|
|
Post by Riverflame on Jun 11, 2009 21:27:40 GMT -5
Cherry padded towards the scent of mouse, eyes narrowed. Her orange and white pelt didn't blend in with the undergrowth, and her last chance at a meal raced away, back to it's home.
The she-cat's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten decently for days, if not longer. The kits in her belly needed the food just as badly as she did.
"It's okay, little fellas'," she mumbled, pausing to sit. Her head was ducked, and she stared down at the ground before her with hopeless eyes. "We'll be alright."
She brought a paw up to inspect it. It was cracked and torn from the constant walking, along with her frequent climbs to find birds. With a sigh, Cherry placed it back on the ground. She scented the air, trying to find anything to eat.
The faintest scent of rabbit came from her right. She wasn't fit to chase prey, surely. But she was too hungry and desperate to feel the pain in her pads as she charged forward with her last bit of energy.
Her prey rested several fox-lengths away, but it already knew she was coming. The half-starved, pregnant she-cat was slow and clumsy, leaving her in poor condition to catch a rabbit. It darted away before Cherry was even a tail-length away, back to it's warren.
"Oh," she moaned. "I can't catch anythin', and I don't even know where I am anymore!"
She slumped into a sitting position, head lowered, and shoulders hunched. She scented other cats for the first time; she must have been too preoccupied earlier. Maybe they would come and help? Or more likely, try and eat her; she was weak and tired, making her easy prey for a cat hungry enough.
|
|
|
|
Post by Crowy on Jun 12, 2009 13:35:45 GMT -5
The cat just as plump as Cherry scented another cat. She dropped the rabbit from her jaws, and looked around. The cat smelled weak and tired; should Brightheart help? She picked up the rabbit and trotted over to the other she-cat.
There she stodd, looking terrible. Brightheart noticed how plump the cat was, and let out a gasp. "Oh my, are you okay?" Brightheart asked, rushing over to the other she-cat with the rabbit in tow. "You don't look too well... How long have you carried your kits? Do you need food?" Brightheart asked the cat. "Oh, I'm Brightheart. Usually, I'd chase you off Windclan territory, but you look terrible!"
Brightheart placed the rabbit at Cherry's feet. Brightheart knew how the she-cat felt. Having kits was hard, and Brightheart didn't really need to be out, but she wanted to. She needed the air.
|
|
|
|
Post by Swimfast on Jun 12, 2009 15:44:44 GMT -5
Mooneye was trotting around the Windclan territory, when she saw a huge she-cat sitting with Brightheart, she trotted over to them, the cat looked like a hungry loner, "Brightheart, is she okay? Maybe we should take her to camp." Mooneye looked at the strange cat again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riverflame on Jun 12, 2009 22:59:48 GMT -5
Cherry had just about given up hope of a quick death when another she-cat came up.
"Oh, well, hello," she said in a tired voice. "My name's Cherry. I don't come from 'round here I don't think... I've walked so darn far, I don't know where I am anymore!"
She watched as another cat came near. Having the two in such close proximity made her nervous, especially with kits' lives at stake along with her own. But these she-cats seemed kind enough... so far.
"I honestly don't know how long I've had these little fellas'," she admitted, eyes showing her slight embarrassment. "It's been a while, though. Their father... he's been gone for quite a long while, I think."
She sighed, thinking of Winter. The tom would never leave without a reason... she knew he was dead the moment he didn't come to meet her the day she left her housefolk's home.
"Are there more cat's 'round here then? If there's some kind of WindClan?" she asked, tilting her head to the side curiously. She'd never heard of such things. Sure, her father was a rogue, according to her mother. But Sasha had never told her daughter anything of the sort!
The she-cat glanced down to the rabbit. Her stomach growled again in complaint, but she couldn't take it. Even if it was meant to be offered when Brightheart set it down, Cherry was raised never to take food from other cats unless it was deserved. If she were to have caught it, and then this cat took it... that would be different. But she had caught it herself, and that therefore meant it wasn't Cherry's unless otherwise said. Besides, she didn't need the food too badly... in fact, the hunger had begun to lessen in amount. She knew it was a sign of sickness when you couldn't feel pain, whether from injuries or hunger, but right now she just couldn't care. These cats were her life now; or her death, if they decided to kill her. The latter would be easier for both. She only hoped they would think of her kits before they decided.
|
|
|
|
Post by Falconheart on Jun 13, 2009 11:16:07 GMT -5
Aspenleaf heard a commotion within the tunnels. The sandy-colored she-cat immediately headed for the noise. Like a leaf flitting through the breeze, she sped toward the sound of cats. She saw the new cat. By her scent, she was a loner, and by her belly, she must be expecting kits.
"Loner. What is your name?" Aspenleaf meowed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Crowy on Jun 13, 2009 11:29:48 GMT -5
"Aspenleaf." Brightheart shot a look at the other cat, eyes narrowing. "Come on Cherry, you can have it. You look as if you haven't eaten for days." Brightheart mewed, placing her front paw on that rabbit and pushing it towards Cherry. She looked half starved, and it seemed as if her its were due any minute.
|
|
|
|
Post by Falconheart on Jun 13, 2009 11:44:52 GMT -5
Aspenleaf tipped her head.
"I meant no harm, Brightheart. I am simply inquiring what her name is. And indeed, it seems that she's malnourished. I'll go look for some more prey for her, if it is needed." she said. Why did cats always misunderstand her?
|
|
|
|
Post by Swimfast on Jun 13, 2009 12:00:13 GMT -5
Mooneye looked at Aspenleaf and Brightheart, "I seriously think we should take her back to camp. She doesn't look too good. She needs to eat, and she uh, looks like she might need some help..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riverflame on Jun 13, 2009 12:23:14 GMT -5
Cherry shook her head to the new cat, Aspenleaf.
