat!” she couldn’t help from exclaiming aloud, “A huge cat! And--is that a kit? Quick, wake Thrushfur!”

But their mother was already at her paws at the sound of Whistlingwren’s shout. Behind her, Celeryseed was blinking sleep out of her eyes and Gravel clamped one foreleg over her ear, grumbling in her sleep.

A cry from below: ”Something’s wrong with it. Help me. Please.”

Thrushfur leapt into action, barking a flurry of orders at the cats around her. “Whistlingwren. Wake Delilah, but keep quiet. The kits need their rest. Cherviltail, fetch what herbs we have. Bring coltsfoot and feverfew. Alfalfa, if we have any. And dandelion root.” The elder queen whipped her head around, looking for extra paws. “Celeryseed! Come with me. I may need your help.”

The two cats bounded off of the loft, with Cherviltail close at their tails, a sparse mouthful of herbs clutched in her jaws.

The strange she-cat, larger even than Delilah, drops the tiny scrap at her feet. “Look at it! It’s not right. Please take it.”

“Nonsense,” Thrushfur retorted, busily inspecting the kitten and roughly licking its flat muzzle. “This is your baby. See, this is a fever coat. Are you sick? Do you have enough milk?” She sniffs the air. “No… We have a nursing queen living with us. Come, your child can nurse and we can talk.”

But the strange cat climbed straight up the loft ladder, alone. Celeryseed gaped after her, but with a stern nod from his clan’s midwife, he picked the kit up by the scruff and carried it up to Delilah.

With the kitten settled in at Delilah’s belly, Thrushfur and Cherviltail set to work inspecting the mother, but she was firmly uncooperative. The blue sepia had rolled over, her back to the clan and her kit alike, and Thrushfur was having difficulty getting any answer out of her.

“Are you ill? Is your kit?”

“I’m healthy. It’s healthy, too. It’s just not right.”

“Any breathing problems? Do you have back pain?”

“No.”

“Did anybody else come with you? Does the father--er…” she glances over at Whistlingren, so lovingly licking Delilah’s children back to sleep, “...other parent have the same sort of ears and tail as you? I need to know these things for the health of the child.”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Just take it. I don’t want it anymore.”

---

Later that night, the moon had set and the sky was glowing a hazy predawn gray. Most of the StoneClan cats had fallen back asleep after that night’s excitement, but Delilah and Whistlingwren were awake, quietly sharing tongues as the three kittens slept.

“Do you know her?” Whistlingwren whispered.

“No, I’ve never seen her before,” Delilah replied, staring over at the stranger curled up on the other side of the barn.

“Hm. I thought she might have been like you, a Stone who wanted to keep her kits.” Also big, and mysterious, and pretty… “But it’s strange. She doesn’t have the scent of a barn cat… she doesn’t seem to have any scent at all.” She glanced down at the white kit, now happily smelling of warm milk. “We don’t know anything about her… Where did she come from? Where are her... kin? Did they abandon her or did she leave them herself? And what about the child? In the morning, will she abandon it, too?”

“No.” Delilah rested her thickly-furred foreleg over the tiny scrap of fluff. “No, this child will never be left wondering where her mother went.”

---

In another part of the loft, Charlie had emerged from the shadows in the back of the barn and approached Thrushfur, who was sorting and resorting herbs with her mind lost in thoughts. “I’ll send out a patrol to collect alfalfa in the morning,” she offered. “We need our visitor to bring her milk back.”

“There’s no use,” Thrushfur answered, not lifting her eyes from the herbs. “That cat is not the kit’s mother.”

“What?” Charlie spluttered, bristling. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I was concerned about the kit’s health, especially with that pale coat. But she’s right; it’s perfectly healthy. No breathing issues, no appetite issues… and no fever coat. The father of my daughters was that light--and they were brown as mice. She cannot be that kit’s parent.”

