Welcome to the world [LABORLABORLABOR]

It was a chilly starless night.

With leafbare so close it was a horrible time to give birth too kits, why couldn't she just wait till later? It was already leaffall and the chilly winds were coming in, would the kits be able too survive their first leaf-bare? Dawnstrike laid curled up tightly into a ball in her nest alone in the dark nursery. She could feel the shifting in her stomach but at this point of her pregnancy it hardly fazed the pretty she-cat Dawnstrike was lonely but of corse it couldn't be helped that Lightfoot was probably away preforming his warrior duties.. couldn't be helped at all. The she-cats stomach was much larger then before it was harder and uncomfortable for Dawnstrike too sit properly so she normally just laid up like this in a ball hoping that Lightfoot would come visit her and he did. Lightfoot was quite frequent in his visits although she didn't see him for a few days now she was slightly curious too see what was keeping the tom. Dawnstrike's fur was not well-groomed and her blue eyes looked tired and restless the birth was so close now she wasn't able too get proper sleep. A strong kick had caused the she-kit too close her eyes tightly from the pain she didn't want too yelp out no it was too pathetic. The she-cat's ear twitched impaitently she wasn't sure if she was able too be a mother or how Lightfoot would react too these kits she was sure that he would be a good father but Dawnstrike grew slightly suspicious of the tom it seemed like he was distancing himself from her for some reason.

The pains weren't too harsh every hour or so there would be a strong kick but that had seemed to stop causing Dawnstrike too sigh with some relief. Her eyelids were heavy and it was hard too keep them open maybe she was finally able too catch some sleep.. as she began too close her eyes she felt kicks coming more rapidly, more painfully and stronger then usual. Completely shocked Dawnstrike's eyes had widened pupils showing clear fear. The kit's were coming...!

She never thought that labor was this painful she felt her stomach stretch too painful lengths and felt strange urges she finally had cried out in pain. It was loud and clear enough for everyone too hear her, it was just so painful these kits better respect her for what she has gone through for them. "Gorsefeather..! Lightfoot...!"

One moment he was deep in a strange dream, the next he was pulled into reality by the distant sound of his mate calling for him. "Ehh...? Dawnstrike?" Lightfoot murmured groggily, the image of himself chasing a green rabbit through a never-ending field of feathers still fresh in his mind. And then the call echoed in his ears again and he shot from where he slept with the other warriors, suddenly realizing what it meant. The air outside was particularly crisp, and for a moment, fear flashed through his mind. They hadn't quite planned this out right; the cold seasons were the worst time to have kits. The white tom stumbled drowsily to the nursery, where his mate was alone. He felt a hint of guilt knowing that she was lonely without him, but it was where queens had to stay. It was safer there and Lightfoot would never forgive himself if he let anything happen to Dawnstrike. They'd grown apart lately, but he was going to fix that. He was going to be the best father and the best mate he could be.

Lightfoot looked into the entrance, calling, "Dawnstrike? Is everything okay?" He waited a few seconds before taking more steps in, eyeing the pretty ginger queen. "I'm here now and I'll be with you the whole time. I promise I won't leave you." He quivered in excitement. The gravity of being a father was starting to sink in.

OOC: Cat packed up and left, so Leafsnap and Light probs aren't going to be a thing while Light and Dawn are apart.

As it was the dead of night, Gorsefeather was sound asleep just outside his den, curled up in his nest of moss and feathers. The medicine cat had taken to sleeping outside under the night sky lately, enjoying the last fading warmth of Greenleaf which was slowly being lost to Leaf-fall. This sleeping arrangement also had the added benefit of being closer to everyone so he could hear if anyone called out. The burrow which was his den was a little to well fortified when it came to kitting queen shrieking for him in the dead of night. So when he heard Dawnstrike's yowls, the calico quickly got up, not bothering to wake his apprentice, and just heading over to where his herbs were prepared.

With a sniff, he check the contents. Chervil, borage, burnet, juniper. It was all he needed, hopefully. He'd yet to lose a queen to kitting yet, but it was always a danger.

Grabbing the bundle in his jaws, he bounded over to the nursery. One look at Lightfoot told him all he needed know about who was kitting. "Lightfoot, either go in or stay out. You're blocking the entrance." The medicine cat spoke exasperatedly, time was off the essence and he had no interest in dealing with the warrior when he had a queen in pain. "Move." The tom physically nudged Lightfoot away, wriggling through the nursery entrance to where his patient laid.