"Um, no," she mewed, dipping her head. "I'm fine... This is enough. I'm really not even that hungry..."
She ducked her head down to take a bite of the rabbit, and her eyes closed as she swallowed. Brightheart was right; she hadn't eaten decently for days. And this rabbit tasted better than anything in this moment.
However, she couldn't even come close to finishing it. By the second or third bite, she felt sick. Her stomach, used to little, wouldn't allow more than a few mouthfuls of the delicious rabbit.
"How long have you carried your own kits, Brightheart?" she asked to hide the fact that she couldn't eat any more. Here this cat offered her her first meal in a while, and she couldn't appriciate it enough even to finish half. She nosed it towards the center of the group. She didn't know what to do with it, since she'd never had to rely on anyone ever since she left her housefolk and then went out on her own, where any food she had left over would usually be tossed away. But if these cats had a camp, which meant even more cats, she doubted they would just get rid of a perfectly good rabbit.
|
|
|
|
Post by Swimfast on Jun 13, 2009 12:40:26 GMT -5
Mooneye watched as the cat carefully and slowly took a few bites, "You really should come back to camp with us." She mewed, then started to make her way toward the cat to take her camp, she looked like she was going to blow, and Mooneye wanted to get her some help, as soon as possible.
|
|
|
|
Post by Crowy on Jun 14, 2009 11:50:39 GMT -5
"A... A short while..." Brightheart said. She didn't like talking about her kits much, she didn't really want them. "Their father.... Is dead." Brightheart said, flashing looks at Mooneye and Aspenclaw to shut their maws. Brightheart looked down at the rabbit, and picked it back up. "Cherry, if you want to come to our camp and be cared for, you can. and if you want to leave when your kits are old enough you could as well. I'm sure Amberstar would allow it." Brightheart said, stretching out gently, her pretty eyes flashing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riverflame on Jun 14, 2009 15:20:57 GMT -5
Cherry nodded. She understood the feeling.
"Winter's dead too," she mewed, half to herself, and half to try and comfort the other she-cat. "I know how you feel. I didn't expect... I didn't know I was gonna have kits until after he was gone..."
She shook her head. It was different, though, because this cat was clearly a pure wild cat, never having the cushioned life of a kittypet. But even so, Cherry had never taken that life for granted. Only her mother kept her in that home.
"Well..." she allowed, thinking over the cat's offer. "If this Amberstar wouldn't mind, then I would stay. But I don't want to be a burden, so I'll leave whenever they get tired of me, or at least until my kits can come with me. I've been run off before, and I understand a cat's need to be alone, or with a small group." she added, assuming the Clan was only a few other cats. Surely, though, this was most of it already!
|
|
|
|
Post by Falconheart on Jun 14, 2009 16:14:34 GMT -5
Aspenleaf looked at the loner, her green eyes full of sympathy.
"I'm not Amberstar, but I think you can stay for as long as you wish." she said.
|
|
|
|
Post by Swimfast on Jun 15, 2009 9:33:41 GMT -5
Mooneye sighed as the cats decided to let the poor, very pregnant cat come to camp, "Cherry, I'm sure you will be able to stay as long as you want. Amberstar will probably be glad to have another cat in the clan." Mooneye then looked over the loner, "Do you need some help getting back to camp?"
|
|
|
|
Post by bookluvr on Jun 15, 2009 10:12:46 GMT -5
OOC: Swimmy you can;t offer someone a place i the camp, really only the leader can, and at the moment Windclan is too full for any more cats.
|
|
|
|
Post by Charbarboo on Jun 15, 2009 10:15:40 GMT -5
OOC: Gotta make my way in!
Mosseyes's brown and black pelt was a blur as she ran across the open moorland. Ah, new-leaf was refreshing. Why couldn't all seasons be this plentiful?
As she approached the old Badger Set, something was different. She spotted Mooneye, Aspenleaf, and Brightheart with a strange cat.
"What's going on here?" she meowed. She looked at the pregnant loner. The deputy could really use an explanation about now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Swimfast on Jun 15, 2009 10:25:58 GMT -5
Mooneye jumped as Mosseyes approached, looking for an explanation. Mooneye glanced at the loner, "Um, she's a loner, and she's no threat really, but she's really hungry, and she is in bad condition. Her kits could be due anytime, and we were thinking that maybe she could come into the camp, and we could take care of her. It would bring more members to the clan, and think about it, she isn't really a threat." Mooneye looked hopefully at Mosseyes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Crowy on Jun 15, 2009 10:42:50 GMT -5
Brightheart stood in front of Mooneye, looking at the deputy. "I was just retrieving my rabbit when I caught scent of a strange cat, who is called Cherry. Judging by her size, she's due anytime soon, and having kits alone in this time is bad, even though we are plentiful." The she-cat said, licking her chest. "I told her about our clan, but if she had not been carrying her kits, I would have chased her off myself." Brightheart said, turning to Cherry. "Sorry..." The she-cat whispered to her under her breath. "I was hoping to take Cherry to Amberstar to see if she would offer her a place in the clan until her kits are old enough to walk on their own, and able to be left by their mother." Brightheart said, fluffing up her fur a little.
|
|
|
|
Post by Swimfast on Jun 15, 2009 10:45:48 GMT -5
Mooneye sighed as Brightheart saved her, she knew her own exuse would never have convinces Mosseyes. Mooneye leaned foward and whispered to Brightheart, "Thank you." Then looked back to see if Cherry was still okay.
|
|
|
|
Post by bookluvr on Jun 15, 2009 10:50:25 GMT -5
OOC: am I allowed to come in, because I don't know if there would be too many cats.
|
|