“Not all mothers give birth to their own children, Thrushfur,” Charlie spat. “I had hoped that you of all cats would understand that.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Thrushfur protested, pressing her ears flat against her head. “Charlie, I’m sorry if I’ve hit a nerve, but look at her! She wants nothing to do with the child. Why else would she bring her to us!”

“You just don’t understand what it’s like for cats like me!” Charlie raised her voice, twitching her tipped ear as she turned tail and stormed off.

“Charlie…” Thrushfur pleaded to deaf ears. Of course she knew how the old cat felt. She had been caring for other cats’ young, childless, almost her whole life. But this stranger… Would she ignore her own child if she loved it like Charlie did the surrogate kits she had never known?

[ladybug5]

Username: ladybug5
Cat Name: tbd
Gender: tbd
Rank: kit
Clan: Tribe of Whispering Trees
Age: approximately 1 day old
Prompt: round 1

Sparrowfeather padded through the forest, exploring her surroundings. This place was still pretty new to her, as she had only arrived just recently. The star cat had told her one day this would be home to many other cats who would join her, but for now it was just Sparrowfeather and her companion, Daisy. The young leader wondered what the future would bring as she wandered through her new forest home. She was lost in thought when Daisy suddenly let out an alarmed chirp, which brought her attention back to her surroundings. A large shape was moving towards her. The scent of the unfamiliar cat reached her and she heard a call, "Something's wrong with it." Sparrowfeather hesitated for a moment, confused at what the stranger meant, or what her intentions were. The Feather-reader then spotted a small white shape on the ground by the unfamiliar cat. Was that a kit? Sparrowfeather cautiously approached, coming to a stop in front of this unfamiliar cat. The small white shape was a small kit. The kit was very young, much too young to be out in the forest. Relaxing slightly, she looked up at the strange cat. Was this the kit's mother? Before Sparrowfeather could ask any questions, the cat spoke again, "It's healthy, just not... right. Help me. Please." Looking at the kit, something did not seem right. There did seem to be something strange with the kit, although Sparrowfeather did not know what or why it seemed off. It just felt... strange. She glanced at Daisy, who was still perched on her shoulder. The bird had stayed silent, but was also looking down at the kit. Sparrowfeather's gaze returned to the strange cat. "I don't have much to offer, but I do have a safe place to stay if you'd like. It'd probably be good to get the kit someplace safe," Sparrowfeather meowed. The strange cat nodded in response. "Okay, it's not far. I'll show you the way," meowed Sparrowfeather. With that she turned and began to slowly walk, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the other cat followed. She watched the stranger pick up the kit and follow.

Sparrowfeather led the way through the forest, the other cat following her. No one spoke the entire way. There was not even a meow from the kit or a chirp from Daisy. In the silence Sparrowfeather wondered who this stranger was, but remained quiet until they had entered the camp. She paused, looking at the caves in the rocks in front of her. Sparrowfeather did not know which one would be the best den for the two cats, and she quickly looked back and forth between a few of the caves. Finally deciding on the second one to the right, she meowed, "Follow me," and led the way over to the cave. The cave still felt a little big for only two cats, but it was sheltered. The unfamiliar cat followed her in and set the kit down on the ground. The two cats gazed at the kit for a moment before Sparrowfeather looked at the stranger. "So, what's your name?" she asked. The unfamiliar cat looked up at her and responded, "Whiskers." With a nod, Sparrowfeather meowed, "I'm Sparrowfeather. Does the kit have a name?" Whiskers shook her head. "Not yet," she responded. It seemed odd to Sparrowfeather that she had not given the kit a name yet. Before Sparrowfeather could ask another question, Whiskers added, "As soon as I noticed something was wrong, I left to find help."

This was such a strange situation. Sparrowfeather felt unsure how to handle it. The star cat had told her to help other cats when she encountered them in this new place, but she had no idea how to help. She could offer a safe place for them to stay, but there wasn't much else she could do. She knew there were certain herbs to help cure sickness, but she did not know much about them. Then she suddenly realized she had some prey she could offer. "Would you like some food? I went hunting earlier," she meowed. Whiskers appeared to hesitate, but then eventually nodded. "I'll be right back," Sparrowfeather responded quickly and trotted out of the cave and towards her den. Reaching the den, she picked up the mouse she had left inside. She only had the one piece of prey, but Whiskers needed it more than she did. She could just go hunting again in the morning. With the mouse in her jaws, she headed back to the cave.

