Private Thread Curled in Silk

Mew.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Skunkkit squirmed against his mother’s warm body. Blind and deaf, his world was one full of scent and touch. At this point he was too young to formulate much thought, words were a completely foreign concept, but instinct was strong. As such, when he had awoken from a much needed sleep, the feeling of his belly clawing at itself, demanding food, had the tiny ball of black and white fur, squirming toward the scent of milk. As he moved, tiny legs clawing and pushing, he opened his mouth and let out a tiny, wordless squeak. His jaw didn’t even contain his milk teeth yet and was shockingly pink in contrast with his dark fur. Slowly, taking an eternity for the newborn tom, Skunkkit wriggled his way to his dam’s teat and latched on, enthusiastically bringing his tiny paws up to her flank to knead it, helping her milk flow. Thankfully his claws had yet to harden and wouldn’t yet prick her sides.

Even a flame that burns softly can still bring warmth through the darkest nights.

❀ ✧ 🪷 ✧ ❀

Orchidflame watched at her sons eagerly latched to feed, kneading at her belly to continue the flow of nutrients to them. Orchidflame's bicolor eyes softened as her kits fed. They were beautiful, the purr rumbled louder the more she glanced at them, just existing, doing what they were born to do, surviving. The ache from birthing them was long forgotten now and her own paws began to knead her nest contently, the three of their paws moving and working at what was in front of them. 

The dappled queen placed her head down on her paws, glancing out to the camp clearing, seems like the clan had been awake before her as usual, patrols were returning with prey and reports of border patrols. And she was here, feeding kits, the happiest of all of them. "They'll be out there, with them. I'll be back here watching and cheering their names." She spoke, mostly to herself, however, if Bravesong had heard, she wouldn't mind. Regardless, Orchidflame held her tail over the kits to keep the warmth. They would need warmth to thrive and by StarClan she was going to do everything she could to make her boys thrive.

Then, Orchidflame took to thinking about her kin, the cats no longer here, the impact they made on her life, her parents namely. She would be these kits' entire worlds for the next few moons. Without her, she had no idea how these kits would have survived. But she was glad she was here to keep them strong. She had a feeling that Bravesong was happy she was here too. Her gaze lingered around the nursery and the purr grew a little warmer. "I'm so lucky."

Mew.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

As Skunkkit continued to suckle, he felt a warm body wriggle up beside him. What the thing was, he had no clue, but some instinct caused a warm feeling to bloom in his heart as a stuttering vibration began in his chest. The purr was faint and broken, but the love in it was undeniable. It was the first time that the little tom had ever managed to purr at all, and a comforting sense of security wrapped around him as he did. Relaxed and getting full, his kneading slowed but stayed rhythmic as he finished up his meal.

As Skunkkit’s purr started, stopped and stumbled over itself, he slowly came to recognise the vibration he felt under his paws as the same thing. The large body on which he depended on and felt so safe with, was doing the same thing that he had involuntarily begun to do. The thought made the little tom’s heart warm further and things felt safe and complete. This was life. It might be colder than it was before, but there was something exciting about these new senses and capabilities he was discovering.

Satisfied with his meal, the black and white tom’s kneading stopped and he opened his mouth before shuffling back a little. Still leaning on his mother’s belly he let out a little satisfied mewl and then nuzzled against her belly for a moment, dampness from her milk on his tiny muzzle. Relaxed, full and happy, Skunkkit began to feel sleepy once more and he decided to shuffle closer to the other body he had felt. Once he had wriggled himself into a position that was both comfortable and touching the two creatures in his world, the young tom yawned and settled down to drift off back into sleep.

Even a flame that burns softly can still bring warmth through the darkest nights.

❀ ✧ 🪷 ✧ ❀

She first felt Skunkkit slow his kneading, then Weaselkit, then the both seemed to stop one after another and unlatch, finishing their meal. Despite the softness in her eyes, they grew heavier. Whatever Robinpaw had given her worked for the pain that she had been feeling, however soft it may have been and dulled it to near nothing. As her kits began to fall asleep, the nursery was silent again. Not a silence begging to be filled, it couldn't be, not in the way she spoke with her clanmates. But a silence that filled itself with something much more precious.

Orchidflame softly drew her tongue over Skunkkit's messy face and settling the two of the kits down more comfortable for them to sleep. Embracing the warmth of one another as they got into their respective positions. And thus, Orchidflame chose to form her own, curling around the two with a gentle curve of her spine and roll of her tail. She would be all her son's knew for the next few weeks, and she wasn't planning to waste a second of it. Even... if she had to close her eyes.

Her last waking moment was spent purring over her newborn offspring, letting them rest beneath the comforting vibration of her chest and belly, something deep and warm. Warmth for all of them. For Orchidflame, Skunkkit and Weaselkit.