Now, here comes Cherrynose's kits! I just need to kind of get this over with; so it will be kind of short. Sorry!
Half a moon had passed since the death of Streakpaw. Jayfeather recalled the day when they brought his body into camp, and horror yet relief rocked his body. Horror that a badger had been on their territory, and had killed their apprentice and his nephew, and relief that the cat that could've wreaked havoc for ThunderClan with their disloyalty was gone. But that was automatically replaced with guilt; being relieved for his clanmate and nephew's death was no emotion of a medicine cat.
Leaf-bare had come; and with it came the icy mountain winds, slicing through the camp and bringing the chills to every cat. There hadn't been snow, but each day Jayfeather checked on his catmint supply, and expected a cat to come in his den with white cough. So far, there were no cats.
It was sunhigh when Bumblestripe came racing into his den. Jayfeather felt his paranoia flowing off his pelt.
"What is it, Bumblestripe?" Jayfeather asked him.
"I-it's Cherrynose!" He spluttered. "Her kits are coming!" Then he dashed back to the nursery, without another parting word.
Grumbling, Jayfeather sorted through his herbs, finding the ones he would need by their smell. Borage leaves for milk, Coltsfoot in case she had trouble breathing, juniper berries for strength, and raspberry leaves for painkillers. Dashing off with the herbs, he headed for the medicine den.
Cherrynose was lying in the center of the nursery, Hazeltail by her side. The Horseplace she-cat had moved into the nursery bearing Foxleap's kits only almost a moon ago. Bumblestripe was by his mate's side.
Jayfeather had to order him to leave, however, so he would have enough room. Cherrynose's ginger fur was parted everywhere, and her stomach was huge. "Take it easy, Cherrynose." Jayfeather encouraged her. "Here; eat these. They give you strength." he said, nudging the juniper berries towards her. She licked them up slowly, her breath shallow.
"I'm thirsty…" She whined, and immediately Bumblestripe soared off to the medicine den to get her some water. She started whimpering more, and ripples passed through her belly, signaling kits to come.
"Hold still; Cherrynose. A kit is coming very soon." Jayfeather pressed a paw up against her belly, but lightly, so he wouldn't hurt her. Then her remembered how he saved Cherrynose before she was born; by persuading her mother, Poppyfrost, to return back to the clan with her unborn kits.
She let out a small shriek, and a larger ripple passed over her stomach. Suddenly, a kit plopped out. Jayfeather nipped open it's sac, and started licking it's fur the wrong way, trying to make it breath. Finally, it gulped it first breath of fresh, leaf-bare air. Jayfeather examined it, and reported, "it's a she-cat."
Bumblestripe came in, and put the water down and his mate's paws. "Drink up." he ordered her, then saw the kit. He nosed at her, and it took his breath away. "She's ginger with darker stripes, Cherrynose. She's beautiful, almost a pinkish color." Jayfeather heard him coo at the she-kit, and then Cherrynose gasped once more in pain.
"It's okay, Cherrynose, you're doing fine. This kit's bigger, that's all." He told her, and then the larger kit plopped out on the soft bedding. Jayfeather opened the sac, and instructed Bumblestripe how to ten to it. "Lick it the wrong way so it can start to breath."
Jayfeather paused, then heard the strokes of his tongue on his son's fur. "A tom with light gray fur and patched darker gray fur…he's so adorable." Bumblestripe whispered, but Jayfeather still heard him. It was good to know what the kits looked like, at least.
When Cherrynose gasped again, this time worse than the last, Jayfeather gave her one raspberry leaf for the pain. She nodded gratefully, and licked it up, chewing the leaf. That seemed to ebb away the pain, but not completely. She started to groan in pain, and more ripples passed through her stomach. "This is the last kit, Cherrynose." Jayfeather told her. "You're doing great."
She shrieked, and then the last bundle slithered out onto the moss. Jayfeather released it from the sac, and started licking it the other way. He gave it to Cherrynose, and Bumblestripe asked, "what does it look like?"
Cherrynose replied, "she's ginger and dark gray splotched. She's so pretty."
Jayfeather sighed. Three healthy kits for ThunderClan. They were thriving, even after the Great Battle. He nudged the borage leaves for her and her milk, as the three kittens suckled. "Have you decided on names?" Jayfeather asked.
Jayfeather didn't hear anything for a moment, and assumed she was thinking of names. "What about for the tom, Webkit? The darker gray pattern make it look like cobwebs. And the ginger she-cat could be Russetkit, for her fur." Jayfeather sensed Bumblestripe nodding. "The ginger and gray she-cat could be…Stormkit! For her gray fur." Cherrynose finished.
"Those are beautiful names." Bumblestripe said. Jayfeather decided to go back to his den, leaving the kits and their parents alone. They were fine and healthy.
But, Jayfeather thought as he went back to his den. Would they survive leaf bare?
So, there you have it! Their three kits. Please R&R!
