[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ Since managing to escape the confines of the NightClan camp with Hollowcry's help a few sunrises ago, the little she-cat had felt an adventurous itch in her paws. Basking in the sun with Hollowcry at her side... It had been pure bliss, Echobreeze's heart swelling as she'd buried herself against her mate, her Hollowcry. Just thinking about it left the little queen purring quietly to herself, green eyes blinking open sleepily as she wondered briefly where her handsome mate had gotten off to this time. She knew that he still had duties to perform... Time just passed more quickly when he was with her. Her tail swishes softly from within the strewn nest components, mirroring the sentiment embodied in the sigh that escaped the she-cat's nose. She examined the nursery wall for what must have been the millionth time since she'd been moved to the nursery with the other queens. Divot. C-Crooked crack. Smoothed s-surface leading into another d-divot. She could recite the wall's texture in her sleep! That was how bored she'd been for a couple moons now. This is why she relished Hollowcry's company so much. Otherwise, she spent her time staring at a wall. Her ear flicked as a rather devious thought fluttered through her mind. She should go find Hollowcry. Surely he'd offer up some sort of adventure for the pair to embark on? He had yet to let her down in that field! She wasn't sure she could spend another minute in the nursery without driving herself insane. She felt a need to keep herself distracted, whether that be with adventures or tracking cracks in the surface of the cavern wall. If she didn't distract herself, all she thought about was how big she'd gotten, and what it would be like when she finally brought kits into the world. Ignoring any traces of exhaustion that might have been trying to grab at her, the little tortoiseshell made to roll to her paws when something paralyzed her body mid-motion, causing her to flop down and sprawl gracelessly into her nest. She lay there, completely still for a moment, not even daring to breathe. For a brief moment, she could have sworn she'd felt... N-No, impossible.. They're n-not due y-yet. She told herself as firmly as she could manage. A twinge in stomach caused her eye to twitch in response, her mind invaded by an uncertain whisper. Ow..? It was just as she began to pull air into her lungs once more that her whole abdomen seemed to seize at once, knocking out what little air remained within her. Her eyes were wide, reflecting the panic that gripped her chest. Her first successful breath in wheezed slightly, her tiny frame still reeling from the shockwave of pain that had rippled through her. A strange sound caught her attention, the small she-cat wondering distantly what that sound was, and where it was coming from. In truth, the noise was her own groan, reverberating from within her. It had started off quietly, growing in volume until.. "O-Ow..!!?" The little queen's voice hiccuped into existence, caught somewhere between an exclamation and a cry. Laying there, immobilized by a strange aching pain, Echobreeze still seemed to refuse to believe what she knew was happening deep inside. S-StarClan, w-what is h-happening..? Her best chance? For someone else to stumble upon her near the entrance to the nursery and realize what was happening for her. O-Ow ow ow ow OW!

@poptart Insidious Fawn @zen

[Fawn]

Nightwhisper
40 Moons. Senior Warrior. NightClan.

The fuzzy shapes of Newtkit and Gloomkit danced through the shallow light filtering in from the opening of NightClan's camp; it was evening now, and while Lichenbreeze played with her kits, Nightwhisper stole quietly into the nursery with fresh moss for the queens. Since Owlshadow had been... lax in his duties as both a mate and a father, Nightwhisper was trying to pick up the slack, struggling down the judgmental indignation over her best friend's mate's neglect.

A strange painful hiccup bounced off the walls of the nursery as Nightwhisper entered, her ears pinning back in brief confusion until she saw the tortoiseshell lying on her nest in a rather helpless heap. Is she dreaming? Before a spark of amusement could take light, Nightwhisper set down the moss and gently nudged the she-cat's flank, leaping back when she caught sight of Echobreeze's startled eyes and saw the shiver pass down the length of her body.
"Are you kitting? I'll get Smokefur!"

Her husky voice was coupled with a single reassuring lick to Echobreeze's ear, before Nightwhisper hurried back outside to fetch Smokefur. "Find Hollowcry," she paused briefly to direct an order to Bonetail, who regarded her with a flat expression—until she hissed with all the cold authority of a senior warrior who would not tolerate his idle paws.

