Frost or Ivy?

[Seafeather]

Seastar

"Seastar!" Duskwing called sounding as if she had her mouth full of feathers. But it wasn't feathers, it was fur, a tiny and shivering kit dangled from Duskwing's mouth. "What should we do with it?" Seastar motioned for Duskwing to lay the kit near her. She picked up the kit and set it on her side. Immediately the kit stopped shivering.

"Take her to Smokeleaf first then to a nursing queen. I'll take a patrol to the border with IvyClan and see if they left a kit." Seastar paused and sniffed the mewling kit. Definitely IvyClan. She recoiled and released the kit to Duskwing. "Don't forget, Smokeleaf then a nursing queen." She reminded.

[Raccoonstar]

DUSKWING

"Yes Seastar, I wont forget." Duskwing said. She picked up the wet bundle of kitten, and brought it to Smokeleaf's den. "Smokeleaf? I have a kit here and Seastar says that you need to check it." There was no answer for a moment, so Duskwing curled up inside the den with the kit next to her fur. The kit seemed to calm, probably sensing some familiar scent of IvyClan that could never be washed away. Duskwing sighed. Even to a mere kit, she was still IvyClan. But she felt that she needed to help this kit live, so she nuzzled it closer and spoke in a soft voice, "It's okay, little kit, I will save you. You are safe with me. I...love you, little one." She continued cuddling the kit as she waited for Smokeleaf.

[- - -evening ||]

[glow=Teal,2,300]ICEGLADE[/glow]

.:I Believe in What I see, Not the Other Way Around:.

Tired and worn from the long discussion and misinterpritations between Spottedwing and Rivershadow. Her claws bloodied from Rivershadow's blood, she stalked into the medicine cats' den to see if she could find a herb to stop her aching -she would explain about the blood later, she hoped Smokeleaf wouldn't ask.

"Smokeleaf! I-," expecting to see Smokeleaf, Iceglade ran into Duskwing midstride, "Oh, Duskw-," she noticed the stange scent in the air..IvyClan! Her fur bristled, and she arched her back, she noticed the bundle of fur resting in"Duskwing's paws and a chill went through her spine, she meowed in a quiet, threatining voice, "Just what do you have there, Duskwing? Someone I ought to meet?"

[Raccoonstar]

DUSKWING

Duskwing continued nuzzling the kit, patiently waiting Smokeleaf. She was still comforting it when Iceglade bumped into her. She asked in a threatening tone what the IvyClan scent was. Duskwing saw no reason to lie, so she told the complete truth. "I was on my first border patrol, and I found an IvyClan kit that had fallen in the river. No one was there, so I saved it and brought it to Smokeleaf. I was keeping it close to me so that it could stay warm."

[- - -evening ||]

[glow=Teal,2,300]ICEGLADE[/glow]

.:I Believe in What I see, Not the Other Way Around:.

Iceglade eyed her friend suspiciously, and nodded, she sensed truth in her voice, "I see..." keeping the scent within you? The scent that you claim to hate, but in the end, love ever so dearly, "Okay then," she meowed emotionlessly.

She examined the kit, it was sopping wet, and cowering in fear. A motherly insinct kicked in, and she suddenly felt protective against the small, innocent kit. She looked down at her paws, covered and caked with blood. It reminded her of Rivershadow and Spottedwing. Yes, she would rip those evil cats who had abandond these kits, if it was the last thing she did.

[reedtail]

Sunkit

"It's okay, little kit, I will save you. You are safe with me. I...love you, little one." These words ringed around sunkits head. "Are you my mother, are you reedtail". Sniffing the shape near her sunkit hissed. "Your not my mom, you.. you STOLE me". "GET AWAY!". Sunkit was terrified she couldnt see yet and she didnt know where she was or how to get home. Letting out a terrified wail, closing her eyes to hopes that she would be home when she awoke.

