sensitive topics Fox's willowed breath || o. "abandoned kit"

[Ravenwatcher.]

So I walk alone down the darkest roads​

---

Canary and her mother had lived close to the outskirts of Shadowclan's border (which had been newly named this), and for all Canary's life she had known the comfort of her mother's fur and the warm scent of warm milk that carried from her mother's dark fur. Today had started off as any other day in the comforted of their hollowed tree den that had kept both Canary and her mother safe for as long as she could remember. The warmth of her mother's fur and the brush and tickle of the queen's fur on Canary's tiny nose as she breathed, and Canary's tiny head rise and fall at the steady breathing of her sleeping mother.

She was awake but still the girl stayed close to her mother as she slept, small ears twitching while she listened to the twittering of the bird's early song and the rustling of leaves within the marshland outside of the safety of their makeshift home. Everything was perfect, it was like any other day for the two. Both nestled up together in the cool shades of the hollowed tree, listening to the ongoing peace that the outside air welcomed them to for another day. Today would be like any other day, or so Canary would think, as the rustling and shift of her mother, Canary's eyes would open and two sky blue eyes would adjust to flitter onto the face of her mother who shift to meet her own daughter's eyes, while a warm smile greeted the young kit. "Good morning my little Canary, where shall we explore today" the warmth of her mother's voice flooded like a song in the girl's ears

Letting a soft yawn out the girl would lean into the comforting rasp of her mother's tongue, deciding that perhaps today her mother should choose where they should explore that day since she always allowed the kit to pick a place to wonder upon. "You choose mama" the little kit said happily as she listened to the soft chuckle from her mother before she shift to stand up, Canary sliding off the flank of her mother's silky fur, falling to the ground with a soft thud before shaking herself and quickly bouncing onto her paw to follow after her mother happily.

***

Canary could not tell when everything had gone wrong, all she remembered was exploring when she had come across what she now knew had been the nest of a fox, first the darkness had swallowed any trace that the fox was there, but the next thing Canary knew was seeing a long canine as jaw snapped at her and the yank of her scruff as her mother quickly pulled her to the safety, a petrified look in her mother gaze. Though the fox would not give the little kit any time to register what had happened, within the grasp of her mother, dangling by the scruff, her gaze drifted down towards the marshy ground below them, and it was at that moment, Canary realized that the fox was chasing them.

But before Canary could even process it at full speed, the young kit was set in a well-hidden area within Shadowclan's border, telling her to stay there and wait for her to return, and that would be the last time the young girl would see her mother, the panicked turn as she rushed off, snapping jaws and flank of orange following at her heels. Canary waited though, she would lay there, her eyes scanning the horizon, waiting for her mother to return, but it would seem time would pass by with no signs of her mother.

Canary would still wait in the spot her mother had hid her in, her small tail curling around her paws as she laid down her head to the ground below her, the dread that clawed at the kit's tiny heart told her, screamed at the kit that her mother would not return and that she was alone. Tears began to well in the corner of the kits eyes, maybe... maybe she was injured, and couldn't come back, or maybe she got trapped... maybe... maybe her mother had gotten lost after misleading the fox to somewhere else. These thoughts danced like a small spark in the kits mind, and she would stand onto her paws, pushing past the forestation, eyes wide as she realized how...big this place was.

"Mama!" the girl began to cry out, allowing her tiny paws to take her deeper within the marshlands as she bit back the fear that crawled in her chest. What if her mother came back and saw her not there anymore? Wouldn't she be worried, or afraid that something bad had happened to her? Shaking her head and pausing the girl thought of turning around and going back to where she was told to wait, but she shook her head and continued to push forward. A few pawsteps more and more cries out to her mother the girl would pause as she heard the rustling of some underbrush and a spark of hopefulness danced within the kit. "Mama?" she called out, but it would not be a cat she would recognize that would peer from the bushes, no but a stranger that carried a heavily strange scent of dead pines on their flank. ​

"speak""Thoughts"​

TLDR: Canary basically was left by her mother in a safe spot, but instead of waiting she wondered off after both got chased by a fox, it can be assumed the mother was killed by the fox but was unable to retrace itself back to Canary <3 ))

 

[Sandylights]

Sandra ✧ She/Her ✧ Marsh Group. ░░░░░░░░░░░░░
The fiasco that was Shadowclan camp was becoming too much for the heavily pregnant cat, and had decided to step out of the camp for just a moment. Wanting to just take a moment to breathe and enjoy some time to themselves as their kits would be here at any point, so why not take a moment to herself? Sandra moved along the pine-covered ground with a soft hum to herself as she enjoyed the warm sun that prickled through the tall pines. Though as she moved along the path, a sour scent hit her nose; fox. Cinnamon fur prickled at the scent and those greenish amber eyes looked around wildly for sight of this foul creature.