Bonetail got up quickly and went to find the warrior.

Stopping before the medicine cave, Nightwhisper felt the strain on her vocal cords as she called in as loudly and evenly as her throat would allow. "I think Echobreeze has started kitting. She seems to be in a lot of pain." Nightwhisper's pale gaze adjusted to the darkness, and she hoped with a grim tightness in her chest that Smokefur was here and not out collecting herbs. With no apprentice to take care of the little queen until the fully fledged medicine cat arrived, Nightwhisper didn't know what else to do—besides find Lichenbreeze and ask if she had any advice.

Regardless, Echobreeze would not be alone. Whether Hollowcry arrived immediately or not, Nightwhisper had made the choice to look after the little queen until someone more adept at guardianship came along.

Word Count: 367 Words|| Tags: BlooRey DVD , Insidious , @poptart

WHEN A SOUTHERN WIND COMES TO RAISE MY SOUL
Spread my spirit like a flock of crows

[Insidious]

Out of all of Blackwolf’s spawn, Bonetail was his favourite, but only because he felt justified whenever he jested about him in the confinement of his own head. Coyotepaw was arguably a lot more of an embarrassment than Bonetail, but he never expected one of Blackwolf’s kits to be… lazy. Blackwolf was always on the move, and when he wasn’t, he was bossing Hollowcry and the rest of his friends around to make up for it. It had always gotten under Hollowcry’s skin, but lately he was doing a better job of putting up with it; he always felt better about himself after he cast a spiteful glance at the back of Blackwolf’s head, and thought negative things about his kits in his general direction.

However, just because Bonetail was his favourite didn’t mean he actually wanted to spend time with him—or even see him in the flesh for that matter. He heard his name roll off of the newly named warrior’s tongue, and he turned a sharp eye onto him, prepared to send him scurrying back to whatever dark, secluded corner he had miraculously risen from in the place. “Listen, I don’t have time for you –” There wasn’t anything else Hollowcry planned on saying, but his words hitched in his throat regardless. There seemed to be a lot of commotion around the nursery, and all of the pieces clicked into place around the same time Bonetail started to form Echobreeze’s name in the same sentence as birth.

Hollowcry barreled past the apprentice without as much as a thank you. There was only one thing on his mind, and that was his mate. The closer her got to the nursery, the clearer her whimpers became; she was in pain, and there was nothing he wanted more in the entire forest than to take it away. He followed Nightwhisper inside, thankful for her presence. She wasn’t a medicine cat, but until Smokefur arrived, he would take any help he could get.

It would’ve been nice of him to acknowledge that Nightwhisper was there, or to make an effort to show her that he was thankful, but he couldn’t be bothered. Hopeful that she’d understand there wasn’t room for anything else on his mind, he laid down in front of his mate, pressing his nose against hers in an effort to distract her from the pain. “I’m here.” His eyes closed momentarily, and he took a deep breath. It wasn’t him undergoing the process of kit-birth, but he still felt dizzy. If those little furballs did anything to jeopardize his mate’s health, they’d be sorry… He was more prepared than he ever thought he would be to become a father, but that didn’t mean he was ready to do it without Echobreeze.

Words: 462
Tags: @poptart, BlooRey DVD, @zen & Fawn

[Deleted]

Smokefur was certainly surprised to hear that Echobreeze had started kitting so early, the medicine cat wasn't as prepared as she usually would have been. Her experience with such situations offset the complication however, it honestly wouldn't slow her down much at all. "I'll be right there, thank you Nightwhisper." Smokefur replied before grabbing a leaf and beginning to pack all the healing supplies she figured she might possibly need for Echobreeze. The process took only a few moments for such a seasoned veteran. Darting out of her den with great purpose she made a line for the nursery where Echobreeze awaited her.

Entering the den Smokefur quickly set down the leaf and began to unpack her supplies next to the distressed queen. There was a delicate balance when it came to kitting, Smokefur had to be urgent with her work whilst keeping the queen in labor calm. "Okay, Echobreeze you are going to be fine." She began quickly and confidently before pushing a small pile of green leaves towards the queen. "These are raspberry leaves, please eat them. They are to help with the pain."

