[ti]Private[/ti]Loose Strings

[Mama]

Ruby's eyes flickered around as he padded along, trotting in the back of the group with Smoke, and the kits. They'd been walking for a while, and the kittens would certainly start complaining soon. He was proud of them, for soldiering though the trip. But, they didn't know any better. All they knew, and were born into, was travelling. 

Ruby had changed his name to Lostruby, since it was closer to his tribe name. It was hard to remember, as he knew one name his whole life... But, he was just trying to help transition as smooth as anyone else. And was it hard!


Noticing his son drifting behind the group, Lostruby frowned and paused to turn around. The weight of a family, his aching body, injuries, and now his heavy coughing caused a lot of stress for him. And though he usually wouldn't be, Lostruby had been very grumpy and easily upsetted lately. "Let's go, Echokit." He growled, his tail twitching before he broke out in deep, heavy coughs. Ones that rattled his starved body, and made his eyes look even more exhausted.


Echokit had paused to lap at his paws, which were ran raw and had so many thorns in it. His tail tucked under him at the booming coughing his father gave out, and Echokit shivered as he made his way towards his mother. His hind leg was raised in a limp, scraped up and sore.

@mousestep Dragon 

[Deleted]

Smoke has changed her name to Smokenight, she fell into step beside her mate. She has grown worried about his coughing. Smokenight, reached to lick Echokit's ear as to comfort him. She knew the traveling was harsh on all three of the kits.

Morningkit has been growing tired as well, she was also getting hungry and wanted to nurse from her mother. The young kit had fallen behind but quickly moved to fall into step beside her father Lostruby. Her tiny paws were hurting and aching. She has started walking funny, as she kept lifting her paws to get off them as they hurt after such a long time walking. "When can we stop? I'm tired...and Hungry.." she whimpered.

[Dragon]

Sunkit kept pushing forward no matter how raw her paws were and how tired she was. She hadn't to put on a brave face for her siblings. She ignored the small drops of blood left on the ground when she lifted her paws and walked. She ignored the will to just lie down and rest or the rumbling in her stomach and forced herself to keep moving forward.

Hearing Morningkit Sunkit padded over to her sister and wrapped her tail around hers. "We'll stop at nightfall than we can eat and sleep. Until then we have to keep moving forward ok." She licked her sisters muzzle and smiled softly.



Lightningstrike padded beside her sister helping to keep an eye on her niece and nephews. She noticed how tired some were and also noticed that their paws had gotten bad. Hearing Morningkits wail to stop and take a break she scooped the kit up and set her on her back. "There you go little one now you rest up some and I'll do the walking for both of us." Her own paws ached but she had grown used to all the walking.



Diamondshine mourned Flowerkit. Ever sine the death of her daughter she had kept an extremely close eye on her remaining children. Right now Asterkit lay on her back sound asleep. Someone else carried her other kits. "Smoke how are you and your kits doing? Is there anything I can do to help," she mewed as she padded up to her friends side.

[Mama]

Echokit watched as one of his sister's got sweeped up, and he was about to ask if his mother could pick him up too when a glare from Lostruby caught his words in his throat. {Come on.. Echokit. Man up!} he told himself, trying to pay less attention to the pains in his paws and more on walking. Perhaps his surroundings had something interesting, like birds or trees. The cold slush made his thin coat puff up, and he was begging for nightfall to come quickly and let him rest.

"We-" His words were broken by another line of coughs, the taste of blood in his mouth. He was about to continue when the tom slowed his walking, the feeling and fear of suffocation setting in as it grew harder to breath. It took him a few moments before he looked up, exhaustion setting in his eyes as he forced himself to keep walking fowards. Every day, it seemed harder for him to breath, it hurt to lay down, and he felt tired constantly. Maybe he was getting old, and it was all going to his head. But, he was still decently young... who knew.

[Deleted]

Morningkit gave a small nod, "Thank you," she meowed to her aunt when her aunt placed her on her aunt's back to have a ride. She nodded in agreement with her sister Sunkit. She knew she had to try and be stronger even now, that her sister was right there was no point in complaining as maybe they stop soon?

Smokenight turned to her friend, and nodded, "They are doing fine, considering their age and traveling. How about your kits?" she asked her friend. She turned to her mate when she noticed him start to speak then pause when he coughed and slowed. She slowed her steps to let her steps fall beside her mate. Worry on her face. "Maybe, we should get that looked at once we stop to rest?" she asked her mate worried on her face.

[Dragon]

Lightningstrike purred softly as her niece curled up on her back. She noticed Echokit and could tell he wanted to ask if he could be carried as well but didn't. She had noticed how Ruby was often harder on Echokit then his daughters. So without asking she stepped up to her nephew and plucked him off the ground and set him on her back as well. "I hope you don't mind me carrying you Echokit? I know your big and strong and keep going but it would make me feel better knowing I'm being of some use our tribe..... er clan." Hopefully Ruby wouldn't say anything about it since she was the one who plucked him up without him asking.


Sunkit smiled glad her brother and sister could get some rest, she would keep walking no matter how much it hurt though. She was pretty sure no one would offer to carry her especially not their aunt who now had a back full carrying her siblings so she just kept walking leaving tiny bloody marks where she stepped.


Diamondshine watched as Lightningstrike plucked first one then the other off the ground. "They're ok we're all still trying to deal with the lost of Lily. Aster and I are struggling the most. Astor and Lily had grown close. But he'll be ok and so will I."

[Mama]

Lostruby spat a mouthful of blood to the ground as his mate ran up, and the tom looked up with a blink. "Who'll look at it? We don't have a healer, so what's the point in making a fuss over it?" The tom grumbled, as he ran a tongue over one of his broken teeth. He hated being sick like this, and wished they could just find a place to stop, settle back down, and get over it. His tail twitched as he walked past her, continuing on with the rest of the little group.

Echokit was trotting along, trying to keep up as he drifted left, then right, then finally redirected himself. When something lifted him up, he thought he was floating, like a bird, and then he was placed on his aunt's back. Oh. Not a bird, but certainly in a spot with a good view. The tom flopped down happily, closing his eyes and giving rumbling purrs while on his rest break. Kittens like them shouldn't be walking that much, at least, all the time, and it was slowly taking a toll on Echokit himself.

Lostruby looked back towards Lightningstrike, hearing her speak, and gave a slightly stern glare before looking back down towards Sunkit with a frown. "After we make it to another pond or something, Echokit can get off and you can go on instead, dear." The cinnamon tom spoke to his father as he looked to her bloody trail with a sigh. Though he wanted to tear the other tom off and set him down, he knew a little break would be alright.