❝ the deputy and the medicine cat ❞

[faerie;]

heres a stereotypical story about the clan deputy falling in love with his medicine cat.

feel free to comment, cause i love comments!!!

[faerie;]

orchidnose - ♀

bearmask - ♂

wrenstar - ♀

ivyfrost - ♀

greybird - ♂

milo - ♂

acacia - ♀

shiver - ♂

greykit - ♀

beetlekit - ♂

stormkit - ♂

[faerie;]

prologue

one

two

three

four

[faerie;]

what do you think of children?
______________________________________________________________________
characters; orchidnose, bearmask
word count; 670 xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
other;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxx“Bearmask?” Orchidnose dipped her head into the warrior’s den, watching as her clanmates shuffled in their sleep. The clan’s deputy looked up towards the entrance, his pale green eyes clouded over with sleep. He stood to his full height before shoving his way to the den’s entrance, greeting Orchidnose with a sleepy good morning. She flicked her tail and walked towards the medicine cat den, motioning for him to follow her. As she leapt up to her den, she exhaled a breath of anxiety. She had no idea how to tell Bearmask this, how to admit it, how to hide it, even. As his black pelt brushed against her own, she smiled at the contact before looking up at him.

xxxxx“Any reason you called me in here?” Bearmask asked the molly, looking down at her. Her hazel green gaze averted from his, catching him off guard. Orchidnose shuffled her paws anxiously as she knew he was impatiently waiting for an answer. Assuming she wouldn’t speak again, the tom continued. “You know they’ll get suspicious if i’m in here too long. I’m not sick and not injured. Please, just spit it out, okay?” He urged her. Orchidnose parted her jaws for a few heartbeats before speaking.

xxxxx“I.. I, uh.. Bearmask, I’m pretty sure I’m carrying kits.. More importantly, yours.” She admitted as she looked away from the black tom and bracing herself for the worst, expecting him to explode and yell as he was known to do. Instead, the tom simply began to speak his mind.They came out in a jumble, mainly incoherent as he was still processing the situation at hand.

xxxxx“Okay, okay.. uh, damn. Okay, well.. what should we do? I don’t.. should we tell them? Should we finally admit? M-Maybe they’ll let you keep the kits. I.. I don’t know, Orchidnose." He bumbled, suddenly seeming paranoid, as if a turned ear was listening in on their conversation. “But no matter what, promise me we’re going to keep the kits, okay?”

xxxxx“I promise. I promise, I promise, I promise.” She shook her head as she swore to him, though her thoughts were somewhere else. “But.. what will I do once I give birth? Who will take over my duties? Sheeppaw isn’t ready to take on the role as a medicine cat!” She cried in worry, not wanting to force such a role onto her newly appointed apprentice. He was only eight moons old, still studying the names of the basic herbs.

xxxxx“We’ll figure it out. I swear that we will. Trust me, okay? I.. I’ll tell Wrenstar later.” Bearmask told his mate with a genuine smile. “We’ll get through this. I’m positive! Wrenstar is stubborn, sure, but she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity of new kits. You know she wouldn’t throw kits to the rogues. She’s not like that.” He reassured Orchidnose with a soft voice, laying his tail on top of hers. She smiled at the gesture and nodded in agreement.

xxxxx“Yeah, okay, but I’m not sure how happy she’s going to be with you.” She chuckled, pressing her muzzle against his cheek as she tried to lift his spirits. “Hopefully nothing out of the ordinary. You’ll probably get in trouble, but it’s not like she wants to risk losing her deputy.” Orchidnose admitted with a shrug before pulling away and looking out to the camp’s clearing. She watched as cats spilled out of their respective dens and then looked to Bearmask, nudging him away.

xxxxx“Go on now, everybody has risen. If anybody asks, you needed chervil for a bellyache.” She informed him before shoving him out of her den.

xxxxx“Okay, okay!” He chuckled, nearly tripping over his paws as he left. “I’ll fetch you before I tell Wrenstar.” He told her before finally leaving, flicking his tail in goodbye. Orchidnose hurriedly turned away from him and pretended to be working with some kind of herbs. She smiled at the thought of Bearmask being so accepting of her carrying his kits, though she worried about what the clan was going to make of her.