Smokefur then turned to Hollowcry who appeared to be on standby and pushed a few poppy seeds his way. "These are for you, eat them and get some moss soaked water for Echobreeze please." She instructed in the same tone she had used on the kitting queen. Smokefur believed strongly in controlling her environment, if she could keep everyone calm then things would undoubtedly go smoother. Turning back to Echobreeze the medicine cat began to poke, prod and listen gathering the she-cats vitals as best a cat could.

Word Count: 274

Tags:BlooRey DVD Fawn Insidious

Notes:

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ She was aware of a voice cutting through the haze, but identification of the voice didn't fully register. K-Kitting? Was all she could think, her little frame writhing slightly in her nest as another contraction reverberated through her body. She did not like this, did not like this one bit. The nursery suddenly felt too big, too wide as though no one would ever find her, despite her proximity to the entrance. Her breathing was erratic, panic quickly setting in with every heartbeat she was left on her own. Well.. Not completely alone. A shadow flicked back into the nursery, and through a pain-squinted gaze, Echobreeze managed to pick out a fur color. "N-Night...wh-whisper?" She croaked, remembering the she-cat as being Lichenbreeze's friend. Nightwhisper had stopped by a pawful of times to check in on her friend and her kits. Before she could focus anymore on the other she-cat, another wave shivered through her, the little tortie gasping as her claws curled into the air. She wasn't sure she could do this; everything hurt, it hurt so much. Her eyes squeezed shut, as though she could block out the pain by not seeing the world around her. And then he was there. Green eyes snapped open with the speed of a lightning strike, Echobreeze desperately blinking away the haze so she might see Hollowcry. His bright eyes were the first thing she saw among the dark, and his nose against hers became the only thing that existed. Her breaths escaped her in sharp little streams, but with his scent filling her senses, it didn't seem so bad. Then there was another voice. Her eyes rolled back slowly, searching out the other being in the den; she dare not lift her head, for fear of losing contact with the brown tom currently acting as her solid ground. Another scent invaded her, Echobreeze dimly aware of the medicine cat laying herbs in front of her. Weakly, she lifted her head, tongue rasping over the collection of herbs. The taste was strange, but the first-time queen dutifully chewed them, hoping to find some relief; she trusted Smokefur, she did. Sh-She knows w-what she's d-doing. It was like a mantra in her head, the words repeating over and over. She nearly missed the smoke-colored medicine cat's order to Hollowcry, one that involved him leaving her side. Panic flared in her eyes, but before she could protest, another bout of pain seared through her, little jaws clenching around the partially eaten leaves. With a soft keening sound, Echobreeze felt herself twitch. She could barely feel the medicine cat's prodding, too distracted by her own fear. When the contraction finally died out, Echobreeze forced herself to swallow the mouthful of herbs. Half-gasping for air and half-panting from her suddenly parched mouth, the little queen let her head flop back into her nest. O-Oh S-StarClan.. H-How much l-longer..? Terribly shaken, and potentially a little delirious from the pain, she whispered to the brown tom. "I-I... L-Love you.."

@poptart Insidious Fawn @zen

Note: 55 moons old

[Fawn]

Nightwhisper
40 Moons. Senior Warrior. NightClan.

At Hollowcry's arrival, Nightwhisper respectfully gave the couple their space, deciding to leave the den altogether when Smokefur appeared carrying a bundle of herbs. Unless the medicine cat had need of an extra set of paws (in which case Hollowcry would be the first volunteer, Nightwhisper was very certain of that), the black and white she-cat chose to stand outside the entrance where she wouldn't get in their way.

It was difficult to abide by her own determination to give them all the privacy and space they needed, when her heart was thumping hard against the walls of her breast, curiosity aglow in her pale silvery-blue eyes. She had given Lichenbreeze her space also, when her best friend had gone into her first kitting; but she had been there shortly after to visit with and greet Gloomkit and Nightkit, NightClan's newest little additions.

