Life and Death (Open)

Though it was cold, Heatherstripe was out on a recreational walk. She was expecting another litter any day now, but she didn't let it dampen her spirits, or her energy. But she had never expected her walk to end like this.
All of a sudden, a searing, rippling pain shot through her, and she knew what it meant. Heatherstripe began to panic - she wasn't going to get back to the nursery in time now, would she? She'd just injure herself and her kits trying. She yowled for anyone to come, anyone, anything. No, she'd have to give birth here, on the spot. It was risky, but did she have a choice?
In too much pain now to get herself a stick, Heatherstripe lay down by the Lone Stump, gritting her teeth in pain as she pushed. But..something seemed to be going wrong. There was more blood around her, more than last time. She blinked rapidly, frightened. This isn't good...oh, StarClan, help me... She continued to try to push through the crippling pain, it growing almost unbearable. The pool of blood continued to grow, and it was then that Heatherstripe's last kit came into the world - and the moment she realized she was dying. She let out another yell, this time desperately hoping for someone to come find her and her kit - if they couldn't save her, they had to take her daughter back to camp, and care for her. She was so beautiful, this little she-cat, small and innocent. Weakly, she nipped the sac and let him suckle, for however long he might still have time. And yet, as she truly took in her surroundings, her children, her apprentices - Emberfall - as she thought about them, she felt oddly at peace. She would be with the stars now, watching over her family for generations. "Stripedkit," she whispered, her voice coarse and weak, her dying breaths. "I-I'm going to be with the stars. And I-I want you to k-know that I love you, with all my h-heart." And with that, the silver tabby closed her eyes, her tired but young soul joining the stars.

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Greypaw was crouched low, her legs tense and ready to spring at any moment. The magpie in front of her was inches from her face. Suddenly a yowl came from behind, spooking the bird as it flew away. "Fox-Dung!" She whispered to herself. Now where did that yowl came from? She thought as she sniffed the air and caught the scent of Heatherstripe... and blood! The grey tabby's legs sprinted toward the direction of the scent.

Heatherstripe was giving birth, but as Greypaw examined closely she was dying! A pool of blood was next to her and a newborn kit! She gave Heatherstripe a gentle nudge. "Heatherstripe?"

Alerted by the call, Twistedpaw raced over as fast as she can, but she skidded to a stop as soon as she saw the body.
   Her mother's body.
   Anger and pain welled up in her. Her knees buckled up as she stared at the cat who nursed her, who helped her when she fell down. Running back to Greypaw's call, she yowled at him, a voice filled with pain, "You let her die. I know it. YOU could've helped her! WHY DID YOU NOT?!"

Not waiting for a reply, she ran out of camp, ice-cold anger coursing through her. Running back to the stump, she sat next to her adopted mom and sat there, not getting up at all.

"I didn't... I..." She stammered as her voice trailed off. She stepped the ground lightly towards the medicine den. The grey tabby glances behind her as she saw Twistedpaw trail off. Then she turned back to the entrance of the den and said. "Cloudstone?"

Ooc: A bit messer up. Twistedpaw shouldn't be here.

Following her daughter's scent, Ivyfall tracked the apprentice to the clan border where she spotted Greypaw in the distance with another apprentice and some cat lying on the ground. Smelling blood, the deputy raced over to the border with fear, scared that she'd find Greypaw wounded or worse. She looked down at the dead body of an WindClan warrior, died during a kitting, it seemed. It was a relief to see her daughter was fine.

"Greypaw, head back to camp. There's nothing you can do here." The deputy said sternly, before turning to face Twistedpaw. "Go fetch one of your warriors. She'll need to be dragged back to camp. I'll keep the kit warm."

OOC: Dark, you can't have Greypaw run all the way from WC territories to RC Camp and Back in two posts. Lone Stump is WindClan territory, technically Greypaw shouldn't be anywhere near here.

Ooc: Oooooh. Edited above post.

IC: Greypaw nodded her head as her mother told her sternly. Then she turned around and headed back to camp.

OOC: why should Twisty not be here?

OOC: Twisty should be here. But Ivyfall is ordering her to go fetch a WC warrior

Racing back to the camp, Twistedpaw yowled for a warrior. "Someone! Heatherstripe! Her..." she stuttered, still taken back from the death. "Someone just come with me!"

Ooc: My fault for messing things up, I didn't realize lone stump was wind clan territory. What I mean by "Twistedpaw shouldn't be here" is he shouldn't be at the Riverclan camp. I confused eveybody. Sorry. So I guess this is my last post here since Greypaw is back at camp.

OOC: Guys. Can you wait a little? And Tawny, she's a girl.

Stripedkit squirmed at the words being spoken. The sounds were crisp and new. She curled up around the base of Heatherstripe's paws. She let out little mews whilst the crawled towards the sheathed claws of Heatherstripe. Her fur brushed the fur around Heatherstripe's cold appendages, beginning to suckle. She mewled weakly and tiredly, shutting her eyes as she let the warm liquid flow into her pink mouth, and heard the bleary words of Greypaw, Twistedpaw, and Ivyfall. She went to sleep, flank rising and falling in perfect tempo.

Not waiting if anyone followed, Twistedpaw went back to the stump and, not waiting to ask to see the kit, began licking the small kit. "This kit is going to-to be m-my last connection to my mother...I don't care about my-y sibl- I DON'T CARE MY MOTHER IS DEAD!" She ended her whimper yowling and shuddering with shock and pain.

Duskpaw raced out of camp hearing the news of his mother dying. When he reached there he cried, "No! How could this happen!" Duskpaw's gaze turned to Ivyfall, "DID YOU KILL HER?!" he questioned, "AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON WINDCLAN TERRITORY?" he was in no condition to fight though adrenaline pulsed through his veins.

Sprucepaw followed behind Twistedpaw.His heart pumping,Heatherstripe wasn't dead it was a dream.He wasn't rushing to save her he was rushing to see Twistedpaw's younger sister.That's what he thought but as he reached Lone Stump it became all to obvious that this wasn't a dream.Sprucepaw looked over at Ivyfall his fur bristling at the sight of the RiverClan deputy.He flicked his gaze back to Heatherstripe's body.They had to save the kit,but he had no idea.In this situation he could do nothing and honestly the only person who could was Ivyfall.The dark furred tom looked at her desperately."What do we do?What can we do, we've got to do something!"he meowed desperately to the deputy.

Twistedpaw said nothing. She stared at the kit, sucking from their mother's dead body. Memories washed over her, like the rain in a storm. Heatherstripe licking her coat clean. Twistedpaw playing with her siblings as Heatherstripe watched. Heatherstripe yowling her name out on her apprentice ceremony. She continued to stare into space, unable to talk with the lump of grief in her throat.