ShadowClan Life Before Destruction

[Ever]

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

Jaguarclaw was overjoyed with the news. Finally he wouldn't have to go into the forest with mostly strangers. He could finally adventure again with Marbledface even if they may not be able to do much. It'd be a relief to him. Although before he spoke anything, he allowed Marbledface to finish eating her mouse out of respect. Instead, the Bengal watched as the two other warriors exited the warriors den. They were alone again. He knew that they were both more open with each other when the warriors den was empty.
Once he was sure she was finished, he continued on with the conversation. "Of course I'd help you, there's no reason to ask," he gave a small chuckle. He thought she was being silly about the question. Surely she expected him to help after everything they've been through. "It's all up to you when you want to begin!" he spoke, the enthusiasm in his voice wasn't faked in the least bit and you could tell that he didn't need to force his voice to create such a sound. Jaguarclaw now awaited to hear her paln for the day. When they would start and how far she wanted to take her walking to. It'd be sensible to just get her around the clearing wouldn't it? That alone would be a relief to her surely. Thankfully she wouldn't have to see the camp's mess. It was mostly cleaned up by now and the clan itself seemed all around stronger than it was the past few moons.

It wasn't more than a few silent heartbeats before Marbledface has finished her meager meal. The mice were thin and wiry now due to undernourishment, and the clan cats would soon follow in their footsteps. Though with the little amount of activity that the molly was able to put into the day, she wasn't going to suffer for awhile longer. She pushed the bones and remains of her meal aside, she would take care of them the nest day maybe. Right now she wanted to focus on making her way into the clearing. Sitting in the snow would probably be cold and miserable, but she desperately needed a change of scenery. "Yes, I am ready right now. I've been waiting all morning for you!" She teased with an impatient whine. Though her excitement was a little exaggerated to try and cover her anxiety, though her tail tip flicked back and forth with it. This could either go very well, or very bad. Or very, very bad. She'd been running all the possibilities through her head. The chances were slim for something destructive to happen, but they were still chances. She just wanted her normal life back already. "Ready?" She asked him, eyes raising from her paws to his warm green one. She was happy to see the tom looking back to his normal self, lustrous coat and inviting expression. That was the way she liked Jaguarclaw most.

[Maplefur]

Originally Posted by arumin

Littlekit took a good, long look at the cat Tuftbreeze had motioned towards. She looked at all the little wriggling kits sleeping near her tummy, the queen's tail wrapped around her ward protectively out of habit. The queen sent a kind, encouraging smile Littlekit's way.
She replayed Tuftbreeze's words in her mind - or, at least the words she could understand.
'Cat is the kit mother, cat is the kit mother...' So, what Littlekit was gathering was that, a mother must be a small cat's - a kit's - caretaker, or something like that. But these cat's had all taken care of Littlekit at some point, so were they all her mother? Tuftbreeze was taking care of her, so was Tuftbreeze her mother as well?
"Erm..." Littlekit mentally gathered her words for a moment. "All cat's are Littlekit's mother?" She asked tentatively, shifting her wandering gaze back to Tuftbreeze.

Tuftbreeze shook her head. "No, not all cats. Mothers... they give birth to kits..." This was more difficult than the molly had thought it would be. "Though, if you don't have a mother and want someone to take care of you... I wouldn't mind being the cat to do it," she admitted. While Tuftbreeze wasn't a very social cat, Littlekit had certainly grown on her. "Hm... Kits and mothers share blood... they are related... I can't really explain it to you until you are older, I guess," she murmured with a sigh. "So let's go back to simple things. This is the nursery. Do you know that word? Nursery?" She gestured with her tail to the den.

[kkriket]

Originally Posted by Maplefur

Tuftbreeze shook her head. "No, not all cats. Mothers... they give birth to kits..." This was more difficult than the molly had thought it would be. "Though, if you don't have a mother and want someone to take care of you... I wouldn't mind being the cat to do it," she admitted. While Tuftbreeze wasn't a very social cat, Littlekit had certainly grown on her. "Hm... Kits and mothers share blood... they are related... I can't really explain it to you until you are older, I guess," she murmured with a sigh. "So let's go back to simple things. This is the nursery. Do you know that word? Nursery?" She gestured with her tail to the den.

Littlekit listened closely to Tuftbreeze, most of her words still having little to no meaning to Littlekit. But she could pick out a few words here and there, and that made her very happy. She could tell by Tuftbreeze's tone that she was asking her something, and Littlekit pulled her best focused face as she listened.
Littlekit definitely knew that last word - often the mothers of older kits would use that word a lot (and most of the time, they would sound a little frustrated too), and the excited kits would always return to the warm, cozy den soon after, droopy in defeat.
Littlekit was familiar with the word, and supposes she sort of knows what it means... A nice, cozy, warm place is a nursery!
"Nnnn..nnyerrssss..." She mews slowly, getting her mouth used to the shape of the word. "Nersss-er-ee!"

[Maplefur]

Originally Posted by arumin

Littlekit listened closely to Tuftbreeze, most of her words still having little to no meaning to Littlekit. But she could pick out a few words here and there, and that made her very happy. She could tell by Tuftbreeze's tone that she was asking her something, and Littlekit pulled her best focused face as she listened.
Littlekit definitely knew that last word - often the mothers of older kits would use that word a lot (and most of the time, they would sound a little frustrated too), and the excited kits would always return to the warm, cozy den soon after, droopy in defeat.
Littlekit was familiar with the word, and supposes she sort of knows what it means... A nice, cozy, warm place is a nursery!
"Nnnn..nnyerrssss..." She mews slowly, getting her mouth used to the shape of the word. "Nersss-er-ee!"