[faerie;]

oh starclan, i'm a mess!
______________________________________________________________________
characters; orchidnose, bearmask, wrenstar
word count; 1023 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
other; based off of this songxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxFlecks of snow and rain fell simultaneously from the wispy clouds to the forest ground below, the former beginning to blanket the forest floor in a thick sheet of snow. Nearby, the chants and howls of feral animals could be heard, echoing off of the cedar trees and boulders that lined the territory. “Take him prisoner!” They cried out, their voices sounding rough and demanding. The lithe body of Wrenstar was outlined by the cold rain that wet her pelt. She watched on, icy olive gaze narrowed. Her tabby brown pelt glistened under the light of the half moon that hung in the sky that night. Wrenstar flicked her tail tip to silence the clan, looking down on them from the Highrock. The quiet stillness of the night passed through the forest for several heartbeats before the leader announced the sentence of the tom that sit below her. “Bearmask, you have been accused of many crimes in the past, though I shook them all off to save your tail.” She began, sweeping her tail across her white paws. “As our clan’s deputy, I must admit that I expected more from you. First, you are found in Horseplace, mingling with your past. Second, you are found feeding them food from our kill piles!” The last sentence caused a gasp to erupt within the crowd, clanmates murmuring to their peers about the deputy’s wrongdoings. The leader’s tabby fur began to bristle, though she forced herself to continue. “And finally, you have admitted to being the father to Orchidnose’s kits. May I remind you that medicine cats cannot take a mate for this very reason, Bearmask?” She informed him as she began to pace the Highrock. She raised her muzzle and looked to the stars, watching as they blanketed the sky and twinkled in and out of sight every so often. The molly took in a sharp breath before exhaling it as she lowered her gaze to Bearmask. The black tom simply stared back with a blank expression, seeming to pay no mind to the two toms that stand by his side, acting as guards so he wouldn’t run. But there was nowhere to run to. Behind him sat the entirety of his clan, WillowClan. The clan that had raised him from an apprentice’s age, always calling him a pawful and claimed that he was destined to become something great. Thinking back to this and quietly shaming himself, Bearmask inhaled and continued on, watching his leader.

xxxxxWrenstar exhaled and spoke once more. “Bearmask, I sentence you to death execution. We simply cannot house you any longer and I fear you are a threat to other clans. You shall be fed water hemlock at dawn. For now, you will sleep in the Prisoner’s Den. As I dismiss this meeting, I would wish that StarClan light your path, but it seems that light went out long ago.” She remarked, a hint of regret subtly spun between her words. She looked past him and to her clan, the ones she knew were loyal. “Willowclan has been dismissed.” She announced, speaking one last time before retreating into her den. The clan cats in the clearing began to bumble with conversation, though took heavy precaution to avoid the brute of a prisoner. The chirps of crickets and whistles of nightbirds seemed to accompany the sound of clan life, easily imitating how the queens chirped with fear of their kits being hurt and the whistles belonging to their kits who boisterously insisted that they could defend themselves, their tiny claws unsheathed and digging into the cool earth.

xxxxxOrchidnose watched from her den, tears welling in her olive eyes as she watched her ex-mate be sentenced to death. He would die at the hand of her warriors, the ones she had healed and cured time and time again. She hissed at the thought of their betrayal towards their deputy. Orchidnose’s pale brown pelt began to prickle as she went over the leader’s meeting in her mind.

xxxxxHorseplace.

xxxxxBearmask had all the right to be there! Originally, the black tomcat was born to two rogues in Horseplace. Knowing their kit wouldn’t be safe in such a place, they offered him to a Willowclan queen who had taken him in as her own. Now, he was visiting his parents as he had learned that his father had fell ill. Giving his family prey while they were in such a vulnerable state was something that shouldn’t be punishable by death. It shouldn’t be punishable at all, really. She thought, before her thoughts were dashed away and replaced by the sound of her apprentice, Sheep-paw, trying to slide quietly into the den while trying not to be seen. She watched the young tom slither by her as if she were a predator waiting to pounce on their prey. She cringed at the thought, noting how the tom tried to avoid her with awkward, shaky steps. Orchidnose turned towards him, watching as he settled into his nest and pointed his muzzle away from her.

xxxxx“..Uh, good evening, Sheep-paw.” She spoke, a tremor apparent in her tone. The ivory tom didn’t move as he responded.

xxxxx“Evening.” He muttered, obviously not in the mood to talk to his mentor.

