《 across the seasons ❖ name the apprentice 》

♘ ii :: dipperpaw :: closed ♘

╔═══*.·❀✧ ♞ ✧❀·.*═══╗

〚 transgender. he / him. 〛

〚 brown with barely visible mackerel tabby stripes, a white chest and rich, sundried-yellow eyes. 〛

〚 gentle. soft-spoken. persuasive. can be manipulative. sassy. overthinker. makes friends easily. patient. conscientious. ambitious. mostly level-headed. 〛

〚 no unusable names. 〛

【 for my part i know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. 】

╚═══*.·❀✧ ♞ ✧❀·.*═══╝

❝ story ❞

the night wasn't supposed to be this frightful.

but as the sky's little lights twinkled into existence one by one, starclan seemed only to be watching the plump silver molly in the sparse forest. she had only planned on getting a little fresh air, being tired of staying in the nursery all day. now, she lay on her side, eyes squeezed shut as convulsions rippled over her side. at her side, the medicine cat dustrain nosed through his package of herbs, and frantically licking the she-cat's flank was one mess of a warrior named fallowstalk.

"great, starclan, you're not going to help her by doing that. at least talk to her face."

dustrain placed a paw on the she-cat's side, who groaned in pain at his touch. "just a little more, puddlebrook. keep pushing."

the she-cat gave no reply. her eyes didn't even flicker; she was too exhausted to do anything other than deliver her kits, and that was a difficult feat in itself.

"come on, puddlebrook. just think of how beautiful our kits will be..." fallowstalk hung back now, standing at dustrain's flank, watching, shifting his paws and not knowing what to do.

another powerful contraction wracked puddlebrook's body, and the she-cat's limbs flailed reflexively, but she was too tired now to scream. but her labour was not in vain; a tiny wet sac slipped into existence onto the makeshift leaf cushion which fallowstalk had made.

"nip the sac open and lick the kit until it breathes!" dustrain snapped. without turning to see if his order would be obeyed, he gently pressed his forepaws against puddlebrook's belly. "there's at least two more to go. you're doing great, puddlebrook, just hang in there."

puddlebrook lifted her head weakly. her eyes fluttered open for the first time in what seemed like forever. "is... is it okay?"

fallowstalk didn't answer for a while, busy licking the small bundle. when he raised his head to look at his mate, he was holding a kit in his jaws, beaming and trying not to drop his child at the same time.

"he's just fine. he's perfect."

the stars in the sky seemed to glow all the more brightly.

puddlebrook started to smile as fallowstalk placed the newborn tom at her belly, but another convulsion overtook her, and her body twisted with its own brute force. and a second kit was born, and fallowstalk repeated what he did before on the limp black clod of fur. but this time, it stayed still. fallowstalk was there, licking silently, panic rising in his chest long enough for a third kit to be born.