Tuftbreeze smiled with a nod. "Good, so then you do know what this is called." She turned back to the entrance. "Outside is the camp," she meowed, motioning to the clearing. "Camp." She watched the few cats she could see from there, scowling a bit as she caught sight of her brother and quickly turned away. "Outside is called the camp." She repeated to Littlekit, forcing a smile back on her face.

[kkriket]

Originally Posted by Maplefur

Tuftbreeze smiled with a nod. "Good, so then you do know what this is called." She turned back to the entrance. "Outside is the camp," she meowed, motioning to the clearing. "Camp." She watched the few cats she could see from there, scowling a bit as she caught sight of her brother and quickly turned away. "Outside is called the camp." She repeated to Littlekit, forcing a smile back on her face.

Littlekit poked her own head outside the nursery entrance. She was excited how much easier it was becoming for her to figure things out now! She was so abuzz that she didn't even notice Tuftbreeze's discomfort, and bounded out into the clearing.
"Camp-uh!" She calls, spinning on her paws to face Tuftbreeze before bounding back into the nursery, mew a little too loud for a den filled with sleeping kittens, and exclaimed "Nur-ser-ee!"

[Maplefur]

Originally Posted by arumin

Littlekit poked her own head outside the nursery entrance. She was excited how much easier it was becoming for her to figure things out now! She was so abuzz that she didn't even notice Tuftbreeze's discomfort, and bounded out into the clearing.
"Camp-uh!" She calls, spinning on her paws to face Tuftbreeze before bounding back into the nursery, mew a little too loud for a den filled with sleeping kittens, and exclaimed "Nur-ser-ee!"

Tuftbreeze's eyes widened as the kit burst out of the nursery, drawing plenty of attention to them. She stuck her head out, ignoring the gaze burning on her pelt and waited for Littlekit to come back inside. When she did, extremely noisy, the molly let out a sigh. "Littlekit, shhh! You need to be quiet, other kits are sleeping." She mewed softly. "See? Quiet."

[kkriket]

Originally Posted by Maplefur

Tuftbreeze's eyes widened as the kit burst out of the nursery, drawing plenty of attention to them. She stuck her head out, ignoring the gaze burning on her pelt and waited for Littlekit to come back inside. When she did, extremely noisy, the molly let out a sigh. "Littlekit, shhh! You need to be quiet, other kits are sleeping." She mewed softly. "See? Quiet."

It wasn't until Tuftbreeze pointed out the sleeping kittens that Littlekit realized what she had done. She drooped a little, nervous that a kit might wake and start to mewl, but her whiskers also burned in shame. If she were sleeping, she would hate to be woken up by noisy kits like herself!
Her attention turned back to Tuftbreeze, who was taking this opportunity to teach Littlekit another word. The little kitten immediately brightened up at this prospect, and she mimicked her teacher, nodding in subdued anticipation. "Quiet," She whispered back. Quiet means don't wake cats up! Littlekit thought to herself.

[Maplefur]

Originally Posted by arumin

It wasn't until Tuftbreeze pointed out the sleeping kittens that Littlekit realized what she had done. She drooped a little, nervous that a kit might wake and start to mewl, but her whiskers also burned in shame. If she were sleeping, she would hate to be woken up by noisy kits like herself!
Her attention turned back to Tuftbreeze, who was taking this opportunity to teach Littlekit another word. The little kitten immediately brightened up at this prospect, and she mimicked her teacher, nodding in subdued anticipation. "Quiet," She whispered back. Quiet means don't wake cats up! Littlekit thought to herself.

Tuftbreeze smiled, leaning down to give Littlekit a lick between the ears. "It's alright, you didn't know. We all make mistakes," she murmured, leaning back and looking around for something else to teach the young kit. "Littlekit, where is your nest? Where do you sleep?" She asked, hoping she would understand what she was asking.

[kkriket]

Originally Posted by Maplefur

Tuftbreeze smiled, leaning down to give Littlekit a lick between the ears. "It's alright, you didn't know. We all make mistakes," she murmured, leaning back and looking around for something else to teach the young kit. "Littlekit, where is your nest? Where do you sleep?" She asked, hoping she would understand what she was asking.

Littlekit leaned into the touch with a pleased chirp, happy to have done right. She listened to Tuftbreeze's mew, confusion beginning to knit her features.
"N...ness-tah? Sll...llleep!" She tried, looking up at Tuftbreeze for some kind of confirmation. She had heard these words in passing, and while she was a little more familiar with 'sleep' (she slept all the time of course!), nest was a bit of a harder word to understand.

[Maplefur]

Originally Posted by arumin

Littlekit leaned into the touch with a pleased chirp, happy to have done right. She listened to Tuftbreeze's mew, confusion beginning to knit her features.
"N...ness-tah? Sll...llleep!" She tried, looking up at Tuftbreeze for some kind of confirmation. She had heard these words in passing, and while she was a little more familiar with 'sleep' (she slept all the time of course!), nest was a bit of a harder word to understand.

"Yes, nest and sleep," Tuftbreeze repeated, gesturing to a nearby nest, which was currently empty. "That's a nest. Where is your nest?" She placed her paw on Littlekit's chest as she said 'your', hoping the kit would understand what she was saying now that she had elaborated a bit more. Surely she has her own nest, even though she doesn't have a mother, right? No cat could've just left her with no place in here!