xxxxxOrchidnose quietly respected his choice and turned back towards the entrance of her den, watching her clan mingle with each other. She sighed, watching as some of them averted their gaze from her den. Her olive gaze clung to the sight of her ex-mate, who was still singled out in the middle of WillowClan’s clearing. The cats went out of their way to avoid the large tom, who seemed intimidating next to his guards, as if they were his own guard dogs.

xxxxxThe she-cat longed to leap down to the clearing and bury her muzzle into the tom’s black fur one more time, but she knew she would be shoved away with snarling fangs in her face. She sighed and holed herself up in her nest, muttering to herself.

xxxxx"Starclan, I’m a mess.. How could I be so stupid and allow this to happen? Oh, it's all my fault!” She whined into her paws quietly, knowing she would have to oversee the murder of her ex-mate. She attempted to block out the sound of clanlife so she could sleep for just a second more.

[faerie;]

we should run, like, now!
______________________________________________________________________
characters; orchidnose, bearmask, ivyfrost, greybird
word count; 1372 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
other; xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxx“You should let me out.” Bearmask told the guards as they stood and blocked his view from his camp. He sat in the prisoner’s den for a list of reasons, or crimes, as Wrenstar called them. First, he had been caught visiting and feeding rogues. In his defense, those rogues were his parents. They had fallen ill a half moon ago, and the thought of them passing turned a knot in the large tom’s stomach. His second crime was impregnating Willowclan’s medicine cat. That, he had no defense for, and claimed responsibility the moment the medicine cat informed him. And that was why Bearmask sat in the prisoner’s den, continuing to pester his guards. He recognized them as two warriors around his age. The cat on his left was a skinny and panic-prone tom known as Greybird. The tom’s grey fur complemented his yellow gaze. To Bearmask’s right sat Ivyfrost, a tall tabby molly that towered over Greybird and matched Bearmask in height.

xxxxxIvyfrost responded first. “You know you aren’t allowed out until morning.” She reminded him, rolling her olive eyes, though the tom couldn’t see.

xxxxx“Well, since we’re gonna be here a while, we might as well get to know each other. Bond and stuff. Hey, Greybird!” Bearmask cooed with a grin. The grey tom cautiously turned his head towards the larger one.

xxxxx“What?” There was a tremor apparent in the smaller tom’s voice as he narrowed his yellow eyes. Ivyfrost cocked her head in the tom’s direction and mumbled something incoherent to Bearmask. In response, Greybird abruptly turned his head away and looked forward again, trying to tune out the sound of Bearmask’s grumbling.

xxxxxBearmask groaned and turned away from the pair and holed himself up against the wall of his new den. It was compact and uncomfortable, the walls scented with something Bearmask couldn’t identify, but it made him want to hurl. His nose wrinkled in disgust, causing him to cock his head away from the walls and in the direction of the den’s entrance. He opened his eyes and watched on as Greybird quietly padded away from his post, stretching his legs out and grabbing a piece of prey for him and Ivyfrost. They seemed to chatter for a bit before settling down again and going quiet. Bearmask found no interest in the two guards so he decided it was better off for him to sleep now, and for the last time at that, instead of boring himself by tuning into the cats’ menial chat.

. . . . . . . .

xxxxxBearmask woke up to the sound of heavy footsteps approaching him. He opened one eye and saw the white paws of Ivyfrost at his side. Her rough voice rang in the cold morning air. The rain had continued on throughout the night and spilled into the dawn.

xxxxx“Get up, we’re leaving for your execution. Wrenstar doesn’t want to see you during all of this, so we’re gonna have to do this near the river. Somewhere to throw your body without looking suspicious.” She informed him before turning on her heel and padding to the entrance. She cocked her head in his direction in response to his lack of action. She rolled her eyes and unsheathed her claws. “Starclan, come on now! I don’t want to see this either, but we’ve gotta do what we’re told.” She grumbled, swinging herself away from the tom and finally leaving.

xxxxxBearmask pulled himself to his full height before dragging his paws as he followed Ivyfrost. He dipped his muzzle upwards into the morning air, pulled to the scent of Orchidnose nearby. He looked at her, but she didn’t return the stare. Instead, it seemed like she forced herself to look away, as if turning in his general direction would cause her exile. He sighed and looked to the figure that stood behind him. Greybird followed his tail, making sure he wouldn’t run. Bearmask stared down the tom for a few seconds before losing interest. The smaller cat was looking at his own paws, averting his gaze from both Ivyfrost and Bearmask. He was obviously uncomfortable in the scene, causing Bearmask to question why Wrenstar forced him into such a role. He pitied the tom for a few heartbeats, but his thoughts were dashed away as Ivyfrost abruptly stopped, causing him to collide with her.

