29th May, morning; near the wagons

"She's hardly likely to want to shift her kits while we's all lookin' at 'em," Tamsin said decidedly. "Let's have that basket here." She took the basket, made sure it was lined comfortably, and put it on the ground where the mother cat could see it.

"Now, if we was to move away an' leave her to it for a bit, she'll come roun' and see it's better for her kits than where she's at. Though someone needs to talk to the carter, meek sure he don't go shiftin' his wagon afore she've shifted her kits."

Polly swallowed slightly at the mention of the wagon being moved, but was not overly keen on the idea of being the one to ask that it stay. She did not know who the carter was, but she had already talked to more people than she was used to in a day.

"D'ye think that's like t'happen?" she asked anxiously. "I don' think the camps is quite on th'move yet."

"I'll find the carter," Maggie said reassuringly. "Just - someone get 'em in that basket." And she headed off to find the man.

"Theys'll be moving afore we knows, we get stuck watchin' they cats," Tamsin pointed out. It was all too easy to lose track of time when your attention was engaged somewhere else, after all.

And one of the other women volunteered to go and speak to the driver, which was something. Get the cats in the basket, though? The person who tried that was likely to get scratched to ribbons.

"He's about to move," Maggie announced as she returned. "I think we'd better move 'em. Sorry, mama." She spoke to the mother cat, looking at her speculatively. "Maybe if we each take one? She can't attack all of us." She eyed the basket nearby and decided to be bold. She scooped up one of the kittens, a tiny black mewling thing. The mother began voicing her alarm, and so after only the briefest cuddle, Maggie deposited the tiny creature in the basket.

Well, if the cart was about to be moved, there was little enough that they could do. Seeing that Maggie hadn't been scratched, Polly bent down to pick up another of the kittens. It squeaked in surprise, but settled as she placed it in the basket beside its sibling. Smiling, she rubbed a finger on the kitten's head for a moment, then carefully reached for another.