𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Sixteen

Hailwatcher trudges behind Rosebush into SkyClan territory, carefully carrying a dozing Silverkit by the scruff.

Tha pain in his body still bothers him and exhaustion slows his steps, but he tries not to look at his injuries.

Rosebush advances tentatively, eventually pausing by a cluster of toadstools.

"We can use these to mask our scents," she mews, lowering Squirrelkit to the ground and using her paws to rub the remains of a broken toadstool into her son's fur.

The young queen sniffs her son's fur, grimacing as he squirms around and blinks open blue eyes.

"Momma? Where are we?"

"We're going on a little trip, darling," Rosebush replies, smiling awkwardly..

"A trip? What kind of trip- oh! Hi, Hailwatcher!" Squirrelkit squeaks, smiling a little crooked smile.

"..Hi," Hailwatcher mumbles through Silverkit's fur, surprised that Squirrelkit fails to comment on his appearance.

"Go back to sleep, Squirrelkit," Rosebush mews, twitching an ear.

"But I'm hungry," the little ginger tom pouts, tongue poking out from his mouth.

"..I suppose you can eat now," concede Rosebush, turning onto her side.

"Yay!" Squirrelkit mews, wiggling up to his mother's stomach.

"Hailwatcher, would you wake up Silverkit? I'll have her eat as well."

"Um- sure," the gray tom mews, setting the silver tabby down beside her mother and nudging her with his nose.

Silverkit lets out a little groan, worming her way to her mother's side.

Rosebush passes her tongue over the heads of her kits as they suckle, letting out a weary sigh.

She lifts her head and glances around, blue eyes hammering with alarm.

"..Are you okay?" Hailwatcher murmurs, tilting his head to the side and grimacing.

Rosebush nods, slowly breathing in.

"..Not quite, but I'm going to have to be. For them," she murmurs, glancing down at Silverkit and Squirrelkit, still suckling aggressively.

Hailwatcher considers this for a moment, finding Rosebush's stance to be admirable- moreso than his, at least.

"..Rosebush? I..I have a question."

"What is it, dear?" the queen replies, looking a tad uncomfortable.

"..Um..I don't want to...overstep, but..why did you leave?"

The black-and-ginger she-cat grimaces, glancing downward.

Afraid that he's gone too far, Hailwatcher draws back a little.

"..Well..Slightstar and I had been having some..issues.." murmurs Rosebush.

"I don't know if it was very obvious, but he only paid Silverkit any mind. He'd never talk to Squirrelkit about things or do anything with him."

Hailwatcher nods slowly, thinking about the time he had seen Slightstar talking with his young daughter.

"When I tried to get him to include both of them," she continues, "-he'd get mad and...threatening, and I'd just let it rest..but it was getting to Squirrelkit. He wanted his father to play with him, too. And if he wasn't going to be a father to both of his kits, I thought, maybe," Rosebush fidgets, "..maybe they'd both be better off without him."