Rain pattered the dirt-cave roof above. Jayswoop squabbled about in pain as Smallbird handed her a stick. Jayswoop immediately began gnawing and chewing the branch as Smallbird and Jayswoop's mate, Stonefall, encouraged her to stay strong and push hard.
"Jayswoop," Smallbird began, "Push as hard as you can. Don't let anything stop you from letting your kits live." Jayswoop was filled with a tad of hope and struggled to push out the first kit. Pain burst around her as the world seemed to shrink down to just her, Smallbird, and her kits. She clenched her teeth around the stick and closed her eyes tight as everything so suddenly revolved around the kits.
Her first kit slid out with little trouble as Smallbird quietly exclaimed, "It's a tom!" Jayswoop could feel her next kit helping to squirm it's way out as a few hard pushes came by and the kit was born. "A she-kit." Suddenly a pull at her stomach seemed to stab her as she focused on another straining push. The third kit seemed to not move for a bit, but then began to crawl out of her with each push. It slid right out and Smallbird looked up at Jayswoop with a smile. "Only one more to go. This one here is a tom." Jayswoop was determined to get this kit out. It felt small and she assumed it'd be easy.
"This was.." She began, panting. "A little easier than I thought.."
She pushed with all her might, but the little scrap wouldn't budge. She tried again multiple times, every strain and push making the world tighter and smaller with more and more pain, the kit barely moving. She growled and chomped down the branch hard enough to cause it to crack and snap. Smallbird got her another stick as she gnawed at it, struggling as the kit barely moved. Everything closed in at her as the last kit was the only thing she could think of. It slid a little farther, Jayswoop panting and out of breath. She pushed once more, every last bit of energy and muscle was put into it. The kit moved further, almost out when is got stuck and a large stab of pain surged through Jayswoop. She yowled as the pressure overwhelmed her. "It's stuck!" shouted Smallbird. He quickly tried to maneuver and re position the kit to get it out. With one final, muscle-wrenching push, the little scrap came out.
"A tom!" Smallbird mewed. Jayswoop felt relieved from the stress and wrapped her tail to let her kits suckle. She named the smallest, fourth kit Stormkit, for his gray pelt. The light gray kit, her first one, She named Beetlekit. Her second, black kit was Hopkit and her third kit was a brown tabby, Larchkit.
Smallbird was joyful as he and Stonefall watched with pride at the new litter before he noticed that Stormkit wasn't moving. He nudged it lightly with his muzzle but it never responded. After a few seconds, he realized something awful. "Jayswoop.." He mewed in a hushed whisper. Jayswoop looked up at him. "Stormkit... He has no eyes, and.. stillborn.." concern was in his voice as he gulped out his words.
Jayswoop's expression changed to grief as she slowly forced herself to accept this. She looked down at the scrap, her eyes dark with sorrow. She nuzzled her kit and in a hushed mewl, she said her goodbye. "Goodbye, my Stormkit... You will be loved in StarClan.." She lay down on her sides to allow the other kits to suckle while she gazed at Stormkit. "If only you could be here now.. But I know you will be happy when you rest." Her other kits finished suckling and crawled beside their mother, sleep building up in them as they rested on their paws. "Smallbird, let Stormkit stay with us longer so he will not depart alone, and so the other kits will have a chance to say goodbye." Smallbird nodded, leaning toward the kit. "Goodbye, little one."