Nightpelt

Nightpelt had just returned from hunting and could smell ivyclan. Hissing under his breath he leaped into the medicine clearing and landed squarely on duskwings shoulders. His muscles rippled under his shaggy coat, but seeing the kit he jumped from duskwings back and onto the ground. "Why do you have a ivyclan kit!" he hissed

[Raccoonstar]

DUSKWING

"I didn't steal you, little one. I am a friend of Reedtail, and she...left you with me. Be calm, and what is your-"Duskwing started, when Nightpelt randomly jumped on her, hissing about why she had Reedtail's kit. "Get off of me. I found this kit drowning in a river and I saved it. I am waiting for Smokeleaf to treat for shock., mousebrain." Duskwing finished. Did she have to explain this to everyone? Duskwing sighed and waved off the offending warrior. "Now then," Duskwing continued to the kit, "What is your name?"

[fαllεη •]

The night fairly glowed with energy, as if StarClan were dancing in the heavens. Smokeleaf, her precious supply of catmint in her mouth, was slowly padding back to camp. The darkness ebbed and flowed around her, a thousand tiny scratches and echoes lighting up the night. It was a good night, a bright night. Inhaling through the sharp tang of the herbs in her mouth (and feeling quite light-headed as she did so) the ageing she-cat could've sworn that there was the scent of milk in the air. FrostClan didn't have any nursing queens, as far as she remembered --only Fallinggaze, who was expecting her mysterious, fatherless litter. Smokeleaf couldn't help but be amused that the queen had gotten to the stage where she couldn't even remember who had gotten her with kits. (Smokeleaf was now making it a habit to keep up with the goings-on in FrostClan, ever since... since Redleaf).

Redleaf... The memory hit her, and she tensed herself for the sharp pang that always came with it. It wasn't right that she'd been so close to the IvyClan medicine cat; she could see that now. IvyClan was getting sicker and sicker without his influence. She could only hope that he'd trained Stormleaf well: if Silentstar was going to get any deeper into a bloodbath, he'd need a competent medicine cat to pick up the shreds of his clan. He'd have to take his own apprentice eventually, and the grey cat couldn't help but wonder how he was going to teach the poor thing: after all, he didn't even get all his own training, in spite of what his new-found rank suggested. Smokeleaf herself wasn't getting younger, but then again, no-one did. Not even StarClan could turn back the moon cycles.

The camp was close now, and the scent of milk seemed to hang in the air. Which was ridiculous of course: a gentle scent like that would be gone in minutes unless some queen had rubbed her teats over the camp. Nightpelt was just making his own way into camp, apparently empty-clawed, so she assumed he'd gone for a solo patrol. She pushed her own way under the arched bush that served as the entranceway, taking a glance up at the starlight that filtered through the trees. 'This old head getting rusty, and yet you're still not helping me out here,' she thought, gazing up. What would happen if she left FrostClan without an apprentice? Would they have to get someone from... From one of the other clans to teach her apprentice? If the clearing hadn't been so empty, Smokeleaf might have hidden her snarl. No-one, none of these wet-behind-the-ears medicine cats were going to train her apprentice. Tough as a badger's hide she might be, but her time would come, and she wasn't going to have her adoptive clan stoop that low.
Suddenly, she noticed that Nightpelt was hissing, and going full tilt towards her den. What was the crazy tom up to? The clearing was silent, other than the rustle of the trees.
Herbs in mouth, she moved, swiftly, after him.

The medicine cat was greeted by a sight she never thought she'd see in her life. Nightpelt had knocked Duskwing -Duskwing!- to the ground, and Iceglade was standing nearby. A hiss escaped her own clenched jaw, and she dropped the herbs just as it swelled into a hushed yowl. "What in the name of StarClan's whiskers is going on here?" A practised, flinty gaze caught the eye of all three cats, and there was no room for argument. Her eyes finally stopped on Nightpelt, and she shook her head in disgust. "Get off her, you nervous wreck." It was a tone that brooked no argument. Smokeleaf was not a cat to be trifled with, and if you doubted her... Doubt was not an option.

