truly a miracle; the way it all cracks [closed - Red x Sienna kits]

A couple of moons had passes since the night Sienna had failed to return home to her nest. Underneath pallid moonlight, she and Redfall had nestled into each other with a comfortable ease the she-cat had never known before. Even as time passed, she still vividly remember the soothing rasp of his tongue on her pelt. Of all the things she had hoped to encounter on that peaceful day in the great garden, love had been the very last. As the soft fur of her underbelly had swollen, the housecat still found herself marveling at this fact. Tottering around as if she had been stuffed with many scoops of food had been quite the endeavor. One that she did not miss as the kits had been born.

Of course, their visits together had become sparse as the upwalkers noticed what had become of her escapades. But with every moment, Sienna sought out her lover and spent nights delighting in each other's presences, as well as dreaming of the kits they would have. It wasn't until they were brought into the world that she truly considered the ramifications and the future before their paws. Redfall would never become a housecat; she would never even ask. At every flash of his strong, shining claws, Sienna was reminded of the delicate nature of her own claw-less pads. These kits shared in their father's natural born abilities. Aida hadn't allowed her to leave, more so than before but as expected, the elder she-cat was enamored with the kits and a brighter nature seemed to dispel whatever bitter disposition had crossed her since the dawn of this relationship.

All seemed healthy and well, already teetering about through eyes that now discovered their surroundings. Already they had been proded and handled by upwalkers, something, that for the first time in her life had caused churning in the stomach. These were Redfall's kits, born with wild freedom coursing through their veins. If they were to be anything like their father, they shouldn't be touched. Efforts of preservation had been made of course but it was combated with the gnawing idea that these upwalkers had always loved and cared for her. Battering away with her harmless pads were what comprised these futile efforts. Sienna tried to push away these thoughts as her tail flickered with excitement. Today was the day, they were old enough now. Redfall would meet his kits.

While before she had worried he might vanish, that fear had been replaced with a certainty. Even in the absence of a few days, as she had fled briefly after their birth with news of the event, Sienna knew her wild tom would be exactly where she left him. A broad smile and light pawsteps helped her to gather the bunch together. Five in all, certainly a pawful. At first she had worried of the complexities of wrangling them. But they were young enough to still mind their mother, mostly due to the fact she could easily carry them by the scruff should she need to. Aida had retired to snoozing in sun. The kits were good for exhausting their kin as well. She smiled when they were all together and sought out the cat door leading to the tiny garden, and to their father. None had names yet despite her mother's insistance; Sienna wanted their father to have a say.

Just at the entrance of the den, her paws stalled and she sucked in a deep breath before calling out, "[ ]We're here, Redfall, we're finally here.[/color]"

The light-ginger and gold she-kit didn’t know much about this strange new land she had walked upon. All she knew was that, she had four other littermates and a mom. Her tiny pink paw pads slowly grew used to the hard ground. The light ginger she-kit squeaked in surprise as her mom, Sienna, call out towards someone named “Redfall”. With a slight tilt of her tiny head, the kit turned towards one of her litter mates, a tabby tom-kit. “Brother, who do you think that is? We’ve been traveling for so long my paws are sore. This better be someone important...” The golden she-kit whined about having to walk so long around unfamiliar territory, but there was something about the place that made her want to run and run without ever stopping.

OOC: Who will be the oldest and youngest out of the five? Wasn’t sure if Honeykit already knew about Redfall but I can edit it later. Honeykit is talking to Tigerkit.

The fluffy red kitten scrabbled over the lip of the cat door, righted herself, and moved to scoot under her mother’s paws out into the garden. She wanted something to climb, something outside under the sky.

There was plenty to climb on inside the up-walkers’ house, not least fun of which was the up-walkers themselves, whose long legs she could scramble up like tree trunks. She knew to be gentle with her tiny teeth and claws and not prick their hairless skin, which was soft as her kitten pads – her mum had taught her that. The up-walkers were forgiving even when she took her climbing too far, picking her up and cooing at her in their strange language. Her grandma Aida was equally indulgent, patiently allowing herself to be clambered over unremittingly, and it was only their mum calling the kittens together that had ended the game. There were five siblings, and their mum had enough love for each of them, keeping them from getting under the paws of the up-walkers or their grandma too much. But mum had not gathered them together so grandma could take a nap?

