Chapter Three:
"Leafpool! Jayfeather! Come quick!" mewed an urgent voice from the clearing. Leafpool dashed out of the medicine den with Jayfeather at her paws. Brightheart stood at the entrance of their tunnel, her fur on end.
"What's wrong?" asked Leafpool.
"It's Cinderheart. Her kits – they're coming – right now!" explained Brightheart, choppily. "And, and something's wrong -!"
"Oh no!" gasped Leafpool. "Jayfeather, you go get the herbs." Jayfeather had already turned back to go to their den before Leafpool had finished speaking. Leafpool herself dashed after Brightheart to the Nursery. Icecloud had already nudged all the kits out of the Nursery to make room for Cinderheart, Leafpool, and Jayfeather.
When Jayfeather entered the Nursery, a wave of panic and fear hit him, but it wasn't his. Cinderheart, terrified, was emitting rolls of fear from her body. It was enough to draw Jayfeather's ears back. He sensed worry from both Brightheart and Leafpool, as well. He dropped down his bundle of herbs, and he gave Cinderheart a sniff.
Despite the fact that she wasn't due for another half a moon, she smelled like a normal queen about to give birth.
"Is there anything I can do?" asked Brightheart.
"Yes, can you get Poppyfrost? I think her presence might help Cinderheart."
"Moss, too," added on Jayfeather. Leafpool nodded.
Cinderheart bit back a yowl.
"Lionblaze? Where's … Lionblaze?" asked Cinderheart, her eyes out of focus.
"Cinderheart, Lionblaze left at sunrise for the mission. Do you remember?" mewed Leafpool gently, while simultaneously nudging some herbs to the queen.
"Can… can you find him? He said he was going hunting …"
Leafpool's pelt quivered and her whole body tensed. Jayfeather flicked his tail, acknowledging what was left unspoken: Cinderheart had somehow entered a state of delirium.
Behind them were pawsteps, and both medicine cats turned to see Poppyfrost. A look of concern flooded her face.
"Oh, Cinderheart!" she cried and rushed over to her littermate, and began whispering encouraging words.
Leafpool leaned close to Jayfeather so that the two sisters couldn't hear, and said, "I fear she is in the paws of StarClan now."
Jayfeather let out a growl of disagreement.
"Jayfeather, she's delirious. I've never seen something like this before, and –"
"So you just give up?" growled Jayfeather softly. He strode forward, knocking Leafpool aside. He sat down close to Cinderheart, her eyes and nose now streaming. He leaned forward to touch her nose, and he felt himself go into her mind. Deep, deep, he traveled. Past the confusion and fear, until he found a center of calm within Cinderheart.
As if pulling a stick out of mud, he dragged the bit of calm within Cinderheart out to the surface. Pawstep by pawstep, he gradually forced the delirium out and let the calm emerge. He opened his eyes and ears and nose back to his surroundings. He heard Leafpool and Poppyfrost gasp, at what he presumed to be Cinderheart.
The delirium and confusion was gone. Some fear remained, but nothing out of proportion.
"Cinderheart, do you understand me?" asked Leafpool.
Cinderheart swallowed once, and mewed, "Yes."
"Good." Leafpool sat down next to Jayfeather and prodded her belly gently. "I think you're just about ready."
"Aren't I too early?" asked Cinderheart in between breaths.
"Yes, but there's nothing we can do about that now," mewed Leafpool simply. Cinderheart nodded, but quickly stopped to wince.
"Get ready to push," instructed Leafpool. "Okay … now!"
A moment later, a pink, wet, bundle arrived, to which Jayfeather promptly nipped open and began licking. All four cats looked expectantly, and suddenly, the little mess of gray fur let out an ear-splitting yowl. They sighed with relief. "A tom," mewed Jayfeather in between licks.
Leafpool felt Cinderheart's belly. "I think that's it," she said.
"Really?" gasped Cinderheart. "Then why does it – ooooh!" she yowled.