xxxxx“This looks like a good place. Greybird, do you have the herbs?” Ivyfrost asked. Greybird nodded, dropping the stems at Bearmask’s paws and spitting into the nearby grass, as if just licking the herb was going to poison him. Bearmask snickered at the sight. He looked down at the herbs, watching as the small white petals were drowned in the rain.

xxxxxThe sound of heavy footsteps alerted the tom, his ears perking to tune into the approaching sound. He cocked his head to see Orchidnose bounding towards the trio. A grin split on his face as he turned on his heel towards her, but he didn’t approach. Orchidnose slowed to a jog once she neared, walking up to Ivyfrost and talking to her for a few minutes.

xxxxx“No, those are valerians. Did you have Greybird get them?” Orchidnose reminded her with a huff.

xxxxx“Might’ve.” Ivyfrost admitted, chuckling slightly.

xxxxx“Well I don’t see why he thought they would be in my den. I wouldn’t keep such a dangerous herb in my stock. Those are for my decor.” Orchidnose remarked.

xxxxx“Well, blame him, not me.”

xxxxx“Fine. Well, come with me and help me find some actual hemlock, will you?”
Orchidnose prompted the tabby molly. Ivyfrost paused for a second before nodding, not wanting to go against Orchidnose’s wishes. She turned to Greybird and made sure he was okay with the arrangement. The small grey tom’s gaze darted from her to Bearmask, but he caved in and accepted.

xxxxx“Yeah.. Yeah, sure.” He nodded, his voice shaky and filled with worry. Bearmask looked over to him and smiled. He knew what Orchidnose had in mind, though he waited until the two mollies left.

xxxxxAs they padded away in search of the poisonous herb, Bearmask pointed his attention to Greybird. The small tom piped up in fear, his words coming out in a jumble. “Hey, y-you’re supposed to stay here. What’re you doing?”

xxxxx“What I have to do to survive. Now listen.” Bearmask said, shoving the grey tom away. He unsheathed his claws, digging them into the ground that was softened by the rain that pelted his black fur. “We both know I tower over you as if you were a kit, and you’re undeniably weak. We both know warriors don’t kill for sport or show, so don’t make me have to. Neither of us want this to happen, so just shut up and comply.” His tone turned dark as he growled in Greybird’s face. “All I want is to see my kits born and raised right. I don’t think this damn clan could do the justice for my kits that I would. If you follow me, it’s not going to be pretty for either of us. Understand?” He snarled, his hot breath coating Greybird’s muzzle. The grey tom backed up in disgust, but nodded. His body began to tremble as Bearmask laughed. “That’s all I needed.”

xxxxxApproaching footfalls alerted Bearmask, causing him to make the scene look as if he were simply talking to the trembling grey tom that sat in front of him. The black tom looked towards the source of the sound, exhaling a sigh of relief as he only saw Orchidnose. She bounded towards him and buried her muzzle in his fur before whispering, “We need to run. Now. I told Ivyfrost that I was checking up on the two of you, but I don’t know if she trusts me enough to let me leave alone. Now go.” She shoved him out of her way as she continued to run. Bearmask looked to Greybird and narrowed his eyes. He mouthed out a couple of words before running after his mate.

xxxxxDon’t tell anybody.

xxxxxThe pair leapt over the nearby river and dove into the cedar trees that began to line the outskirts of the riverbank. Darkness blanketed their figures and masked them out of sight for the time being. Greybird took a few deep breaths and sat down again. “What the hell just happened.” He questioned himself.

[faerie;]

welcome home!
______________________________________________________________________
characters; orchidnose, bearmask, acacia, shiver, milo
word count; 1289 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
other; xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxOrchidnose and Bearmask dove through the cedar forest, their paws barely touching the forest floor. Orchidnose began to slow, causing Bearmask to take the lead. As he head her pawsteps fade, he quickly turned towards her, fearing that Ivyfrost had caught up. Instead, the pregnant cat had lay against a nearby tree, her breathing heavy. Bearmask quickly padded over and made sure she hadn’t injured herself or their kits.

xxxxx“Are you okay? D-Did you fall or something?” Bearmask inquired, looking over her. He cocked his head to make sure no cat had been following them up to this point. Orchidnose exhaled and nodded.

