Taking care (open)

Ever since Crowspirit had gotten sick, Spotlake had been spending more time in the nursery.

It was mostly because she needed to keep herself busy whenever she wasn't patrolling or hunting. Softbreeze didn't want her overcrowding the medicine cat den, despite Spotlake wanting to be there. For her mate. So she had to take her mind off of things.

And that was helping out in the Nursery.

She had been helping out with the queens, and telling stories to the kits. She'd make sure Shyfawn got enough rest and didn't overwork herself. She'd bring prey, and give borage.

And recently, taking care of Martenkit.

The poor kits mother had died shortly after kitting, and since Martenkit had no known father, Spotlake took up raising her. Martenkit had been a bit of a pawful, but Spotlake enjoyed it, being able to raise a kit again. A kit she called her own. A kit, she'd keep safe from the Asylum.

Spotlake padded into the Nursery, holding a field mouse in her jaws. She had caught it, and wanted to give it to Martenkit. Her eyes skimmed the Nursery, looking for Martenkit. She dropped the mouse, and softly called out. "Oh Martenkit! Come here!"

Martenkit was on that thin line between reality and dream. Where everything seemed hazy, and you were kinda dreaming, but still aware of your surroundings. The dream was a pleasant one. One of those dreams that were about, well, nothing, really. Just a bunch of random scenes smooshed into a big moving picture.

She heard her name called by a familiar voice: Spotlake. Her adoptive mother was one of the few cats she liked, and she liked her a lot. Especially since she didn't have a mother of her own. Well, she did, but her mother was gone. It wasn't like they were close or anything, because Martenkit only really remembered her scent, but she still wished she was there.

The kit rose from her comfy spot and stretched a little, then scanned the nursery for Spotlake, seeing her not too far away. She padded over with a small yawn. And there was a mouse waiting for her. "Thank you, Spotlake," she mewed.

Spotlake purred at the sight of Martenkit. "No problem!" Spotlake meowed happily, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her paws. Martenkit seemed like she just woke up, seeming as how the young kit had yawned. "Had a good rest?" She asked, smiling softly at the young kit. "You seem like you just woke up."

Martenkit simply nodded in reply to all three statements. She wasn't too worried about the lost dream, it wasn't like it was from StarClan or anything, or that it ever would be. Plus, a fresh mouse was better. She bit into its tan fur, enjoying the taste that flooded her mouth. She gave Spotlake a small smile.

Spotlake's smiled widened as Martenkit ate the mouse, and smiled up at her, killing Spotlake with her aboslute cuteness. "Are you enjoying it?" She asked, a purr deep in her throat.

"I am," Martenkit mewed. She added another "Thank you" to the end of her reply, then cleaned her whiskers with a small pink tongue. Spotlake was really nice, and she was glad she'd been adopted by her.

"Good, and your welcome." Spotlake said, lifting her paw up to her tounge. She started licking it, her green eyes focused on Martenkit. After licking her paw a few times, she stroked over her head, before setting it down. "Now how are you doing with the other kits? Are they nice?" She asked.

Martenkit watched Spotlake groom herself a little, then thought for a moment after she heard the question. "Well," she started, "I mean, not really... I haven't really talked to any of them. At all." They all seemed kind of annoying, in her opinion.

Spotlake tilted her head. "Really?" She meowed. Well Martenkit did seem quieter when she was around other kits. "Well, I get if you wouldn't want too. I can imagine that they'd be hard to keep with, especially since they mostly talk about age and apprenticeship. I get if your not interstead into talking about stuff like that." She then licked the top of Martenkit's forehead. "Though it doesn't hurt to at least say hi!" She encouraged.

"Yeah..." That was really all the other kits talked about. Becoming apprentices, training, mentors, being the best warriors, all that fun stuff. It wasn't fun to Martenkit. Her idea of fun was lying outside. In the rain. It felt good, actually. The cool drops falling down on her short, light brown pelt, the gray sky that blocked the sun from shining directly in her eyes, and the general peacefulness of it. It was all wonderful. But the other kits weren't interested in rain. She hadn't talked to them, but she could tell. What cat would lay out in the rain when all others hid in dens, to get away from it?

"I guess it wouldn't..." she mewed. Maybe she could try and say hi. As long as no one went on and on about anything they normally did, everything would be fine. Maybe she'd make a friend, one her age instead of a grown queen.

"Yea it wouldn't hurt!" Spotlake perked. "Now go and finish your mouse. I have to clean you. Your furs a mess." She added, her paw gently prodding the tan field mouse.

"Okay," Martenkit said, despite the fact she really didn't want to be cleaned up. And her fur wasn't that messy. She took a few more bites of the mouse, then licked the remnants off her whiskers. She looked a Spotlake for a moment. Spotlake was really nice to her.

After Martenkit finished her mouse, Spotlake pulled her towards her, and started licking the little kit's fur. "So what do you want to do after your all cleaned? We can lay out in the sun or play a game. Or do you want to take a nap?" Spotlake asked. "We can do whatever, you can tell me."

Martenkit had to suppress a purr when Spotlake brought her tongue over her head. She wasn't supposed to like baths, but it did feel good to be licked. Well, sometimes. She looked up at Spotlake's question. "I guess a nap," she mewed. The sun wasn't really her type of weather, and playing usually wasn't a lot of fun, in her opinion. But a nap sounded good.

Spotlake smiled. "Ok then!" She said. After she finished cleaning Martenkit, she glanced back towards the kit. "Where do you want to sleep?"