When Sparrowfeather entered the cave, she found Whiskers curled up around the kit. She dropped the mouse next to Whiskers. The strange cat meowed a thanks and began to eat. Sparrowfeather stood there for a moment, feeling a little awkward, before meowing, "My den is across the clearing, by the circle of trees and the large rock." She waited for Whiskers to nod before she slowly began to back out of the cave. "I'll see you two in the morning," she meowed. "I will do my best to help however I can." With that, she turned and headed back to her own den. Once entering her den, Sparrowfeather curled up on the moss. Daisy flew from her shoulder and landed by her paws, looking at her friend curiously. "I did the right thing, right?" she whispered to the chickadee. The bird blinked and chirped quietly. "I'm assuming that means yes?" Sparrowfeather questioned, amused by Daisy's response. The bird gave no other chirps or response, but instead fluttered up to a branch in the closest tree and tucked her head under her wing and closed her eyes. With a soft sigh, Sparrowfeather gazed up at the night sky for a moment. Then looking back over at Daisy, who appeared to be asleep, Sparrowfeather rested her head on her paws and closed her eyes.

[Archaeopteryx.]

Username: MutatedCry
Cat Name: Moonlight
Gender: Female
Rank: Kit
Clan: Clan of Eternal Sun
Age: Newborn
Prompt:

The moon overhead was bright, illuminating the desert landscape. A chill night wind whistled through the sands and Obsidianwatcher shivered, but remained steadfast. Their paws were rooted to the earth. Grains of sand piled around them and still they did not move.

Stars twinkled coldly overhead, and they never lied. Obsidianwatcher was supposed to be here. They just didn't know why— not yet, anyway.

Just as the moon was starting to dip below the horizon, a figure appeared on a dune in the distance. Obsidianwatcher rose, letting fate guide their paws yet again. The strange cat seemed startled when Obsidianwatcher appeared from the darkness, but they ignored it. Her scent is panicked, pale blue eyes darting around like more shapes would materialize from the desert— like anything could sneak up on Obsidianwatcher. There is a flash of white, and Obsidianwatcher tilted their head.

"Hello?" The molly hesitantly calls out. "I— something's wrong with it. I don't—"

Obsidianwatcher blinked, finally listening to what the night wind told them as it blew around their head. Milk. Kit-scent, so achingly familiar, bringing them back to their own kits being guarded by Argent, back within the shelter.

There is a kitten between her paws, white as the moon.

"It's healthy, just not... right. Help me. Please."

There's something in the mother's— or is she the mother?— voice that makes Obsidianwatcher want to bristle. They force their fur to lie smooth, looking up at this giant cat, who looks so small as the wind batters her form.

"Let me take you— both of you— back to my home," They say carefully, bending down to inspect the kitten. Their mind casts back to Buckwheat, to Timewatcher, both cats touched by something Other. "It's safe there. We may... be able to find out what's wrong."

The molly hesitates, and jerkily nods.

--

Obsidianwatcher expects Coyotesun to be cross with them, just as he was when they brought Cascade and Lullaby home, but he takes one look at the molly and kitten and jumps to his feet. Before he can do anything, Obsidianwatcher mouths, "Something is wrong," to him, and watches as he jerks slightly, before nodding his head at them.

The Shelter is busy at night, when the Clan comes alive after the heat of the day. They're thankful for that, slightly, as it means they don't have to creep around the ruined buildings they call home. But still— it's disconcerting when all the cats not out scavenging stare at them and the newcomers.

Coyotesun looks thoroughly lost, lingering around the molly and glancing at the kit wrapped in Obsidianwatcher's shemagh. It's a relief when a familiar, raspy voice calls out, "You're hopeless, Coyotesun. Bring the strangers here."

