November, 14, 2020

By time the patrol got back the Clan was gathered outside. There was a loud yowl from the nursery, and as soon as he stepped foot into the camp he knew whos it was.

"What's happening?" Icaruswind demanded. Standing over the brown pelted queen that was pacing outside.

Owlpop didn't flinch when she looked at him. But there was a hint of worry in her eyes that made his legs grow weak. What was wrong with Beepath? Was she hurt? Was shs she still yelling?

"Tell me!" He snarled. Pushing his muzzle into the tabbie's face.

"Beepath is kitting..but its too soon." The she-cat closed her eyes. And he swore he heard a prayer to StarClan escape her muzzle.

No. Claws digging into the dirt he froze. This wasn't right. After everything that has happened she was just suppose to have the kits and..and be happy. Thats all he has been able to imagine when it was this close to her due date.

It was he had wanted to think about. Icaruswind knew she never wanted these kits. And if SaltClan didn't take forever in coming to get her she wouldn't be stuck wirh this burden. Or even be near him anymore. Would she be happier if that happened?

Before he was able to push his way into the den someone stopped him. It was a smaller tom, an apprentice with herbs clinging to his pelt. "You can't go in there." The young tom meowed. "We need all the space we can have."

Icaruswind narrowed his eye to barely a slit. Leaving down to look the gray pelted apprentice in the face as he peeled back his lips into a snarl. "Move. Before you lose all of that tail!" He snapped.

The silver tom had seen the half-tailed tom going from and to the medicine cat den. It had dawned on him that he would walk kinda funny, like he had a waddle, or whenever he tried to pounce he would tumble. It made since. Whenever a cat lost their tail they lost their balance, it was what had probably made the young tom become a medicine cat in the first place.

Swallowing, the gray tom widened his eyes before stepping back. There was fear raising from his pelt, but also anger and a bitterness in his wide eyes. Shouldn't have gotten into my way. He thought with a snort before making his way into the den.

*

The pain was everywhere now. She crumbled her face, mouth open in painful gasps as she tried to curl up. Hoping it would ease the pain, as if she was having nothing but period cramps. That had worked in her last life, maybe it would ease this pain too.

But it was a different pain. And she yowled. Eyes glossy from tears that leaked down her face. There was a loud growl that made the paws on her stomach go away. And a cool tongue rasped her face, cleaning it from the salty tears.

"Shh," Icaruswind's grumbly purr rumbled in her ears. It was wrong though. Something about his scent sent waves of panic running through her blood. His scent held fear. When she peered open her eyes she could see he was looking worriedly down at her.

Beepath whimpered. She pressed her nose against his chest, only to feel another wave of pain race throughout her small crumbled up body.

"You have to stretch out, Beepath, or else the kits can't come out." Instructed Mintleaf as she ran her paws down the young queen's stomach.

The tabby did as told. Even though it caused her stomach to churn and twist. It felt like she would vomit at any second, and her gaze grew blurry, either from tears or her on the brank of passing out, she couldn't tell.

"The first kit is coming," meowed Shellwhisper. She looked focused. It wasn't a panicked focus, or a stern, worried one either. It was like she was doing nothing but picking which mouse to eat from the prey-pile.

Beepath found a strange comfort with that. At least one cat here knew what she was doing. While the young medicine cat was focused on guiding the first kit out, Mintleaf kept on running her paws over the fluffy queen's belly.

What is she doing? Before she could even think to what the old ginger-and-white-chest she-cat was doing another contraction rippled through her body. She dug her claws into the moss. Shredding it as Icaruswind whisper softly to her, cleaning off her face whenever she started to cry again.

Shellwhisper bend down to pick something up. And when she could see the white she-cats face once more, she saw a small bundle of fur. The medicine cat was licking clean the small kitten, and Beepath found only a little strangth to purr.

The kit started to mewl instantly. And it latched onto her stomach and started to nurse as she scrunched her face in pain. She didn't even get a second with the first kit before she would have the second one.

How many? She thought as another kitten was placed beside it's sibling. Please let it be no more! Beepath's pleads weren't heard though. she sat there as there was a sudden silence.

