someone like you | howlingstar

[Flamewhisker]

Becoming a mother had opened up a whole new world of emotions that she had never experienced before. She loved her mother and her mate, but the love she felt towards her kits was the most intense feeling ever. The need to protect them gave her the strength of the ancient clans that Little Wolf had told in her stories. In the battle against the dogs, she had felt like the Lions in the nursery tales. She had felt safe with them in the nursery with her, even though being stuck in the camp had made her restless, she had slept better knowing her kits were at her side.

Now...her sleep was troubled. A few nights ago, she had been startled awake by a vivid nightmare...her kits almost dying, the way she nearly had before joining Thunderclan. Stormpaw and Falconpaw were growing up, and she didn't know how to handle it. How had her mother felt when she was growing up? Her heart would ache, and she looked down at her paws. I wish I could ask her...

She wanted to ask Sunfreckle, but she knew that he had been excited to leave the nursery much like her. He had to stay longer with his kits than she had, so she couldn't imagine how he had felt. A brown tabby figure walking by caught her eye. Howlingstar...Little Wolf's mother. She had envied Little Wolf's kit hood while she was in the nursery. The ebony Molly was a much better mother than she had been, and that had been because of Howlingstar. She had filled the kit's heads with vivid, imaginative stories that had even captivated her. Little Wolf had told them so well, that even Flamewhisker had wondered if the tales were true.

Her own kit hood had been cut short after her littermates had been taken. Lily had forced her to grow up much faster than the clan cats had. She couldn't recall ever being told any stories, except for how her father had left them before she was born. Her littermates had played moss ball, but to a lesser extent than the clan kits...most of her kit hood memories were of her being told to stay in the nest and be quiet, while their mother was gone for hours at a time, only to come back with a mouse to share with her her other three siblings.

Flamewhisker followed Howlingstar, trailing her to the Leader's den. She stopped respectfully outside the entrance, letting a few moments go by. The red tabby hesitated, wondering if this was a silly idea. How embarrassing...you are a Lead Warrior...you shouldn't have to ask her advice for being a mother...you should just know how to be one. Humiliation washed over her, and she thought about trying to sneak away, but she assumed Howlingstar already knew she was out there. "Uhm...May I come in?" Flamewhisker asked embarrassedly.

//

@HOWLINGSTAR

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

// OMG SO SORRY I LOST THIS THREAD and sorry this is so short I wanted to get a reply out before going to bed

When she arrives back in her den, Howlingstar sits in the corner facing the wall as she steadily grooms her pelt. She's felt rather anxious since the Gathering, and having this routine helps to calm her, steady her thoughts. Cicadastar grows ever restless, and his tension with Sootstar brings tension to all the leaders. It doesn't help that he still claims the Sunningrocks...stones she believes ThunderClan rightfully deserves. She's pondering what to do when she hears pawsteps halt just outside her den, following by her lead warrior's voice.

"Yes?" She trills in response. She turns, fixing her confused emerald eyes on her. She looks troubled, concerned. Immediately, the tabby woman feels protective and strides forward with her ears flicking forward. "What is it? What's wrong?" ​

 

[Flamewhisker]

// it's okay!!

She could hear Howlingstar's confirmation to enter, and she would quietly pad in. The brown tabby was quick to catch on that something was bothering her, and she widened her eyes slightly...did she really look that troubled? Flamewhisker would lick her chest fur a few times, then look down at her paws. She shuffled them awkwardly in the soft dirt, before looking back up at Howlingstar. "Nothing's wrong...I just wanted to talk mother to...new mother."

She searched Howlingstar's gaze, hoping she didn't seem too silly. "I was just wondering...how you get used to watching your kits grow up." Her ear tips burned as she spoke the words that she hadn't said to anyone else. "How do you get used to them not needing you anymore? I want to protect them still...I know I need to trust their mentors..but it's hard." She felt her throat tighten slightly, but she swallowed, forcing it to reopen. "I had a nightmare the other night...they were in danger..and I just can't get it out of my head."

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

Mother to new mother. Her brows tent and her ears twitch backwards, sympathy shining in her eyes. "Of course, my friend. Sit," She offers, blinking down towards the ground before she seats herself back on her haunches. She understands fully where her lead warrior is coming from. With her first litter, it was difficult to watch them venture out with their father on their very first hunt. What about hawks and foxes? She'd asked, and Gray Wolf had only chuckled and assured her she needn't be worried. Now, she knows he was right. She offers Flamewhisker an empathetic smile as she mews, "Watching your first litter grow up is one of the hardest things you can do. You nursed them at your belly, you love them more than the breath in your own lungs. If you could keep them in the nursery forever, you would, right?" She tilts her head slightly, bittersweet smile growing. "But imagine their first catch. Their first time returning to camp with a mouse to bring straight to you, and the pride you'll feel. Imagine their warrior ceremonies. Imagine every exciting moment ahead that you are lucky enough to look forward to as their mother." ​