Sweettooth grabbed as many herb bundles as he could and rushed through the thorny exit of the medicine den.
Sweettooth ran towards the nursery, not moving his gaze for a heartbeat and only slowing down for passing the herbs through the bramble entrance.
"Thank StarClan you're here Sweettooth," Mistymist meowed while Sweettooth professionally untied every bundle by slashing the bindweed. "Shelldawn has started kitting."
Sweettooth did not care to reply to the obvious remark made by the nursing queen. Sweettooth quickly chewed some chervil root well and extracted the juice. Sweettooth poured the juice into Shelldawn's mouth. "Swallow it," Sweettooth meowed after his mouth was empty of juice. "It will help ease the kitting."
Shelldawn swallowed the juice as Mothclaw, Icepelt, Shimmereyes, and Brownfur entered the den.
"Gorseclaw come here!" Brownfur yowled. "Sweettooth's kits are coming."
"Brackenpelt that is not helping!" Icepelt scolded Sweettooth's mother. "Every cat who is not Sweettooth, Mothwing, or Shimmerpelt, get out of the nursery. Mistfeather, watch the entrance."
While cats were milling around the nursery, Sweettooth took a few juniper berries out of their bundle and placed them next to Shelldawn's mouth. "Eat this," Sweettooth advised his mate.
"You're doing great," Mothwing meowed while Sweettooth was still next to his mate. "Both of you. Shimmerpelt," The elder medicine cat turned to the silver warrior and commanded. "Groom your daughter, especially her neck."
Sweettooth put a fore-paw on Shelldawn's belly and suddenly felt a strong ripple. "The first kit is coming!" Sweettooth announced, proud of Shelldawn and himself. "Icewing, give that stick over there to Shelldawn once she finishes eating the berries."
Shelldawn nodded, signaling her readiness, and Icewing gave her the stick.
"Push!" Mothwing ordered as Shelldawn bit hard on the stick.
Sweettooth saw his mate struggle with pain as a large lump barged violently out of her. Sweettooth carefully nipped the kitting sac, alert of his huge sharp tooth, and began gently licking the kit's face. "It's a tom!" Sweettooth exclaimed with happiness after the kit began breathing. Sweettooth shoved the kit towards his mother's embrace and the kit instinctively settled in to suckle.
"Sweettooth he looks just like you, except silver where you're white." Shelldawn meowed happily in the weakest voice Sweettooth ever heard from her, while she eyed proudly the russet-brown tortoiseshell and silver-bellied kit. "He's so handsome and strong. What do you think about naming him Maplekit?"
"That's a beautiful name." Sweettooth answered, not taking his eyes off the suckling kit. "Maplekit." He breathed.
"He looks already half a moon old." Icewing sounded both amazed and bewildered.
"He also felt like that." Shelldawn commented, suggesting the pain she still felt.
Sweettooth took his gaze off of his son for the first time to take some fennel stalks from the bundles he brought. Sweettooth held the stalks over Shelldawn's mouth. "Open your mouth," Sweettooth meowed calmly to his mate. "The juice would help the pain in your hips."
Shelldawn opened her mouth, allowing Sweettooth to secrete the fennel juice into it. Shelldawn swallowed the juice and seemed immediately relieved. "Thank you Sweettooth," Her voice was clearer now. "But I feel more kits coming."
"Your kits seem to have grown very fast." Mothwing exclaimed, eyeing Shelldawn's belly. "Look how strong Maplekit is." The old medicine cat took a short pause, looking worried. "You won't have much of a break between their arrivals. Sweettooth, give Shelldawn borage."
Sweettooth followed the senior medicine cat's orders and brought Shelldawn fresh borage leaves from the open bundle Mothwing entered with. After landing the leaves gently down near Shelldawn's concentrated motherly gaze, Sweettooth began lapping at his mate's head. "I know it hurts," Sweettooth whispered between licks. "But you're doing great. I won't let anything happen to you."
Shelldawn's belly convulsed again. Mothwing must have seen it, and quickly settled near Shelldawn.