Then Owlshadow had arrived, and Nightwhisper once again chose to give the happy family some space, not about to interrupt their beautiful bonding time (or the mother's opportunity to rest) just so she could fuss and coo over kits. Kittings always made her wistful, wondering if she would ever get to experience such a thing herself, but at the same time, there was a part of her heart that shivered with worry.

Kittings, sometimes, could be dangerous. Echobreeze was a little she-cat. She didn't look tough enough to last leafbare, let alone delivering Hollowcry's kits into the world. StarClan watch over her, please. A silent prayer sent, Nightwhisper peered curiously into the nursery for a moment, just to see that everything was going well.

Smokefur was divvying up herbs to the wailing mother and the anxious father. Good, that would help. Nightwhisper glanced around the camp, then, wondering if there was any other cat she should share this news with; did Hollowcry have siblings? Did Echobreeze have friends or parents that would be concerned about her?

Nightwhisper, whiskers twitching with dismay, realized that she couldn't think of anyone off the top of her head. That didn't mean they didn't exist, of course, just that she could not recall their names.

I'll stay for a little while then. Just to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Hollowcry was probably all Echobreeze cared about in this moment, but Nightwhisper would linger just the same. Even if she hadn't asked for one, Echobreeze had someone else in the Clan softly cheering her on from the outside.

Word Count: 403 Words || Tags: BlooRey DVD , @poptart , Insidious || Notes: Feel free to skip me until the kits are born!

WHEN A SOUTHERN WIND COMES TO RAISE MY SOUL
Spread my spirit like a flock of crows

[Insidious]

They had the same effect on each other. Echobreeze was in more pain than he could hope to understand, but he felt like he eased her mind if only a little; he was barely afloat in his own panic, but when she opened her eyes and looked at him, their noses touching, he released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Thankfully, Smokefur arrived not too far behind him and Nightwhisper, and he shuffled to the side to make room for her.

He was distantly aware of Nightwhisper exiting the den. Everything happening around him seemed to occur in slow motion. Smokefur addressed him, asking him to fetch something for Echobreeze, and he blinked up at her stupidly for a handful of seconds longer than he would’ve liked to admit. He’d heard her, but he was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact she wanted him to leave. His lip curled in a half-snarl, but he didn’t dare argue at a time like this.

“You won’t even know I’m gone.” The muddy-brown warrior purred into his mate’s ear, hoping that would be enough to reassure her. He hadn’t missed the panic in her eyes, but if she needed that moss in order to make it through the birth, it was mandatory that he do as he was asked. Quick as a strike of lightning, Hollowcry darted out of the nursery; he was lucky he didn’t collide with Nightwhisper, standing guard just outside, as he made way for some moss.

He scrambled to find what he was looking for, his thoughts jumbled, but once it was in his possession he could’ve sworn that he teleported from one spot to the other. By the time he was back in the nursery, it felt like he had been gone for ages, but in reality it hardly been minutes. He dropped the moss at Echobreeze’s paws, trying to regain his breath. He was beyond thankful the kittens hadn’t been born in his absence. If he missed the birth of one of his kits, the likelihood of him never forgiving their medicine cat was unbelievably high. “I love you, too. You can do this.”

Words: 363
Tags: @poptart, BlooRey DVD, @zen & Fawn

[Deleted]

Smokefur hoped Hollowcry's time away from the situation gave him time enough to calm down, however there was always a chance that being away from Echobreeze caused enough anxiety to keep him on edge. It wasn't really much of an issue however, if she could keep everyone in the nursery calm it would be fantastic. If not then the kits were still coming anyway, not even Starclan could prevent it at this point. "Okay this is pretty simple Echobreeze, we are just going to let whatever happens happen." Smokefur said as calmly and gently as she could. "This is all very natural, so with any luck it won't get complicated and it will take care of itself." The medicine cat explained. It wasn't long before Hollowcry returned and Smokefur dipped her head as he arrived with the wet moss as she had asked "Thank you Hollowcry, it shouldn't be much longer now."

