Foundling

continues from this topic

The light of day was reaching all corners of the sky as Frostgaze traversed the marshes with the little white kitten, blending in perfectly as she clung to the snowy fur on his back. 

Her ears and nose were raised in curiosity as Frostgaze carried her through ShadowClan territory. She had never smelled anything like the marshes. It was so different from the many and varied rancid smells of the carrion place. The marshes smelled wet and earthy, fragrant pine blown on the breeze. There were scents of things that were living and delicious across their path, and her eyes were wide and darting trying to catch sight of these creatures. She quivered with the desire to find them but she stayed atop Frostgaze’s back—knowing even the water of the shallow marshes would come over her head and swallow her up.

The land sloped upward and became drier, until they reached a shadowed hollow blocked by a tangle of brambles. Frostgaze slipped into an invisible tunnel in the thorns and the little kitten ducked her head to avoid her ears being shredded, and stared in surprise at the hollow that had opened up before her. It smelled of lots of cats, which made her nervously flatten her ears even further, though she didn’t see many of the cats. A soft early morning light filled the hollow and the cats she could see looked sleepy. Reluctantly she slid from Frostgaze’s back, retreating shyly to hide behind his legs and peering out.

Frostgaze breathed a sigh of relief as he approached the thorn tunnel of Shadowclan, thankful that he would no longer have to carry the extra weight, even though the small kit was light and, to be honest, quite fragile looking. Once he entered, he allowed her down easily, and his gaze swept the clearing for Flintstar or Murkystrike. Not seeing them quite yet, he looked down at the shy kit beneath him. "Do not worry little one, no cat will harm you here. We must first find the leader or deputy first though, so we may introduce you to Shadowclan properly." Putting his tail gently on her back, he moved further into the camp, searching for someone to announce his find to.

Gently placing down his new find, Duskpaw purred in satisfaction. Though as soon as he sensed a warrior entering camp, he turned around, expecting them to carry a fresh-kill, or usually an interesting object.. Yet this time, it was a white ball of fur. The apprentice blinked, taking a closer look in case he had mistaken it for something else. Slowly, yet steadily, he approached the soft bundle of fur. Looking over to Frostgaze, he sat down, tilting his head questionably. Even though not knowing the warrior much, he had many questions. Who was this kit? Where did it come from? What about it's parents? Questions ran through his head. Though looking back to the smaller figure, he gave the kit a bright, welcoming smile.

Finally, he decided to pick a proper question to ask. "Where did you come from, little one?" Duskpaw purred out. His tail wrapped neatly beside his fluffy pelt, green eyes gleaming with curiosity as he glanced down to the white bundle. His gaze softened as he looked at the kit. Small, fragile, and timid. He couldn't blame the kit for being overwhelmed. There surely were a lot of different scents all clouding over ShadowClan, especially since she was new. Perhaps, if the little one hadn't have slipped off from Frostgaze's back, he wouldn't have been able to spot her against the warrior's similar white pelt.

In his eyes, the little kit seemed interestingly fascinating. She seemed so unlike anyone he'd ever seen before. Or at least, know of. Her beady eyes seemed to stare up at him cautiously, though Duskpaw again didn't blame her. In fact, he thought it was good she was being cautious. He was much bigger than her. "I won't hurt you, so don't worry. My name is Duskpaw! What's yours?" He meowed, trying his best to contain his overly-enthusiastic attitude. He didn't want to acidentally scare her away.

As dawn started to break, most cats were slowly making their way to their respective dens. Webshadow was among the stragglers, looking up at the lightening sky with tired eyes. He planned to retire soon, and was just working out how to get his paws under him when an arrival at the thorn tunnel caught his attention. Frostgaze had returned from... wherever he'd gone.

And he'd brought a kit with him.

Whiskers twitching, Webshadow found his footing and padded over to the slowly growing group. Duskpaw seemed thrilled, and the older tom let out a small purr. He remembered how he had been when they found Hopegiver as a kit, wandering the marshes. Looking down, he couldn't say he wasn't already endeared by this one. "Where did you find her, Frostgaze?" He mewed gently, not taking his gaze off the kit. "Does she have a name? Parents, that you know of?"

