With Tooth and Claw, I'll Help You In [Abandoned Mini-plot] [DARKSTAR AND/OR BLIZZARDSHINE NEEDED!]

Blacktwig marched into camp with his patrol, squandering the slightest bit of worry that they would be attacked by little Leopardkit's mother. The black, tawny and white tomcat's spirits lifted, when the sunny camp met his gaze. He saw tiny kits lofting a mossball, surprising for their minuscule size, and apprentices and warriors milling. He saw Sparkpaw vaguely from his viewpoint outside of the medicine cat's den. He looked beside himself at Emberheart. She was faring well, with Leopardkit dangling from her clenched jaws. As he continued walking through camp, he finally came to a stop. He glanced around for Darkstar. Perhaps the she-cat was tired, or maybe occupied, because she didn't seem to currently be present. Nevertheless, he would wait. "Keep Leopardkit in your sight," he ordered subtly and quietly to Emberheart.

Blacktwig's ears perked upon the sound of paws approaching, pattering in their wake. He looked beside him to see Mottledwing, his beloved daughter, approaching. Of course she was here - so naive, so curious. He heard her words. 'Hey, who is that?' Blacktwig felt himself shiver, trying to conceal the small, golden tom-kit from his daughter. "Uhm..." he began, yet he was at a loss for words. He looked at Emberheart for assistance, although he knew that she was almost definitely going to deny.

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Mottledwing saw the patrol of cats come into camp, bearing no prey. Not a successful hunt, I guess, she thought, tail swishing. Blacktwig's there, though, so I'll see how it went. Mottledwing padded up to her father, ruffled red-and-white fur like stardust in the peeking sunlight. She cocked her head, looking at him, noticing a small, golden bundle. Her fur prickled, a mix of unfamiliar and ThunderClan scent. "Hey, who is that?" Mottledwing asked suspiciously, peering at the kit. Her father's hesitant reply was no reassurance. She shut up, not wanting to make him more uncomfortable.

For a few minutes Leopardkit had managed to slip in and out of consciousness, until the she-cat and her comrades entered a new place.  Opening his greenish-hazel eyes wide, he gazed around the snow-covered clearing.  So many new scents....  The tiny tom-cat was quickly overwhelmed, and began to squeal fretfully.  Squirming around in the she-cat's jaws, he managed to catch sight of another cat approaching him, which only triggered him more.

Mottledwing gazed at Leopardkit with soft eyes. "Shh..." she shushed carefully, noting that it must be a rogue kit; therefore, terrified by all of the new scents. She raised nonexistent eyebrows at Leopardkit. She sighed normally.

A quiet, comforting sound echoed from the newcomer that made Leopardkit stop struggling for a moment. He gazed at the mottled she-cat, awestruck. Upon his careful inspection, she was the only cat in the group who didn't scare him. She had a kind, gentle air to her that was almost infectious. For the first time that night, he began to purr.

Blacktwig had frozen rigid for a moment when Leopardkit began to struggle. Then, he heard Mottledwing hush him, calming him down. Blacktwig began to fear that this act would only make Leopardkit struggle more, but to his surprise, he stopped and purred. I think I've finally found someone to take care of him, he considered inwardly. He gazed at Mottledwing with gratitude, who was still cooing to Leopardkit quietly. 'What's his name?' He heard Mottledwing ask. "Leopardkit," he replied. "Leopardkit is his name." Blacktwig smiled calmly.

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Mottledwing continued, in the calmest, most soothing voice that she could muster. "There, there..." she said. "It's alright, don't be scared..." She turned her bright hazel gaze to look at the adorable kit, complete with black-tipped ears. "What's his name?" Mottledwing asked, in the same tone, as to keep Leopardkit serene. She looked at Blacktwig curiously. 'Leopardkit is his name.' Mottledwing smiled, dimples appearing at the corners of her maw. "Leopardkit..." she repeated, humming. "I like it." Mottledwing sat back, still looking at Leopardkit warmly.

Leopardkit continued to stare calmly at the kind she-cat, his limbs hanging still and a loud purr rumbling from his throat. She reminds me of Mama- For a moment a shadow of the past darkened his gaze; No, not Mama. She never talked to me like that... Even since he was born he only remembered the harsh, mean voice of his past guardian, loaded with insults and spite.

Suddenly, his body seemed to remember how sore his scruff was. After a whole night of walking and being carried, his skin was stretched to the limit. Breaking gaze with the she-cat, he began to slightly squirm, pawing calmly at the ginger she-cat who was carrying him. A silent request.

Blizzardshine was resting next to the warrior’s den under the weak sun of Leafbare and had fell asleep at some point before Blacktwig returned to camp, since then some snow had managed to fall on her thick white pelt and made her look just like some piled snow in her current curled up state.

It took her some time to open her eyes after the soft voices reached her ears, the first sign of life being the movement of her ears and then her long fluffy tail as it revealed the face that it had been protecting from the cold. Getting up slowly, she stretched and shook the snow off her pelt before padding towards the group of cats to know what was going on. She, however, wasn’t expecting to see the little kit between them.