The red she-kit froze up when her mum called out to another cat. She knew their mum had gathered them for something important and her green eyes darted around the alley, shimmering with apprehension. Ears pricking up when her sister spoke, she peaked around her mum’s leg at her brother and sister.


OOC: I probably should have waited for Tigerkit to reply but I was so excited, I hope this doesn't interrupt too much!
I assumed they don't know about Redfall yet, too. I'm happy to slot in anywhere in the birth order, btw

Largest of Sienna and Redfall's five kits was the ginger tabby tom that had come last into the world. Though he was technically the youngest, he was also the most bold, and had already explored every inch of the upwalkers' nest in which he'd been born. The upwalkers themselves were boring to him - while they did provide nice places to nap occasionally, curled in the crook of a neck or a elbow, they were far too needy, and couldn't give him the freedom he so craved. Often the shaggy tom could be found staring wistfully out a window into the wilds beyond, as if something there was calling to him, come, come. Come home.

So finally when his mother gathered them all and ushered them out the cat flap and into the night, it took every ounce of willpower he had not to sprint in a random direction, just to feel the wind in his fur, the dirt beneath his paws... but his mother had said in no uncertain terms were they to leave her, and that was enough to still the young tom's paws, for now. Unlike his sister, the journey didn't tire him... he was built for running and fighting and surviving, but at her complaint he offered a short, sympathetic purr, flicking his tail to brush against her haunch. He didn't understand how she could be bored, or inconvenienced now, though. This was the most exciting thing they'd ever done. "I don't know," he whispered back, ears flicking like radar dishes around them to catch the sounds of anyone else. Clearly, Sienna had brought them here to meet someone. But who?

The cream tom blinked wide-eyed from behind his mother. A swell of energy surged through him at the prospect of meeting someone new -- someone called Redfall? Whoever it was, Mama seemed to know him, so he had to be a good cat. Or, at least, good enough. He wondered dimly where Granmaw was, but his siblings were talking! He perked up at the discussions about this Redfall character. "I've never been outside before!" he cried, surging forward and then stopping about a tail-length from his mother, lest he get in trouble. An adventure was exciting, certainly, but he also didn't want to get eaten by a dog or something.

Still, the blue-eyed kitten was wiggling eagerly. There was an adventure to be had, even if he wasn't actually going to get to go anywhere! To say he was excited was an understatement -- more accurately, he was about to explode.

The ginger male kitten had his emerald green eyes wide as he scrambled after his mother and siblings. He was eager to see more of the world. "Who's Redfall, Momma?" the ginger kitten asked, straining his neck to see past his siblings. "Are they nice?"

Finally here was correct. Redfall had been waiting for so long. Maybe a moon since the kits were born. They were old enough to walk somewhat well, and to understand basic words, but their eyes would  be bright blue. And they would have the innocence of youth, he was sure. He wasn't going to ask Sienna for details of the moon with their kittens. Her house would have everything they needed. The tabby rose, whiskers twitching. His tail beckoned her and the kids inside with him. They were excited, albeit tired, and curious. He let his gaze travel over them. Three toms and two she-cats. He observed each one, trying to see himself and Sienna in them. It was not soon enough to tell whether they would inherit the silky kittypet traits or his wild ones. Time would tell. He let his gaze rest on each of his kits, a sliver of affection in it. The first tom he looked at was lighter than his littermates, a creamy color pelt with white bicolor markings. The next one was a darker orange, like a combination between him and Sienna, but again with the white markings. The last one... A smile even broke out on his face. The ginger tabby was reminiscent of his father. The first she-kit Redfall saw was one who took on his pelt, but even darker, more russet than ginger. The last kit was born with Sienna's pelt, down to the dark tail-tip.

He looked up, studying Sienna's face. When he spoke, he murmured, "They're... beautiful, and they're ours." He spoke too quietly for the kits' little ears to pick up his voice. "But we have to think, Sienna... You only got them out after a moon - a month, I mean. I... I miss my Clan. We can't let them grow up with the lifestyle we have right now, and your mom is too overprotective. Does she even know about the kits?" Redfall drew away from his mate. "Sienna, I'm going to take the kits back to SkyClan. It's the only way... It's what's best for them. We can't be selfish here." His eyes studied hers hopefully, but they were also determined. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

He looked at the kits, raising his voice so they could here. "I'm your father, and I'm going to take you home."