Icaruswind stopped grooming her neck fur. His head lifted as he growled. "What's wrong?" He demanded. Anger and fear mixing in his voice as he stood above her.

Mintleaf moved to his side. Eyes trained down onto the young she-cat as she shook her head. "The third kit is dead. And it caused a lot of bleeding, she.." the medicine cat's voice became strained.

"Well, fix it!" Snarled the warrior. He practically leaped to swipe at the ginger she-cat. Every inch of him was quaking, it looked like he was shivering from being cold, but she knew better.

Icaruswind was making strangled noises. As if he could barely contain his sobs, eye now looking down at the striped queen. Blood pooled at her rear, and he already saw the body of the still, dead kitten.

Beepath swallowed. It felt like there was a hard lump in her throat. She didn't want to die. Not now, her kits needed her. Tears ran down her cheeks as she shook, taking in loud gasps of air.

"Don't worry, we are going to do everything we can. Just focus on keeping her clam." The old medicine cat didn't meet Beepath's gaze. And she dully knew why.

There was nothing but fear in the old cat's eyes. She knew there was no chance that Beepath could live through this much blood loss. And the third kit wasn't the last one, there was at least two more kits.

Icaruswind dropped at her side to press his nose into her fur. He didn't speak either. And instead grew content with purring softly, even though it was forced and sounded harsh.

"Another kit!" Another one. She grew numb to the pain that kept growing and growing. But now she looked down. Two, now three, kits suckled at her lighter belly.

One was a silver-and-white tabby tom, the second a much darker she-cat with what looked to be lighter flecks. While the third was a solid gray, and she found he had a leaner build, even now she could see it. Ashtooth. It was possible to have two toms father one litter. Had that somehow happened?

In the beginning they both..Beepath closed her eyes. If she lived she would have to live with that kit. Seeing Ashtooth and Graypaw for her entire life - having them mixed into her bloodline.

She felt sick. But it wasn't just that one kit - no, of course she had a dead kit. One that she would never get to see live. And now she felt dried blood sticking to her flank. She would end up dying from this blood loss.

"One more kit, baby, just one more.." Icaruswind was murmuring into her ear. His nose pressed against her cheek as he continued to mumble on.

It started to sound like complete nonsense. A jumble of words that ended in soft sobs, as if he couldn't think straight. Beepath suddenly felt the numbness die down and she hissed, claws digging into the moss as she yowled.

One last contraction sized her as she tried to move closer to Icaruswind. All she wanted was to go back to those warm nights. Pressed between Icaruswind and Dirtclaw, laying peacefully.

Shellwhisper dropped the last kit at her belly. It was a more smaller kitten, with a brownish coat that looked like it somehow faded into silver at the paws. Thick black stripes sneaked their way ups the kits legs, and her ears were a complete solid black.

"Four heathy kits, three toms and one she-cat." Meowed Mintleaf, her gaze narrowed as she flicked an ear.

"Then why do you look so worried?" It wasn't a growl, nor a snarl. But a genuine question, mumbled and strained, sounding like there was a bulb on his throat.

The young she-cat struggled to move. She felt her legs weak as she trembled, pale eyes wide as she groaned in pain. "Because," she rasped. An old pain she had almost forgotten about now showed up. The pain in her chest, it wavered out with the pain that now bled from her.

Icaruswind was helping her, trying to get her to lay back down. But she only used his to lean against. "Please.." The silver tom was shaking.

"I'm going to die..." Beepath's legs buckled. It was no use anymore. She couldn't stand up to look at them anymore. "I don't want to die. Not anymore.."

Her voice cracked and quivered. A warm body pressed into her side, and she felt her kits latch back onto her stomach. They would be left to nurse on another queen, possibly someone who wouldn't even care for them.

And Pollenkit will be tossed to another queen. Beepath felt the numbness cradling her now. It engolfed her entire she felt into a drownsy state, eyes dropping as Icaruswind's pleading voice grew quieter and quieter until she couldn't hear or feel anything anymore.

November, 14, 2020