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Post by angel on Apr 9, 2012 21:00:46 GMT -5
Ink now known as Inkheart lay in the nursery. It was the day after her naming ceremony which welcomed her into the clan. Not many cats where pleased at her joining in fact many harassed her. But she had told Kestralstar she could handle it and she did. She would prove she wasn't a weakling once her kits where born.
Padding out to the freshkill pile she grabbed a large fish for the queens to share than padded back to the den. She had just laid back down and taken her first bite when a sharp pain sliced through her belly. She gasped almost choking on her bit of fish. The pain was excruciating. She could barely take it. She let out a loud yowl as it continued. Inkheart dug her claws dawn into the dirt of the den floor.
Something wet slid out, it was her first kit. She gave it a sniff and cried out. It was dead not breathing. She yowled out in alarm and grabbed it giving it a shake trying to get it to wake up. "Wake up sweetums please. There is a whole world for you to see."
Nothing it just lay limp, tears slid rapidly down her muzzle. Her first kid was stillborn. It was beige color. She sniffed and licked her kit and whispered a name. It may be dead but the little she kit needed a name. "Please Starclan accept this small kit into your great clan. Her name is Creamkit."
Shortly after the pain started up again. She gasped expecting another kit to come out but it wasn't. She whimpered in pain and picked up Creamkit and rested her still body beside her.
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Post by Reed on Apr 10, 2012 11:01:23 GMT -5
As soon as the labor had started, one of the cats had run into Pebbleshine's den to let her know. Pebbleshine sorted through her herbs, planning on taking something to help with Inkheart's milk and trying to remember if there was a something that would ease pain without having an adverse affect on the kittens. She didn't have long to run through her list of candidates before she heard the kitting queen cry out and then yowl. Births could be noisy, especially if it was the queen's first pregnancy, but that sound meant something was going horribly wrong.
She bounded out of her den and toward the nursery - if she needed herbs she'd describe what she needed to one of the other queens and have her fetch it from the store - praying to StarClan that whatever had happened wasn't too bad to treat.
Stormtail, I wish you were here with me. You always knew what to do, and I don't have your wisdom.
She entered the nursery just in time to hear Inkheart plead with StarClan to accept her kit. She hurried over, touching the kit's head with her muzzle. It was still, not breathing, not mewling, but it was still warm. There was still hope.
You need to lick her. You can save her if you hurry.
The thought entered her head, but it wasn't her own voice. It was her mentor's. Whether it was a memory or the old tom visiting his apprentice to give her vital advice, she didn't know or care. If there was hope - no matter how much or little - she had to act on it.
"Here." She gently moved the kit so it was still against the mother but in a position where she could reach most of its body. She began licking, her tongue pressing into the kit's flesh as she willed its blood to start flowing, its heard to start beating, its lungs to start working. "StarClan can't have you. Not yet. We need you here. Come on." She coaxed the kit as she licked, not daring to stop as she encouraging it to fight for its life. "You can do this. Stay with us."
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Post by angel on Apr 10, 2012 11:13:38 GMT -5
Inkheart's eyes widened and hope filled her as Pebbleshine entered the den. When she started liking her first kit she prayed that it would work. After a few moment she heard a squeal come from her kit. A sigh of relief filled her. [/b]"Thank you so much Pebbleshine you saved my kit."[/b] She sniffed her kit and gently licked her. "Good job precious stay with us," Creamkit was now mewing loudly and wriggling around. Inkheart purred softly as she gently nudged the kit to her stomach to feed.
Another sharp pain sliced through her stomach and she gritted her teeth as another kit slid out. She had a second to catch her breath. She turned and started to lick her kit. The tom quickly started to cry out very loudly. "With those set of lungs he must be healthy," she laughed softly. Almost as soon as the tom was born her stomach was cramped with pain. She tried to push the kit out but this one wasn't going to be as easy. Inkheart's breathing became slightly labored as the kitting continued.
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Post by Reed on Apr 10, 2012 14:02:41 GMT -5
Pebbleshine's heart skipped - in a good way - as the kit squealed. She continued licking until Inkheart took over and purred. "Only through StarClan's will. I'm happy that Creamkit will remain with us for the time being." She watched the mother and daughter, hope filling her as the kit seemed to be getting stronger by the moment. She would live, and it was thanks to Stormtail. If he hadn't told her what to do - now or in memory-land - she might not have been able to act in time.