Seeing the fearful expression in Shelldawn's gaze, Sweettooth prepared more fennel near his mate and gave her the large stick to help relieve the pain.
Another ripple passed through the kitting queen's belly and she began biting hard on the stick.
Mothwing was gently rubbing Shelldawn's belly, helping the kit come out more peacefully. Shelldawn's gaze betrayed much struggle, and after a few long moments, another lump slid out of her.
Mothwing handled the tearing of the kitting sac and gave rough licks to help the kit begin breathing.
While eyeing the kit watchfully, Sweettooth noticed how drained Shelldawn appeared. The only movements her body showed were quick shallow breaths and an occasional convulsing of the belly.
From the shape of her silver belly, Sweettooth knew Shelldawn has another kit to deliver and began to worry more.
Sweettooth took some of the chamomile flowers he brought and laid them in Shelldawn's mouth.
"It's a she-kit!" Mothwing announced and shoved the kit towards Shelldawn, hoping to get a reaction out of the queen. "She's just as strong and healthy as Maplekit."
"Shelldawn you have to chew these and swallow." Sweettooth encouraged his mate, trying to push back his concerns. "We have a beautiful silver-pelted daughter. She needs you, I need you too Shelldawn, please."
Without answering, Shelldawn seemed to have gathered more strength and began chewing. Sweettooth took a look around the nursery and saw worried looks from every mature cat present. Whatever they're thinking, I won't let that happen!
Sweettooth rushed to the pile of fresh moss that was gathered on the other edge of the nursery and tore a large lump of moss from it. Sweettooth half-shoved the moss between Shelldawn's flank and her nest, elevating her back, and allowing for an easier kitting.
"Icewing," Sweettooth commanded. "Water!"
"Brackenpelt," Icewing poked her head out of the nursery and passed the command. "Water!"
"I already prepared some." Sweettooth heard his mother's condescending meow from outside the nursery. "Haven't you seen enough kittings to know you'll need water?"
Icewing entered her head back into the nursery without meowing back but with a soaked ball of moss and laid on Shelldawn's mouth.
Shelldawn began suckling on the ball of moss and Sweettooth saw movements in her throat that suggested the water helped Shelldawn swallow the chamomile.
Shelldawn's strength seemed to have come back to her after long moments of wait and Sweettooth finally relaxed. Shelldawn's belly was convulsing rapidly now as suddenly a strong ripple rippled through her fur.
"The last one is coming now." Sweettooth encouraged his mate as he gave her the stick to bite on. "Just one last effort and the pain is over."
Shelldawn squinched her eyes and bit hard on the stick, almost causing it to splinter.
Another large lump barged into the nursery from Shelldawn, and Mothwing handled it just as the last one.
"It's a tom!" Mothwing announced happily, sounding both exhausted and relieved. "Shelldawn, Sweettooth, you have three strong and healthy kits. Two toms and a she-kit. They might even have to be apprenticed early judging by their size."
Sweettooth looked as the silver-and-white tabby tom joined his littermates and a smile grew wide on Sweettooth's face. Sweettooth turned to look at Shelldawn, who was also watching the kits happily, but visibly exhausted.
"How do you want to call the she-kit?" Sweettooth asked his mate.
"You gave me a great idea when I was weak." Shelldawn answered lovingly. "I think Silverkit would fit her well."
"I agree." Sweettooth agreed, and took a closer look at the tabby markings of his youngest son. "Look, his tabby markings look like a strong torrent. How about we call him Torrentkit?"
"That's a wonderful name Sweettooth." Shelldawn meowed finally and relaxed her neck to lie down more comfortably.
Sweettooth began to hear some surprised meows from outside the nursery but he didn't care about them. Sweettooth cuddled close to Shelldawn, keeping the kits firmly between them.
Sweettooth and Shelldawn lied together, rubbing their heads against each other, for some happy moments until Sweettooth scented a hint of WindClan scent and cuddled closer to his kits, defensively.