As their mother ushered them inside the den, and the large ginger tom came into view, the youngest tom hesitated, his fur spiking in some semblance of alarm that he didn't even understand. Every cat that he'd met so far had been nothing but loving and caring - his mother, his grandmother - so why did the smells from this cat activate warning sensors in his brain? They were... different. Wild. And the wild part of his own lineage told him warning: be careful.

But Sienna seemed to have no such holdbacks as she greeted the tom, and though he spoke in a hushed tone, the kit caught a few words here and there: ours, clan, grow, take. He remained silent but listened to what he could. What did it all mean? Was there a purpose to all this? His question was answered as Redfall turned, speaking to them now, and the ginger kit's brow furrowed. Father? What did that mean? There had only ever been Sienna, only ever been Aida. If this tom claimed some ownership of them, where had he been all this time?

"Where are we going, mother?" His bright eyes peered up at her through the darkness. "You're coming with us, right?"

As the cat named Redfall studied each and every one of them, the gold kitten stepped forward to hear what he was saying. SkyClan? What's a SkyClan? After trying, and failing, to make sense of his very confusing words, she decided to keep quiet and listen. Until the cat named Redfall claimed himself to be their father. Small head jerking up in shock, she looked at each of her siblings and her tail swished once. So this was their father...Redfall was their father.

"W--wait. Mother is coming with us, right? Redfall, erm, Father, Sienna is coming too, right? To the...new home?" Her brother had already asked that question, but she had to know.

Palpable excitement thickened the air and spurred on her own eagerness. Considering that soon she would face the tom she loved once more, and with their kits no less, was an unreal sensation. Paws tingled as the clamoring group of kits pressed for answers. She had longed to tell them of their father, the wonderful cat he was, but talk of such things around the nest brought a tension between her and Aida. There was hardly time for a thought to drift through her mind before he was before them.

"This... this is Redfall, little ones. He's your father." Sienna breathed. Whiskers twitched and she felt the air stick in her throat at his voice. The plume of her tail drifted around them, guiding them into the tiny cavern where their very lives had blossomed. As the housecat met the warrior's eyes, her ears heated up. Without knowing the thoughts that ran through his head as he looked over the stumbling kittens, hers mirrored them. It was obvious not how truly these little creatures mirrored the image of their kin. An unbelievable warmth settled comfortably in her chest.

The crackling of his voice, filled with a painfully obvious rasp. How quickly the dreamlike fantasy of the moment was fractured. Part of her had known this moment was coming, since the first night they spent together, drowning in a hopeful ignorance. Eyes fell, a shadow cast over her previously joyous expression. Tail swept around the nearest kit, the large orange kit with a vibrant pelt, warm as the beautiful summer day it had been. Sienna looked away and for a moment said nothing. The low and defeated sigh that left her maw was nearly inaudible, stifled for the little ears listening below.

"I knew you missed them, that this was never the place for you... and I knew this time would come." What had been a brief few moons of bliss was about to become the end of an era for her. As she glanced between them, a bittersweet sadness touched her glazed eyes. Each one was just beginning their lives and could quickly forget the one moon they had shared together. It was then that she remembered the flash of Redfall's claws, she'd seen them once before as he showed her what hunting was like. Soft, clawless pads weren't designed for a life in the forest. This would be their parting moment. Somewhere deep inside, the young queen had known this all along.

Her nose dipped to touch the tom tucked beneath her tail as he pressed with questions that she couldn't bring herself to answer. In turn, the delicate nose caressed his sister's head. There would never be an answer; she couldn't bear it. Instead, Sienna turned to Redfall with her own hallow sounding words. Understanding was somewhere beneath, lining a pressing question all their own, "They deserve names don't you think?"

