Chapter 70: The Kits
There was definitely tension in the air as we brought the kits into the camp. They smelled of their mother which gave away their origins. I could tell several of them were almost raring to hurt these kits. A disapproving look shut them down. Fireheart and I had authority, which made us bringing them in all the more tolerable. It was then that Bluestar met us.
"Why do you come bearing Riverclan kits?" She asked plainly.
"Well… You see…" Fireheart sputtered before I cut him off. Bluestar needed facts right now and Fireheart's words and thoughts were too clouded by emotions.
"These are Graystripe's kits. Their mother died while giving birth within Thunderclan territory. The only thing Silverstream, the mother, voiced in desire about her kits were that they be named Stormkit and Featherkit, and they were raised in a loving environment. She did not seem opposed to us raising them. I understand that Graystripe will need to undergo some kind of punishment regarding this, but these kits are guilty of nothing. Existing is not a crime." I mewed flatly, meeting Bluestar's eyes head on.
"I see." She mewed contemplatively before continuing. "What do you two believe is the best course of action involving these kits?" she queried in what was obviously a test.
Fireheart seemed to have stabilized himself and spoke his piece. "Well, the code states we must care for all kits regardless of origin, so we need a queen to temporarily nurse them. I know this'll bring more tension between Thunderclan and Riverclan regardless of what we do. If we give them up, we'll be showing weakness, but if we don't we'll be inviting retaliation. I do not know what to choose."
I nodded along to Fireheart's logic before putting in some of my own thoughts. "I agree with the short term. They must be cared for. For the long term, I cannot say because it is not my choice to make. It is Graystripe's. As the sole parent, it is both his right and duty to determine the best way for his kits to be raised, whether as Thunderclan or Riverclan." I stated calmly, drawing forth some levels of disagreement within the clan.
I let them shout their discontent for a moment before silencing them. "if blood was all it took to be a good clan cat, Tigerclaw would be your deputy and Fireheart and I wouldn't be here. No. It is not blood that makes Thunderclan Thunderclan. It is our spirits, our upbringing that makes us Thunderclan, and right now, these kits are blank. They know nothing of the world. They can be raised as anything, be any clan. It is Graystripe's choice to make, but if he says they are Thunderclan, then they are Thunderclan. End of story."
Bluestar had a look on content after our statements, nodding to us. "I chose wisely in making you two deputies. We will see to having the kits cared for until Graystripe can give us his definitive answer. Graystripe's punishment will be as follows. He must hunt for whichever queen nurses the kits as if they were his own. He is allowed outside of camp for no other reason. He will be the primary carer of the kits. In addition, Brackenpaw will be put under the care of Fireheart until he finishes his training. Now, Goldenflower, would you be willing to nurse these kits?" Bluestar asked.
Goldenflower is a far better cat than I. She seemed very willing to take care of the kits given the circumstances. She was definitely going to help raise the kits while they were in her care. If it were me, I'd have just have followed the letter of the command, just nursing the kits and leaving everything else for Graystripe. I could not imagine risking attachment to someone who may be gone before a moon was even up.
Realizing the coming tensions with Riverclan, I felt it pertinent to double check we'd have no future threats from our other borders. I changed the patrol schedule to reflect the growing tension. Shadowclan didn't get a free pass either. They'd already shown that they were willing to raid on a whim. Unless we had proof that they were not a threat, we'd have to keep a keen eye on them. Windclan had a very small border with us, so I just planned for the border patrols to overlap that area. Then there was just one last border. While border patrols were effective at keeping cats out, there was a better answer, a more me answer.
I slipped out of camp with a hunting patrol before dipping out. I was headed to the Twoleg Place, more specifically Hattie's house. She was my go to when it came to getting the latest gossip. After I'd made that arrangement with Scourge, Hattie's network was able to expand drastically. She had girls all over the city, each doing their own thing. It was more a gossip network than a spy one, but that is what made it effective. Hattie didn't have to pay to be kept in the loop, and certain members were capable of verifying gossip and passing it on to a specified target. It also made the streets appear safer since no cat knew who all were Hattie's girls, and Scourge was all too willing to retaliate violently against those who broke his agreement. This proved to be a boon for Bloodclan as well since they were seen as 'cleaning up' the streets, thus getting more willing recruits.
Either way, I checked in with Hattie to determine if Bloodclan was making any unusual pushes into territories neighboring the forest and what factions currently were operating in the area. This turned out to be a good choice. Brokenstar's rogues were making an appearance again. They were unable to establish themselves in the city, so they were getting desperate. They were currently camped out on the Shadowclan border, but it wouldn't be all that hard for them to skirt the edge and enter Thunderclan. I did get word of a peculiar dark brown tom moving through the area, but he was accompanied by tawny molly who was too unblemished to have been a rogue long, an unfortunate dead end. I asked Hattie to keep an eye on those rogues. They were likely to make trouble, so it wouldn't hurt for her to alert Scourge as well.
I left soon after. Honestly, it was a little exhilarating to dip my paws back into what I used to do, even if it was just a taste. Keeping a paw on the beat of the city used to be my lifeblood. It stoked my own ego a bit that Hattie had taken to her new role well. If I didn't have all these attachments and obligations, I'd probably have thrown myself into making the city my puppet. But no, I had a clan to care for, a loving mate, an enthusiastic apprentice, and many friends. I knew in my heart that If I gave in to that whim, I'd have fun, but I'd never be happy. I was content with this life. Sure, it wasn't as exciting as it could be, but I think that's what I liked about it. It wasn't a constant stream of jobs, and it wasn't a competition to always see who is on top. I was just me, and everyone seemed content with that.