Gingerpaw chatted with Glowpaw as they followed Ghostfalcon on their tour. She was surprised to find that the generally sullen looking tom was actually great to talk to. "I can't wait to meet a Meadowclan cat, apparently they smell nice, like flowers you know?" He told her as they were led along a dirt track that marked the end of their territory. "That's so weird!" She laughed. "You can't go to a gathering and smell them all just to make sure" Ghostfalcon was mostly silent, apart from when they came to areas of significance.
They'd seen the training pond, the cliffs, the beach. As they approached the end of the track, Gingerpaw noticed a large chasm in the ground and the sound of running water. "This is the river. It's fresh water and you can learn to swim and hunt here" She told them in a hushed tone.
Glowpaw was saying something, but whatever it was wasn't registering with her. On the other side of the bank were skeletal remains of spindly tree stumps and the ground ws stained black with ash. There were a few plants growing, but none were of any significant age. "What's that?" She asked, interrupting all conversation. She felt like it was an important place, was it Duneclan's territory or Meadowclan's? Ghostfalcon wet her lips nervously. "It's the ashfields" the warrior mumbled. "Looks like a bit old fire," Glowpaw said, now a little more curious. Ghostfalcon licked her lips again and looked askance. "There was a fire. It's not our territory, it's bad luck to go there" She turned her head seriously to Gingerpaw as she inched forward, drawn in by the place. " Your not to go there," she told her with a warning as she scowled. Gingerpaw was taken back a little, this was out of character. Glowpaw raised an eyebrow.
"Can I at least have a closer look?" She asked, leaning forward and tilting her head. "Pleease?" Gingerpaw was definitely pushing it. Ghostfalcon looked around as if she was looking for danger. "You can swim to the other side of the bank and look, but no further" She hissed in a stilly stone. "Be quick" She added hastily. Gingerpaw hadn't been swimming before, but how hard could it be? She was a duneclan cat, swimming was in her blood.
As Ghostfalcon looked around with paranoia, Gingerpaw began to edge her way down to the cut edge of the bank. Sand tumbled in pockets under the pressure of her feet. Tongue stuck out to the side, she did her best to keep her footing and concentrate. She stood on the edge, large feet placed precariously on the bank. Shifting sand gave way and her feet followed. In a flurry of orange fur she plummeted into the water. She was instantly freezing, water clogging her fur. Frantically she kicked her legs out, momentarily managing to gain enough momentum to break the surface and breath. One breath. Under again. In panic she gasped, inhaling a mouthful of water.
She felt the sharp prick of teeth in her scruff as she was pulled sputtering out of the water. With a thud she landed on the riverbank. A pool of water began to form beneath her body as it leached from her fur. Ghostfalcon grunted as she too pulled herself out of the water. She shook her short white pelt of water. "We need to go now" She said, nudging Gingerpaw up onto her feet again. Gingerpaw knelt shivering, mostly from fear. "I never want to swim again" She coughed, trying to put on a braver face and crack a joke. Only Glowpaw seemed to find it funny.
The sun was beginning to set over Duneclan camp as Gingerpaw trudged sopping wet into camp. Ghostfalcon dispersed wordlessly. Glowpaw kindly offered to get her some food but she politely turned it down. Miserably she lumbered to the apprentice's den, flopping down into her nest. She didn't care if it made her nest soggy, she just wanted to sleep. She closed her eyes momentarily. A chirp sounded from the back of the den and she opened an eye. A large cloud-like shadow emerged from a nest and sat next to her. "Hi Shadedpaw" She sighed.
"You're soaking! You'll catch a cold at this rate" He said with concern. "alright mum" She smiled, closing her eyes again. She needed to sleep. He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I can help dry your fur if you want?". Gingerpaw sighed loudly. "Fine, I'm gonna fall asleep though" She let out a loud yawn as Shadedpaw set to work, lapping at the scruff of her neck and upper back. Her eyelids drooped as she slipped into a peaceful yet dreamless slumber.
Silentpaw had become busier as the evening went on. Leopardheart, a bengal queen was due to kit anytime soon. Cloudfang had told him to prepare as she'd been complaining of stomach cramps. Willowheart had moved out of the nursery and had made the new mother-to-be a fresh nest with extra feathers. By the size of her stomach he guessed more than 3 kits. Cloudfang had him place herbs in organised piles on a slab of stone in case they were needed. He'd placed a few poppy seeds just in case. "Kits really are a blessing, she's a lucky cat" Lilytail had been gushing about it the entire time. "I do miss them"
Cloudfang padded into the den, head shaking. "She's in an awful mood, Greywings practically dancing around her. He's not helping me" Silentpaw grimaced at the thought. Greywing was the father to be, they'd had to distract him with various vacuous tasks such as sitting by some bedding to stop it from getting blown away in the wind and checking the size of the prey pile. A sudden screech emanated from the nursery. Cloudfang's ears pricked. "Come with me Silentpaw"
Mentor and apprentice hastily padded across the clearing and down the entrance to the nursery. The evening air was beginning to cool in temperature, a colder night was ahead."Just breath, keep breathing" Willowheart was sitting with Leopardheart as she lay on her side. The spotted she-cat looked riled. Her stomach was heaving. "I am breathing" She hissed under her breath, teeth clenched. Greywing was there too, looking startled. Silentpaw assumed he'd been screeched at by his mate. "Willowheart I can take over from here. Thank you for your help, i'm very grateful" Cloudfang dipped his head respectfully. Willowheart smiled. "Let me know if I'm needed" she told him as she passed by to leave.
