Lightningwind
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Solsticepaw
“Daddy! Daddy!” Solsticepaw giggled as the golden and brown molly ran towards her father, dark amber eyes were glowing in happiness. Havenpaw and Polarpaw had followed after their eldest sister, clearly excited to show something to their father. Lightningwind turned to look towards the sources of voices with an unreadable expression at first until his face softened when spotting three small females running over to him. His three daughters, Lightningwind’s pride and joy. Through heartbreak and sorrow, losing his mate from murder, raising three daughters on his own… Well, not really on his own. Vanillabreeze was around. His blue gaze spotted Vanillabreeze as she was walking behind Solsticepaw, Polarpaw and Havenpaw.
Lightningwind and Vanillabreeze had a formal relationship, she watched his kits during the day while he was on duties before spending the rest of the day with his three girls. Of course Vanillabreeze was invited during meals, but he expected his children to have a formal relationship with their nanny. Expect, he didn’t know how deep their bond was. The girls had viewed Vanillabreeze, wanting to be around as much as him. It irked him slightly, but he accepted it. Vanillabreeze didn’t really have kin since her former mate had left her and birthing stillborn kits, she went through hell and back.
It didn’t mean that she would need to replace her kits with his own, it wasn’t the correct morals for that. The last thing that Lightningwind needed was for his daughters to get attached to someone only for her to leave them later on with no real emotional connection. Watching Polarpaw dropped the leaf that was on her mouth to reveal a lady bug. The large mginger tom chuckled in amusement before bumping his head softly into his daughters, they were so adventurous, Indigoskies would had loved them. It had been almost a year since had met Indigoskies, the brown and golden beauty that was his first love. There were plenty of ups and downs with that relationship but it ended in tragedy when Renly the Ripper had murdered her after birthing his kits. Sighing through his nostrils, the thought of burying his deceased mate and newborn son was traumatic but Lightningwind had braved through it for his daughters’ sake.
Lightningwind knew that he wouldn’t cross paths with Indigoskies again, even in death. The molly had different ancestors and beliefs, she wouldn’t be going to Starclan. While Lightningwind knew they wouldn’t be together again, he cherished her as his first love and mother to children. Snapping out of his thoughts when hearing his daughters hollering at each other, he noticed the bug was gone. Ah yes, it flew away. “Your grandparents aren’t going to be pleased when I tell them that you couldn’t see them because you were grounded.” Lightingwind scolded, knowing that it would shut them up. Solsticepaw, Polarpaw and Havenpaw adored their grandparents from Skyclan, they literally ran to the meeting place everytime. Lightingwind was pleased with the little family that he created, nothing can tear it apart.
“But Dad!” Solsticepaw cried, poking Polarpaw’s side “If Po didn’t start yelling, the lady bug wouldn’t fly away!” The brown and golden molly exclaimed, her eyes widened slightly. Kids will be kids. Lightningwind had let out a soft sigh and shook his head slightly. “Come here.” The ginger tom said, his forearm gathering his three small daughters and holding them close. “I told you three, we will not be bickering with each other.” Lightningwind gently said, giving them a look. Of course he couldn’t expect that, all three of them had different personalities. Solsticepaw groaned while her father peppered them with kisses, trying to get out of the huddle “Mom said to hol-“ Solsticepaw stopped her sentence, catching herself. Feeling her father tensing up, Solsticepaw couldn’t read her father’s expression before clearing her throat “Vanillabreeze said to hold the leaf close.” She corrected herself.
“Did she?” Lightingwind questioned, arching an eyebrow while looking at Vanillabreeze.
Vanillabreeze |The Hidden Gem of Thunderclan|
Closing her eyes briefly, sighing softly to herself as Lightningwind only spoke one word to her, a command. With little room to deny she steels herself, knowing that the warrior did not think much of her, all she was to him was a babysitter. Taking one last look at the three young girls, smiling to herself as she watched them huddle together in an attempt to catch another lady bug. Forcing herself to move her legs as she pads behind the tall dark ginger Tom as he leads her just outside the camp. Her slate grey ears flick back in unease as her unique pastel pink eyes lock on his stormy gaze. Blinking in surprise as he accuses of her in playing mind games with his daughters.
Vanillabreeze could not help but feel overwhelmed with his tone and the way he looked at her. Looks sometimes spoke more than words, the look he was giving her made her feel small and insignificant in his eyes. Trying to keep her features calm as she did not want him to see that his words sunk into her. “I beg your pardon?” Vanilla questions, giving him a confused expression, hoping she indeed heard him wrong. “I assure you I am playing no games. I take my job very seriously, Lightningwind” She softly states, trying to remain professional with the father of the kits she has been caring for since they were basically born.
She knew that she had grown close to the girls, she cared for them deeply and enjoyed watching them grow, but she knew that she was not their mother. Lightningwind made that abundantly clear. Clenching her jaw at the way he spoke to her, the brash tone and stern expression. Reminded her of her ex-mate, Webthroat. “I am well aware of my duties, Lightningwind. You have made that clear since the beginning. I am simply being a nanny to your girls. Raising them to be young ladies, not afraid to express themselves. I teach them manners, I am an ear for them when they need it, and a shoulder for them to cry on. I have never once believed I was their mother, you are quite right. They had one and sadly lost her before they knew her” Vanilla’s soft demeanor changes as she stares coolly at the warrior.
“I am not their mother, but they do need a mother like figure in their lives! If you don’t like how I am caring for them then maybe if you were around enough you could nurture them! You drown yourself in duties. I understand you are hurting but so are they! Don’t come at me, thinking you know me!” The beautiful molly snarls as she takes a step closer to the towering ginger tom. “The gall you have to throw in my face that I am using your daughters to replace the kits I have lost?! I will never forget my kits and they will never be replaced no matter how much I care for your daughters and the other kits I foster. Your daughters are the world and they deserve everything, yes they have emotions but so do I!” Her voice cracks towards the end, her eyes tearing up, taking a deep breath as she peers up at Lightning.
“Maybe you are right, that I care too much but why is that such a bad thing? What is so wrong about caring about them? How could I not? Yet you make me out as the villain for being there for your kits. Fine. I will keep my distance as you wish. You can explain to Solsticepaw, Polarpaw, and Havenpaw why I am no longer their nanny. I never planned on leaving them but I cannot handle the way you look at me for just being there for them.” She says with defeat, she did not know how to get through to him, that she meant no harm and cared deeply for his daughters. Her heart hurt at the thought of not caring for those three precious girls, but she could not allow herself to be treated like this any longer. Her heart could not take it.
Giving him one last look, tears dripping down her soft features before she turns away. “Their names were Cranekit and Crystalkit. They were so beautiful and were taken so soon. Not that you care. I am going to say goodbye to the girls and then I’ll be out of your fur” Vanillabreeze mutters before leaving the warrior behind. He was not a bad guy, just a troubled one.