psychosocial ]] !!

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

fadedmemory

The deputy padded slowly into camp, finally having her balance back, but still weak. No one could know that was she was. No one but the tom that had found her, that she had trusted, and now was the 'father' of the kits she held between her teeth. She let out a tired breath as she padded towards the nursery, poking her head in. She placed the two black kits down, looking around at the queens. Her eyes landed on Tansyfrost, and she started towards the young queen, flicking her tail over the blind she-cat's ears. "Tansyfrost, love, it's Fadedmemory. Would you do me a favor and nurse these two," The deputy pushed Ravenkit and Timekit forwards so that they were near her paws "kits? They belong to Swampfox, who's mate died while giving birth" She finished, turning back to then rest of the queens. "And if anyone else would be kind enough to nurse the remaining three, I'm sure Swampfox would appreciate for them to be nurse" Fadedmemory meowed before padding out of the nursery, touching the male's shoulder. "Leave those three here and come with me please"

The she-cat started off, then stumbled, falling to her knees, letting out a small hiss. She rose again, shaking out her paws, then her head. The deputy glanced around, before padding towards Stormstar's den, sitting outside as she flicked a rock into the leader's domain.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

swampfox

<sub>He hung his head low as he passed Tansyfrost. "Thank you," he murmured solemnly, wincing slightly as he looked around. Many of the queens had large litters already, like Dewstep and Otterspirit. The tomcat turned to Fadedmemory. "I don't know who to leave them with..." He made his voice sound a bit helpless. However, he heard a queen in the back call out his name and volunteer to take the kittens. He nodded to her and then padded off after the deputy, meowing to tell her that he was on the way.

The Russian Blue ran to Fadedmemory's side and looked down at her, helping her to her feet. Both smelled like milk scent. "Perhaps you should lay down," he murmured under his breath. Her teats wouldn't be as noticeable. "You are still ill, after all." The last part was somewhat audible. He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned to the nest of Stormstar, wondering if he would grace them with his presence.</sub>

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

fadedmemory

"I'm fine. I'll rest when I'm done with what I have to do."

The she-cat shook her head at his suggestion. No, she needed to keep up her charade that she had had for the past few weeks. Without thinking about it, Fadedmemory leaned her shoulder against the larger male's, but to those who looked it might have looked like the two were just sitting close. She looked to her paws before her eyes drifted towards the nursery. "I hope I made the right decision." She whispered to herself before looking towards the leader's den, waiting for acceptance into the elderly tom's den.

[SHADE. :D]

tansyfrost && haloheart

The blind queen blinked open her eyes as a scent trailed into the nursery. The scent of new kits. She frowned. There weren't any other new kits, were there? As far as she knew, all the queens had given birth... She felt one of her wriggle and mewl at her stomach. She calmed it with a gentle paw. "Ssssh, it's okay, honey," she breathed. The ginger and white she-cat looked up as she heard somebody pad into the nursery. She recognized the familiar scent of Fadedmemory, though there was a new softness to the deputy's scent. And she could smell the rougher scent of a warrior. Swampfox. The mewing of kits made the young queen tense, and her kits wail thinly. She reached out to sniff the scent of the two kits Fadedmemory placed before her. She could still smell the blood on their fur. She felt pity swell her heart. "Of course," she mewed, nosing them towards her stomach. They slotted in so that six kits now bustled at her stomach. "What are their names?" From Fadedmemory's scent, she could guess the deputy's secret. Her enhanced sense of smell brought her no doubt. She would never reveal her closest friend's secret, though.

At the call, a softly pretty face pushed it's way from further back in the nursery. It belonged to Haloheart. The nimble ginger tabby queen heard quiet protests from her own kits. "Hush, Cootkit, I'll be back in a minute," she called softly back to her worried son. Haloheart smiled briefly at Swampfox. "I'm so sorry for your loss," she mewed to the warrior, who towered over her tiny frame. She bit her lip as she looked down at the three kits. She already had four kits of her own. But Myrtlekit and Coconutkit were already nursing less and chewing furiously at fresh kill more. And she couldn't just leave them. Otterspirit and Dewstep would be running out of milk, considering the age of their kits, and she'd eat her own tail before Tawnysky offered to nurse the helpless little bundles. "I can nurse them," she offered. At Tansyfrost's question, she looked at Swampfox questioningly, as though wondering the same thing.

STORMSTAR.

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Stormstar was not so old that he couldn't smell trouble. He lifted his head from where it was rested on his large forepaws. He pricked his ears to listen to the faint voices that were echoing from outside. He found it hard to pick up the words, but he could recognize the voice of his deputy. Getting to his paws, the leader exited his den. His eyes were narrowed and suspicious. He scanned Fadedmemory and Swampfox with his scrutinizing gaze, his tail flicking slowly from side to side. The snow still fell slowly from the dark sky. He breathed in. He could smell the warm, milky scent of new kits. "What's going on?" The question was directed at Fadedmemory.