Suddenly, she caught sight of the bundle of fur that had been lying next to Duskwing. Shock flashed across her face. What was going on here? FrostClan had a foster-kit? She glanced sideways at the would-be mother, raising an eyebrow. "And where did you find this little one, Duskwing?" She lifted the struggling kit off the floor and carried her to her nest --away from the warriors. A glance at Duskwing and a flick of the tail and head told the warrior that Smokeleaf wanted her in the nest with the kit. The cold hard ground was no way to be treating this little she-cat.
Turning her back on the three, Smokeleaf gave the kit a quick check, rolling her gently over with one paw. There were no signs of scratching, no obvious injures: she was just cold, and probably frightened. The tiny thing would need a few weeks before she could be without her mother's warmth for long... Whoever her mother was. "I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know that this kit will be fine." A flicker of concern passed across her face, but she quenched it. "What are you all doing in here anyway? Don't you two-" she raised an eyebrow at Nightleaf and Iceglade, giving them each a sardonic smile- "-have your own dens to sleep in?" That was Smokeleaf: blunt, and would be to the death.

OOC: Reed, how old is this kit? I don't think she'll be speaking, let alone this coherent, before she's opened her eyes... Just thinking ^^;

[Seafeather]

Seastar

Seastar glanced at the little kit. The precious little kit cuddled with Duskwing. Oh how she dearly wanted to cuddle with it! For a stolen chance of motherhood Seastar would give anything. Well, not anything, but certainly something. The next thing Seastar knew was Nightpelt leaping onto Duskwing's back and digging his claws in, deep.

Smokeleaf walked in the exact time that Nightpelt's claws grazed Duskwing's back. "What in the name of StarClan's whiskers is going on here?" She shouted. "Get off her, you nervous wreck." She said with a flick of her tail. Nightpelt was reluctant, but not for long.

"NIGHTPELT!" Seastar snarled. She hardly ever got like this. But there was a kit in danger if Nightpelt would've missed Duskwing. "Unsheathe your claws from Duskwing! NOW!" Anger serged through Seastar. Calm. Be calm. No need in fainting again. Seastar took a long, deep breath through her nostrils. "Leave." She said calmly but shortly. Having a deadly secret that nobody knew could really take a toll on someone. Loss of sleep, barely eating, fainting spells. What's next you mousebrain! She scolded herself. After Smokeleaf checks the kit I will tell her. Yes...yes I must. Seastar patiently waited for Smokeleaf's diagnosis of "I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know that this kit will be fine." Was that...emotion Seastar just saw flicker across Smokeleaf's face? No...it couldn't be. Seastar laughed it off. The idea of Smokeleaf showing compassion was outrageous! A lunatic's idea of fun would be mentioning it to her. But Seastar kept her mouth shut.

[Raccoonstar]

DUSKWING

After Duskwing had shielded the kit from Nightpelt's random attack, Smokeleaf and Seastar yelled at him to get off of her, and he reluctantly retreated. Smokeleaf beckoned her inside her den, and Duskwing followed her motion. After Smokeleaf had checked it over and deemed that it was okay, Duskwing asked her a question she proboably shouldn't have asked. "Who should I give this kit to? I do know who it belonged to. Reedtail. A warrior in IvyClan. I knew her, and we used to be friends. I have no idea why she would abandon her kit like this, and I am fairly sure she will try abandoning it again if I give it back. What should I do?" Duskwing regretted telling so much about herself to Smokeleaf, but she ignored it, relieved she hadn't blurted about how Reedtail and Duskwing stopped being friends. It was a time Duskwing didn't like to talk about.

[- - -evening ||]

[glow=teal,2,300]ICEGLADE[/glow]

.:I Believe in What I See, Not the Other Way Around:.

-Medicine Cats...-

Two Words: Medicine Cats. She shuddered, usually, when you say the word medicine cat, you get a picture of a kind and gentle cat, with a small built, and a light and eerie, but not evil, way about her. Maybe, you see a face of pure kindness and joy, and hear them speaking in a soft whisper, always willing to help those in need. Then then, there was her image; When she thought of the word medicine cat, she imagined a snappy older she-cat, that with any thought, reminded her of an IvyClan cat. A cat with a Smokey complexion, and no tolerance in fun. In other words, the ill-tempered Smokeleaf, formerly Smokerose.

She shuddered again. Sure, she could take on badgers, foxes, stubborn disrespectful toms that padded after her best friend, but in no ongoing way, could she take on the FrostClan medicine cat. Hostile toward any cat, Iceglade couldn't even think about medicine cats without Smokeleaf bursting through her thoughts, attacking her with her sharp words. Past experiences warned her to stay away from this den, and she followed that rule almost as if it was part of the warrior code.

