winter within me | o; abandoned + frostbitten kit on border

"Such a cold day!" Chillykit and Blossomkit found themselves shivering together no matter where in the camp they decided to sit down. "I'm just glad we have our fur!" Blossomkit gratefully licked her dappled coat to make sure it covered every last spot of flesh. It made Chillykit wonder, "What do you think happens to things without fur?"

"I don't know." Blossomkit replied, her head still turned to her flank. "Maybe they all die." "Probably." Chillykit was now watching the other cats walk to-and-fro, admiring their ability to look warm. Their noses were still pressed to the cold air, while his nose liked to hide in his chest fur whenever they sat down.

Then it caught something. Chillykit's nose forced his head up into the air so it could take a whiff. "You and that nose of yours, Chillykit." Blossomkit observed, now giving the tom her full attention. "What do you smell this time?" She took a sniff herself. Whatever Chillykit had caught, it may have started out strong but was weakened by the other smells the air. Chillykit kept sniffing until he came to the Clan border. "There's something beyond the border!" He exclaimed excitedly. "It's not one of us, but...it still smells furry!" "It could just be a squirrel." Blossomkit pointed out. "Either way, we'd better go back to the center of camp and talk to a warrior about it. You know how they feel about kits at the border!"

Chillykit's big ears turned in the direction of Diamondkit as the duo walked back to the nursery. "Blossomkit, did you hear that?" He yelped, bristling a little. "Yes!" Blossomkit explained, padding faster. "It sounded like Diamondkit-and it also sounds like she needs help! Warriors! Anybody? Hello?" She called, tearing through camp, smothering Chillykit with a cloud of dust. "Forget it, Blossomkit!" Chillykit turned around and began sprinting back to the border. "We don't have time to get a warrior! Diamondkit needs us NOW!"

In two twitches of a rabbit's tail, Chillykit reached the spot where he was before. That smell from before was closer than ever, though still unfamiliar. Diamondkit's scent made it more comfortable, however, and he wasn't afraid to get closer. "Diamondkit, what is-" His ears folded back as he, too, recognized the shape of another kitten.

"Blossomkit's already getting someone, I'll help keep her warm." Chillykit explained quickly before curling up next to the kit. "Good thing I've got such long fur!" The light gray tom rubbed up against the kit, scrubbing her with his long coat, while following Diamondkit's example and licking the spots that needed licking.

"Hey! Somebody! Anybody!" Blossomkit kept running around, feeling mute and unnoticeable like a mosquito. Maybe if she were more specific about the situation, someone would come? "Diamondkit's in trouble! Chillykit smelled something and now Diamondkit's in trouble! We need a warrior! Or a medicine cat!"

windclan ▢ mc ▢ 16 moons ▢ boy ▢ eaglespirit x twilightrise ▢ tags

"Buzzardflight! Oh, thank goodness! Did Blossomkit get you?" Chillykit wagged his tail happily before tilting his head towards the kit. "Diamondkit found this frozen kit!...well, actually, I think Blossomkit and me smelled it first, but as we went back to get a warrior to see what is was for us, we heard Diamondkit call out, so Blossomkit kept looking for a warrior and I went back to help her keep the kit warm!" He took a deep breath when he finished speaking.

Speak of the kit, Blossomkit came run-hopping back to the group, panting. "Buzzardflight!" She greeted the tom, looking at him hopefully. "I saw you going toward the border where we were, so I came back, and..." She wrinkled her nose at the bundle of fur squeezed between the two other kits. "Did you figure out what it is?" "It's a kit. hurry over here, she's freezing!" Chillykit called, prompting the she-cat's green eyes to go wide. Frantically she began licking the spots that the other two seemed to have missed.

"Hiya!" Blossomkit meowed, relieved. "My name is Blossomkit. That's my friend Chillykit." She pointed to Chillykit, the tom purring. Then he paused to sniff the kit's fur. "I smelled something right around here. I think it was you!" He mewed.

"Left you?" Blossomkit echoed, helping Foxkit up. "That just seems irresponsible, especially in this weather. Forget a warrior, I'm wondering if we should tell Jasperstar about this!"

"You do smell like you've been passed through some strange cats." Chillykit replied calmly, removing his nose from Foxkit's pelt. "But don't worry, Blossomkit, this might be simpler than it seems. Maybe the cat who dropped her here is just hunting for food, or figuring out where they can go next. Either way, we're gonna have to keep an eye on her."

windclan ▢ mc ▢ 16 moons ▢ boy ▢ eaglespirit x twilightrise ▢ tags

Chillykit and Blossomkit walked back to camp with their tails parallel. Even the dapples on Blossomkit's coat were beginning to shiver. "We're heroes, Blossomkit!" Chillykit grinned at his friend. "And we get to show this new kit around with Diamondkit! How fun is that!" Blossomkit sighed. "Foxkit was very cold." She explained, in a voice as cold as the snow around them. "Assuming she even makes it to Buzzardflight's den, we don't know if she has fleas, or ticks, or maybe there's something inside her we can't mend, like with Smokepaw." She recalled Smokepaw's death by heart disease. Was it really that long ago? Chillykit was taken aback slightly. "Sheesh, I'd think you'd be a little more optimistic..." He meowed. "Sure, she could be worse than we think, but we still found her and she was healthy enough to speak to us." The tortoiseshell considered for a moment. "You're right..."