fawnflower (she/her) | orchidclan

Fawnflower quite rarely left the nursery, and it was even more rare for her to leave the camp at all. She spent most of her time in the nursery looking after kits that were not hers, comforting queens, and often did not leave as she would often babysit for queens who needed some time alone. Of course, Fawnflower absolutely loved doing all of this and would not trade it for anything. She had no longing for being a warrior. She wanted to contribute to her Clan, but she simply did not find that hunting or doing patrols was the best way she could do that.

That being said, it wasn't as though leaving the nursery never happened. On the days when everything was quiet, when queens and kits were happy, Fawnflower sometimes needed her own time out, too. She needed to stretch in the warm sun, go for some water to drink, or just let her mind rest from the sounds of kits screaming and playing. A usually delightful sound to her ears, but sometimes a lot of it certainly could cause a headache after long enough.

The first thing Fawnflower did upon stepping outside the nursery was shake herself down, happy to have the room to properly stretch out her limbs and breathe some less stuffy air. Unfortunately, perhaps the sun was not as warm as she would have liked, but she would be content with taking in as much as she possibly could in the meantime. She had not realized just how fast the seasons were changing, giving one of her legs a quick groom now that she felt like she finally had the chance to reach that one spot that'd been bugging her.

Now, perhaps unlike other cats in OrchidClan, Fawnflower had no problem with bothering Morningstar with her issues. If her younger sister was going to be the leader of the Clan, she was going to get something out of it - even if that something was just making sure that her concerns were heard. She tried to make herself be a voice for the nursery, to make sure that the queens and kits were looked after as the future of the Clan, and the providers of that future. Morningstar could then take that info and put it in the importance that she saw fit, but it would never stop Fawnflower from at least bringing her concerns up.

The perma-queen looked around the somewhat quiet camp as the cool morning rested on the horizon. She took in a deep breath, letting herself stretch again as she reveled in the peace. Before long, she watched as the medicine cat and a cat that Fawnflower would consider a friend, iceeyes, emerge from her own den. She tried her best not to bother Iceeyes more than necessary, knowing that she likely had herself spread thin as was. But it was nice to see the medicine cat also take a moment for herself when it was quiet.

As she began to approach, Fawnflower placed her tail lightly on the cat's back in a way to grab her attention without startling her too much. She had learned some of the better ways to catch the attention of her friend, particularly just trying not to make a big show of it. She couldn't help but find herself amused at the cats who tried to overexert themselves in a way not to "scare" Iceeyes as though she were from fragile kit who was prone to a heart attack.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to disrupt your quiet," the she-cat mused. "But do we have to call it leaf-fall already? I'll let you know all the trees still very much have their leaves. I figured you would at the very least notice the lack of them all over the ground."

athesia ● 637 words

fawnflower (she/her) | orchidclan

The queen gave a purr, feeling as though the last words of the medicine cat were almost a playful dig. There were certainly a few kits who seemed to be more courageous and more slippery than most. "Yes, I do apologize for Wrenkit and Gracklekit," she chuckled. "And Dipperkit, too, I suppose, but I think his sisters just force him to tag along more than anything else."

What Fawnflower didn't say though was the fact that the main reason she hated the colder moons was the anxiety it often brought into the nursery. Queens who found themselves pregnant during these moons were terrified about whether their newborn kits would survive the birthing process at all, and even those queens whose kits had been weaned were scared of the sickness that could lay around the corner. Kits died so easily, and a single cough in the nursery would send every cat into a panic. While Fawnflower had certainly learned the difference between just swallowing some water the wrong way and something that actually needed help, she could only calm down some of the queens so much.

But she didn't want to bring any of this to Ice-eyes. She knew the medicine cat always had her paws full, especially with leaf-bare. Thankfully, they still had a few moons until then, but Fawnflower always missed newleaf. It was always her favourite season when the weather got warmer and the camp seemed more alive.

athesia ● 248 words

fawnflower (she/her) | orchidclan

Fawnflower purred at the thought of Ice-eyes taking on an apprentice. As much as the queen was often quite happy to help out when she could, it would be almost exciting to watch someone take up the mantle who wanted to do it. And from what she knew of Dipperkit, she thought perhaps the skittish tom-kit would be quite happy to not have to worry about facing battle or leaving the camp too often.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing Gracklekit and Wrenkit get their apprentice names," she joked. With the three of them getting bigger, it was often getting to be a bit of a hassle in the nursery. Fawnflower always loved it though, especially over the idea of dealing with patrols or warrior duties. She would pick having to handle a rowdy litter of kits any day. After all, as much as Wisteriawing was alive and well, she still saw all the kits of OrchidClan as if they were her own.

