Warriors: Secrets Beyond the Stars: The Prophecy

~Chapter 32~

"It's Tigerfern! She having her kits! Beewing yowled, Dawnpaw faced her ears towards the queen. She looked to Shortleaf, searching her expression for a signal. The medicine cat looked down at her, her face worried. "Dawnpaw, get so borage leaves and poppy seeds. Hurry!"

She nodded and ran as fast as her paws could carry her to the medicine cat den, she bursted through the medicine entrance and over the medicine cat clearing. She skidded to a hault at the herb pile and dove her head into the pile, grasping a few poppy seeds. She batted out a oak leaf from the small crack in the floor, then she place the poppy seeds on it. She wipped around and picked up some borage leaves, then she placed them on the leaf and picked up the herb bundle, making sure that the herbs don't fall out from each side.

She looked at the den, herbs were spilled everywhere, she dashed out of the den, she'll have time to clean it up later. She leaped through the bramble Nursery entrance, Shortleaf was crouched beside Tigerfern telling her to breath, and at her paws was a stick. Shallowcreek was crouching in the other side of his mate, stroking her flank with his tail. Shortleaf turned to her apprentice, "Dawnpaw, I need you to get ready, the first kit is coming, and when it does I want you to nip the kitting sac." she addressed. Dawnpaw bounced over to Tigerfern and positioned herself right in front of her. She could barely hear her Clanmates outside chattering above Tigerfern's moans of pain.

"Shallowcreek, I need you to wait outside." Shortleaf said to the huge warrior, "But I want to see my kits when they are born!" the dark grey tabby growled. "And you will, as soon as Tigerfern is done kitting you can see them all you want, but for now you must leave." the white she said in a gentle voice. Shallowcreek whipped his tail and stormed out, "I can feel the first one coming!" the brown tabby queen groaned as she bit hard on the stick Shortleaf had given her. The medicine cat trotted over to the back of the she, the queen yowl in agony as the first kit was coming out. Dawnpaw brushed her tail on the queen's back, "Take deep breaths and push." she told the queen. Tigerfern's amber eyes shined with pain, but Dawnpaw knew that below all of that was pure joy. The small mews of the first kit started to fill the Nursery, she turned her head towards her mentor. The first kit was born!

Shortleaf was licking the kit, helping to keep it warm, it's pelt wet and slimy but you could see it's beautiful brown tabby pelt. Dawnpaw leaned towards the kit and bit the kitting sac. She lifted her head, "Dawnpaw, I need you to lick this kit. Another one is coming." she instructed. The cream apprentice looked at Tigerfern's face, she looked to be gritting her teeth deeper into the stick. "You're almost there, just keep pushing." she Dawnpaw said and padded over towards Shortleaf. The white she gently picked up the kit by it's scruff and set it at the paws of Dawnpaw, she bent down and started rasping her tounge on it's head. But it seemed with every lick the kit would cry, for her mother maybe? The scent of milk was also in the air along with Tigerfern, Shortleaf, and herself's scent.

Then, second cry rose from behind Tigerfern. The second kit was born! Dawnpaw looked at the second kit while she kept lapping the kit, he had a dark grey tabby pelt with black stripes, just like the father, and his little pink mouth opened with a small meow. Shortleaf nipped at the kitting sac until it let the little wet bundle out of it's grasp, then she started to lick it fiercly. "I can feel another one coming!" Tigerfern groaned, Dawnpaw looked at the queen with her wide eyes. Another kit? I thought there was only going to be two kits!

Then, the queen's moans of agony softened as a third cry rose above the other's. The third kit! Dawnpaw looked to her mentor, the white she had already started nipping at the kitting sac. The wet bundle didn't seem to flinch as he fell into the nest, Shortleaf licked the kit untill strong meow erupted from his mouth. Then she took both toms and set them beside Tigerfern's belly, Dawnpaw did the same as she picked up the she-kit and set her next to her brothers.

"Congratulations Tigerfern! You gave birth to three heathly kits! One she-kit and two toms." Shortleaf purred, licking the brown tabby's shoulder. Dawnpaw looked at the queen, the twig had fallen out of her mouth and she was painting. "I wouldn't expect that it.... would hurt that much." she gasped. But she began to breath normally as she looked at her kits, a smile on her lips. "Dawnpaw," Shortleaf said, she turned towards her mentor, "go get Shallowcreek." She nodded and carefully exited the Nursery quickly, deep inside she couldn't stand being in the Nursery for so long, as soon as she did she bumped into the tom she was looking for. "Well?" the warrior growled, she took a pawstep back, making sure there was room between the herself and the tabby. "One she-kit and two toms, both healthy." She said, she noticed that Silverpaw had dashed into the Nursery, a few heartbeats Shallowcreek said, "Let me see." and he pushed the apprentice out of his way. Dawnpaw cursed him quietly and trotted after him.

Inside the Nursery, Shortleaf was pushing the bundle of herbs that Dawnpaw had brought, Tigerfern was eating poppy seeds, Silverpaw was staring at awe at the kits, and Shallowcreek licked his mate's cheek. Dawnpaw sat beside her friend, "I never knew that my nephews and niece had a small hint of me in them." she said, pointing her nose to the she-kit, "The brown tabby has the same ears as I do!" Dawnpaw looked at the silver tabby's eyes, they sparkled with awe as she did. "What are you going to name them?" she said to Tigerfern and Shallowcreek, turning their way. "I have thought of a name in case one of my kits was speckled." Tigerfern confesed, she nosed the dark grey kit speckled in black, his little black tail hit the other dark grey kit. "I want to call him Speckledkit, in honor of his ticked pelt." she looked to her mate. "Speckledkit sounds like a perfect name." he said warmly, he looked at the other tom, the one that looked like him. "That one can be named Darkkit, for his dark pelt." he said.

If you wanted to name a Darkkit for their dark pelt, then there would be many cats having 'Dark' in their name. Dawnpaw said to herself, but they were his kits so he could name them what every he wanted to. Tigerfern looked at the brown tabby, she curled her tail around it as it yawned. "Can we name this one Brindlekit?" she asked. Shallowcreek nodded, Silverpaw leaned towards Brindlekit, "This one looks a lot like you Tigerfern!" she exclaimed. The queen purred, "I had a feeling she would look like me. Now if all excause me, my kitting has worn me out and I would like to sleep." Silverpaw bounced out of the den, Shortleaf nodded and pushed borage leaves to the brown tabby, "Eat this to produce more milk." she said, then flicked her tail at her apprentice. Dawnpaw looked at Tigerfern then at her mentor, then she padded out of the Nursery. "Why didn't Shallowcreek leave?" she asked the white she. "Because he wants to spend time with Tigerfern and his kits." Shortleaf meowed. "Now, I want you to go tend to Lightfur's wounds, I have already atended to Silverpaw. After that I want you to get some traveling herbs ready." Dawnpaw nodded, she stopped and watched the medicine cat trot towards the Halfrock. She leaped onto the ledge and padded straight into Flarestar's den.