xxxxx“I’m fine. But I don’t think I should be running. Not anymore.” She admitted with a chuckle. The black tom merely nodded and helped her to her paws again, allowing her to lean against him as they walked. “So, where are we going?” Orchidnose asked as they walked through the forest, though they had no real direction.

xxxxxBearmask parted his jaws to speak, though he paused before responding. “I, uh.. Horseplace, maybe? My family is there, they could support us for a while. It’s also quite far from the clan’s camp. They wouldn’t hunt us down there, they wouldn’t make the effort.” He suggested before adding his comments on their past clan life.

xxxxxOrchidnose nodded and pushed him on. “Well, let’s go then. I’ve always wanted to meet them, you’ve always painted them as such nice people.” She spoke, punctuating her sentence with a yawn as they padded forward.

xxxxxAs Horseplace came into view, so did the cats that lay on the weathered fence -- well, what was left of it, at least. Most of the fence was broken down, probably trampled by horses or creatures similar. There were a couple of cats that sat near the barn that housed them. They slumped against the wall to avoid the rainwater, though they perked up once they saw the unfamiliar cats come into view. Orchidnose quickly separated from Bearmask’s side, allowing him to walk in front of her and act as a shield, as if the barn cats would cause harm to the two.

xxxxx“Hey! Who’re you?” A ginger and white cat called out. The ginger patches outweighed the amount of white on his fur. His eyes were a pale olive color. His pale pink nose twitched as he took in the scent of Orchidnose and Bearmask.

xxxxx“I should be asking you the same thing. I’ve never seen you here, yet I was here only a moon ago..” Bearmask called out as he approached the fencing. The ginger tom looked down at him, his head cocked.

xxxxx“But you don’t smell like the barn..?” The ginger tom questioned quietly, though Bearmask interrupted him.

xxxxx“Anyways, where’s Acacia? She should be out here.” He asked, looking around for his mother. He knew the tortoiseshell molly would be overjoyed at the thought of being a grandmother, and he was excited to tell her. She had always loved kits, and he wanted to make her happy in such a dark time in her life.

xxxxx“Oh, she’s in the barn with Shiver. ..Oh! You must be their son. They keep talking about you. You fit their description, after all. Your name’s Bear, right? Mine is Milo!” Milo informed Bearmask with a grin. Bearmask quickly thanked him before motioning for Orchidnose to follow him. As they walked away, Milo happened to follow. The ginger tom followed the pair before they reached the doors of the barn. The doors were set ajar just slightly, though a cat stood in the way. He was tall and his white fur clung to his pelt. Bearmask acknowledged the tom with a curt nod, though it seemed as if he had never noticed. Once the black tom stood inside, Bearmask motioned Orchidnose and Milo inside. Instead, Milo nudged them inside as he flicked his tail tip in goodbye.

xxxxxInside sat a pretty tortoiseshell molly and her mate, a large black tom. The sound of the creaking door caused them to turn their heads just enough to see who entered. The molly acted first, immediately leaping to her paws and bounding over to Bearmask. “Oh, Bear!” She cried happily, her muzzle pressed against his cheek. Bearmask returned her purr and looked up to see the older black tom stand to his full height and hobble over towards him. He smiled at the sight, greeting him with another purr.

xxxxx“How have you guys been holding up?” Bearmask asked his parents as they shuffled back. The tortoiseshell, Acacia, was again first to speak.

xxxxx"Shiver’s been getting better, he’s not as worse as he was when you last saw us.” Acacia admitted with a chuckle, looking at her mate. His muzzle held grey hairs, whiskers long and crooked. Shiver looked at Acacia and smiled before looking back to his son. His voice had grown gruff over the years, and it showed as he spoke.

xxxxx“I’m fine for now, though I would like to be introduced to this beauty of a molly.” Shiver said, mentioning Orchidnose. Orchidnose peeked from behind Bearmask, though shuffled up and squeaked a hello. “Hello, darling. Bear, could this be that cat you were telling us about?”

xxxxxBearmask seemed embarrassed with the way he awkwardly paused to respond, but nodded. “Uh, yeah. Orchidnose, my parents. My parents, Orchidnose. We were hoping you guys could house us until Orchidnose gives birth.” He admitted, suddenly becoming fixated on a flower that grew against the wall of the barn. Acacia’s amber eyes widened as she nodded. Shiver rested his tail over hers as to calm her down.