Now here she was again! Caught once more in the shadow of the medicine cat. Why in StarClan's mind would she ever end up here? She couldn't even remember. She froze at the sight of Smokeleaf, as she padded into the den, a bundle of herbs in her jaw.
She watched as she surveyed the scene, not stopping on her, thank StarClan, but hissing at Nightpelt, crouching on Duskwing. She was always amazed at how she was so calm and quick with healing the cats, not something that Iceglade would think of Smokeleaf.

"I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know that this kit will be fine." Smokeleaf meowed sarcastically, she gazed at all of them, and to her dismay, stopped on Iceglade. She tensed, "What are you all doing in here anyway? Don't you two-" she raised an eyebrow, and smiled creepily "-have your own dens to sleep in?"

Iceglade looked down at her paws, "Erm, yes..."

-Ruin Everything-
______________
OOC: lol, Iceglade is scared of Smokeleaf....and um, Sea? Shouldn't it be sheathe your claws? ^^

[fαllεη •]

Smokeleaf smiled her private little smile as Seastar did her leaderly shouting at Nightpelt. She wasn't a great fan of the overbearing tom --mind you, who in FrostClan really was? He was a good deal too arrogant for her taste; not only that, but he was argumentative. Even when he was quite obviously wrong, she imagined. Iceglade's response also gave her a cause to chuckle under her breath. Did no cat get innuendo today? Well, it was probably just as well: she wouldn't wish Nightpelt crushing on any cat, not even if StarClan themselves compelled her.

The little kit didn't seem to need any further attention, though she kept her ears pricked for any sound of her trying to climb out of the nest. The grey she-cat also noted, with some annoyance, that Duskwing hadn't climbed into the nest with the kit. The little thing needed to be kept warm: it was only a day or so old, and its mother... Its mother would be tired out of her mind. How had she even managed to carry her kits so far? (For where there was one, there would surely be more; with an average of five kits per litter, a birth wasn't an easy thing to cover up.)
"Who should I give this kit to? I do know who it belonged to. Reedtail."
Smokeleaf's first reaction was to question how she knew that Reedtail was with kits, but a quick overlook of the math told her that Reedtail would have definitely been showing around the time that Duskwing had left IvyClan. Her next thought was... perhaps shock wasn't the right word. An instinctive reaction; feeling sick to the stomach at the very idea. 'Reedtail?' the aggressive young thing? WIth kits? Smokeleaf shook her head, distaste plain in her expression. How she'd gotten a tom to mate her, Smokeleaf would never know.
"A warrior in IvyClan. I knew her, and we used to be friends. I have no idea why she would abandon her kit like this, and I am fairly sure she will try abandoning it again if I give it back. What should I do?"
Well, obviously. If the queen didn't want her kits, there was clearly something wrong with her. The idea of leaving kits alone... The couldn't walk on their own, wouldn't open their eyes or be able to hear for weeks. The tiny little thing only had the thinnest coating of fur! A mother abandoning her kits was the most disgusting form of murder to Smokeleaf --especially abandoning them to die on another clan's territory, as if it were their fault that she had been so negligent! She had to say something: the anger was visible now, bubbling to the surface.
"I hope she was a better friend to you than she was a mother to these kits, Duskwing," she spat. Reedtail. She would remember that name: a she-cat who was callous enough to abandon her own child.

But now she had to answer Duskwing's question, furious as she was with that IvyClanner. Her mentor had told her that it was possible for another she-cat to come into milk and nurse cats that weren't hers, but she'd -fortunately- never been in a situation that merited such action. Did they have any nursing queens at the moment? Her mind drew a complete blank: of course, Smokeleaf had already decided that FrostClan would keep the kit. There was simply no question of returning it to a clan that did not want it, even if it meant more mouths to feed with leaf-fall coming on fast. "Seastar... Are there nursing queens at the moment?"

OOC: I believe it's a pun, Evening XD Night has 'sheathed' his claws in Duskwing's fur?

