Posted by STRAY on Oct 26, 2023 5:22:14 GMT
BUZZARDCLOUD
It was always a little bit sad when the nursery was empty.
No kits to keep occupied, no queens to soothe, no warmth at night other than her own. But it was only New-leaf, Buzzardcloud reminds herself, and it was good that there were no kits born during Leaf-bare. The wind knew how brutal the mountain cold could get. And at least with an empty nursery, she could focus on other tasks around camp.
All morning, she had been dragging out old moss and exchanging it for new. RidgeClan warriors liked sleeping under the stars rather than in dens, but the elders got their own den, just as queens and their kits did. They were all taken care of now. For someone of her size, the manual labor was no problem. She even got to move her own nest into the nursery. After sunhigh, she intended to inspect some of the old burrows in camp. It really did feel good to be productive, especially with the warming weather. Still... everyone needed to take a break eventually.
Buzzardcloud huffed out a sigh as she lay next to the rockpile in the clearing with her midday meal. This time, it was a dove leftover from the morning's patrols. Still fresh, but a part of her tossed over the idea of waiting until the midday patrols returned. She shook her head, banishing the thought. No. The elders got fresh prey.
The camp reminded her of the nursery─that is, it was rather empty. Most of the warriors were out and well into their patrols by now. Anyone could see that, but it was the silence that caught Buzzardcloud's attention. She always missed the rumble of her Clanmates' conversations as she guarded the nursery. And normally, kits would be tumbling over her tail right now, and their parents would scold them for not letting the poor matriarch eat in peace. To which she would say, "oh, they're only kits for so long"...
A second sigh. Buzzardcloud surveyed the camp once more, hoping to catch the eyes of another cat, any cat. For all her productivity, she was still painfully aware something was missing. Clan cats were not meant to eat alone.
No kits to keep occupied, no queens to soothe, no warmth at night other than her own. But it was only New-leaf, Buzzardcloud reminds herself, and it was good that there were no kits born during Leaf-bare. The wind knew how brutal the mountain cold could get. And at least with an empty nursery, she could focus on other tasks around camp.
All morning, she had been dragging out old moss and exchanging it for new. RidgeClan warriors liked sleeping under the stars rather than in dens, but the elders got their own den, just as queens and their kits did. They were all taken care of now. For someone of her size, the manual labor was no problem. She even got to move her own nest into the nursery. After sunhigh, she intended to inspect some of the old burrows in camp. It really did feel good to be productive, especially with the warming weather. Still... everyone needed to take a break eventually.
Buzzardcloud huffed out a sigh as she lay next to the rockpile in the clearing with her midday meal. This time, it was a dove leftover from the morning's patrols. Still fresh, but a part of her tossed over the idea of waiting until the midday patrols returned. She shook her head, banishing the thought. No. The elders got fresh prey.
The camp reminded her of the nursery─that is, it was rather empty. Most of the warriors were out and well into their patrols by now. Anyone could see that, but it was the silence that caught Buzzardcloud's attention. She always missed the rumble of her Clanmates' conversations as she guarded the nursery. And normally, kits would be tumbling over her tail right now, and their parents would scold them for not letting the poor matriarch eat in peace. To which she would say, "oh, they're only kits for so long"...
A second sigh. Buzzardcloud surveyed the camp once more, hoping to catch the eyes of another cat, any cat. For all her productivity, she was still painfully aware something was missing. Clan cats were not meant to eat alone.
tags: n/a
word count: 372
notes: "why dont my kids ever call me"
word count: 372
notes: "why dont my kids ever call me"