xxxxx“Of course we will, Bear! And kits, oh my! Do you have names? Do you know when they’ll be here? Oh, Shiver, we’ll be grandparents!” Acacia nodded furiously and squealed to her mate, resting her head on his chest. Shiver’s chest rumbled with laughter as he looked Orchidnose and Bearmask over.

xxxxx“Of course. I’ll have to run out tomorrow to make a new bed for the both of you, but it’s no trouble at all.” He insisted, though Acacia batted his side with her paws.

xxxxx"You’re the sick one here! I’ll run out with Bear tomorrow and we’ll find the bedding. You all can just rest here tomorrow morning. Right, Bear?” Bearmask’s mother informed them with a cheery tone, though she turned to him and narrowed her eyes as if to insist he agreed. The younger black tom nodded and chuckled awkwardly before leading Orchidnose to a small nest that used to be his when he was younger.

xxxxx“Here, take my nest for now. I’ll sleep on the floor for tonight, it’s fine.” Bearmask said, nudging the brown tabby molly into the small nest. The queen paused for a second as if to refuse, though she soon settled into the nest and thanked her mate with a quiet meow.

[eltonn]

mark

[faerie;]

little ears are around!
______________________________________________________________________
characters; orchidnose, bearmask, greykit, beetlekit, stormkit
word count; 518 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
other; xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxx“Foxdung eating, crowfood spouting..!" Bearmask hissed as the rabbit dove into the snow to escape his grasp. He stomped around angrily, throwing his body from left to right in rage. His large paws thrust snow into the air with each step. Orchidnose lay nearby, her tail curled around three small bodies. She flattened her ears at her mate’s outburst, immediately scolding him.

xxxxx“Little ears are around, Bearmask!” She called out to the large tom with a roll of her eyes. She looked to her kits and drew her tongue over their ears as if to block out the sound of their father’s ramblings. Bearmask sighed and turned towards his mate, watching as she groomed their kits. He begrudgingly trailed over, feeling embarrassed that he hadn’t been able to feed his family for a few days now. For moons, they had been relying on his parent’s home for shelter and their patrols for food. Ever since Orchidnose had given birth, Bearmask had put it on himself to hunt for him and his new family. It was the way his dad raised him and his sister, Lilywhisker, so why couldn’t he do it? He grumbled quietly to himself before settling down next to Orchidnose.

xxxxx“I’m pretty sure they can’t hear yet, Orchidnose. Now, have you chosen names for them, or are we going to continue to call them Thing One, Thing Two, and Thing Three?” Bearmask inquired with a snicker, nuzzling the molly out of the trio. She was white with a taupe and black coloring, similar to how her mother looked, but her pelt seemed diluted.

xxxxx“I was thinking we could name the molly.. Greykit, maybe? Or should we give them regular names, without the clan suffixes?” Orchidnose asked his opinion as she groomed the grey and taupe kit that lay against her side. Bearmask paused for a moment then nodded in agreement.

xxxxx“Greykit seems fine to me. What about the two toms?” Bearmask picked up a black kitten and placed him between his large paws. The kitten mewled in protest as he was taken from his mother, but Bearmask mimicked Orchidnose and drew his tongue across the kit’s pelt as if he were a queen himself. “Beetlekit.. Do you like Beetlekit?”

xxxxx“It fits. He’s quite tiny, I hope he grows up to be as big as his brother and sister.” Orchidnose admitted, looking at Beetlekit. The tom continued to squeal for his mother, causing her to grab him by the scruff and settling him next to Greykit. “And now, the last one.” She spoke to herself.

xxxxxThe last kit was a tom. He was slightly larger than Greykit, but that was to be expected with toms. His pelt was a greyish brown color, thin tabby stripes licking down his back. He looked similar to his mother and Greykit. Bearmask looked to Orchidnose and suggested a name. “Stormkit?”

xxxxxOrchidnose grinned and nodded. “Greykit, Beetlekit and Stormkit it is.” She rested her muzzle against the kits and purred. “Welcome home.” She mumbled quietly into their ears. They all squealed and wriggled in response, causing the new parents to smile in unison.