Frostgaze's reassurance and his tail resting gently on her back emboldened the little kitten to pad with him further into the camp. Still, she froze up at the approach of a big cat with long charcoal fur, fighting the urge to hide behind Frostgaze's legs again. But though his fangy smile intimidated her, his friendly welcome made warmth bloom in her little chest. His curious purr made her jump and she lifted a paw nervously, finding a tiny crow feather caught in her claws. She must have been kneading in her sleep, curled up with the crows. The feather had come all this way with her. Wordlessly, she offered the precious shiny black tuft, timidly looking into his sparkling green eyes. To Duskpaw's question she shook her head minutely, she didn't think she had a name and the raven's rough croon stuck in her throat and wouldn't come out. But she felt Duskpaw's excitement vibrate through her, and she let a gentle crooked smile form on her maw. She turned sharply at the approach of another dark cat, and almost stumbled into Frostgaze's paws. Her ears twitched at the small rumble this cat made, but she liked the sound and met his gaze shyly. Staying low in a little bundle of white fur with peering silvery eyes, she looked between him and Frostgaze and Duskpaw and across the camp, tail twitching with curiosity.

Commotion near the entrance of the camp caught Murkystrike's attention, and she looked over to see Frostgaze at the center of attention, along with a small bundle. Her eyes widened slightly, had the warrior happened across another kit? What was with all of the kits found in the territory recently? She quickly padded over, calling out for Basilpaw as she went. As she neared the group, she was able to clearly see that it was in fact a small kit. Her expression softened as she looked at it for a heartbeat before looking back to Frostgaze. "My questions echo Webshadow's, Frostgaze. Basilpaw should be coming soon to look her over." She mewed, waiting for Frostgaze's response as she lowered herself to the kit. "Hello little one, my name is Murkystrike. I am ShadowClan's deputy. We're here to help take care of you, okay?" She reassured the kit before turning her gaze back to the white-furred warrior.

Cicadapaw had been on the other side of camp when Frostgaze has returned, quickly amassing a small crowd of cats. With his interest piqued, he stood to his paws, joining the small group to see what the commotion was about. Instantly, his eyes landed on the small bundle of fur by the tom's paws. A rogue kit.

No, nope, not happening.

"Are you sure you couldn't find any other rogue scent where it was found? No one to return it to?" Perhaps an innocent question in the mouth of another, but the hint of disgust in his tone portrayed a different motive to his inquiry. He didn't want it here. Why did rogues constantly dump kits at their doorstep and expect them to take care of their brood? They were no better than cuckoos hiding their eggs in robin nests. "Maybe we should look again just to be sure the parents didn't return." He sat, his tail flicking in irritation as he looked down at the small white kit. A cuckoo about to hatch. And everyone else was just welcoming them in with open arms. How naive.

Burningwing heard Frostgaze and saw a rogue kit at his feet. His fur bristled and he intended to walk passed them without acknowledging the kit at all. He dropped a rat into the freshkill pile and was about to walk back out for more prey, knowing that every moron in Shadowclan was going to blindly welcome that foreign reject. Until Cicadapaw spoke. He stopped in his tracks and stared at his apprentice. So he'd been paying attention... he was actually intelligent unlike Frostgaze and the rest of Shadowclan at this point. Knowing the kind of retort he'd likely receive from older warriors, Burningwing changed direction and stood by his side immediately.

"I agree. Look for the parents so we don't have another Batglow incident." The venom was there, and he felt he had every right to have it. He'd fought the rogues under Flintstar's orders despite not wanting to, and he'd been injured as well as actual valuable Shadowclan cats for that one worthless, half-blood, pile of crow-food.

"If you're that worried I can take it to Thunderclan or Skyclan. Let them have a rogue problem for a change." He honestly would grab the kit by the scruff and take her there. After he dropped her off at the border he was no one's problem. If a fox got her, oh well. Starclan willed it.

Batglow who happened to be returning from his own patrol paused at the words he had just heard from two of his clanmates. He was coming to check out the fuss but stopped midway through. "Excuse you?" The lanky black tom growled out. Yellow green eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare towards Burningwing. "I would watch your mouth if I were you. If you don't you might end up exactly were Vea is." Dead. The black warrior affirmed in his mind, not saying the word allowed.

He didn't say much more to the tom instead choosing to turn his attention to the more important situation at hand. "I doubt that their parents are around.. Considering everything that has happened lately I wouldn't be surprised if Vea's group chased them away." Batglow looked to Murkystrike waiting on her further input.

Burningwing's head snapped in the direction of Batglow. He turned and lined his shoulders up with his, tail tip twitching. This... this was what he was waiting for. He chuckled rather than lose his temper.