With a surprised gaze, she looked at Mottledwing and then at Blacktwig “Hum…can I ask what’s going on here? And who is the kit?” Her voice was as calm and gentle as always, though now there was a clear tone of confusion mixed in as well.

Blacktwig, who was normally determined and thoughtful, looked up at Blizzardshine, with his gaze sprinkled with panic. "U-Uhm..." he stammered, blushing like an awkward apprentice. "I-I we-went out... o-on a patrol wit-with E-Emberheart, Pinewhisker, an-and Icepaw..." he said, looking at Leopardkit. It was much too late, Blizzardshine had already caught sight of the tiny kit. Blacktwig loathed himself when he lied, so the truth's words came dripping out of his maw like venom. "W-We found this kit." Blacktwig gestured with his tail, over to Leopardkit. "I th-think he's a rogue." he sighed.

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Mottledwing continued to purr at Leopardkit, and looked up at Emberheart as her father nervously talked to Blizzardshine. "He's uncomfortable," she said to her sister, blinking. "I think he wants you to let him go." Mottledwing scooted closer to Leopardkit, yet not too much to make him feel overwhelmed. She gave his ear a quick, soft lick, and her kind eyes watched Emberheart's face for any refusal or protest. Although Emberheart was adopted, it was barely disputable that they looked like blood-related kin.

Emberheart padded into camp close behind Blacktwig, her jaws aching. Although this kit was only a few moons, he was still way heavier than any squirrel she'd ever carried.

As Blizzardshine rose and came nearer, she finally paused by her brother's side. The russet warrior lowered her head, letting the tom kit go but keeping him next to her, paws placed protectively before him. Her tongue swiped around her muzzle once, savoring the relief of the weight off her head. "Glad to," she muttered to Mottledwing, disliking her almost immediately. She hadn't known the pretty she that well; she had been an apprentice somewhere along the lines of when she was born, and although they looked like kin, they were nearly polar opposites.

But she didn't make it obvious that she disapproved—only a slight hardening of the eyes, and a dismissive turn.

"What this mouse-brain means," Emberheart began, flicking her tail to signal her brother to stop making a fool of himself, "Is that we found a mewling kit in the woods, Blizzardshine. His mother is long gone, and I'm not sure if he's still on milk or not. We…have no queens." she paused, then added with an amused glint in her dusty eyes, "Blacktwig named him Leopardkit."

"I-It's a temporary name!" Blacktwig protested, slightly frustrated. His tail lashed with embarrassment. He looked at Emberheart, blinking at her. She was still younger than him, right? It didn't feel like it.

Leopardkit sighed with relief as the ginger she-cat placed him gently on the ground. Shaking out his golden tabby pelt, he extended his paw forward to toddle over to the mottled she-cat. The newly fallen snow made his toes cold, but he didn't mind. Stopping at her paws, he looked up at her with wide, trusting eyes before nuzzling her front legs, taking no notice of the newcomer or the conversation.

Mottledwing accepted the small, golden kit with a purr. She wrapped her fluffy, red-and-white tail around Leopardkit, and smiled. "Hey, little guy!" she cooed. She got negative waves radiating off of Emberheart, yet she honestly didn't mind. The ginger she-cat could execrate her as much as she liked, but she wanted to care for Leopardkit - even if she thought that she would be sent off to another queen in the nursery.

Leopardkit purred heartily as he felt Mottledwing wrap her fluffy tail around his cold body. Sighing contently, he snuggled deep into her thick fur, trying to absorb as much warmth as possibly into his own. His eyes began to flicker sleepily, and his jaws opened in a huge yawn. It had been a long day for him, and he hoped they would get their adult-cat talking over with so he could sleep in a nice, warm nest again.

Mottledwing was literally contemplating about becoming a queen to take care of this kit. So was her father, even though Mottledwing just became a warrior and started training Jaypaw.

Blizzardshine couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle as she looked at the interaction between the kit and Mottledwing. However, even if her eyes were on them, her attention was on Blacktwig and Emberheart as they spoke, her ears moving from one to the other to catch their words. Her soft spot for kits wasn’t exactly a secret between the clan, as it had been a constant on her personality even as an apprentice back in the barn, more willing to play with the kits of the nursery than to go out training with his long dead father and mentor.

“Relax Blacktwig” She purred calmly as she turned her head to look at them. She wasn’t surprised at all with Emberheart’s words nor actions, aware that her personality was just as fiery as her name “Leopardkit, hm? Well, it fits him” The white deputy’s expression didn’t showed much even if her eyes were quick to reveal her worry for him. He had lost a daughter not long ago and she wasn’t sure of how well he was getting over the loss, maybe this new kit was what he needed to get over the loss? She just hoped that he wasn’t hoping to fill that void left by Mothstrike with the kit, as she wasn’t sure if he would be able to do so.

Then again, there was the queen issue, just like Embrheart pointed out, causing her to sigh “I can try to ask around if anyone is willing to act as queen for the time being…I know that there are some couples planning to have kits, but I don’t know how long it will take them, nor if they will have extra milk” She was trying really hard to not make her words sound as a promise, but she wouldn’t be able to just sit back and watch as any kit starved. If things came to worst, there was a chance of Blizzardshine deciding to take the responsability temporarily just to not let the kit die.