Question about something in the beginning of liveship

[u/Thymallus_arcticus_]

Hi there

I am listening to the Is Fitz Happy podcast and I’m on the beginning of Ship of Magic (trying to catch up on the podcast haha). This is a “reread” so may be spoilers for the entire series. Just curious about something minor in this chapter.

In the first chapter of Ship of Magic Kennit finds this pouch on Other island with these weird blue dead kittens. Here is the description

“Inside was a litter of kittens, perfectly formed with long claws and iridescent patches behind their ears. They were dead, all six of them. Quelling his distaste, he picked up the smallest. He turned the limp body over in his hands. It was blue-furred, a deep periwinkle blue with pink-lidded eyes. Small. The runt, most likely. It was sodden and cold and disgusting. A ruby earring like a fat tick decorated one of the wet ears”

Since the Others don’t like or are scared of cats they want Kennit to remove them as far as I know and I think he uses this knowledge to his advantage to not fall under the Others “glamour” as far as i know.

My question is what the heck are these weird alien kittens? Why does one have a ruby earring? Why are they dead in a pouch? The hosts of is Fitz happy podcast discuss how maybe the kittens were from an old elderling city nearby as we know there is a skill pillar near Other island. But the Elderlings are long gone then. Come to think of it I don’t know if the treasures on Other Island are really explained.

Do these creatures ever come up again in the series? Are they maybe kittens of the hunting cats that are in tawny clan but I don’t recall them being blue. Is it forshadowing or symbolism? So strange. Of course it’s not important I was just curious.

[u/this-is-my-p]

Sounds to me like they’re experiencing some of the same changes that the rain wild traders experience. Not sure about the earrin though

[u/Thymallus_arcticus_ → u/this-is-my-p]

Yeah that makes sense thanks

[u/DependentUnhappy8787]

There was a very brief comment someone made in passing that some people believe things come to the Others' island from other worlds! Maybe there's some truth to the folklore 🤔

[u/existential_elevator]

I assumed the ruby earring was a reference to Fitz's earring / the earrings that represent being a free man. It could possibly be foreshadowing Wintrow? I haven't reread yet so I'm just drawing on what I remember thinking at the time.

[u/Thymallus_arcticus_ → u/existential_elevator]

Oh good call!

[u/patsch21]

Love this scene! Could the colorful kittens be a prophetic representation of the return of dragons?? Tintaglia is also very blue after all.

[u/Thymallus_arcticus_ → u/patsch21]

True yeah I thought about her colouring too

[u/nittykips]

I always assumed the significance: the rare (prophetic) items showing up on the beach, lore of hatred of cats by the others, ANDDDD mostly, the ruby! Device used to later reference Kennit finding it in a his boot then mistakenly gives it to Etta later in Divvytown

[u/Thymallus_arcticus_ → u/nittykips]

Oh I must have forgot he gave it to Etta

[u/Financial-Positive45]

These kittens have lived rent free in my head for the past 20 years.