"Are you threatening a clan mate?" He chuckled again and looked at Cicadapaw. "This is why they have no place among us. You say something they don't like and they immediately result to just wanting to kill you." He then looked at Batglow again. "How typical of you savages. But go on, say what you want. Shadowclan leadership is quick to forget how many of us died to rogues and are more than willing to blindly take in more. You'll probably be defended, despite your threat to kill me. I'm no coward, I'll say it. I am protecting my clan, and that means maybe actually think about what we're doing before we do it."

Burningwing was saying this loud enough for the whole camp to hear. He had even turned away from Batglow, from Frostgaze... even from Murkystrike. He was making an example today. Right now. While he had the audience he needed. Go ahead... someone strike me. I dare you.

If Cicadapaw's words had ruffled her pelt, Burningwing's did so further. Perhaps she had made a poor choice in assigning the apprentice to him to mentor. However, as she straightened to address them both, Batglow spoke up. She blinked, taken aback by the tone of the tom's voice, and the words he spoke. It was no secret how Burningwing felt about rogues, but she feared that Batglow had played right into his paws... And Burningwing's reaction was just as she had feared. She pushed herself between the two toms, tail lashing back and forth as she glared angrily between both toms. "Enough." She growled, staying between them as she fixed Burningwing with an intense stare. "Perhaps if you had been paying better attention, Burningwing, you would have heard several of us inquire about the kit's origin, and any sign of it's parents. Every effort will be made to find the kit's parents, however, the warrior code states that a warrior can not neglect a kit in pain or danger. Until the time at which we locate the kit's parents, or that in which it is deemed a hopeless attempt and officially adopt the kit into the clan, it is under ShadowClan's protection. Like it or not, at this time, that includes you. You do not get to pick and choose what parts of the warrior code you get to follow. If you have forgotten them, I can assign you a mentor to refresh your memory. You have already argued this once before in my presence, and you were told to stop this nonsense then. ShadowClan leadership has not forgotten those that we've lost, and who it was we lost them to. I don't want to hear another word from you regarding this, unless it is to ask how you can help. If you lay a single tooth or claw on that kit, or any other, I will see you punished accordingly." Her tail lashed behind her as she stared at the warrior a heartbeat longer before turning to fix Batglow disappointedly. "Batglow, a threat against a clanmate is inexcusable, even if the clanmate is behaving like a naive apprentice. You are one of our most experienced warriors, and I expect you to behave as such." She paused before taking a step back to look at both of them. "I will be discussing this with Flintstar. For now, Burningwing, you are to help Basilpaw. Aid her in cleaning the den, organizing herbs, and changing the nests. Batglow, you are to check on the elders. Look them over for ticks, change their bedding, bring them food and water. I'm very disappointed in you both."

Cicadapaw absorbed Burningwing's words like a sponge, his eyes on Batglow deteriorating from disbelief to disgusted fury. How could he threaten his mentor when all he was worried about was the good of the clan? He didn't even want to hurt the kit, just give them to someone else. Was that really so terrible enough to warrant a death threat?

The fur on the back of Cicadapaw's neck raised in anger, but before he could say anything, Murkystrike spoke. Burningwing got a whole lecture while Batglow only got a slap on the wrist... for threatening a clanmate with death! His tail started to lash. What was wrong with this clan?! Everyone had thistledown for brains! At least Batglow didn't walk off free like the traitor he was, or was he even a traitor if he wasn't full Shadowclan anyway? He was just a rogue pretending to be a warrior.

Cicadapaw wished he had the courage to speak up like Burningwing did, a brave and responsible warrior. But the last thing he wanted was to risk getting demoted or get a different mentor that would rot his brain like the rest of them. So he remained silent like a coward, shooting occasional glares down at the kit who he believed started this useless feud. If only she was found by some-clan else, then they would only have to worry about the rogues already within their camp walls.

Frostgaze moved over top of his shy little friend, enveloping her in his chest fur until she was just a head popping out. He watched as Webshadow, then Murkystrike approached. Excellent, he could share his news. Their requests for information would not go unanswered. "Then I shall explain what I know. This kit was found in the Carrionplace, she has not spoken to me, but came with me willingly. Her scent was the only scent that was fresh enough to be recent. It appeared as if the crows there had been feeding her the scraps of what they found, but if I am honest... I am not entirely sure. It was... interesting. In any case, this shy little one appears to have no name, unless you would like to speak up?" His gaze flicked down to the kit that he had hidden within his fur, curious.