// Sorry to act Stormstar, Shard. Aurrie asked me, because they urgently wanted to get on with their plot. =/[/blockquote][/size]

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

fadedmemory

The she-cat shuffled her paws, uneasy with the leader's gaze on her. She stood up, away from Swampfox and started for her leader. "Could we speak to you alone in your den? I have something I need to tell you, Stormstar." Fadedmemory mewed softly, tail around around her back leg as she shook out her long pelt. She glanced back at the tom behind her before looking towards her leader. This was the part she had been dreading since she found herself being pregnant. It wasn't fair for her to keep secrets, especially from the father. Nor was is any fair to cause trouble for Swampfox, who willingly gave himself to be the father of these kits. She let out a tired breath, sitting down and resisting the urge to lie down. She wold defiantly do that later.

Once she had done everything she was suppose to.

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

stormstar.

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Yes, something certainly wasn't right. The worrisome edge to her voice was just clear enough for him to notice. The old tom gave a hoarse weeze before looking her over. His lightning yellow gaze glowed more than usual under the faint storm beneath the pillowy clouds of snow. The tom was analyzing. Though she had made her statement only seconds ago, it seemed a lifetime before he finally replied. "Yes, yes. Come." It had indeed been a delayed answer, but with his calculations and solving and thinking, it seemed much longer to him. The elderly leader stood for some more time before backing into his den and standing rigid upon his moss bed. Kit scent, new kit scent. He didn't remember any she-cats being pregnant. Hadn't they all given birth already? He rubbed at his temple with a paw. Who could have given birth at this time? His mind wasn't what it used to be...

OOC;; I'm very sorry for the delay. With Christmas, I was busy enough, but I got sick with bronchitis on the thirteenth and I thought I was getting better and suddenly I plummeted. I was miserable, and there was no way I was about to worry about my computer life. I had no muse anyway due to being ill. I got antibiotics on Monday though and now I feel like my old self again. ^^

And Aurreh told me to tell everyone that she told me to post here.[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

swampfox

<sup>He glanced over at the nursery and mewed to let the queens know he'd get back to them. Stormstar was the more pressing issue currently.

He meowed balefully over at Fadedmemory and followed her in, the massive frame of his own dwarfing those of the deputy's and the leader's. Swampfox coughed discreetly and sat down, bending his ears back.

"Stormstar, I regret to say that I have strayed. I had an out-of-Clan relationship, and the she-cat became pregnant. When I found her, she was kitting but badly, and she didn't survive the birth. Only my kits were there. Fadedmemory came upon me washing away the blood and she helped me carry them back to the nursery. Please don't punish them, my leader. It was I who did the wrong, not them. Is there any way I can make this up to you? I swear on my life that it will not happen again..."

He felt as if he had just thrown that out at Stormstar like a tossed-up hairball. He hadn't ever been a really good liar. However, Swampfox was a loyal warrior and a valiant one, having fought in many wars. Perhaps Stormstar would overlook his transgression.</sup>

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

fadedmemory

The deputy nearly chocked as she swolled hard. Her eyes flashed towards the tom, wide as she flicked his shoulder with her tail, sighing quietly. Well, that was certainly not how she wanted this to go. Letting out a breath, she licked Swampfox over the ears, grateful that he was here. Taking a deep breath, and probably the last for awhile, she stepped forwards.

"Thank you Swampfox, but I want Stormstar to know the truth" The new mother mewed softly, eyes still bright, but showing just how tired and ill she really felt. She turned her head to Stormstar. "The kits of which he speaks about arn't of a cross-clan relationship. But of one of this Clan. I, myself, am the mother to those kits. But I do not want anyone to know of this. They need to be kept a secret, for I do not want to be in the nursery, not serving my Clan. I know you may think of it as something unlike me, but I swore on Scissiorteeth's soul that I would serve my Clan without going out of commission for some moons" Finally taking a breath at the end, the deputy nearly fell over as blood rush to her head again, making her dizzy and stumbling back into the tom.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

swampfox

<sup>He blinked in surprise that Fadedmemory had decided to deviate from their story but he respected her for telling the truth even through the pain it must be causing her. Swampfox sighed softly as she spoke.

The Russian Blue surged forward to catch the woozy deputy, meowing in concern. He glanced over at her as she swooned against him. He swallowed audibly and looked at Stormstar, then at Fadedmemory. "Lay down," he repeated, this time a bit more forcefully.</sup>

[SHADE. :D]

// It's okay, Shard. :]

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

stormstar.

