Bats at Dusk

Swiftheart stretched as she woke up in the nursery. She stayed quiet happily looking down as Cinderkit was napping. She quietly slipped out for some fresh air while another queen watched over Cinderkit.

Going out of the camp exit she walked along for a little ways. A strange scent caught her nose, it was the very distinct smell of a kit, but it wasn't coming from back at camp and it was not familar to her who this kit was. Curious and cautiosly she moved forward continuing to look around. She almost lost the scent trail a couple times and just as she was about to give up she heard a little mew coming from a bush nearby.

She looked all around eyes darting back and forth wondering if a loner mother was around but she didn't see anyone at all. She slowly and gingerly walked towards the sounds.

Peeking her head into the bush she saw a little black kitten that was very fluffy and had blue eyes.

The poor thing was out here all by herself. Swiftheart purred softly and gently wanting to not scare her as she slowly approached.

"Hello young one, are you lost?" she asked her.

"My name is Swiftheart and I can help you if you would like that?" she offered gently in a soft reassuring motherly tone.

The little fluffy bundle of fur had let out a small mew. One minute she had been surrounded in warmth and the scent of milk. The next she was alone and cold with no milk not even a scent. She had waited blue eyes only having freshly opened her small ears twitched.  The bush wasn't exactly comfortable but it provided some protection. As she heard the voice her fluffy coat fluffed a bit as if to double her size as she let out a frightened yowl. She tried to relax when she realized that she wasnt going to hatm her or seemed like she was going to harm her."i-i"she started to try and speak her ears flattened against her skull."I don't know where mom went"she mewled."y...you can help?"she asked her ears perking up a little as she stood on her little paws a bit better.

Swiftheart nodded slowly reassuring. “Yes I can help you”. She meowed softly. Slowly approaching the kit she sat next to them to warm them up a bit.I will take you to my home okay? There’s lots of others there but they will all be super nice okay? she promised the kit. She wanted to tell them ahead of time so she wouldn’t be suprised . You can meet and play with my little kit cinderkit too he would love that while we look around for your parents. If we can’t find them don’t worry you can stay with us as long as you need she explained gently.

Slowly so she wouldn’t startle the kit she picked her up by her scruff and carried her back home. Going to the nursery she set her down gently in a warm nest and awoke cinderkit morning my little kit, look who I met out in the forest lost. We will try and find their parents but they are gonna live with us now she explained . She licked them both a little affection so to warm them up a little too. She curled up next to them and let them have some milk.

Nightstar had a moment to spare, though it seemed like it took a decade to get one. He wanted to be more involved in his family, now that he and his sister were the eldest of the litter. Mistyfalcon, Batglow, and Murkystar were gone, so now he needed to fill another niche the best he could as the eldest brother, as well as Shadowclans leader. But for now, he was going to take a moment to enjoy his family, instead of questioning how he would make them the best they could be. Padding to the nursery, while not well established, it was still a shelter for Shadowclans future generations.

Nightstar's eyes rested on his sisters, Swiftheart, and her two kits... wait, didn't Swiftheart only have one?

"Dear sister. There seems to be another kitten at your belly." Nightstar meowed stiffly, a wrinkle on his nose as he expressed his displeasure. "Where did you get it? Was there a mother nearby?" He meowed, his mind roiling with mental gymnastics as he thought about the patrols he needed to send out now. Energy and time that they didn't have to spare, dear Starclan, it was already a rocky road for Shadowclan and its new leader.

Swiftheart heard pawsteps approaching and glanced upwards. It was her brother and leader Nightstar coming for a visit! She purred happily as ever to see him

Nightstar! she purred, her voice filled with excitement and her usual spunky upbeat attitude.

"Yes yes, I found this one earlier today! Isn't she so cute!?" she asked him as she showed off the pair of kitten she now had.

In a quieter voice for just her leader she added on , I looked for her parents but saw no trace of them... I decided to adopt her for now ... if the parents are found... well I guess she can go back with them" She purred quietly. However, there had been no trace of the mother when Swiftheart had found the little lost bundle of fur and she wasn't sure that she would ever be found.

Snuggling back up next to the two kits to keep them warm she grinned up at her brother... She knew he was not the most fond of loners but kits were still perfectly acceptable. "Ill take care of her and everything promise!" she purred enthused about the idea of getting a second kit.

"Ill teach her all about Shadowclans ways and raise her like one of my own, you won't even be able to tell she wasn't shadowclan" she promised happily.

"I can keep her right?" she meowed knowing already that he would say yes. How could he say no to his little sister littermate? She gave him wide pleading eyes for dramatic effect as she held back a playful giggle. She always was full of that playful energy.

The kitten had let out a soft mewl as she had been picked up but after a moment she relaxed making it easier to be carried. Making it to the nursery her nose had been assaulted with all different scents foreign to her. But feeling more warmth around her she couldn't help but snuggle up into Swiftheart and next to Cinderkit. She heard the introduction and she looked to the kit beside her before she had began to nurse thankful to have at least been found. She started to get sleepy as she had curled up. She had begun to doze off when her little ear flicked hearing another voice. Her little eyes opened a bit more as she looked up at the tom for a moment her gaze grew wide for a moment.

Nightstar glowered at his sister and her wide pleading eyes. "I will send a patrol out to look for this kit's mother. If she is not found within three sunsets, then you may keep the kit as your own." He sighed heavily, displeased that he had a rogue kit within his nursery. Shadowclan needed strong, pure-blooded warriors to arm it, not kits that were abandoned and weak. It was runty, and would not have lasted the night, there was certainly a reason the kit was unwanted.