A figure the fluffy red kitten could barely make out in the gloom of the den had ushered them in, and she had followed behind her littermates, anxiously pressed close behind mum though her pelt prickled with the infectious excitement of the moment. She dropped her little head shyly as Redfall’s eyes, examining each of the kittens in turn, found her. He spoke to mum in a serious, hushed tone she couldn’t hear. Apprehension turned to a feeling of dread the kitten had never known before in her quiet, happy life as mum’s eyes lowered and her tail swept around the she-kit’s brother. Home? But we already have a home, she tried to say, but she couldn’t speak and all she did was open and close her tiny pink mouth. Her heart thumped against her tiny chest, ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump, as mum left her siblings’ questions unanswered. She barely heard her mother’s question, and she didn’t care what SkyClan was. She nestled as close into mum’s fluffy flank as she could and as far out of sight of Redfall as possible, eying him fearfully. He was going to take her and her siblings away, wasn't he? Her… her father, who was big and wild and whose sharp claws peaked out of his red fur even when sheathed and who she was, definitely, afraid of. I want us all to stay here with Aida and the up-walkers! the red kitten cried silently, her leaf-green eyes pleading with Redfall, clinging to the sliver of warmth she had seen in his.

"What's SkyClan?" he asked, surging forward to sniff at the new tom's paws. "Why's it home more than Ganmaw an' the upwalkers?" He weaved himself around, trying to catch the various scents this stranger carried with him. The promise of adventure was not lost on the cream tom, but the prospect of names made his ears prick up. "We get names? What're our names gonna be, Mama?" The tom trotted back over to her, rubbing up against her legs. He was curious about whether or not she was coming with them, too, but most of his siblings had already asked that so he didn't figure it was super necessary to ask it again.

"Father?" the ginger kit tasted the word on his tongue. "You're our Father? What does Father mean?" he asked innocently. He startled when Redfall started to talk about taking them to a place called 'Skyclan'. "What's Skyclan?" He asked, echoing his brother. His sisters were worried that they were gonna leave their mother, and he started worrying the same thing. "Momma's coming with, right?" he stuck his head under his mother's chin.

She was no fool. Sienna knew of their predicament, why the time they spent together was always dulled by pressure. In a way, that made it more special, knowing that the moments they spent were more precious. His gaze flittered up and he pressed his cheek briefly against hers. Once again, his green eyes fell onto his litter, and he nodded. “They do. Clan names. I am sure you have ideas already, but...” His tail tip touched his ginger and white bicolor son. “Tigerkit.” His orange pelt was reminiscent of that. Some preferred to name for the symbolic. Redfall’s parents did not, and nor did he. Sienna could take care of symbolism, but he would name with practicality, simply the pelts of his kits. The first thing - first respectable thing - that popped into his mind would be their name. It was simple.

The next tom, the one that looked exactly like him. Ginger tabby pelt. “Gingerkit.” Redfall’s tail lifted and wrapped around his paws. Obvious enough, red and ginger. Hopefully the tom would inherit the better traits of his father. “You can name the rest if you prefer. I have no specific reason for picking those two, they were just what I thought as soon as I saw them.” The heavyset warrior lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

“And... I’m sorry, but I think I will leave with them soon after. They need to be in a Clan as soon as possible, I think.” His voice was merely a whisper at this point. He was willing to take no chance the kits could overhear. Raising his voice, he turned and looked at the kits. Tigerkit, Gingerkit, and the unnamed ones. “Your mother will not be coming with us. Do not beg, do not cry. You’ll understand in time.” And forget Sienna, too. He knew kits were worse at retaining images and scent. They would cling to her pelt and scent as long as time allowed, but time waited for no one. Vague recollections of a collar, a black tail-tip, a soothing murmur... it was all they would hold onto, eventually. Which was better; it was easier to let go of someone who you never truly knew.

If only the same could be said for him.

Do not cry, the russet kitten repeated to herself as pain and then anger surged through her. She glared hard at Redfall through blurred eyes, and then did the only thing any small child can do in protest: she began to wail defiantly.

Would grandma Aida hear her from their house? Would the up-walkers? Why wasn’t mum protesting, holding them all close and refusing to let go? What right did Redfall have to take them all away?

Redfall had given her nothing, not even one of those strange names, he was just taking her home from her. Not that she wanted a name from mum either, who didn’t seem to love them enough to keep them. The little russet kitten felt betrayed by both her parents.

Wailing, she turned away from mum and ran for the entrance of the den.