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He nodded wistfully to Swampfox. He'd seen cross-Clan love many times, and though he didn't encourage it, love was love. And them Fadedmemory chimed in. Her story was shocking, and yet predictable. After all, Midnightsky and her had been mates for a very long time. The leader knew that such an event would likely occur when he chose her as deputy. The leader rolled his shoulders and rubbed at his temples again. "I figured it was happen," he breathed. "I took this into consideration when I was pondering over who my next deputy would be. When I thought about you being deputy." The elderly tom sighed. He knew it would happen, but this wasn't a good time. Stormstar knew his time would be coming soon. He could feel it. He was sick, and although he still had four lives left, he knew something wasn't right. He wouldn't die of the illness, but something, something else. Stormstar wasn't sure what, but something else. He'd been seeing starry figures in his dreams, hearing distant, sympathetic voices whispering, "The time has come..." Yes the time had come. But the time was coming at the wrong time.

He looked to Swampfox. "I...I know you're halping Fadedmemory here, but could I speak to her alone for a few minutes, please?" His yellow eyes looked afraid, tired, and defeated. He wasn't sure how he felt about death, but one thing was for sure.

He was tired of life.[/blockquote]

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

fadedmemory

As directed, Fadedmemory laid down in between the two males, her body shaking slightly before she pricked her ears up and listened quietly to Stormstar. Of course he would think about this. Her love for Midnightsky would never get in the way of her duties. Almost all her clanmates knew that. Some say that the deputy was born twice, having lost her memories when she was just an apprentice. Silverpaw, they used to call her.

She shook the thought away as Stormstar spoke to Swampfox over her head. She looked up at the male, nodding her head at him. "I'll be fine. Go check on....." The deputy winced as she was about to say check on 'her' kits. Already, she felt the bond a mother had to her children. "Your kits. Make sure they're alright." Fadedmemory whispered softly, hiding her face from view for a moment before her eyes turned towards her leader.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

swampfox

<sup>He stared at Stormstar for a moment, nodding silently before turning to Fadedmemory. "StarClan keep you...," he murmured as the Russian Blue turned around and padded away. His paws carried him to the nursery automatically, following Fadedmemory's orders inherently. He found himself next to Tansyfrost and Haloheart, meowing that he was back.

"Sorry about that, ladies," he said softly, sitting down by the queens and looking down at 'his' kits. He tried to smile but failed. "They look so much like her mother."

Remembering the she-cats' questions, he immediately picked out the one he had named: Timekit. Fumbling for the others' names, he managed to finally recollect them. "Brightkit...Moonkit. Um...Cinderkit." He racked his brain for the last one, sighing slightly. "Ravenkit. That's the boy over there." He gestured to the one at Tansyfrost's last teat.</sup>

[FIREH!!]

_{ooc;; Can Middie interrupt here?}

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{ooc;// Gonna have a nice manly chat with Swampfox and two queens and some babies, is he? Sure then, 'cause Faded's tied up with Stormy for the moment}

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

stormstar.

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Stormstar nodded gratefully to Swampfox as he left the den. His lightning yellow eyes flicked over to Fadedmemory once more. He had to prepare her. He knew that if he could, he should prepare her. And so he would. For a long time, he stared at his deputy, trying to fathom how exactly to tell her. "Fadedmemory, I..." he trailed off. No, he wouldn't just come out and say it like that. "You might be thinking I am going to speak to you about your punishment. Well, partly I am, I suppose. I don't intend to punish you, actually. The last thing you need right now is to feel like a failure because you slipped up a bit, after being pregnant without being a well-rested queen. I pity you, dear. But..." he bit his lip. He was afraid of it himself. "Fadedmemory, I'm dying. Not just losing a single life. I'm dying, for good, although I still have four lives left. StarClan sends me things in my dreams. They never come right out and say it, but... There's cats with stars in the fur telling me that 'the time has come.' I'm scared to die, but...I know you'll take good care of the Clan when I'm gone." He blinked sadly. "That is all," he murmured. In a way, he envied Fadedmemory. Not for living, or for the position she was about to take on, but for her kits. He'd always dreamed of having children, and being a grandfather. He'd been in love with Skyflight, but...they'd seemed to pull apart lately. Kits would have been nice. Maybe he would tell stories to the ones in StarClan...[/blockquote]

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

fadedmemory

The white and brown she-cat let out a gasp, staring wide-eyed at her leader. It had only been a few moons since she had become deputy. Was she ready to be leader? Fadedmemory shook the thought away, struggling to her paws and pressing her muzzle to the leader's. "I'm sorry you have to deal with knowing your life is ending, Stormstar." The she-cat mewed, stepping back and curling around her paws. As she sat down, a memory hit her in the side of her head. She let out a breath as she shut her eyes. A long haired she-cat lay in the medicine cat's den, a jet black body beside the other. The soft murmuring of a name came from the tom. silverpaw, silverpaw, silverpaw

Shock crossed her mind as she suddenly remembered something. That name...it was hers. Coming back to Stormstar, her eyes lifted to her leader. "I swear to StarClan I will take care of this Clan for you, Stormstar." The deputy meowed, nodding her head at him.