Toothy problems [c]

To say that the absolute worst part of being a kit was teething would have been an understatement for the onyx-pelted ball of fur as she anxiously popped out of the nursery. It made her irritable, cranky, and down-right miserable. Just simply trying to relax met her with aching pain and an urge to gnaw on everything, which left both her and her littermates frustrated as it ended up with them chewing on one another, always just a little bit too hard. To hurt her siblings ended up making Hollowkit feel even worse than usual, and she'd even gnawed herself through her fur a couple of times and felt first-paw just how sharp her little kitten teeth could be.

But, an idea had popped into her mind. She'd heard mentions of going to this 'Heatherberry' whenever a cat was sick. While she wasn't in sick, she was definitely in pain, so she could go ask, right? If she was to trust her, mama Swiftheart wouldn't get mad at her, surely. So, with wide, honey-colored eyes, she anxiously made her way over to one of the few dens she hadn't explored yet. Tiny claws slipped in and out of their sheathes as she kneaded the ground with every step, leaving tiny kit-prints in her wake. To say she was being stealthy would've been a blatant lie. However, as soon as she reached the new place, her ears slickened back immediately with fear...only to be replaced by the scrunching of her snout at the assaulting smells that made her gums prickle.

"...Miss Hebbaberry? ... I need help. ... My teeb are coming in and hurt. Mama Swifarb says you help hurb kibs." The awkward number of teeth that had come through had left her with a slight lisp, one that had her face scrunching at every word.

"...Miss Hebbaberry?

Every muscle under her pelt tensed up all at once to her name being called, her eye catching sight of one of her three tiny, beautiful daughters. The instinct of a mother had begun the second she knew she was pregnant with them, before her belly even had the chance to swell. By some miracle, she hadn't dropped everything she was doing to run to Hollowkit's aid and coo and fuss and be the mother she so desperately wanted to be. It hurt to hear her own flesh and blood say 'mama Swifarb', but it was for a good reason.

That's what she repeated in her head over and over again, anyway.

It did sting a little less hearing it be said through a squeaky lisp, though, a tiny squeak of her own being forced down at just how cute Hollowkit was. She had her daddy's eyes. "That's no good! Let me see what I have for you and those lil teeth of yours, shall we?" Her voice was soft as she spoke, an inevitable motherly coo slipping in, her tail lashing across her own flank to scold herself. "Hm..." Alder Bark could be used for teething and wouldn't be so harsh on the belly should and pieces be ingested, but Hollowkit was far too small for the larger, tough pieces she currently had. A note would have to be made to find a way to break these up. "I'm going to guess your siblings are having some tooth troubles as well?" The question was more to herself as she perused her collection of chewable herbs, landing her emerald eye on some sticks just small enough for a kit to get their tiny mouth on and bite down,  but not so small as to cause an immediate choking hazard.

Four kit-sized sticks were carefully sorted out and picked up carefully between the medicine cats teeth, turning to approach Hollowkit. Her heart raced in her chest, nervous that somehow a child would be able to smell the lies she had told Leopardstar and ShadowClan that lingered on her greying pelt. This was also the first time she had gotten so close to any of her kits since they has started talking - and talk they did; notably Hollowkit. Still, she couldn't blink away the happy glint in her eye when she gazed upon her baby.

Carefully, she set the sticks between them. "Why don't you try one out for me?"