An Appearance Doesn't Define Me

Chapter 12: Kitting

*Disclaimer: Echotail kitting is based [mostly] off of what is in the books, I have little medical knowledge!*

The night's air was filled with screeching which only grew louder as the trio closed in on the camp. They emerged through the entrance, the black tom turned to his apprentice and barked an order to find certain herbs. The brown cat dashed to the medicine den and retrieved them, she followed the trail to the nursery. Carpfin was sat outside the den and nodded to the she-cat as she entered.

The black figure of Echotail was breathing heavily in her nest, a snapped oak twig layed outside her nest, Tallshade hovered his paw above her belly. A ripple moved the medicine cat's paw and the queen let out another screech. The apprentice dropped the leaves next to the queen. Tallshade spoke up "Come here and place your paw where mine is," Ivypaw did as instructed, "Echotail – you eat those raspberry leaves." The queen denied the order, the tom shook his head, "Ivypaw – shout if you think something is wrong." The apprentice's eyes grew with anxiety, but she nodded and Tallshade started to persuade Echotail to eat the herbs.

When the commotion started to become the new normal, a brown face appeared at the entrance, his medicine cat clocked him instantly; "Alpineleaf, go find the strongest branch you can and bring it back" he stated, the young warrior looked puzzled but disappeared regardless. Movement from under her paw and Echotail cursing snapped Ivypaw from her trance – she shouted for her mentor, moving out of the way as he took complete charge, "Ok, Echotail – you need to push." The queen cursed him causing him to shout over her, "If you don't it is dangerous!" Echotail grumbled in acquiesce. "Ivypaw, when the first kit arrives, you need to nip open the kitting sac and lick the kit – opposite to the fur's natural way." Ivypaw nodded and reassured Echotail that everything would be ok, although the apprentice could feel her throat tighten still with nerves as she did so.

There was noise at the entrance and Alpineleaf reappeared welding a willow branch, Tallshade took it and gave it to Echotail, "Bite." She did as instructed, her screeches lessened and muffled as she took the pain out on the wood rather than everyone's eardrums.

It was not much longer before Ivypaw was rushing to treat the first kit. She gently opened the sac and started to lick her newest clanmate: a little white, black, and orange tom. He let out a cry and Echotail turned to try and see her kit. The apprentice gingerly picked up the kit and placed him by his mother's belly. "He's so small." She mused, eyes filling with love as she took laboured breaths, the air was filled with tension outside the mother and son as the medicine cats waited for the next kitten. It took a moment before the queen was back to biting down on the branch, the next kit was coming.

Echotail was finally laying peacefully with two more kits, a black tom and ginger she-kit, suckling beside their brother, when their father's tabbied head poked into the den. Tallshade flicked his ears, and the leader entered to greet his mate and new kits – glee and relief plastered on his face. Tallshade beckoned his apprentice to follow him as he left the family. "So, your first birth?" He looked to the she-cat.

Dazed eyes greeted his question, Ivypaw let out a hum, "The kits... they were so small, so vulnerable – it's strange to think everything was that once, Me, you, ThunderClan, rogues, twolegs, it makes you think..." she trailed off gazing at the stars, she started to feel her heart calm and her ears where no longer as hot as they had been heartbeats ago.

Tallshade agreed, "It's one of the things that make this job so special – we experience things that allow us to see beyond just 'us VS them'."

"But they could have waited until the morning." Ivypaw commented as she stifled a yawn, her mentor chuckled.

There was movement from behind her, the pair turned around to find themselves face-to-face with Eelstripe, concern plastered on his face, "Is Echotail Ok?" he asked – worried for his littermate.

"Yep, Dropstar's with her now." The Apprentice replied.

Eelstripe nodded, relief filling his face "You look like you need to go to your nest." He stated as his daughter stifled another yawn, Ivypaw shook her head, adamant to stay up until the Clan was back from the Gathering, It's creepy with so many cats out this late at night. She thought as her eyes darted around the barren camp, only a pawful of cats in the camp made it feel empty and her heart ached with an unnecessary sense of abandonment.

"Alright, go see if Gracepool has any ticks you can take care of." Her mentor instructed, Ivypaw sighed and went to fetch mouse-bile, if only just to prove to the toms that she was NOT tired.

Ivypaw found the elder by a little stream near the edge of camp, she greeted her. "Need any tick removal services?" the apprentice mused.

Gracepool shook her head, "Apricotpaw and Cinnamonpaw came to the den at Sun-high." Ivypaw let out an 'oh' and dropped the foul-smelling moss. The elder beckoned the apprentice to sit next to her, she did and washed her paws in the stream. "Are the kits cute?" The tabby asked.

"So cute, two toms and a she-kit, Dropstar and Echotail must be happy." Ivypaw commented,

"I'm sure they are – it's always good to have new cats in the clan – it's been four this moon!" Gracepool mused, gazing into the trickling water.

The two sat in silence for a while, eventually Ivypaw became curious and spoke up, "How come you didn't go to the Gathering?"

Gracepool took a moment before answering, "Many reasons; Dropstar is my son – so those kits are my kin – I wanted to make sure Echotail was ok; every clan leaves at least some cats at home to protect it, whether it's that their scared of rogue invasion – or it's the dawn patrol." Ivypaw nodded, it made sense, she was bumped on the shoulder, and looked up at the Elder. "But ultimately , once you've been to one Gathering, you've been to them all: someone's died, chased off an animal, born, or had a ceremony – if not? The prey's running well, even in the middle of leaf-bare." Gracepool snorted the last sentence.

Ivypaw was still confused, "But what about making friends? Isn't the point to make allies?"

"All my friends are in StarClan now, and I've never been invested in Clan politics. There is no point of me being there."

"Oh." The apprentice whispered as she realised the older cat made sense.

The Elder laughed, clearly unaffected by her solemn statement. "You've been yawning all through this conversation, Ivypaw – The Clan will be back soon, and I'm sure you'll be all caught up by sun-high tomorrow." Gracepool informed the younger cat, Ivypaw bowed her head – catching the hint that she should leave her in peace. She stood up and picked up the bile, leaving the Elder by the trickling stream – before heading to her nest, eyes heavy with sleep.

*The new kits!*

Pebblekit: he is white with an orange strip running down his back with black spots, green eyes.

Amberkit: She is a light ginger with darker stripes, amber eyes. 

Mosskit: he is black with dark grey stripes, green eyes.