"Dawnstrike. Seems the kits were too impatient to wait till dawn, eh." He placed the wrapped bundle of herbs on the ground, opening it up and mixing them all together for the queen to eat. "Here, eat this. It'll ease your pain."

occ: oh shoot really? well we kind of planned ahead with the lark and dawn thing crapcrapcrap do you have a skype?

ic: Dawnstrike's stomach continued too cause her immense and unbearable pain it was insanity, she wanted too yowl out more but she didn't want too disturb those around her she could handle this without causing anymore trouble everyone needed too stay asleep after all.. When Lightfoot had came clambering into the nursery for a brief moment she felt the pain in her stomach slowly ease before another surge of kicks ran throughout her stomach causing the queen too grit her teeth with pain. Dawnstrike didn't say anything she quickly ate up the herbs that Gorsefeather had told her too and he was correct the pain slowly started too ease but it was still there.

OOC; I do, but it's an old one I haven't used in a really long time. I don't mind you going through with the Lark and Dawn thing at all.

IC: Lightfoot nearly jumped out of his fur when he heard Gorsefeather's voice. He always kept his distance from the cranky old tom, starting with the one day he'd dared enter the medicine cat den when he was but a kit. The white tom really wanted to stay with Dawnstrike, so he shuffled into a corner of the den and shrank as far into it as he could so as to give Gorsefeather room to do his work and Dawnstrike to do her thing.

The calico placed a paw gently on the queen's belly feeling for the kits that were trying to escape into the world. The ripple of muscles felt rhythmic and in pace, the kitting was progressing well. With the worse of his concerns eased, and the queen a little bit sedated from the herbs, the took a step back. Sitting within her sight line, but still in a position to see anything outcoming kits. "When the urge comes, you will need to push. It'll hurt, I won't life to you. But you can do it. Remember, only push when the urge comes, you'll hurt yourself if you push too soon."

There was no pain for quite a few moments and Dawnstrike was finally able too relax for a bit.. Her gaze shifted over towards Lightfoot hoping to starclant that he would be a great father to these kits. Dawnstrikes eyes closed and the queen had let out a sigh she knew she shouldnt be enjoying herself yet the kits were yet too be born and the pain was clearly not over at all. Either way the warrior was glad that the violent kicking in her stomach had stopped for awhile maybe she had a chance too speak with Lightfoot this was the first time Dawnstrike had seen him for awhile. As she was about too say something she had felt her stomach drop.

The pain was much different then from before. Alot stronger alot more painful.. Her eyes had squeezed shut with the pain as she breathed rapidly it felt as if she was being torn apart. Dawnstrike had pushed hard and she felt her pain slowly easing she knew what she had too do then she needed this baby out now. The queen had continued too push and slowly a little kitten had popped out that had slight orange patches around its body.

Taking a quick rest Dawnstrike then pushed another kit out this time it was white and had orange splotches around its body as well.

The next one was a she-kit and was white with tabby stripea.

and the last one was a pure white coated she-cat one that looked just like her father

Dawnstrike glanced back over towards Lightfoot out of breath it took her a few moments before she was able to speak again giving birth drained alot of energy from her. "What should we name them..?"

Gorsefeather worked overtime, licking each kit roughly to get their airways open before plopping them next to their mother to suckle and keep warm. All the kits, thank StarClan, looked healthy and strong. They mewled for their mothers and squirmed like kits were meant to. Which meant his job was done, for now. In the bundle he'd brought, he had some left over borage, which he placed in front of the queen. "You can name them after I leave. Eat these, you'll need it. Four kits on a new mother, it won't be easy for you to nurse them all. Tell me if you have any troubles, we can arrange something." He spoke the last part softly, just for her to hear. It wasn't something any queen liked to admit, but it beat watching your kit slowly die of starvation. "And you, Lightfoot. Keep an eye on her. See any bleeding, shout for me." He flicked the tom shoulder with his tail, to make sure he heard. "I'll leave you two alone now. They're healthy, strong kits, you should be proud."


The small white tabby wriggled about, snapping open and close her little jaws looking for her mother's teat. She was hungry, or her instincts were telling her that she was hungry. The kit couldn't tell yet, but she squirmed about anyway, looking for the familiar milk scent.

Lightfoot was in awe of the speed at which Gorsefeather worked. He nodded at the medicine cat's order and padded closer to Dawnstrike, moved low to the ground to be near her and look at their kits. "They are lovely." He whispered, nuzzling her. "You've done so well." He purred. He was a little surprised when she asked him what they would call the kits. Lightfoot looked over them with his light blue eyes, pondering for a few seconds. "How about... how about Daisykit for the firstborn, the white one with ginger patches. And Rowankit for the tom, the other orange-and-white one. The third, the white tabby, will be Witherkit." He gazed at the white kit. She had his pelt. She was like a far smaller version of himself, and it was strange to think that he was once that small. "And we'll call the white one Ivorykit." The proud father bent and gently licked the closest kit, Daisykit, on her small head.

The newly named Daisykit mewed in protest as a rough object brushed across her head. She struggled around, searching for that strange but delicious smell. Her paws curled, trying to grab and knead but to no avail. She mewed once more and rolled over, bumping into Lightfoot's paws.