"Sweettooth," It was Icewing's voice calling Sweettooth. "You should come out for a few moments. Nightstar brought a patrol here, like you said she would."
Sweettooth looked at his kits, their eyes still closed, and wondered how he could even think about leaving them.
Sweettooth scanned the nursery, Shimmerpelt was close to Shelldawn, and Brackenpelt just entered, eying the kits and Sweettooth closely.
Sweettooth was reassured by the presence of the experienced queens and turned to follow Icewing's order. On his way to the nursery's entrance, Brackenpelt covered Sweettooth with licks and sat close to Shelldawn and Shimmerpelt.
Sweettooth got out of the nursery and took no more steps before sitting down at the entrance. In the clearing, Sweettooth saw three WindClan cats, the black WindClan leader, the WindClan medicine cat, and a brown she-cat with a heather strand in her mouth.
Reedstar was walking towards the WindClan leader while the black she-cat scanned the camp and landed her eyes on Sweettooth, her gaze betraying mostly disdain.
"I see your new medicine cat has began delivering kits." The WindClan leader supposedly teased but with no sense of humor in her voice. "Did he remember to deliver Kestrelflight's message?"
"Sweettooth is not a medicine cat, Nightstar," Reedstar meowed calmly with his head raised high, dismissing Nightstar's remark. "And he did in fact deliver Kestrelflight's message. While you might view it simply as a fact, I would also like to know the reason behind it, why would ThunderClan attack you?"
"Why should I know?" Nightstar retorted, still disrespectful in her tone. "We stopped the raids on their territory long ago. Maybe Lionstar became battle-hungry, like he used to be."
"You may know Lionstar better than I do," Reedstar objected Nightstar's quick dismissal with an early compliment. "But you must admit he is not the young warrior he once was." Reedstar took a pause to receive another retort but none came. "RiverClan would come to your aid, Nightstar. But I must warn you that I fear the ThunderClan attack won't be as simple as a retaliation for stupid raids or the battle-hunger of a proud leader. There is bound to be more to it."
"Thank you Reedstar." Nightstar thanked the RiverClan leader. Nightstar was about to turn and leave but the brown she-cat nudged her shoulder and showed her the heather strand. Nightstar heaved an irritated sigh and continued "I would also like to formally thank for the safe retrieval of Rainkit. Sweettooth, Rainkit remembered you were supposed to gather heather but rescued him instead. He wanted to thank you by bringing you this."
The brown she-cat padded towards Sweettooth and laid down the heather strand when she reached him.
"Thank you for saving Rainkit." The WindClan cat meowed. "I'm Woodcrow by the way, Applebreeze's littermate. She would have been devastated if she lost him."
Sweettooth nodded to acknowledge the gratitude, too embarrassed to speak. The heather had a fragrant, aromatic smell to it, and not foul like the heather bush near the Horseplace.
Woodcrow turned tail to join Nightstar and Kestrelflight. The three WindClan cats, followed by the escort of Splashpelt and Podlight, headed back towards their territory and Sweettooth's clanmates who were still in camp began streaming happily towards him.
"Sweettooth," Mudstripe was the first to arrive, Grayfoot right beside her. "Is Shelldawn okay? Can we go see the kits?"
"Shelldawn is well," Sweettooth answered, relieved at the thought of seeing his kits again. "Let's go in right now, but Shelldawn is resting so stay quiet."
Sweettooth picked up the heather strand and led the way inside the nursery. Shelldawn was now more lively than she was when Sweettooth left. At the silver queen's belly, Sweettooth's three kits, Maplekit, Silverkit, and Torrentkit, were now with their eyes open, their heads turning from side to side, scanning the nursery and their present clanmates.
"They just opened their eyes." Shelldawn breathed to Sweettooth quietly, not to disturb the young kits. "Look, Silverkit and Torrentkit have your bright amber eyes."
"And Maplekit's eyes are only slightly darker than yours." Sweettooth returned after dropping the heather, and began cuddling the kits for their first moments of seeing the world. "Welcome to RiverClan."