SHE TOLD ME ‘BABY NOW OR NEVER’ — moving

[LITTLE WOLF]

It was time. Little Wolf is certain that she cannot hide her condition for much longer. Some of her clan mates must have figured it out by now. She took no more prey than she usually did and yet her belly was slowly getting bigger and bigger, round and protruding and giving her away. Her biggest fears are of them not accepting her newborn kits, because of who their father is. She fears judgement, harsh looks. He is a kittypet after all and where she had come from, they had never liked those. Her mother included. But Emberstar had once resided in the Line Group, maybe she would understand. Little Wolf has hope.

She had no desire to make a new nest so soon after constructing the one in the warriors den she was currently sleeping on, when she did sleep, of course. So busy had her night been the past few moons with her secret rendezvous in the dark that it was rare to see her in the warriors den at night. She grips the mossy structure in her teeth and pulls it out into the open sunlight of the camp, eyes casting about. She had purposely chosen a not as busy time, when most cats were out on patrols and such, I’m hopes that not too many cats would bother her or ask what she was doing.

Slowly, because her breathing was still not quite right from inhaling so much smoke, she drags her nest from the warriors den into the nursery, finding a good spot away from the other queen held within. She wouldn’t want to get in the way, after all. She remembers fondly the times her own mother spent in a nursery, her younger brothers and sisters playing underfoot. She had loved helping take care of them back then, and she allows herself for a moment to daydream about her own kits. She stares down at her nests new home, lost in fond memories and thoughts of the family she would be creating so very soon. ​

 

[Mothsqueak!]

Squeak Squeak​

---

Unfortunately for Little wolf, Moth had noticed. The girl had been staying in the medicine den during her time of recovery so she had spent most time in camp focusing on getting to know everyone and now with Sunfreckle's new little ones Moth had been excitedly trying to play with them all and had also been one to keep a tiny watchful eye, which was easy when they too were almost always in the medicine cat den as well due to their condition.

She had been relaxing outside of the den when she noticed Little wolf- someone she had yet to meet slowly drag a nest towards the nursery and letting out a soft squeak the girl screamble to her paws to follow the other before pushing her way into the nursery while noticing the other day dreaming and then she gently tilted her head with a worried look on her face. "are you okay? Do you need Cinderfrost?" her little voice piped up, unaware that Sunfreckle's kits will not be the only ones to soon be running around camp.​

"speak""Thoughts"​

 

[Sunfreckle]

Despite the careful and quiet nature of the other nest and occupant being added to the den he wakes up regardless, too many restless nights with fussy and sickly kittens has him on a hair trigger of alertness and Sunfreckle's head lifts up drowsily. Both green eyes blink slowly to orient himself awake and he spots Little Wolf off to the side and offers a smile before it begins to dawn on him that she's here proper. No one just moved to the nursery for fun, he highly doubted that was allowed or he'd have done it when Cottontail's kits were still in here to keep an eye on them.
No, there was only one reason a cat moved to the nursery-unlike himself who had been too anxious or foolish to really prepare. He would have to give the kits a lecture to not pester the other cat so much and to be gentle when the other kits came-they would be a little smaller than them, a little more fragile.
"Hello Little Wolf! Welcome, congrats!" Sunfreckle's words slurred briefly, tired but no less enthusiastic about having company. "I'll make sure my little ones don't disturb you too much!" At his side, dozing away, Dovekit glanced over once before promptly going right back to sleep without much fuss.
"Do you know when you're do?" His green gaze drifted over to Mothkit with an amused purr, "I'm sure Cinderfrost already knows."

​

 

[DEWKIT !]

Only but a child, Dewkit had little idea of the significance of Little Wolf moving into the nursery, nor did she notice her slowly rounding belly. While the older cats were aware and understanding, the child felt confused and left out of the knowing. “Hi! I’m Dewkit! Did you come here to play with us?” Glancing towards her father, she’d hope he’d be able to tell her more. Once she grew older she’d come to understand that it wasn’t his place to do so, however, she knew that Little Wolf didn’t have kits, leaving her wondering why else she would be in the nursery with them.