[faerie;]

what should we do today?
______________________________________________________________________
characters; orchidnose, bearmask, greykit, beetlekit, stormkit
word count; 781 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
other; i'm gonna put a poll up so you guysxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
can vote for what the next story will be aboutxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-- timeskip to the kits being 4 moons old --xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxx“C’mon, Beetlekit! You gotta see this snow! It’s falling down! From the sky!” Greykit squealed, running in circles outside of the barn. Snow began to heavily blanket Horseplace, covering Greykit as well. The water on her pink nose caused her to sneeze and shiver. “Geez, it’s cold! Since when was snow this cold?!” She hissed loudly, though her parents paid no mind. They were laying in the barn and sharing a rabbit they had caught that morning.

xxxxxBeetlekit’s ears perked at the sound of his name. The tom chirped in response. “From the sky? Snow doesn’t do that! Right, Momma? Come on, you’ve got to see it!” Beetlekit asked his mother before motioning her to the barn doors.

xxxxxOrchidnose followed her son outside and looked into the sky. Snow continued to fall and land on the cats’ pelts. The mother looked to her kits and smiled. “Snow does, in fact, fall from the sky. You guys just haven’t been outside long enough to see it.” She informed them. The kits gaped in awe and seemed shocked, but they were in no position to question their mother.

xxxxxGreykit shoved Beetlekit with her paw before sneering. “I told you so! What, you couldn’t believe me, Beetlekit?” She teased him with a prodding paw. The black tom slipped away from her grasp before rolling his eyes.

xxxxx"You aren’t the easiest cat to trust, Greykit.” Beetlekit remarked as he turned away from his sister. The statement took Greykit back, stopping her in her tracks for a few heartbeats. Beetlekit grinned, proud of himself, as he walked back into the barn. He watched as his grandparents shared tongues. As he looked to his left, his father was sharing the last of his rabbit with Stormkit. Beetlekit bounded over and piped up.

xxxxx“Could I have some?” He squeaked excitedly. Admittedly, he had never tasted rabbit, but he had always wanted to.

xxxxx“Course. Stormkit, let your brother have the rest.” Bearmask insisted, nudging Stormkit away from the picked-apart carcass. Beetlekit dipped his head in thanks before diving in. The meat was cold and bitter, though the kit didn’t dare mention it. He had begun to understand how hard it was to get food during Leafbare, so he was thankful for every bite.

xxxxxGreykit came bounding in after her brother and leapt on him. "I'm trustworthy! I'm trustworthy!" She wailed angrily. It seemed that the molly's thoughts had collected once Beetlekit left his insult in the air. Beetlekit choked on the piece of rabbit he was chewing and spat it out before managing, somehow, to flip Greykit onto her back. "Hey!" She cried out. Mom! Dad!"

xxxxxOrchidnose padded over and grabbed Beetlekit by the scruff and pulling him off of his sister. "Sit up, Greykit." She said, her tone stern. Greykit immediately sat up and straightened herself out. "Beetlekit, do not pin your sister down again. Greykit, do not attack your brothers again." She barked, her olive eyes narrowed. The kits nodded their heads furiously, not wanting the scolding to go on for any longer. Orchidnose smiled, apparently pleased with the response, and nudged the kits off to play.

xxxxxBearmask walked up to his mate and rested his tail over hers. "Looks like you've got this parenting thing down to a point." He complimented her with a purr. Orchidnose blushed but thanked him quietly, resting the side of her muzzle against his chest.

xxxxx"It's exhausting, but it's worth it." She admitted with a sigh. Bearmask nodded and lead her back to their nest. It was made up of large moss leaves and dried out cobwebs, gifts from the kits.

xxxxx"Here, you rest, and I'll watch them until evening." Bearmask insisted. Orchidnose accepted immediately and mumbled her thanks before resting her tail across her body and soon falling asleep. Bearmask smiled as he turned back to the entrance of the barn. Stormkit had Greykit pinned while Beetlekit cheered his brother on. The large tom padded over, his heavy footsteps alerting the kits. They scrambled away from each other and pretended to be caught up in whatever was around them. Beetlekit looked towards the horses in their stalls. Greykit ate a mouthful of snow while Stormkit watched with awe.

xxxxxOkay, kits, we might as well do something with our time." His voice seemed to boom as it scared the kits. They all turned to watch him. "First, we could hear some stories from Shiver." Beetlekit squealed his approval. "Or we could try and go out hunting." Stormkit mewed a chorus of acceptance. "Or we could go off and meet some of the other barn cats." Greykit jumped around at the thought of meeting new cats.

xxxxx"Well, which one will it be?"