Keeping Warm and Fed [c]

Locustcall had noticed the newest generation of Shadowclan cats toddling around in camp, kittens that might be too young to know of Highstones but now only knowing Shadowclan by its tattered camp and busy warriors. While he would have preferred for the clan's youth to only know of the muddy hollow in its prime, he considered it a blessing that they were born there at all, knowing nothing but their true marshy home. The nursery was one of the first dens reconstructed, but Locustcall found himself coming back to it and ensuring it was up to clan standards. The most important part of the clan was its kits after all, he wanted to make sure the future warriors of Shadowclan were safe when there were still twolegs out and about.

The muscular tom carried a small mouse into camp, the rest of the hunting patrol dispursing behind him, dropping off their prey in the pile or taking something to the elders. The moon was still climbing in the sky, the stars visible but the night was still young. Locustcall paused, glancing over towards the nursery, a silver kit catching his eye. His mouse would be too small to feed a warrior, but it might be the right size for a young cat.

His large paws carried him over, dropping the rodent by the she-kit's paws. "Hey, have you eaten yet? Staying warm?" Leafbare was still in full effect, and while he was not mouse-brained to think a kit would stay inside the nursery for the whole season, kitten fluff would only do so much when the wind blew into their hollow.

Tawnykit jumped as a mouse, slightly smaller than herself, landed on the frozen moss next to her. A large, muscular calico tom towered over her, but his yellow eyes seemed friendly...ish.

"Hey, have you eaten yet? Staying warm?"

No, she had not eaten yet. There was nothing to eat, actually, other than that scrawny thrush on that bare dip in the ground. But she was not about to eat something that could prove far more useful for another cat. besides, all the warriors and apprentices were hard at work, while she... well, a kit doesn't have much to contribute, do they?

"No, I have not eaten yet, but neither did you. Why give the mouse to me?"

Locustcall blinked at the kitten's question. He hadn't eaten yet. With how early it was, many were still looking for their first meal, warriors and apprentices hunting for the old and youthful first when leafbare and twolegs made hunting difficult. But... kits didn't really ask why they and their parents were the first to be fed. He never really thought about it when he was a kit, but his parents were quick to feed him the code the moment he was only enough to process it.

"Because it's the code. Elders and kits are fed first." He said plainly, using a thick paw to push the mouse closer. Though, if she was asking questions already, he assumed a 'because we have to' type of answer wouldn't satisfy her. "Elders have worked hard to feed and protect the clan. They are fed first as a thank you for their service and so their wisdom remains for as long as possible. Kits, however, are fed first because they are the future of the clan. If they grow up strong and healthy, then the clan will be as a result."

Locustcall sat down. "You are a very important part of the clan just being here. That's why you're fed first."

The tom's explanation made sense... if they were currently in greenleaf.

"Well, I may be a important part of the clan in the future, but there wouldn't be a future if it weren't for warriors like yourself who hunt and fight for the clan every day in this horrid weather," Tawnykit pointed out, using her front paws to roll the mouse closer to the warrior.

The older tom snorted. Who put these ideas in this kit's head? Was someone out there telling her this nonsense or did she think this up all on her own?

"As much as I appreciate the compliment, kit, how durable do you think you are? How many resources do you think you take up that Shadowclan will perish prioritizing you?" He brought tucked his front paws underneath himself, bringing himself down to the kitten's level. If she wanted to debate, then he was going to treat her like they were on equal footing. He wasn't going to tell a kit 'because I told you so' and expect her to listen to that.

"Warriors can go longer without food and shelter. Our bodies are stronger. You, however, are not. Besides, even now that you eat solid prey, you don't eat as much as a warrior. That hungry growth spurt is when you reach apprenticehood and by then you're hunting for yourself. It's easy for us to keep you safe and fed. Any warrior that tells you otherwise is selfish." Easy was a bit of a hyperbole; hunting in leafbare was never easy, but it was so much simpler with a clan. "We've been doing this since before your grandparents were even thought about by their parents, and far beyond that. If something were wrong, we would have amended that rule by now."

"Warriors can go longer without food and shelter. Our bodies are stronger. You, however, are not. Besides, even now that you eat solid prey, you don't eat as much as a warrior. That hungry growth spurt is when you reach apprenticehood and by then you're hunting for yourself. It's easy for us to keep you safe and fed. Any warrior that tells you otherwise is selfish. We've been doing this since before your grandparents were even thought about by their parents, and far beyond that. If something were wrong, we would have amended that rule by now."

Tawnykit wanted to argue more, but she was at a lost for words. This warrior was good... at least, he took the initiative to explain rather than shove the mouse down her throat, as her father had previously tried to do on his last visit to the nursery. besides, by explaining this to her, she was wasting the warrior's time! He could be hunting now, and could have caught another mouse by now...

"Fine, I'll share the mouse with another kit," she mewed, dropping her gaze to her paws in what she hoped would be a resigned manner.

The tom gave a small chuckle at the kit's sudden downtrodden expression. "Hey, don't look so guilty. It's good to speak your thoughts if you think they're right. Some grown warriors have problems doing that and just follow along with what they're told. Speaking up about what you think is wrong is how you get things to change." Of course, she was wrong this time around, but it was good she had the confidence to talk back to a warrior like this. He wanted to foster this.

"But, I mean, use that right wisely. Telling your mentor when you have one that you don't wanna go on dawn patrol isn't going to do anything other than get you confined to camp." He backpedaled just a bit. He didn't want anyone pointing paws at him for creating a disobedient kitten.

"But, I mean, use that right wisely. Telling your mentor when you have one that you don't wanna go on dawn patrol isn't going to do anything other than get you confined to camp."

Tawnykit felt a smile slowly etch it's way into her maw. The warrior sounded quite nervous as he tried to patch up all the loopholes he could find for his earlier statement. "Even if I have a very good reason not to go?" She asked as innocently as she could, her amber eyes wide.

The calico tom squinted. "Hey, don't play coy with me; you're a smart kit. If there's a good reason for you not to go, like you're injured or something, then your mentor wouldn't have asked you to go. If you really think they're putting you in danger or something, then I'd talk to another warrior first." Locustcall huffed.

"What I'm saying is be smart with it. If you just don't wanna go or you're afraid of some scuffle that could happen, that's not a good reason and you're just going to get in trouble. Speak up when you need to, but don't be a brat. Pretty simple line." Or at least, he hoped it was simple. He wanted the kits of the clan to have agency, Nightstar and their new policies on outsiders wouldn't have happened if they had blindly followed the past leadership, but he didn't want to make a generation of troublemakers either with this advice.

"What I'm saying is be smart with it. If you just don't wanna go or you're afraid of some scuffle that could happen, that's not a good reason and you're just going to get in trouble. Speak up when you need to, but don't be a brat. Pretty simple line."

Well, of course, she wasn't planning on skipping on her duty over something as simple as "not wanting to" in the first place. The Clan must always come first. But knowing that warriors also thought like this and was actively enforcing it in kits were a comforting thought. Tawnykit bowed her head. "I understand, I won't cross that line," She mewed, meaning every word. "Also, thank you for the mouse," she added as an after thought. it was rather impolite of her to not thank him.