​

 

[BERRYHEART]

As much as older siblings tended to look out for younger, what a terrible deal it would be if it did not go both ways. Though he had nieces in Lake-eyes and Clamours, it was strange to have yet more on the list from yet another sister. Though- he enjoyed being an uncle. That mentorship, the shine in their eyes... not a parent, he could introduce them to fun and education without the full brunt of responsibility. He liked that phrase, uncle Berryheart; it made him feel wizened, allowing him to imagine the future he had always wanted for himself. An elder sat recounting tales and facts about all he had learned in his long, long life. Yes, that sounded like something an uncle would do.

Sky-eyes and Nifty greeted and worried- Berryheart found little need to interject until little Chirpy came bounding in, her twinkling tones asking an unintentionally demanding question. A subtle smile set upon his stoic features, Berryheart would softly nod his head upon catching the child's attention. "I'm sure you'll have playmates soon." And it was no hollow reassurance; Shady seemed on the brink, and now she was moving to the nursery it seemed at last true. Something that only became knowledge to the family weeks ago- even through the wheezing weakness of his lungs, he could not shrug his barely-there-but-pleased expression.​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[LITTLE WOLF]

Rats it seemed like someone had seen her moving into the den. Green eyes look up warily at Moth and a hesitant smile plays upon her lips as she prepares a short greeting. Instead of saying hello though, Moth, to her horror, offers to fetch Cinderfrost. “No!” She says quickly, a little harsh. She flinches from her own words and forced the hair on her back to lay flat, panicked by any mention of that murderer having anything to do with her kits. “No, sorry. Thank you Moth but that will not be necessary” she says, gentler this time, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

She relaxes a little more when Sunfreckles head lifts from his nest, his little ones scrambling over him. She nearly melts at the sight. One day, soon, that would be her, with her own little ones crawling over her. “Hey Sunfreckle” she says, dipping her head in greeting. She freezes though when he too mentions Cinderfrost. Irritation prickles under her skin. Why did every cat in the nursery right now seem to worship the ground that murderer walked on? “No, I do not, not yet” she says, ignoring the mention of the clans medicine cat.

“I can maybe think up a couple games if you’d like little one” she says gently to Dewkit, green eyes lifting to see her brother and her heart warms. She had, once, been coming up with games for him to play too. Him and his littermates. She remembers badger rides and hide the mouse and all sorts of things they used to do to pass the time and a warm smile alights her features.
​

 

[DEWKIT !]

Berryheart would be yet another cat to join them in the general area of the nursery, leaving Dewkit feeling more energetic than normal. Almost as if she were going to bounce off the walls, she'd shuffle her paws in an attempt to remain still. “You're gonna play with us too?” Eyes would shine with excitement at the possibility of two whole adult cats playing with them. Today must be her lucky day! Starclan must really like her!

Opening her jaws to reply, she'd find herself flinching at the quick rejection of Little Wolf declining for a visit from Cinderfrost. Again, her refusal would be repeated, leaving the child slightly more relaxed with a calmer response. Had Moth done something wrong? Did she do something wrong? The girl couldn't understand why the woman had reacted in such a way. Her father's questions and Little Wolf's responses would fly over her head. Unable to understand what the words meant or what the context was, she'd stare down at her paws, watching as one lifted and fell to the ground softly after the other. “Really? You'd do that?” Glancing between the woman and her father (almost as if asking for permission) she began to brainstorm an entire list of ideas.
​

 

[Sunfreckle]

If Sunfreckle noticed the intensity from the she-cat at every mention of the medicine cat he did not seem to respond, that is to say if he noticed at all. Sometimes he felt dreamily distracted more often then not lately and his priorities were always leaning to the path that would let him go back to be even quicker.
"Dewkit, Little Wolf is here because you'll soon have new friends around your age to play with. So you have to be kind and try not to bother her."
He was not explaining the process nor was he going more in-depth than 'more kits', but if his daughter assumed they just randomly brought kittens in every so often than that was easy enough to expalin away later when she was older; he didn't feel like having such a discussion this early on. He glanced briefly at Berryheart in amusement, words also vaguely left without much detail and he carefully laid his head back down on his one curled paw to continue his light lucid daydreaming from before. He was actually considering just staying in the nursery more long term, he loved kittens, loved watching them run around and he made for an excellent heat source during the cold. It was the sort of lifestyle that appealed to a cat seeking something aligned with his skills that normal clan matters were difficult.
"Well, I'll be around if you need anything Little Wolf. Once they're this rambuncious its easy to go back and forth." He chuckled once, airily and awkward.

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