Leopardheart let out a painful groan, Silentpaw could see the muscles in her stomach visibly contract. "It'll be alright, remember to-" Greywing chipped in. "Stop telling me what to do! Get out!" Leopardheart snapped, before letting out another yowl. Silentpaw recoiled a little. "Not all queens are like this when giving birth. You got a grumpy one for sure" Lilytail reassured him. He wasn't so sure. Cloudfang took to it naturally. He had done it hundreds of times before this. Greywing looked at Silentpaw and Cloudfang in turn, begging with his eyes to let him stay. Silentpaw shook his head and pointed to the exit with his tail. It felt mean but Leopardheart didn't need another reason to be angry.
"I'm going to place my paws on your belly and I'm going to gently massage down towards the tail, you might feel some discomfort" Cloudfang told her calmly before placing a paw on her upper abdomen. "Discomfort? This is awful! I'm never having kits again" She responded darkly. Silentpaw noted how Cloudfang explained what he was doing as he went along. "Silentpaw could you go and fetch me a stick? Something to bite down on can help"
He didn't need asking twice. Cloudfang kept some sticks in the medicine cat den. Quietly he slipped into the den to retrieve the sticks. He made the conscious decision to pick a particularly strong one. As he knelt to pick it up the smell of pine wafted into his nostrils.
He got back to the nursery once he heard another loud screech. Cloudfang gave him a pained look that suggested he'd taken too long. Silentpaw gave the queen the stick and she bit down on it viciously. "Silentpaw, I need you to clean the first kit. Break the membrane around them and clean their face first. Make sure they start breathing" Silentpaw's eyes bulged a little, but he had to obey. Silentpaw broke the membrane and removed it with a claw. He concentrated on the tabby kit's face. He heard the kit take in his first big breath and with it made his first loud squeak. Silentpaw made sure to clean the kit from head to toe, a dry kit was nicer than a slimy one.
He picked the small tom up by his scruff and edged around Cloudfang, who was cleaning a grey kit. She too took her first breath before letting out a loud whine. Silentpaw placed the first kit by Leopardheart's belly. Her eyes were shut as her jaw clenched around the stick. Tears watered at the corners of her eyes. Silentpaw couldn't tell if they were of pain or sadness. Cloudfang placed the second kit by her belly. The second kit was definitely louder. "You know they're healthy when they have a good set of lungs on them" Cloudfang tilted his head and smiled down at kits.
Leopardheart dug her claws into the sand and raised her tail, another kit was coming. Silentpaw heard the crunch of the wood under the pressure of her teeth. "Keep pushing, the next kit is almost out" Cloudfang told her assuringly. Silentpaw watched as Cloudfang tended to the third kit. Something wasn't right. The kit was lying still, with translucent hair over its body, her mouth was open but no noise was coming from it. Cloudfang furiously lapped at her chest and mouth, trying to get her tiny lungs working. Silentpaw heard Lilytail sniffle. "The babes a stillborn. Poor little thing-" Silentpaw looked down at the little fleshy bundle. Cloudfang sat up and shook his head. "She's a still born i'm afraid"
Leopardheart was still grunting in pain as the final kit was born. Cloudfang repeated the process again. Splitting the membrane, cleaning the kit. But again there was no first breath, no squeaking. Silentpaw had physically drooped, he wanted all of the kits to live. Now only half the litter remained. At least the tom and she-cat were drinking now, small pink paws kneading their mother's stomach. The noise of the stick hitting the ground sounded with a gasp from Leopardheart. "Well done, you've got two beautiful kits!" Cloudfang dipped his head at the queen, trying to boost her mood.
She just stared down at the two kits. She tilted her head left and right. Silentpaw was wondering when that motherly instinct would kick in, when joy would be evident on her face. It didn't happen. "Thanks" She muttered eyes on the kits, voice flat. "Come on, let's give Leopardheart some space. Let us know if you need anything" Cloudfang told her. The large tom left, leaving Silentpaw behind. As he left he heard her sob. "I don't want- I don't want this"
In the medicine cat den Cloudfang was asleep in his nest. Silentpaw hadn't been able to sleep. Neither had Lilytail. "Maybe she's sad because she's in pain? Some she-cats find their fist birth traumatic. I hope she does, they're sweet kits" she suggested. "I don't know, I'm a tom, I'll never give birth so I can't imagine what it's really like" Silentpaw responded thoughtfully. Pawsteps on sand caught his attention. He stood up and quietly pattered out of the alcove where he slept, trying not to disturb Cloudfang. The silhouette of a she-cat stood at the entrance.
"Can I have some parsley?" Silentpaw recognised the hushed voice of Leopardheart. He stood there, not knowing what to do. He wasn't sure what parsley looked like or what it did. "You're not deaf as well as mute are you? Have you got any parsley?" She hissed restlessly. He frowned at her and turned to go and fetch Cloudfang. "Wait-no...It's bright green with feather like leaves' ' She sounded like she was begging now."No! Don't give it to her! Get Cloudfang now!" Lilytail's voice was loud and steeped in panic. He looked at her warily before turning to go and get Cloudfang.
Cloudfang was awake and stretching in his nest. "Who was that? Leopardheart?" He asked half asleep. "Show him what she wanted, I'll tell you which one it was" Silentpaw nodded. "Does she need me?" Silentpaw shook his head. "Did she want something for pain relief?" Silentpaw nodded and walked over to the sandstone shelf that held the herbs. "That one there" with a velvety black paw he pointed to the parsley. Cloudfang's face dropped. "That's how you stop a queens milk supply"
Duh Duh Duh! Sorry for not uploading this chapter sooner. My computer got a virus so that had to be sorted before I could start writing again. I won't be uploading tomorrow because I have work and it stresses me out lol. Feel free to leave a review :) The question for this chapter is: 'why do you think Leopardheart wants the parsley and why does she not seem to care about the kits?'