[Seafeather]

Seastar

Seastar listened to Duskwing telling Smokeleaf about Reedtail. Reedtail! Seastar bared her teeth at the name. A half moon ago Seastar went to IvyClan to relay a message to Silentstar and found that Reedtail was destructive and not right in her mind. She seemed, to Seastar, crazy and hadn't the slightest idea how to do much. Reedtail pleaded silent words with Seastar to take her three kits. What would Seastar want with a bunch of IvyClan kits?! And here was one, on the brink of freezing to death.

"Seastar...Are there any nursing queens at the moment?" Smokeleaf asked. Was there? Seastar didn't think so. Would she have to sacrifice her leadership to protect her clan from dying out? Her last act as leader of FrostClan...No. Seastar didn't think so, but she would do it, just for her clan.

"Not that I know of. How do you expect we feed this young'un?" Seastar inquired of her Medicine Cat. Maybe Seastar could nurse it...if she already had kits. But she didn't, so that wasn't an option. Maybe...Cedarwing could take her place as leader for a while. Maybe Cedarwing could father her kits...he was a nice cat but nothing more than that to Seastar. She didn't think about it anymore. But...was that what StarClan required of her? Seastar still needed to talk to Smokeleaf, about more than just kitting.

[Raccoonstar]

DUSKWING

"Not that I know of. How do you expect we feed this young'un?" Seastar had said. Duskwing knew that there were no nursing queens available. But then who could care for this freezing bundle of cat? Duskwing would, but she had never had kits, so she couldn't feed it. Maybe it was old enough to feed on fresh-kill? If that was true, Duskwing would definitely take care of it for as long as she could. "What if this kit is old enough to eat fresh-kill? Then...I could take care of it..." Duskwing stated. Could she really take care of a kit? Should I have said that? Well, it is too late now. Duskwing thought. She waited patiently for a reply while thinking of what her destiny was and if it intertwined with this kit's.

[fαllεη •]

Smokeleaf glanced once more at the freezing little kit and sighed. None of these she-cats were taking the initiative, so she'd have to sit on the little mite herself. She stepped into the nest and settled the kit between her paws, the medicine cat's long, fluffy fur forming a snug blanket for the tiny creature. As an afterthought, she added her tail over the top, just to make sure that she was warm.
"Not that I know of. How do you expect we feed this young'un?"
Hm. The medicine cat didn't particularly want to suggest this. Most she-cats were sensitive about their feminine ideas... But when had she ever let a little something like embarrassment stop her? Smokeleaf knew that, if any she-cat spent time around a kit, she might simply come into milk of her own accord. If she did, a good dose of borage every now and then would keep the milk coming, and -cue dramatic song- there would be a surrogate mother for the kit. The thing was, you couldn't just ask a she-cat to hang around a kit for a few days and see what happened. A cat who wanted the kits might not come into milk at all --although she guessed that wanting it might help. The fact was, she was quite glad she'd had no experience with surrogacy... Though she had had to break out the parsley for a queen who'd gotten pregnant too young. That had been a dark moon for FrostClan's nursery.

"Feeding kits... well, it depends," she meowed, keeping her face cool, with a trace of her amusement curling around her eyes like her tail around the kit. There was a little spark growing in their depths. It would actually be quite amusing to see what became of this: Duskwing clearly wanted to take her friend's kit quite badly, although whether that was from loyalty or just a desire to be a mother was anyone's guess.
"Any warrior in FrostClan might come into milk if they spend enough time around the kit."

"What if this kit is old enough to eat fresh-kill? Then...I could take care of it..."
Smokeleaf let out a loud mrr of laughter. "My dear, does this kit look like you could give it a mouse and leave it to chew on its own?" she gently prised the kit's jaws open with a paw. "See those stubby gums? Do they look like they'll be tearing into a finch any time soon?" The ears were still flat, the eyes not yet open. And there was still a little length of the umbilical cord attached, though it was healing away neatly. No, this kit needed milk, and FrostClan needed a cat that would start producing it. Smokeleaf fully expected someone to get nervous and leave right about now, which would hopefully narrow down her choices. 'At least we can eliminate Nightpelt from the possible choices.' Or was it just her, but maybe Nightpelt had his own time of the moon? She quickly smothered her amused chuckle. Oh, the time she could have with that theory.

OOC: I don't actually know when these kits were born... But I'm guessing Reedtail would've abandoned them soon after giving birth to them, so maybe a day or two old?