The Silver Linings of Life (closed)

Hareleap had spent every morning and night with his mate, Heatherfur. She was expecting his kits, and with these rogues in camp, he was even more on edge. So when his mate started screeching, he'd made a beeline for the medicine den. "Softbreeze! It's--- it's Heatherfur- the-- the kits are coming!" He mewed breathlessly.

Before he got the words out, she was on her paws and out of the den. "Stand guard outside the nursery and let no cat in-- WindClan or not. I need space to work." She instructed, and Hareleap nodded. "Thank stars you're here!" Heatherfur greeted, and Softbreeze immediately went to work. "Chew these leaves; if the pain hurts, bite the stick."

---

Soon, two bundles of joy lay beside the queen and her mate joined her. "Oh, stars, Heatherfur. They're beautiful," awe filled his voice and he gratefully blinked at Softbreeze. His mate and kits were alive thanks to her. "This one is Snowkit, for the coming snows of Leaf-bare," Heatherfur whispered, "You name the other, Hareleap,"

"Fawnkit. He looks like a little fawn on his wobbly legs," He mused, licking his son tenderly. Softbreeze smiled at the scene and dipped her head, leaving the happy family to themselves.

The tiny tom stumbled about for a mere moment before being rendered back to his belly. He crawled, seeking the warmth that came at the soft fur of his mother's belly. There, Fawnkit found security in the world and a sense of peace.

Snowkit could not see her surroundings as she was born. She could only feel being ripped apart from the warmth and light into somewhere cold and dark: the real world. The first thing she felt was her brother's warm body next to hers, and she inched towards him until she found Heatherfur's belly and the warm milk it brought. The she-kit began to suckle, and for the first time things felt similar to when she'd been in the warm place of light before harsh reality took over.