Russetkit motioned to Frogkit with his tail. Heathersong was kitting today, and they were gonna see it happen! Behind the dense clump of heather bushes that surrounded the Nursery was a small hole - small enough not to catch the eye of a Queen, but big enough for a kit their size to squeeze through. Russetkit scuttled to kit-sized entrance and squeezed through, Frogkit right behind him. They then crept to Frogkit's nest with only their eyes and ears sticking up out of it, witnessing the birth of three new playmates.
Heathersong lay on the floor, gripping it. The stick Bitterdusk had placed in between her jaws was cracking, and her eyes screwed shut. Frogkit's eyes widened as the process wore on, and Russetkit became more and more grateful that he was a Tom, and would never have to through this.
Bitterdusk hadn't flinched once during this, and instead was rubbing his blue-hued, callused paws over the labouring Queen's white stomach. "You're doing just fine, Heathersong," he murmured. Russetkit watched as her fur almost rippled, and the stick broke in half. But as soon as it had started, it also ended. The only sound in the stuffed Nursery was the ragged, relieved breathing of Heathersong, and there was a final, third kit suckling at her belly next to the two others Russetkit had just noticed. Heathersong licked the kit, obvious love showing in her eyes.
Aware of what he was doing, Russetkit crawled out of his hiding place and slowly made his way over to the kits. Careful not to crush it, he lay down next to the silver one that had come out last. Identical purrs came from both the kit as it curled up to the warmth, and Heathersong as she saw already part of the Clan warm up to her kits. Bitterdusk, on the other hand, was a bit more cautious.
"Russetkit, I hate to disturb you, but kits are very fragile things, as you probably know, being a kit yourself. And that kit you're leaning on is even tinier You might want to give it some space."
"It's fine, Bitterdusk." A tired Heathersong lifted her head and gazed steadily at the Blue-tinged Medicine cat. "Can you bring in Icestep? I want to name the kits now."
"Very well, Heathersong." Bitterdusk ducked out of the tight space. Heathersong blinked at Frogkit, who had crept out of the nest and was sniffing the dark gray she-kit, which was like a lighter version of her mother. "Was that scary?" She asked him. "Don't worry - I'm fine now. There wasn't anything wrong with me." The exhausted she-cat lay back down.
Icestep poked his head in through the heather bushes. "You're a natural at all this mothering stuff," he mewed as Russetkit felt his eyelids begin to grow heavy in the warm, comfy nest. He heard Heathersong purr and her ask, why don't we name the kits now?"
A little while later, a suggestion from Icestep had earned the pale gray tomkit with long legs the name of Highkit. The dark gray one had been awarded the name of Scatterkit from Heathersong. The silver she-kit was yet to be named until a murmur from Russetkit, right before he drifted off to sleep.
"Silverkit," He mumbled, "That'll be your name."