Splashflight's Mistake (book one)

Chapter 15

"Nightgaze! What do I do first?" Splashpaw asked as he unbundled the herbs and arranged them in a neat pile. Cobwebs, honey-poppy, borage, chervil, and three sturdy sticks. They were all arranged in order to when he needed them. Nightgaze nodded to the sticks, Splashpaw nosed one over to Venomrain. "Here, bite when the pain comes," he instructed, knowing what Nightgaze needed from the many lessons when he was injured in his den.

Venomrain gave a grateful smile, and groaned. Splashpaw saw the stick crumble a bit under the pressure, and he quickly glanced at her belly. He watched Nightgaze place paws on her belly just below her hips and work the skin. "Put your paws here, you can feel the kits until the muscles tighten. Thats when you know the kitting begins." He instructed. Splashpaw did as he was told.

He pressed his paws into her soft, plump belly fur, and he could feel one, two, three, four tiny lumps. They squirmed at his touch, and he smiled. Four gifts for the clan... Redstrike will be so proud!

Suddenly the muscles tightened and he could feel the kits no more. He turned to Nightgaze. "Theres four. What do I do first?" He asked.

Nightgaze nodded. "Let me. You nip the sacs and lick the fur like I taught you," he said. Splashpaw nodded, poised and ready for the first kit. He saw that a crowd had gathered around Venomrain. Cameltail sat beside Redstrike, chewing her claws nervously as she watched her sister, and Snowtip sat beside her daughters.

Splashpaw heard Venomrain groan and yowl, and Nightgaze ducked, grabbing a leaf and sliding the kit onto it. He quickly passed the kit to Splashpaw, who immediately bent down to break the sac with his teeth and lick the tiny toms fur backwards to warm his blood and get his lungs to work. He heard a mewl and smiled, nosing the tom to his father to watch. "Keep track of them until shes done," Splashpaw said, guessing Venomrain didn't want to deal with kits at her belly quite at the moment.

The next one was a tiny white she cat with red tabby markings and paws, her long fluffy tail ending in a maroon tint. Splashpaw thought her long claws and red markings perfectly reflected each parent, dreaming that one day he had a kit just like that...

The next two kits were small and they didn't mewl right away when Splashpaw licked. Nightgaze moved Splashpaw over when the last one came out stillborn. "Move! I have to save him!" He growled and Splashpaw nodded, stepping back.

He saw Nightgaze bend over to breathe heavily into the kits' lungs, puffing madly. But the kit still didn't respond, and after a few desperate heartbeats, Nightgaze shook his head. "Venomrain, come say goodbye to your two sons..." He said sadly. Redstrike bowed his head.

"They would have been noble warriors."

Splashpaw licked Venomrain, who was burying her muzzle in the two still bodies, her shoulders shuddering with quiet sobs. Nightgaze's tail grazed his tail, leading him out to let the grieving mates have time alone. The clan filed out, the air still and sad. He looked at Nightgaze, then at the moon.

How could the day turn so solemn so fast?