Sootkit's Path (In progress)

Chapter 2: The First Birth

     Suddenly, Scarlethawk, a FireClan queen, let out a screech of pain and her entire body convulsed. Ashleaper jumped up, awaken from her nap and immediately saw the problem. "Riverpad!" Ashleaper yowled, pelting from the nursery. Sootkit popped her head out to watch her mother get Riverpad. The medicine cat poked his head out of his den, clearly irritated. "What?" he snapped. "I'm a little bit busy right now." Ashleaper skidded to a stop, glaring at him. "Scarlethawk's kits are coming!" she snarled. Riverpad's eyes widened in shock then exclaimed, "Oh! I'm sorry for being rude. Let me gather the right herbs." The medicine cat quickly turned around and called, "Lynxbee! Go to the nursery right away. Ashleaper says Scarlethawk's kits are coming." Lynxbee bounced from the medicine cat den, exclaiming excitedly, "Wow! This will be the first-ever birth I've seen!" "Yes, yes," Riverpad said irritably coming out of the den with a bundle of herbs in his mouth. "Now, get a move on, Lynxbee, we don't want to keep Scarlethawk waiting." The medicine cat and his apprentice rapidly made their way across the clearing. Sootkit's eyes widened and she disappeared from Riverpad and Lynxbee's sight.

Finchchaser had just come back from the noon patrol, and he was pacing anxiously outside of the nursery, wincing in pain each time Scarlethawk screeched. His eyes lit up as he saw Riverpad and Lynxbee approaching and quickly ushered them inside. In the dimly lit nursery, Sootkit could just make out the shape of Scarlethawk lying on her side, panting. Riverpad felt her tummy with his paws, gently kneading. Lynxbee turned to Finchchaser who had entered the nursery. "Go find a stick she can bite on. Quickly!" she said to Scarlethawk's mate. The warrior nodded and sped out of the camp. He quickly returned with a large stick gripped in his jaws. Lynxbee quickly took the stick and laid it by Scarlethawk's head. "Bite on this," the medicine cat apprentice told the queen. Riverpad nodded grimly and said to Scarlethawk, "Push! The first one's almost through." Grimacing in pain, Scarlethawk convulsed again and a tiny wet bundle of fur slipped out. Riverpad felt the queen's tummy with his paws. "You have three more in there," he said, surprised. Scarlethawk purred weakly but yowled at the end as another kit came. "One she-cat and a tom!" Lynxbee exclaimed. Pretty soon, Scarletfeather was nursing four newly born kits.

     Scarlethawk yawned, showing a sharp set of teeth. Her four tiny kits suckled at her belly. Finchchaser was sleeping beside his mate. When he heard Scarlethawk yawn, he awoke from his nap. "So, what are you going to name them?" he asked, his voice slurred from sleep. Scarlethawk flicked her tail uneasily. "I don't know yet," she meowed. She turned her warm caramel eyes to look at him. "What about you?" Scarlethawk asked. "You're their father, of course, so you should be able to name at least one." Finchchaser hesitated. Then he pointed his tail at the cream-coloured kit. "I want to name that one Mistlekit," he said slowly. He flicked his tail at the sorrel tabby beside it. "That one should be Nectarkit," Finchchaser decided. Then he settled down again. "I've named two kits so now you do the other two," he purred to his mate. Scarlethawk's shone as she chose Adderkit for the red calico and Oakkit for the ginger tabby.