She watched as the second kit - a tom this time - came into the world. This one had a better start at life than his sister, and was mewling immediately. She purred as Inkheart commented on the fact. "And the others will be just as healthy."
Then Inkheart started to bring her third kit into the world. This one was more difficult, but that wasn't anything to worry about...yet. Different kits came with different birthing experiences. Perhaps this one was bigger, or not positioned just right. Whatever the case, Pebbleshine stood ready to intervene if needed but otherwise held back. Birthing was a natural process and she would hurt more than help if she attempted to assist...unless another emergency occurred.
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Post by angel on Apr 10, 2012 14:22:40 GMT -5
Inkheart was in allot of pain. Why wasn't this kit coming. Wave after wave rippled through her body. After several long minutes the next kit finally came out. She was panting hard now. She rested her head on the moss thinking it was the last one until more pain sliced through her. She didn't even have time to check on the newborn kit. Was it male or female? She lifted her head in a break between the waves of pain and sniffed the kit and licked it. "Another she cat," she mewed weekly. As soon as she licked it pain rippled through her again. But she was week and Inkheart didn't know if she had the strength to push this one out. She was just so tired and thirsty.
Her head lay against the moss to week to push again. She tried to push she really did but it wasn't enough. She sent a silent prey to Starclan and begged them for help. After a mew minuted she felt a little burst of energy and the last and final kit was born. With that she rested her head and drifted asleep.
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Post by Reed on Apr 11, 2012 6:49:53 GMT -5
"You're doing great. Hang in there." Pebbleshine encouraged the queen as the birthing continued. She turned to another queen who was watching and requested water-soaked moss so Inkheart could have a drink when she was ready. To another, she describe the appearance of borage leaves and sent her off to fetch some from the store. The borage would help Inkheart keep up a generous supply of milk for her kits, and they - especially Creamkit - needed every drop of milk they could get. Four was an impressive litter size for a clan cat. Normally, they didn't all survive when a litter was greater than three, and it wasn't unheard of for there to be only one or two.
These will live. StarClan wills it.
The queens returned with the items Pebbleshine requested, and she thanked them before setting the leaves and moss within easy reach of the new mother. She gave each of the kits a sniff, relieved when she couldn't scent sickness or death in any of them. She sat and looked around while she waited. In a few moments she would have to wake Inkheart to get her to drink and eat the borage, but for now she deserved her rest.
((Hope no one minds the NPCs. ^.^; They're gone now.))
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Post by angel on Apr 11, 2012 7:02:16 GMT -5
Inkheart was only asleep for a few minutes before the scent of water woke her. Her eyes fluttered open to see a ball of moss in front oh her. She lapped greedily at the water relieved to have some. She mewed a quick thanks before checking her kits. She gave each one a sniff. She smiled and purred lightly. "The second female will be called Patchkit and the two twos will be Rainkit and Silverkit," she mewed softly. They where beautiful and Rainkit looked just like her mate. Would he be proud that she named one of their kits after him? Both Silverkit and Rainkit looked like him but Rainkit was an exact duplicate of him. Turning her attention to her two she-cat's she licked Creamkit a few times glad that Pebbleshine was able to save her when she was not able to. "My precious kit you are special. Starclan seamed fit to save you." And for that she would forever be grateful. To both Starclan and Pebbleshine. Looking up at the medicine cat she smiled softly, "Thank you so much for saving my kit."
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Post by Reed on Apr 11, 2012 8:57:51 GMT -5
Pebbleshine purred as she watched the new family and watched as Inkheart woke without her prompting and took a drink. She then listened as the kits were named and nodded in approval. "Those are fine names. You're really catching on to how we do things here."
When she was thanked again, the medicine cat shook her head. "If StarClan wanted her, there wouldn't have been anything I could do. Our warrior ancestors have purposes in mind for these kits." And Pebbleshine looked forward to seeing what those purposes were.
The medicine cat stood and stretched. Now that the kits were born and everyone seemed more or less okay, there really wasn't anything she could do. "I should head back to my den in case someone else needs me. If you have any problems at all have someone come fetch me." She then noticed the uneaten borage. "Don't forget to eat those herbs. They'll help with your milk, and - with four kits to feed - you'll need what help you can get." She let out an amused purr, nodded to the queen, and headed back to her den.
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