(Book 1) Warriors: Separations - Six Stars

Chapter 17

Silvernight yawned. She'd been sitting in the nursery the whole day. Nightfall told her that Silvernight's kits were due any day now, so it was best she stayed in the nursery all the time. It's so boring here though... Silvernight thought angrily. Her mate had passed away long before she'd even gotten pregnant, so the only cat regularly checking up on her was Nightfall. Silvernight's early mate had a brother, Speckleddawn. The toms looked alike, so Silvernight was more partial to Speckleddawn than her other clanmates. However, the tom seemed to be cold to her. She didn't know why, but she brushed it off.

Then, she felt something. A great sense of urgency. Her belly throbbed, and it looked as though her kits were ready to come out. She gasped, she didn't know how much having kits really hurt. She gritted her teeth, trying to block out the pain.

Her clanmates worriedly gathered around her, and without a second to waste, one of her clanmates dashed off to the medicine den to alert Nightfall what was happening. After a few excruciating seconds of waiting, and lots of excited and worried yowls coming from the crowd gathering around Silvernight, Nightfall sprinted through the crowd, pushing aside any cats in her way. She hurried to Silvernight's side, and massaged her rippling belly. Nightfall called to her apprentice–Halfpaw–, who was hanging around, unsure of what to do. "Grab a stick and some juniper berries!" she yelled. Halfpaw nodded and quickly ran off to the medicine den to grab the supplies. Silvernight groaned, the pain was almost unbearable. However, she kept pushing, trying to get her kits out. She convulsed, and Nightfall nodded encouragingly. "That's it... I see the head..." she coaxed. Silvernight pushed again, a ripple passing through her body as she felt one of the kits come out. Nightfall breathed happily. "Great, now keep going, there's more!" she meowed.

Halfpaw came rolling into the den, his fur messy and juniper berries at Nightfall's paws. Nightfall kept massaging Silvernight's belly getting the kits to come out. "Give Silvernight the stick for her to bite while she's dealing with the pain." She ordered her apprentice. Halfpaw nodded and quickly gave Silvernight the stick. She bit down on it, pain jolting through her body with every ripple of her kits coming out. She pushed harder, and felt another kit coming out. Nightfall's eyes gleamed. "You're doing great, keep at it!" she mewed imploringly.

Silvernight pushed even more. She felt exhausted, surely this was the last kit? She panted, she felt like she was going to pass out. Nevertheless, she kept on pushing, hoping her kits would all come out safe and sound. She felt another kit finally fall out, and relief swept through her body. Nightfall seemed to relax as well. Halfpaw quickly padded over to the newborn kits, licking them to warm them up. Nightfall was just about to do the same, when suddenly another painful ripple passed through Silvernight's body. Panic flashed in Nightfall's eyes as she realized another kit was coming out as well. Oh no...! I don't know if I can even get it out! What if it dies immediately? She thought, terror seizing her body. Sheer horror seemed to give Silvernight extra strength, and she began pushing once more, using the last scraps of her energy to get this kit out safely. Nightfall continued massaging Silvernight's belly, panic still resting in her gaze. Silvernight felt her own doubts about whether or not the kit would be okay, but she shook the thought out of her head and kept pushing. Halfpaw watching, his eyes filled with fear for the kit coming out of Silvernight.

Eventually, after much excruciating struggle, the kit came out. Nightfall stared doubtfully at Silvernight, making sure no extra kits were ready to emerge. Silvernight felt like if one more did, she would die. Luckily, that seemed to be the last one. She sighed in relief. "What a night..." she breathed. Nightfall nodded. She seemed stunned still, however quickly went to work licking the new kit to warm it up.

The kits, their eyes unable to open, began shuffling toward the scent of milk and suckling their mother. Silvernight looked lovingly down at her kits. She looked at the small light gray kit, and thought about what to name it. "You struggled as much as a mouse escaping a hunter, so perhaps... Mousekit!" she mewed happily. Nightfall nodded. "A great name for such a little runt." she laughed. She looked at the kit next to it. It was a bigger kit, a light golden tabby that even seemed to have a bit of muscle. She thought with a pang how much it reminded her of her deceased mate. "I'll name you... Serenitykit." she said. She turned her gaze to another kit next to that one. Smaller than Serenitykit, but bigger than Mousekit. It had the same light gray fur as Mousekit, but it almost had a rosy pink tint to it. "Perhaps... Rosekit." she mewed. She looked at the last kit. It looked similar to Mousekit and Rosekit, and she couldn't figure out a name for it. She thought for a bit about it, but finally came up with a name. "And this one will be Willowkit." she declared.