Leafpool frowned. She padded Cinderheart's belly once more, but didn't feel anything. Jayfeather stopped licking, and felt Cinderheart's belly for himself. He did not feel anything either, but instead put his ear up against Cinderheart's flank.
After a moment, he mewed, "There's one more."
"Really?" said Leafpool, astonished. "I didn't feel anything …"
"Neither did I, but I heard two heart beats. He just must be little," said Jayfeather, shrugging.
And just then a second wet mass came out, with a sigh of relief on Cinderheart's part.
Leafpool licked this kit, and announced, "Another tom."
"Two toms!" exclaimed Poppyfrost, gazing warmly down at her nephews. Leafpool and Jayfeather placed the kits next to Cinderheart's belly so they could begin suckling. Cinderheart and Poppyfrost each gave them both a few licks. The first kit had a gray pelt with tabby stripes on his tail. The second kit was very tiny, and was a golden brown tabby with one brown forepaw.
"Well done, Cinderheart," mewed Poppyfrost warmly. "I know Sorreltail would have been proud of you."
"I'm sure she is proud of her," commented Leafpool fondly.
"Cinderheart," interrupted Jayfeather. "You need to eat these borage leaves. Since your kits came early, you'll need all the milk you can get."
Leafpool nodded in agreement. "Jayfeather, I'm going to stay here for a while, just to make sure they are alright. Can you go tell the clan?"
Jayfeather nodded, flicked his tail in good-bye, and padded out of the nursery.
Outside, what seemed to be half the clan was waiting. Squirrelflight was pacing nervously in the clearing, and nearly ran over to Jayfeather when he came out.
"Two toms," he said, answering her unspoken question. "And all three of them are alright." For now.
"Is Cinderheart okay?" asked Icecloud, with her kits bouncing around her paws.
"Yes, she's fine. Just tired."
"It's too bad Lionblaze wasn't here," said Millie. A few cats murmured in agreement.
"The patrol will be back soon," assured Squirrelflight. "Okay, everyone back to your duties."
"Hey, Jayfeather," mewed Blossomfall, padding up to him. "The nursery will be really full now."
"Yup."
"So, to make things less crowded, I'm going to sleep in the warriors den."
"What about your kits?"
"They'll be fine. I asked Icecloud and Brightheart to look after them." She then shuffled awkwardly and then made her way to the warrior's den.
"Why bother asking me a question when you don't even hear my answer?" muttered Jayfeather under his breath.
"Jayfeather," said another queen's voice behind him. He turned and smelled Brightheart with her three kits. "Did Blossomfall tell you she was sleeping in the warrior's den too?"
Jayfeather nodded. Brightheart frowned. Her kits were playing with Blossomfall's a few tail lengths away. Icecloud had already brought her kits into the nursery.
"It is too crowded in there, but still …"
"I just wish I knew why she doesn't want to be with her kits …" muttered Jayfeather to himself, but Brightheart heard it.
"Jayfeather!" Brightheart hissed.
"Oh, whoops! You weren't supposed to hear that."
"No, oh, Jayfeather. Don't tell me you really haven't picked up what's going on?"
Jayfeather gave her a blank stare. He was beginning to feel the heat rise up his neck. Did he miss something?
Brightheart sighed. "Thornclaw and Blossomfall aren't mates anymore."
"So? That's no reason."
"Well … they became mates before the Great Battle. And they got to know each other through training in the Dark Forest. Then Blossomfall began expecting Thornclaw's kits, which she probably didn't really want to begin with because of the up-coming battle. But now the battle is over and she found where her loyalties lie. Now she just wants to forget everything about the Dark Forest, including Thornclaw. And since Thornclaw became an elder after he got that injury, she can ignore him fairly well. But a mother can't ignore her own kits – but Blossomfall is doing a job trying to," Brightheart mewed sadly.
"That just sounds way too complicated."
Brightheart snorted. "Oh, please. That's nothing compared to your emotional behaviors."