#hey. hey. y'all remember when i brought up spruceshadow being exiled. hey

[needleclanclangen]

MOON 7 - SHADOW

"You must let them be inspected!"

"What, because they happened to explore a little bit?" Daisyshadow rolled her eyes. Her kits watched from the entrance of the nursery, glancing between each other. 

"You can't keep being defensive over them forever, you know! They'll grow, they'll have time later to explore- but right now, it's a danger. And they sparred!" Speckleback threw a paw out towards Graykit and Larkkit, who pulled back a bit once they were spotted.

Daisyshadow hissed, before glancing back to her kits and inhaling deeply. Speckleback met her gaze.

"I'll allow you to inspect them... only if you can find something in the territory." Daisyshadow grinned, and Speckleback's ears bent down on his head. Always about his own failures. How was he on the losing side of the argument here?

"Fine." Speckleback spat, getting up. "I have plenty, but I will grab some more."

"Go, then." 

Daisyshadow padded back towards her kits, and Speckleback turned to head out into the forest.

Jokes on her, he knew where some herbs were. And it was only a short jog away from camp! 

He brushed past some trees, watching as a mouse skittered away. Someone would find it, he was sure. Hollypaw was out on his own right now- he would. Speckleback walked by the small spot for their dead cats, only sparing it a glance- no rosemary there. He would have to go out further.

Fine. A bit further than he expected. He padded out past a clump of trees with moss on them, and further and further...

"Hey..."

Someone whispering. It felt like it was right in his ears. Speckleback's fur raised, and he spun around. Nobody was that close to him.

What. 

He felt something leave his back, and an urge to walk in the direction it left to. He followed it, eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out-

He stepped down a ledge, looking around and Oh.

Hidden under the natural ledge was a cat. He... knew this cat once. She had been at the first two gatherings. Spruceshadow? She got exiled. Her body was lying cold on the ground, not moving. Three small shapes pressed against her belly, trying to feed from a body that would never move again.

That feeling again. "Tricklekit." His eyes, directed at the red and black kit. "Boughkit." The light brown kit with white patches. "Rindlekit." The pale kit with a white lower body.

The presence suddenly faded, and Speckleback let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

Some rosemary was growing nearby. He plucked it and laid it out on top of Spruceshadow's body. He would come back with some warriors later to bury her body.

Right now... he had to take these kits back. He leaned down and grouped them together, pulling them away from the cold body. Tricklekit let out a small meow, paws swiping the air.

Maybe it was a lucky thing Daisyshadow was still nursing her kits. These three would be able to be nursed by her, too.

He made the trek back, jaws growing a bit more tired the more Tricklekit and Boughkit shook around. Even Rindlekit let out a weak meow. How did Daisyshadow do it so much? Over a few branches, past the graves...

"Oh, you're... b...ack." Daisyshadow paused. "What is that."

Speckleback placed the kits at his paws. They tumbled over, mewing. Speckleback's eyes remained on the three kits. "...Do you remember Spruceshadow?"

"Did you mate with her?"

Speckleback glanced up to Daisyshadow. "What? Absolutely not. Her body was found in the territory. Already dead." He glanced down to the kits, pushing them forward. "...These kits were with her. She gave birth alone, and was not as lucky as you."

Daisyshadow's expression changed, though Speckleback didn't see it. She padded forward, lowering her nose to the three kits. "... I see. I'll care for them, then." She pointed a dark cream tail towards the leader's den. "Finchstar just got back from hunting. Tell her about them."

With that, Daisyshadow pulled the kits toward the nursery, and Speckleback approached the tree that made up Finchstar's home.

Events Referenced: Speckleback and Daisyshadow argue over kits. Speckleback collected some Rosemary (between moons). While Speckleback is out in the territory, he hears whispers on the wind. Following them, he comes across the body of a dead queen and her three kits, who are still alive. Tricklekit, Boughkit, and Rindlekit.

a bonus spruceshadow