In the Eye of the Hurricane There Is Quiet [c]

Ashstorm was having a lovely day.  The snow was slowly melting into the ground so it did not feel as cold on the pads of her paws.  She made her way over to Himbo Bob.  They were having a great time talking, laughing, like they normally did when they were together.  Then, Ashstorm felt something.  Something... That she had never felt before.  "Himbob, I need to go to the nursery," she told him.  "Now."  She was slightly shaking, but she was very afraid.  Her words came out fast and she did not want to talk anymore than she had to.  Without waiting for him to answer she started making her way towards the nursery.  She hoped that no one would question why an Asylum cat was in the nursery, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment.  She walk towards the nursery hastily, no doubt Himbo Bob would be following behind.

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After a lot of time, three beautiful kits were born, two she-cats and one tom.  Even though Ashstorm was exhausted, but she took time to carefully cleaned each of her kits pelts.  Now all they need is a name. she thought.  Her eyes landed on the tom who was the first to be born.  "What about Larkkit?" She said.  She always thought that Larkkit would have been a beautiful name.  One of the she-cat kits had barely made a noise sense being born and so Ashstorm immediately had a name idea for her.  "Quietkit."  The last kit she did not really know what to name her.  She thought for a moment and well she was thinking the small kit sneezed.  "Sneezingkit!" She said with a small laugh.  At first it was a joke, but as she thought about it maybe it was a good name.  She looked around at Larkkit, Quietkit, and Sneezingkit, smiling and imagining what their future could be like.  You all have barely been born and I will already do anything for you.

Her head turned to Himbo Bob.  "Go ahead and give them Himbo or Herbo names," she said.  "I know you want to."

Upon spotting Ashstorm making her way towards the nursery, Smokefeather had slipped out in search of Beechface. As exhausted as she was, as numb as she was, she'd recognized the way her daughter held herself, recognized the sight of a queen that was about to give birth.

"Coming, coming..." Beechface muttered in response to her mother's quiet voice. She turned, grabbing a bundle of raspberry leaves, chervil, and some sticks. The scarred medicine cat strode from the den, heading towards the nursery with quick strides.

"Hey, Ashstorm." Beechface slipped inside the nursery, setting the bundle of herbs down in front of her sister. "Chew these, but don't swallow them." With that, she turned. She wasn't in the mood for pleasantries with the Asylum cats around, and there were more important matter, anyways. Kits wouldn't wait for anyone, and Beechface was determined that the kits and Ashstorm both would come out of this safe and healthy. Smokefeather hadn't stepped inside, and Beechface wondered if she was keeping Mountainkit occupied or if she simply didn't want to near the likely mess that usually accompanied kitting. Probably both, if she had to guess.

---

"Congratulations, Ashstorm. A tom and two she-kits. They're all healthy, as far as I can tell." Beechface mewed, picking the splinters of the sticks out of the nest. The kitting had taken a while, but it was over now, and Beechface had every intention of letting the new parents be. They had kits to name, and she had splintered sticks to dispose of... Though that might've not been all that was on the medicine cat's mind. For a brief moment something flickered in her eyes as she gazed at the new mother and her kits. Regret, perhaps envy. The emotion was gone too quickly for anyone to be sure, and the medicine cat was already turning to make her way out of the nursery.

Himbo Bob tried not to show his alarm as Ashstorm expressed pain. "Ashstorm? Ashstorm!" The fluffy tom yowled, frantic with panic and fright. Was she okay? What happened?! Nursery..? "Uh-! Right, yes! Nursery? I'll-- I'll get Rude Healer! You'll be okay!" Watching as she hobbled towards the nursery, he shot like a rocket towards the medicine den, "Rude-- Rude Healer! Come quickly! Ashstorm's-- she's-- SHE'S KITTING!" The worry and fear in voice was evident.

He couldn't lose her. Himbo Bob loved her; he'd be devastated to lose her. Like he lost Holly. StarClan, if you can hear me, please don't take Ashstorm away from me.

---

After hours of panic, three delicate bodies lay beside Ashstorm. Our kits! He thought, dazed with joy. The humongous flame point could scarcely believe these young kits were his, and that the she-cat in front of him was Ashstorm, the cat he loved so dearly. "They're perfect," he whispered, voice tinged with awe. As Ashstorm named them, he grinned. Clan names were... Odd, but these names were wonderful. However.. He wished he could give them a name as well, so that they would have part of his culture, too.

And then Ashstorm said he could.

He stared at the gray molly blankly for a moment, as if in disbelief. Was she...? Oh, she knew him so well! His eyes lit up and the widest grin yet crossed his maw. These kits were his, and he'd die for them. "I-- Ashstorm, thank you." He murmured affectionately, giving her head a gentle lick. Looking at his son, Larkkit, he decided to start with him. "Himbo Karl," He declared, stifling a chuckle. It was almost Lark backwards. Next he looked at Quietkit. She was so small.. So delicate. "Herbo Delilah. Because she's one of the delights of my life," Himbo Bob stated.

Then there was the last kit; she was black and white speckled, and rather big. Then she sneezed. Twice. Blinking, Himbo Bob laughed, "She's got Grandma Karebo's allergies!" That settled her name, then. "Herbo Karen, just like my grandmother."

"They're beautiful just like you, love. I won't let anything hurt them, I promise."

---

Sneezingkit came into the world cold, wet, and sniffly. Soon after her mother groomed her and nestled her into their mossy nest, a feather poked her nose, and she sneezed loudly twice, sending out a shrill, piercing cry and bundled up beside her mother, suckling.

Quietkit didn't know what was happening. In fact she didn't even know her name. She didn't care though. Her only desire right now was to drink milk, and be warm. She crawled around, towards her mother's belly, and started drinking the milk, curling up besides the other little bodies around her. And now her desires were fullfilled.

Lark kit was quiet and still, he shivered from the cold and let out a small mewl and lifted his head like he wanted to look around, but his eyes were closed. He wanted his mothers milk, and bumped into Sneezing and Quiet as he looked for her.