Fawn Insidious BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ She was extremely relieved to have his presence at her side renewed. Lapping feebly as the water-soaked moss, she let the chilled liquid slip down her throat. It offered omentary relief from her dry throat as well as the intense Greenleaf heat. Still desperately clinging onto the hope that had flared in her at Smokefur's gentle encouragement, the little tortoiseshell could only wait, the whole world seemingly suspended around her. Silence, breathing. That was all she could detect, her eyes fluttering shut tiredly as she continued to lay there panting. There was a moment in which she wondered briefly if it had all just been a false alarm... And then it all came crashing back, washing over her with newfound ferocity. Her stomach tensed, greenish eyes snapping open immediately to reveal slitted pupils. Any outcry attempting to escape was nothing more than a strangled sound as tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Little jaws snapped shut with a distinctive click, yet any pain she might have felt at the force with which tooth and tooth collided was dwarfed by the fire in her flank and belly. Her little features contorted to reflect the agony she felt despite the herbs she'd been given, eyes rolling back as a forepaw reached out in search of familiar brown fur. She was no medicine cat. Honestly, she wasn't even a very good warrior when it came down to it all. But it didn't take any special knowledge or training for the little tortoiseshell she-cat to know they were coming. A soft, keening whine was all she managed, the sound dying off before it could climb too much more in volume. It was as though instinct swept over her, for without Smokefur telling her what to do, Echobreeze's belly shivered and she began pushing with all her might. She just wanted this pain to stop.

Insidious @poptart

[Insidious]

Echobreeze reached out for him, and he shuffled closer in response so she wouldn't have to exert herself anymore than she already was. He pressed his nose into the crook of her neck, and whispered soft, incoherent mumbles into her ear. He had nothing to say. He had nothing to do that could make this easier. All he could hope to do was mumble about precious moments they'd had together that lead up to this—like the sunshine they basked in together outside of camp, and the numerous puddles and pits she had fallen into—to distract her from the pain happening right now and remind her of the beautiful family it was going to result in.

His thoughts were sickeningly soft, but this wasn't the time nor the place to make a show of his revulsion.

He could feel a change in Echobreeze as she started to push, and unable to beat his curiosity into a pulp, he lifted his head away from her neck and peered at the first kitten as it met Smokefur's paws. His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open dumbly. He had no words for the small kitten as it opened its mouth and made its first noise. He was overcome by a rush of unexpected joy strong enough to knock him off balance, and he shook his head to bring him back to the present; Echobreeze needed him, and he smiled at her as brightly as he'd ever smiled in his entire life so she'd know everything was going how it was supposed to. He couldn't know that, of course, but the sight of their first kitten made him believe it. After the second was born, he returned his nose to its spot in her neck and hoped to uplift her spirits with a couple of words she'd need to hear: "She looks like you."

Words: ###
Tags: @poptart, BlooRey DVD, @zen & Fawn

[Deleted]

The process of kitting never ceased to amaze Smokefur and this one had been no different, however there was always risk of death when having kits. The medicine cat desperately hoped that wouldn't be the case today. Echobreeze was fairly far along, Smokefur was positive, and she patiently waited for the telling sign that the kits were coming. Smokefur wouldn't be kept wating for long as she soon observed a pulse begin to ripple through Echobreeze. Smokefur had seen this many times before and she knew the kits were coming. Time seemed to be moving at a crawl until that point but near instantly sped up and soon there was a kit at Smokefur's paws, fervently she licked the fur on its back the wrong way until she heard its pitiful mewling signalling a living kit. She placed the scrap at Echobreezes belly and prepared for the next kit to be born. Repeating the process twice more Smokefur then began to check Echobreeze for signs of injury, things had gone well up until that point but that didn't mean they were out of the woods yet.