Then... Cicadapaw showed up. Burningwing's apprentice. Frostgaze's eyes narrowed at the apprentice's disgusted tone. "I am perfectly capable of finding scents. If Murkystrike or Flintstar wish to send another patrol around to ensure there are no more rogue scents, then that is their choice. However, I will not abandon a kit in need." This was also directed at the newly arrived Burningwing, there to defend his apprentice's fool thoughts no doubt. Then, Batglow and Burningwing began arguing, and Frostgaze's fur bristled slightly. How dare they be this rude to a defenseless kit, one who seemed scared already! He nearly stepped in to break up their argument before Murkystrike stepped in instead. He was glad for it, and gave her a respectful nod.

"I am sorry you had to see that little one... though I should not keep calling you little one. You need a proper name, perhaps Shykit? You are a shy one indeed. Unless you can choose yourself? If you cannot speak, then perhaps you can find another way to let me know?" His tone was soft, in an attempt to not scare the poor kit within his fur. Frostgaze just wanted this kit to become acclimated to clan life, then, perhaps, she could be safe. Was she even truly safe in a clan where more cats were viciously opposed to rogues though? It worried the stoic tom.

Mistyfalcon had padded into camp alongside Batglow, just in time to hear Burningwing's vitriol. His tattered ears flattened and his lip curled in disgust. Batglow had evidently had enough of the tom's shtick, too, tossing sharp words back at the tom faster than Mistyfalcon had expected him to. Mistyfalcon would have said something in response to Burningwing, though before he could Murkystrike had the good sense to step in.

She was always the more sensible of them, admittedly. Because Mistyfalcon wouldn't have said anything that would have helped the situation, he was self-aware enough to admit it. Didn't stop him from glaring at the tom and his apprentice, however. As far as he was concerned, Batglow and Frostgaze were right, and if Burningwing kept trying, he might just get what he'd asked for. Murkystrike seemed to think that sending him to assist Basilpaw was a good idea, though Mistyfalcon doubted he'd learn any sort of compassion or sympathy from it. Personally, he would've rather thrown the warrior out on his tail, but he supposed there would be time for that if Burningwing kept up with his snide comments. And Cicadapaw... Well, he couldn't help that his mentor was so unlikeable. He was young, still, and young cats were impressionable.

And then Batglow was sent to assist the elders. Mistyfalcon's eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze shifted from the obnoxious Burningwing to Murkystrike. Batglow didn't need to be punished for this, he'd only been defending himself. She could probably read the disapproval in his expression, but he wouldn't argue with her in front of the clan. That was best left to Burningwing.

Mistyfalcon silently slipped back into the shadows at the edge of camp with a low huff. He'd voice his concerns to Murkystrike later.

The little kitten let out a silent tiny sigh of relief when Frostgaze's fur enveloped her, and was comforted for a moment as she took in Murkystrike's greeting, but could only stare back helplessly when Frostgaze's piercing eyes flicked down to her curiously.

The tone of disgust and irritation made her visibly flinch, and she felt her smallness as the tortoiseshell sat in front of her, tail flicking. Another cat immediately came to the tortoiseshell's side, speaking venomously and looking like he would grab her in his jaws if she wasn't tucked protectively under Frostgaze's chest. A lanky black tom growled in reply and the other dark cat simply chuckled, somehow a more frightening sound than his deep malevolent mew.

The hostility between the cats prickled in the air, and it felt as if someone was going to strike. She felt Frostgaze bristle slightly, tense like he was ready to move before Murkystrike stepped in, tail lashing as she glared and meowed angrily. The white kitten trembled, her little heart throbbing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the dark shadow of a cat glowering from the shadows of the hollow. 

Frostgaze's calm words made her look up, meeting his patient gaze. Her eyes lit up when he suggested a name, her ears perked shyly. Still trembling she nodded her head quickly, though she didn't really understand the name.

The other cats' hostilities seemed to have been mostly squashed by Murkystrike, except for the angry tortoiseshell tom whose neck fur bristled as he shot cutting glares down at her. With all the boldness she could muster, Shykit stared back ...until he looked away, and her eyes searched again for a friendly face.

Suddenly she caught the dark shimmer of feathers between the brambles at the edge of the hollow, where the raven perched on a branch, seemingly unbothered by the thorns. No one else saw him. His sharp-eyed stare was fixed on her, and for a moment he was motionless. Then he seemed to give Shykit a nod, acknowledging the newly named ShadowClanner.

Shykit watched him nimbly silently take flight with an ache in her chest... would she ever belong?