Chapter 20
"It's going to be alright, Jaysong," Sorreltail meowed, covering Jaysong's face with rapid licks. Jaysong winced again as another spasm of pain shot through her body and she tried to concentrate on Sorreltail's breathing to help her deal with the pain. Outside, Jaysong could hear Ferncloud and Daisy comforting Stripepool and Icestorm, both who had panicked when the golden brown queen had start to kit. Near them, Jaysong recognized Brackenfur's heavy footsteps stalk past the nursery entrance and her sisters- Cinderheart, Poppyfrost, and Honeyfern- were all comforting their father's anxiety.
"Okay, Jaysong, that's two kits already out, but you have one more," Leafpool's voice mewed and Jaysong tried to find out where the light brown tabby was speaking from, but another spasm of pain shot through her. Sorreltail saw Jaysong wince and covered her daughter in fiercer licks. Normally, Jaysong would have protested being treated like a kit, but right now, she was glad to have Sorreltail by her side. Suddenly the pain ended and Leafpool padded around so that she was in Jaysong's line of sight, a small black-and-white kit dangling from her jaws. Applepaw sat next to Leafpool and- like his mentor- was carrying a kit; this one a golden brown tabby like it's mother. As Sorreltail came up from in between Leafpool and Applepaw, Jaysong hadn't even noticed her mother had abandoned her to fetch the last kit; another black-and-white.
"I'm going to fetch some more borage for you," Leafpool meowed, setting the black-and-white kit into the curve of Jaysong's belly. Applepaw and Sorreltail did the same. Giving herself a couple quick licks, Sorreltail mewed, "I'm going to tell your father and sisters that everything is fine. Applepaw, would you mind staying with her until I get back?" Applepaw shook his head and Sorreltail padded out of the nursery giving Jaysong one last look of love and pride. Jaysong didn't see her though for her gray eyes were absorbed on her three beautiful kits.
"These two are toms and this is a she-cat," Applepaw explained, resting his tail on the black-and-white kit and the golden brown kit and then putting his long tail on the smaller black-and-white kit. Applepaw looked at them for another second and Jaysong thought she saw a wistful look pass through his green eyes, but before she was sure it was gone. Applepaw then looked up at Jaysong and asked curiously "Have you thought of any names? Leafpool said you didn't have to pick anything right now, but I was just curious. So did you come up with any names?"
Jaysong looked at the black-and-white tom as her pressed his paws against his mother's belly, eagerly suckling her milk. His paws- like Blackstar's- were huge even for a kit. Despite his huge paws, Jaysong noticed that her was smaller and scrawnier than his brother, almost like a WindClan cat. Deciding on his name, Jaysong meowed, "He will be known as Rabbitkit for his large paws." Jaysong turned to look at his twin sister whose already sleek fur glimmered in the faint light of the nursery. Unlike her brother, the she-cat was plumper with muscles already forming on her tiny body. "She will be known as Rushkit for her sleek fur and he will be called," Jaysong looked at her third kit at the same time, Applepaw jumped.
"Leafpool! Leafpool!" Applepaw yowled urgently and at once Leafpool was racing into the nursery, her amber eyes wide with alarm. Looking relieved to see Leafpool, Applepaw explained to his mentor, his words tumbling over one another, "Leafpool, the kit. He's not breathing." Now just as alarmed as Applepaw, Jaysong looked at her second son and noticed that the brown tabby apprentice's words were true. Leafpool lunged forward and began covering the kit with fierce licks and trying to warm his body with her paws. Applepaw nudged Leafpool and whispered in a defeated voice, "Leafpool, I think the kit is dead."
Dead? The word didn't make sense to Jaysong. How could something as beautiful and wonderful as the birth of her and Blackstar'skits be capable of something so dark? Jaysong felt Jayfeather's scent wash over her and the golden brown queen unsheathed her claws into the nursery's soft ground. Was this StarClan's punishment? Was the life of her kit to be sacrificed because Jaysong had fallen in love with Blackstar, leader of ShadowClan? Anger now controlling her grief, Jaysong growled, "My son will not join the ranks of StarClan without a name. He will be known as Amberkit for his golden brown fur." Leafpool dipped her head and went to pick up Jaysong's kit, but the golden brown queen hissed, "I want to bury him alone."
"But what about your other kits?" Leafpool asked, but then paused. Suddenly Leafpool's amber eyes glowed as though the medicine cat had solved the answer to her question, "Both Stripepool and Icestorm are so close to kitting that their bodies are already producing milk. They could suckle your two kits while you go out to bury Amberkit. Normally, I would want to send a warrior with you, but I don't want any cat to trespass on your grief." Jaysong blinked her thanks to Leafpool and got to her paws. Rabbitkit and Rushkit began to cry as they were dislodged from Jaysong's belly, but Stripepool had already returned to the nursery. Blinking her amber eyes as though she had heard every word, Stripepool nestled down next to her sister's kits.
Jaysong reached down and picked up Amberkit's cold body. Blinking to her friends, Jaysong padded out of the nursery and felt every cat in the hollow's eyes swivel in her direction. Daisy and Icestorm stared in shock at Amberkit's body while Ferncloud blinked in sympathy. Brackenfur took a step forward, but- seeing the anger and grief in Jaysong's eyes- thought better of it and hurried out of camp. Sorreltail looked like she wanted to come over and comfort Jaysong, but like Brackenfur decided not to and instead started to groom her older kits. Cinderheart- who usually protested- allowed Sorreltail to once again treat her like a kit.
Jaysong padded out of the camp and felt Jayfeather brush against her, murmuring, Your kit is safe with me in StarClan.