Word Count: 186

Tags: BlooRey DVD Insidious

Notes:

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:74ffd2]Echobreeze[/smear:ffffff] ~~~~~~~~~ Her mind became a cascading mess of pain as the process picked up speed. She was barely aware of the medicine cat working near her belly, too focused on gritting her teeth and pushing her nose into Hollowcry's fur. She tried to calm her breathing, but the reality was it came out in little erratic gasps, as though she couldn't figure out whether to breathe in or breathe out at any given moment. Time stretched out, making the poor she-cat feel as though moons had passed, moons of unyielding pain and dominating confusion. And him, Hollowcry; his scent was what flooded her senses. Hollowcry pulled away from her neck suddenly, and she nearly protested, save for the fact she was interrupted by a soft mewling. Her ears shot up, her exhausted eyes opening. Though Echobreeze was unable to gather the will to lift her head, she did catch sight of Hollowcry as a smile brighter than the sun illuminated his features. Her heart fluttered in her chest, excitement and relief overtaking her. H-He does want this... He d-does want to be a father... She thought, moments before another wave of pain left her squeezing her eyes shut, biting down to avoid making another sound. A second kit squealed, almost as if it were protesting being part of this world. Echobreeze was distracted, however, by Hollowcry's nose against her neck once more, and the soft rumble of his voice. This time, it was her turn to smile, wanting desperately to lick him, but not finding the strength. The third and final kit arrived in much the same fashion, the little calico laying still as she panted, dimly of Smokefur checking over her. Pulling herself into a more upright position with Hollowcry's help, she offered the medicine cat a tired smile. "Th-Thank you.." She rasped. Slowly leaning into Hollowcry's form as he settled close to her, Echobreeze let her gaze venture over the kits at her belly, their kits. A warm purr filled the quiet den, the queen looking back at her mate with joy written over her feature. "They... The're perfect..." She mewed quietly. Her tail flicked up, moving to ghost over the one of the tortoiseshell she-cats. "They are beautiful... Look how dark she is!" She murmured, fascinated by the dark fur splattered with occasional orange flecks. "D-Dark... Dark-kit..?" She offered, looking up at his for some form of acceptance. Her attention soon fell back on their kits, her tail moving to gently dance over the non-tortoiseshell of the litter. "She... Looks like you!" She purred loudly, still admiring the suckling kits. "What... Do you want to name her?" Anything he chose, she knew it would be perfect. Everything was perfect.

Insidious

[Insidious]

The kits were born, Echobreeze’s soft purring was rattling around in his head, but he could muster nothing beyond an incoherent series of murmuring as he fixed each of the three bundles with a strangely affectionate stare. He had never loved so much in such a short period of time. It was an odd, almost unwelcome sensation if not for the pride if filled him with. He looked at the newborn kittens, not even able to open their eyes, and yet he was confident they’d each become unsurpassed additions to their Clan. It wasn’t until Echobreeze started to juggle names that his warped attention snapped onto her. “Dark-kit.” He said, testing the sound of the name on his tongue. His eyes were glazed over with seriousness; it was clear that this was important to him, and that he wanted to make sure each of the names was a perfect fit for his daughters. “It’s perfect.” The seriousness gave way to affection as he leaned forward and nuzzled his mate, moving towards Dark-kit next to give the bundle of black and orange splotched fur a delicate rasp of his tongue.

His mate exclaimed that one of the kits looked like him, and with fondness alight in his pale yellow eyes, Hollowcry looked down at her. Her coat was brown—just like his—but there were oranges, blacks, and even white as well. She did resemble him, but she was also undeniably unique. Echobreeze gave him one of the greatest gifts she ever could—kits, and the opportunity to name one of them—and he contemplated it for a moment before he met her eyes with surety. “What do you think of Cobrakit? It’s a strong, unique name for a strong, unique daughter.” It mattered to him that his kits were properly represented. He wanted them to amount to great things (but he wouldn’t quite go far enough to say things he hadn’t already accomplished) and it all began with the names they carried when they were introduced to their Clanmates. He looked at their third daughter, mulling it over softly under his breath. “She could be Thornkit, unless you’ve thought of something?” Dark-kit, Cobrakit and Thornkit… they were all beautiful in their own way, and he could hardly grasp the fact that they were his.

Words: 384
Tags: @poptart, BlooRey DVD, @zen