"Yes, Argent." A wave of relief washes over Obsidianwatcher.

The kitten is gently set at Argent's paws, the grizzled old molly looking down in the most genuine display of confusion Obsidianwatcher has ever seen from the elder. She shoos Cascade and Lullaby away as the two kits immediately try to crowd around the tiny kitten. "This yours?," She asks the molly, sounding disapproving.

The stranger shrugs.

"It's healthy, isn't that all that matters?"

And now Argent is starting to look furious, and that doesn't bode well for... well, for the same reason Obsidianwatcher waited for this to happen. This kitten needs to be here, they just don't know why yet.

"Settle down." Coyotesun says, finally making himself useful. "We'll just figure out what all this is about first, alright?"

But the stranger is already turning away, settling down onto a pile of rags in a manner similar to Glassheart's despondent nest. The three Clan cats share a look, before turning their attention back to the kitten.

The stranger was right. It is perfectly healthy, just... off. Not entirely right. It brings about the same sensation as Timewatcher's extra pupils, as Buckwheat's strange scarring. A prickling of the fur and the feeling of something looming over one's shoulder. There are Things out in the desert, things no one can explain. Things warped and twisted beyond recognition, through no fault of their own.

The kitten's fur shines brightly in the darkness, and Obsidianwatcher fights back a shiver.

"Now what?" Coyotesun whispers.

[699 words]

[mothbrainz]

Extending round 1 until 8/22/2021 at 12 am EST!

[ToraOkami303]

Username: ToraOkami303
Cat Name: Applekit > Applepaw > Apple-???
Gender: Gender Non-Conforming, Ne/Nem
Rank: Kit > Apprentice > ???
Clan: Eagle Camp
Age: Newborn
Prompt:


Blaze looks from the little bundle of white fur, to the... mother? A few times, he's a little suspicious of this set up. Who calls their kitten an it? The kitten's too young to have indicated that's their preference. He steps closer doing an examination just to make sure the claim that the kitten is healthy isn't a lie.

While Blaze is doing that Mudstar tries to calm the mother down, she has no reason to dooubt the mother's intentions right now. The pronoun issue flying right over her head.

"It's okay, we'll do everything we can to help! Could you please start by telling us your name?"

"Duchess" She replies, perhaps a little too quickly.

Mudstar does notice that but decides it's none of her business if the Queen doesn't want to give a real name, at least they have something to call her other than 'hey you' now.

"Alright Duchess, Can you describe the not-right feeling you are having?"

"Just... not right, please help." She repeats, refusing to give more information.

Applerose pads up to join Blazepatch in examining the kitten, zir worried little nose twitching as ze tries to figure out what's not right.

Mudstar stamps down the frustration at the lack of real clarification from 'Duchess', worried Queens make poor decisions all the time. There's no reason to cause trouble.

"Okay, not right. Will you follow us to a safe place so my Healer can get a better scent on the kitten? This storm is probably making his examination harder than it needs to be..." She tries to appeal to the mother's instincts.

'Duchess' seems reluctant at first but then nods. Seemingly willing to follow the little group. She gestures to Applerose,

"Could you carry it? I'm... just so destraught you see.." She claims, wind whipping up her fur some more.

Blazepatch gives a tiny nod to Applerose to indicate it's alright. With the confirmation from the Healer that there's no immediate danger to picking up the newborn, Applerose gently lifts the little one up.

Mudstar takes the lead, heading towards one of the safe outposts nearby that will protect them from the storm. Applerose follows at her back, carefully holding the kitten up out of danger. Blazepatch after that, he has one eye over his shoulder at 'Duchess' trying to ensure she follows. The wind makes it hard to keep track, He wishes the Deity of Motherhood was awakened so he could get a better read on this 'mother' something isn't adding up with the kitten compared to this mother but he cannot be certain, not until the kitten starts to show their colors at least....