( ☾ )) TW for child death mentioned
last leaf-bare feels like a lifetime ago. the chaos of a water-flooded camp, twolegs snatching clanmates left and right- it's all so far from her now. even when she thinks of buckgait, as she does so often, it feels like another universe where they had lived at peace within their group. looking back on it, willowroot is aware it's not been all that long at all. even if she swears she can see white fur growing on her muzzle, even if she feels her bones being worn down every day by the weight of time. it has been a lifetime for her kits, but barely any time for her.
last leaf-bare, she had just given birth to the most ill-timed litter imaginable; her cries of pain and the soft squeaks of newly born kittens had been muffled by blankets of snow. this leaf bare, two cats she deeply respects have just experienced a similar situation; this time, the river freezes but the snow comes and goes, forming a crust of ice across camp. neither heavy blankets or light frost are welcoming worlds for babies to be born into. last leaf-bare, she suffered a loss she still isn't sure she's over. this leaf-bare, hazecloud and lichentail have suffered the exact same. logically, willowroot is aware that she is quite a lot more guilty for her punishment than hazecloud. the current queen had taken ever precaution, while willow had been rash and bold with her choices, especially for a first litter. it's unfair that the deputy's family suffer for things they never did wrong.
sitting a silent, secret guard at the outside of the nursery as her clanmates begin to turn in for the night, willowroot finds her gaze seeking the sky. soft mumbles rumble from inside the den she sits beside, little squeaks and warm tones of love that evoke memories as the new family situates themselves. forest hued eyes mist over, the smoke fur ruffled by a chilly breeze as the warrior looses herself in thought. when willowroot had learned that haze and lichen had named their tragic child snowflakekit, she had felt a deep, heavy weight drop into her chest. her own stillborn child, shared a similar monicker, sent to starclan with the name frostkit, after the silver tinge to his dark fur. two winter children sit in the stars now.
it isn't fair, it will never be fair. hazecloud huddles in a pool of grief and lichentail devotes herself to her work, but willowroot knows the two will never forgive themselves. the stars have seen to that, she knows, wondering who is the cruel spirit who snatches lives from those too young to have even lived. she wants to comfort the grieving queens, and yet is aware of the delicacy of heartache. instead she posts herself on guard duty, remains close enough to help if they need it. tonight, she remembers her lost little one.
"look after him, frostkit," she finds herself whispering. it is impossible to know which star corresponds to which ancestor spirit, but as willowroot sweeps the sky with her gaze, she swears she can see a small twinkle in response.
// a slight rta?? idk how much i like this post but willow's active again! annddd a prompt fulfilled! the prompt was "in a winter past, willowroot suffered unfortunate luck with a leaf-bare litter. how does she feel, knowing someone else is traveling that same, dangerous path?"
last leaf-bare feels like a lifetime ago. the chaos of a water-flooded camp, twolegs snatching clanmates left and right- it's all so far from her now. even when she thinks of buckgait, as she does so often, it feels like another universe where they had lived at peace within their group. looking back on it, willowroot is aware it's not been all that long at all. even if she swears she can see white fur growing on her muzzle, even if she feels her bones being worn down every day by the weight of time. it has been a lifetime for her kits, but barely any time for her.
last leaf-bare, she had just given birth to the most ill-timed litter imaginable; her cries of pain and the soft squeaks of newly born kittens had been muffled by blankets of snow. this leaf bare, two cats she deeply respects have just experienced a similar situation; this time, the river freezes but the snow comes and goes, forming a crust of ice across camp. neither heavy blankets or light frost are welcoming worlds for babies to be born into. last leaf-bare, she suffered a loss she still isn't sure she's over. this leaf-bare, hazecloud and lichentail have suffered the exact same. logically, willowroot is aware that she is quite a lot more guilty for her punishment than hazecloud. the current queen had taken ever precaution, while willow had been rash and bold with her choices, especially for a first litter. it's unfair that the deputy's family suffer for things they never did wrong.
sitting a silent, secret guard at the outside of the nursery as her clanmates begin to turn in for the night, willowroot finds her gaze seeking the sky. soft mumbles rumble from inside the den she sits beside, little squeaks and warm tones of love that evoke memories as the new family situates themselves. forest hued eyes mist over, the smoke fur ruffled by a chilly breeze as the warrior looses herself in thought. when willowroot had learned that haze and lichen had named their tragic child snowflakekit, she had felt a deep, heavy weight drop into her chest. her own stillborn child, shared a similar monicker, sent to starclan with the name frostkit, after the silver tinge to his dark fur. two winter children sit in the stars now.
it isn't fair, it will never be fair. hazecloud huddles in a pool of grief and lichentail devotes herself to her work, but willowroot knows the two will never forgive themselves. the stars have seen to that, she knows, wondering who is the cruel spirit who snatches lives from those too young to have even lived. she wants to comfort the grieving queens, and yet is aware of the delicacy of heartache. instead she posts herself on guard duty, remains close enough to help if they need it. tonight, she remembers her lost little one.
"look after him, frostkit," she finds herself whispering. it is impossible to know which star corresponds to which ancestor spirit, but as willowroot sweeps the sky with her gaze, she swears she can see a small twinkle in response.
// a slight rta?? idk how much i like this post but willow's active again! annddd a prompt fulfilled! the prompt was "in a winter past, willowroot suffered unfortunate luck with a leaf-bare litter. how does she feel, knowing someone else is traveling that same, dangerous path?"