Though there was nothing in sight, and Sandra felt her pelt smooth out as she reassured herself it probably had just passed by. Continuing along the worn path through the pine trees when a small voice came from bushes a few paces away; a kitten? The molly moved along the path towards the sound of a kit calling for its mother and her heart broke at the little cries. Where was their mother? Then it clicked as the scent of fox got stronger, but it moved off to the side as if it had been chasing something- oh no.

Sandra peeked through the bush to see this little she-kit, and her heart lurched slightly, "Oh, hello there little one," She tried to keep her voice soft and sweet, but her sorrow for the little girl inked the words, "I'm afraid I'm not your mama, do you know where she went?" Though the cinnamon tabby had an inkling that the kits mother was long since passed by now. ​

 

[BONERIPPLE]

---

The commotion and the sleepless nights were wearing on her. She is feeling constantly worn and she's snapped at other cats of their newly reformed colony. Apology never clings to her tongue afterwards and she's been left to her own devices. If she can not get any sleep then she needs to find some kind of peace away from the others that cling to these marshy grounds. So instead she finds herself wandering and walking, not attempting to hunt anything for a meal is far from her mind. It's when she scents the smell of fox along with feline that makes her pause and come back into reality. Her muzzle parts and she takes in a deep breath only to wander further along the trail. Ears perked up she listens then and she finally hears Sandra's voice, talking to someone and she pushes herself through the thin underbrush of mud and ferns. Locking her molten eyes upon the young kitten she stares for a long moment then and then finally she looks to Sandra. "No sight of the mother?" She is trying her best not to be negative but with the smell of a fox in the area.

The way it trails off with the going of the wind tells a story for all of them. It's highly unlikely a cat can survive a fox attack all on its own and so she thinks the worse of the situation. Turning her eyes back to the child she frowns lightly but it's not for her but the situation that they have now. "Do you have a name, child? I'm Bone and this here is Sandra, we can help you if you....want to come with us. But I can understand if you would rather wait..." Of course she will understand. Her own father and mother were taken away from her when she was very very young but the difference is that she saw what happened to them and this kit is saved from such a thing.
​

 

[TANTOMILE]

Tantomile's self-imposed quest, for now, was to learn every nook and cranny of the land she called home. Often she could be found, a fiery figure, weaving through the undergrowth and spending minutes on end snuffling about. Always having been a good tracker, she learned everything better by scent- so when a doglike scent caught her nostrils, her heart skipped for a second. Hd the remainder of her pack come out here to see her? Oh, how surprised they would be when they found out that the cats out here were as wild as them!

No, no- she corrected herself quickly. Snagged upon her attention was the scent of fox- starkly different than dogs', and much more dangerous too. Where the dogs she had known had been gentle and kind, the foxes she had heard stories of were markedly not- and she barrelled into the scene warning of it, screeching to a halt beside Sandra and Bone. "Fox, fox, fox, fox, fox- ah!"

Her repetitive warning ceased itself when deep blue eyes befell a kitten. Embarrassed, Tantomile's ears flattened against her head- oh, that was foolish! These cats were professionals of the wild, and here she came like a whirlwind, probably scaring a kitten in the process. She could be a right idiot sometimes!

Content to take to the sidelines after that... display, Tantomile took backwards steps to end up beside Bone, flashing the light-touched shadow a look of apology before settling softened attention upon the child.​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[Shimmerkit]

Sage heard the younger kitten's cries for her mother long before her clanmates came into view. Instead of bounding forward, the long legged molly stopped, flinching. The cries were too similar to her own the day her mother had been flattened to the Thunderpath like a piece of prey. And then Tantomile's cries of a fox reached her ears, and Sage pressed herself to the ground, her blue eyes round and frightened.

But then the sound ceased, and Sage crept forward, slowing to a halt as she caught sight of the kitten. Silently, she padded up to stand beside her clanmates, her nervous expression softening. The fox scent on the wind answered any question about what had happened to the smaller kit's mother. She leaned forward to give the girl a sniff. "Are you hurt at all?" she asked.

 

[BRIARSTAR]

A fox nearby was never a good sign. Briar could smell its faint scent as she approached the group surrounding the small kit. Her fur bristled at the thought of this young one out here, scared and alone and possibly in danger. They needed to move her back to camp before the fox came back. "We should take her back to camp. No use in keeping her out here. She's likely cold and hungry," Briar mewed. They could make sure she was alright once she was in safety. From a first glance, the kitten seemed okay, just scared. Briar could only hope that she had just gotten separated from her mother. She would send a patrol to search for a body later.​