**Elmshadow**
@
serendipity.
First priority had to be the kit. He’d spent a life compartmentalizing, separating the different needs the clan required of him so pushing aside deciphering his grief over his daughter’s still-fresh death wasn’t a difficult task when he could focus his mind on his duty. He’d done similar upon the death of Sunsetthorn’s mother, his former mate. He’d been a new medicine cat at the time and had thrown himself into his learnings. Now his main duty lay with Sunsetthorn’s surviving kit, a kit that wouldn’t survive for long if she wasn’t found a new nursing queen.
After giving the kit those too-brief moments to nurse Sunsetthorn’s finite milk supply, he had picked up the grey and white and kit and carried her from the medicine den. She had been in her way to falling asleep with a full belly so now was as good a time as any; besides, his next priority was nearly as pressing, he had to get Sunsetthorn and the other three kits out of camp and buried properly. His paws were growing tired but he carried the kit swiftly to the nursery. He only knew of one queen who’d given birth recently and knew of none giving birth in the next few days. Mentally he made a note that he should get a better system for addressing the expecting queens of the clan, a way to hopefully prevent birthing complications in the future. But that was not a current priority, so he focused on finding the queen he was searching for. When he found her, he carried the small grey and white bundle through and set her down gently on the nursery ground before raising his green eyes to meet Duststorm’s. In a low voice, he began, [B]”Duststorm, I have a favor to ask of you. Sunsetthorn has died in kitting so her daughter has been left without a nursing mother. I will watch over the kit myself when I can but she needs a nursing queen to feed her until she can eat freshkill. And she’ll need the guidance of a queen if you’re able to offer it, I know you have your own but I’ll make sure you want for nothing outside of your duties to the kits.”
**Sunsetthorn’s kit**
[ Allegiances: Sunsetkit ]
The warmth was slowly fading away even before she felt the teeth grip her scruff and pull her away. Away from comfort, away from milk, away from mother, away from home. Consciousness was growing heavy on her mind and she could feel the sweet pull of sleep dragging her down but the chill spiked her awake each time she began to drift away. The light, when it came, was warm but too bright and her body curled against it as she dangled in the air, an openness she was not yet used to. And then shadow enveloped her again but it still seemed warm, and the scent she’d clung to before washed over her again. It smelled of comfort though the stark absence of mother was still jarring. The solidness of ground came up to meet her and she mewed out, protesting against every external force that was barring her from the sleep that called to her. Free, her tiny legs began to move in an attempt to find her own way to warmth and rest.
Tourniquet [P]
