Family Bonds [Closed]

Nightheart’s quick steps had managed to carry her from the border to camp before dawn. However, her time was running short and unless she wanted to be asked left and right by her fellow warriors about the small kit she was carrying she needed to reach and wake the leader before the first rays of sunlight had a chance to land on the open camp and wake the first couple warriors.

Being as silent as possible, the dark warrior made her way around her clanmates and to the place where the grey leader was sleeping, placing the newborn kit on the ground as gently as possible before nudging Ashstar in an attempt to wake her up, just hoping she wouldn’t react by getting on her guard and waking those around them as well “Ashstar? Ashstar, please, wake up!” She spoke as quietly as possible so her voice wouldn’t reach the ears of those around.

The little tom that was gentle set to the ground let out a small cry. He could smell things, but he couldn't see.. Something smelled familiar about the she-cat that set him down but it wasn't quite right. It didn't smell the same as the scent he was taken away from just a few moments before. It was a little sweeter. Badgerkit let out another small cry as he struggled to move closer to Nightheart for some warmth.

Ashstar awoke quickly from a blessedly dreamless sleep, green eyes panicked. Every time someone woke her up in the dead of night, something bad was going on. An attack, or a betrayal, or other massive problems- far from the days when Smokekit and Sharpkit would wake her when they had bad dreams. "What? Where? Who?!" Seeing only Nightheart there, she calmed down in an instant, at least until she saw the tiny kit at the warrior's side. The kit smelled different... like... RiverClan? Huh. After studying the kit for a few moments, the leader's eyes drifted back to Nightheart. "What is it?" she asked patiently, wondering what this was all about.

Nightheart sighed and lowered her ears when Ashstar finally made the question. She wasn’t going tell her all the info unless she specifically asked for it, but even if it felt like she was going against the promise she made to her sister she had no choice but to be honest. Ashstar was her leader, for StarClan’s sake, she wasn’t going to lie to her “Its…my sister’s kit. She died giving birth at the border and her last wish was for me to bring back Badgerkit to WindClan and raise him as one of our own” Some grief was evident in the dark warrior’s voice when she mentioned the death of her sister. However, the loss of someone she loved wasn’t new for her, and that allowed her to continue talking without breaking into tears like most would even if some pooled in her eyes.

“Please Ashstar, let me…let me keep him” She was about to ask for her to get a foster queen for the kit, but she had changed her mind in the last second. Badgerkit was her family, it was only right for her to raise him herself “There must be some herbs that will allow me to produce milk for him, to act as hi mother…I know I may be asking much, but…please…” Her tail gently wrapped around the small kit to give him the warmth he was looking for. She raised her eyes to look at Ashstar, waiting for her answer. She had one more request to make, but first she wanted to make sure that Badgerkit’s future in WindClan was secured.

Ashstar took in the information with a thoughtful expression, taking note of Nightheart's obvious desperation. It occurred to her that the she-cat was probably desperate for more family after losing her sister, and most of her kits... she probably hadn't had much love since Lionfur died, even though the tom had been a traitor. Besides, one less warrior for RiverClan was a score for WindClan, especially if that future warrior was joining their ranks. It was hardly a question. The leader stood up and touched her nose to the experienced warrior's, kindness in her green eyes. "Of course you can keep him," she purred. "He will be welcomed into WindClan like one of our own. You may see Mottleheart for those herbs, or maybe another queen could help nurse him." Ashstar's eyes fell on the lucky young tom-kit who would grow up in the best Clan in the forest. "What's his name?"

With Ashstar’s approval, Nightheart felt like if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and let out a long sigh she didn’t know was holding “Thank you, Ashstar…I’ll talk to Mottleheart, I don’t want to give him away to a foster queen” She notably tensed a bit at the idea and her tail protectively around the little kit. The dark warrior had lost all her kits, her mate, her sister…Cedarfur, Spiderfur and the second kit of her sister that was taken back to RiverClan were the only known family she had left besides the small kit between her paws, she would never forgive herself if she allowed him to be raised by anyone else “His name is Badgerkit” Her voice was close to a mere whisper, barely loud enough for the grey leader to hear her.

After licking the head of the dark kit with a soft purr she raised her head to look at her leader’s eyes “I have one last request, if you don’t mind. I would like for Badgerkit’s origins to be kept as a secret, at least until he’s old and mature enough to handle it. I want him and the clan to believe he is my son, I don’t want him to grow up thinking he doesn’t belongs here, with split loyalties or shunned by others within the clan”.