It had been quite some time since she had her own kits. While she was still young enough to have another litter if she so desired, there was a nervousness within her about taking another mate. She'd been unfortunate in the fact that she'd lost two mates already, and feared the idea of taking another. It felt like some sort of curse placed on her by StarClan, and perhaps instead it was easier to just help other queens care for their kits rather than worry about having any more herself. On top of that, she'd lost three of her own kits. The thought of having to watch any more kits she birthed herself fall away from her became more and more difficult. But she had four kits who were strong, proud warriors of OrchidClan, and she would have to let herself be okay with that.

A chill running down her spine, Fawnflower attempted to move on.

"Dawnkit, Dusk-kit, Nightkit and Daykit are adapting well," she said. The kits' mother, Palewillow, had passed, leaving the kits rather young. It was right in the moments when Fawnflower was happy to step up and help out as best she could, giving her some pride in her ability to do what she wanted to do. With that, she could pray and hope that the kits would survive well into the upcoming colder moons strong enough to become fine OrchidClan warriors themselves someday.

athesia ● 416 words

fawnflower (she/her) | orchidclan

Fawnflower's tail flicked behind her in delight. She always loved to think about the future of the kits of the Clan, thinking about where they would go and the things that they would accomplish. She had to admit that she'd been even the slightest bit worried about Dipperkit, skittish as he was, and what he might have contributed. But knowing that perhaps he had a place beside Ice-eyes made things a little easier. Sure enough, it almost took a weight off the queen's back.

"Well, don't you think you're a little early to start relaxing?" Fawnflower poked fun, knowing that typically the medicine cat could be found working on several things at any given time in her den. It seemed as though there was always something to get done, and it was part of why Fawnflower had been so happy to take on the role of a perma-queen. Even if she wasn't having kits anymore, much to her sadness - though she'd never admit it - she could at least still provide some comfort and help someone else relax. She could still spend her time around kits like Dawnkit, Dusk-kit, Nightkit and Daykit. She could still spend her time with new queens who were concerned about how their kitting was going to go. And above all, she knew that she was still doing something to benefit the Clan when she could help give Ice-eyes room to focus on other things instead of having to worry about queens scared about their newborn kit sneezing once because a feather landed on their nose.

But she had to admit to herself that she also genuinely enjoyed spending time with Ice-eyes and helping her out when needed. She had learned very basic herbs that were simply useful for kitting, and had learned about some dosages for kits so that a queen didn't accidentally poison their kit because they wanted to give them a full warrior's portion of medicine. Though she was excited for her friend to take on an apprentice, there was a tiny bit of melancholy over the realization that some of her skills might be less needed.

Though, as she thought about the kind of kit Dipperkit was, she realized that perhaps her worry was misplaced. The poor thing would probably take all the help he could get.

athesia ● 388 words

fawnflower (she/her) | orchidclan

"You know you don't have to reassure me," Fawnflower responded, though she certainly couldn't pretend as though it wasn't nice to hear. She knew from the day she had decided to move into the nursery permanently that she was taking a somewhat thankless job, but it came with so many great perks that she couldn't have turned it down for anything.

Well, perhaps she would have traded it for the chance for either of her mates to still be with her, but she couldn't say that out loud. Not only because she could not admit it to anyone, no matter how dear they may have been to her, but it wasn't something she was even willing to admit to herself. She also didn't want anymore pity. It had been a long time since Rookclaw and Falconpelt's deaths. She should have been over it.

Pushing past it, she looked at Ice-eyes. "But I appreciate it nonetheless."

The queen shivered as a cool wind began to pass through her fur. "I look forward to watching you teach," Fawnflower noted. As much as Fawnflower had an affinity for kits in particular, it was interesting to watch new apprentices find their footing, and it had been quite some time since Ice-eyes was an apprentice herself. The queen knew she'd be keeping her ear out in order to pick up new things herself, and knew she'd even be happy to lend a paw to helping Dipperkit where she could. He might not have been her apprentice, but she looked forward to the first litter born under his watch and being able to see how he handled it.

athesia ● 285 words