Frostkit Check-Up [c]

Desperation to let ShadowClan's few kits live to see another day - and the nearing due date of Pineblossom's litter - had Heatherberry frequenting the nursery to fuss over the little ones. Her last visit made her heart sink as she laid eyes on a particularly skinny looking Frostkit. "Oh, sweetheart..." It was time to remove this kit from the nursery - but only for a half the day so she wasn't away from the queen taking care of her.

Within the medicine den, she plopped the kit in an empty nest and turned to her herbs. What a pitiful selection they had; she would need to go out on a hunt here soon to stock up on literally anything she could find later on. For now, traveling herbs mushed into a bitter paste would have to fill this kits belly. "It's not much but it's something. It won't taste good, but please eat it for me." It was hardly filled with enough nutrients fit for a growing kit, which made the nagging feeling of guilt grow steadily. How could she have missed this? The kits ribs showed through her little black and white pelt, yellow eyes looking dull and exhausted. If push came to shove... Heatherberry may have to beg others for herbs to help their queens produce enough milk to keep these kits alive.

Frostkit lifted her head from her nest as Heatherberry entered, setting her chin on the moss and watching the medicine cat go about her duties. There seemed to be no point to her constant checkups, apart from her watching over one of the pregnant queens. ShadowClan’s kits rarely tussled or played; there was no opportunity for them to be harmed. It didn’t matter if it made little sense to her, however, since the medicine cat doubtlessly knew much more than she did.

Frostkit blinked, and then suddenly Heatherberry was crouched right in front of her nest, pretty green eyes fixed on her own. The medicine cat’s summons was surprising, but it was difficult to find the energy to be curious. She would find out on her own time, she was certain.

The smell of the medicine cat den caused the small white kit to perk up slightly, interested by the scents and smells around her. Obediently, she ate the foul-tasting pile of herbs without a wince, enjoying the feeling of something substantial between her teeth, even if it was just leaves. It did taste bad, but it was better than nothing.

Frostkit finished off the herbs, daintily licking the last of the paste off her paw. “Thank you. Am I sick?”

She watched in silence as the kit licked up the mushy herbs, a sigh of relief leaving her as it went down and stayed down. "No... No you're not sick. But you have to promise me that you'll come to me if you feel ill at all, and that you won't skip any meals. You can't find anything to eat one night? Come to me. I will provide it for you." She didn't want to scare the poor she-kit, but if she wasn't honest about why she was fussing over her, there was a good chance she wouldn't listen. If this kit didn't eat, she would fail to grow to her potential; her size was already smaller than Heatherberry considered healthy. "I do fear you may be smaller than the others if you don't eat something every day. Help me keep you as healthy as can be, please?" The damage was already done, of course. But she refused to tell a kit she could die from this.

Oh. If she wasn’t sick, then why… it didn’t matter. Heatherberry was the medicine cat, Frostkit was not. The small kit nodded in agreement, impassive yellow eyes seemingly fixed on one point. Already she felt a little… not better, exactly, but odd, as if everything came into focus a bit more. What sort of herbs were these, that could make the world closer? Very odd. It was hard to remember what they looked like, but if she ever saw some, she would make sure to bring them to Heatherberry, in case they would be helpful. They hardly wouldn’t. There was no such thing as cat-specific herbs, Frostkit felt certain.

Another nod. If Heatherberry hadn’t been the medicine cat (and therefore, of course, an unquestionable authority) Frostkit might’ve thought her overreacting. Just a tad. She’d always been small. Some cats were bigger than others; that was life. But if the medicine cat thought it necessary, Frostkit would obey. She was good like that.

It was an unaccustomed feeling of curiosity that led her to ask, “Where do you find those leaves?”

Unlikely, perhaps, that she could find some in camp, but- well. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, but usually she didn’t feel like asking; but chances to be in the medicine den came few and far between. Perhaps if Heatherberry had the time…

She appreciated how the gears seemed to turn in Frostkit's head as though she were asking questions and answering them all at the same time. An ear perked at the question she chose to ask, one she usually didn't get. Especially from kits. "I get a lot of my herbs from the marshlands not far from camp, though it would be hard to explain them to you when I've so few right now..." A smile crossed her maw, an idea coming to mind that may help her not only watch over this kit without being too overbearing, but to form bonds with one of the little the Futures of ShadowClan. "How about this: when you get your apprentice name, I'll ask your mentors permission to take you on a little herb hunt with me. Sound alright to you?" She appreciated how the gears seemed to turn in Frostkit's head as though she were asking questions and answering them all at the same time.

Ah. If there were few herbs, then Heatherberry would not want inexperienced paws messing them up. She should’ve thought of that; it was plainly obvious. Frostkit flicked an ear, annoyed with herself. She would keep an eye on the marshlands, though, and see if she saw anything useful, although she’d be careful not to touch it. If herbs were anywhere near as scarce as prey was, even one bruised leaf could spell disaster.

Oh. That did sound… fun! And if Heatherberry asked her mentor’s permission, then there really wouldn’t be any trouble, right? Not that she needed to ask, she was the medicine cat, but Frostkit appreciated the mention nonetheless. Rules were there for a reason, and she knew enough to know that even the smallest perceived rule break could give others a… negative perception? That was what one of the queens had said, anyways, when lecturing a kit who had tried to sneak out of the nursery.

“I would appreciate that,” Frostkit mewed, sitting up a little straighter, face calm and stern, betrayed little of the excitement stewing within her. That sounded much more engaging than pretending to hunt, or fight, or any of the other things that the other kits did.