out of blood and determination [Fog & Heron]

[Kin]

cloudeyes

The moon hung high in the sky, fat and nearly full. Its pale face peered over the treetops, casting a silver-gilt gaze over the camp. Tendrils of silvery light trickled through the tangles of bramble that formed the roof of the nursery, bleaching its contents of color. Only one of the nursery's occupants appeared untouched by the moon's light, her stark-white fur no less devoid of color without the influence of the nighttime sky than it would be in broad daylight. She lay sprawled out on a thick nest of moss further softened by downy feathers, mouse fur, and her mate's doting attentions.

Her sides rose and fell in deep, even breaths, occasionally bulging with the kick of an unborn kitten. The queen had tucked her nose beneath one paw, the pink pads roughened by moons of warrior duties. Behind her, her tail lay straight and limp, twitching with each enthusiastic kick. A breeze snuck its way in and twined around the albino she-cat. It ruffled fur along her rippling sides, and slid across her eyes just as they fluttered open.

Pain flared in her blood-red eyes, and Cloudeyes bared her teeth in a silent snarl. Her sides rippled again, and her claws unsheathed, sinking into the mossy nest. She heaved herself to her paws and took a moment to steady herself. In another nest on the other side of the nursery, Brightcloud murmured sleepily and shifted before falling silent and still again. Cloudeyes padded noiselessly from the nursery and across the camp.

She paused beside the warriors' den, weighing the urgency of waking Fogheart to tend to her birthing versus Heronfight's desire to be present. A contraction rippled through her, and she staggered before righting herself. The queen stuck her head in, inexplicably approving of the way he slept near the entrance. Cloudeyes raised one paw and cuffed her mate behind the ear, hissing audibly with her next contraction. Beside the sleeping gray tabby, her brother stirred, green eyes pale slits in the moonlight.

The sight of the albino sent a frission of alarm skittering across Carmineflower's face, and he scrambled upright, accidentally kicking Heronflight in the process. Or, she considered as her half-brother hovered anxiously around her, perhaps purposefully, to ensure Heronflight did not sleep through the birth of his first litter. Cloudeyes turned away from the warriors' den and continued toward the medicine cat den. Carmineflower darted ahead of her, barreling into the den and yowling for Fogheart at the top of his lungs.

As another contraction sent her stumbling into the den's entrance, Cloudeyes scored the ground with her claws and lashed her tail. She straightened as soon as the pain passed, holding herself with dignity and pride, shoulders stiff and chin high. Her red eyes settled on the anxious ginger tom before her, who cast his eyes to and fro, searching for the gray pelt of the medicine cat. Despite her focus on the sound of Fogheart's impending arrival and the contractions, Cloudeyes was acutely aware of each sound behind her, and, strangely, expected each to bring Heronflight's scent and sound and bulk to her side.




WORDS 516
NOTES let the birthing begin!
TAGGED fogheart, heronflight, cloudkits

[flyaway]

Heronflight was dead asleep. In all honesty, he was utterly exhausted. Every waking hour was filled with stress. He walked on eggshells, fearing to even leave the camp should Cloudeyes go into labor while he was gone. Reasonably, by the time darkness arrived, he was dead on his feet. Night was one of the few times when he could rest easily. For some reason, it hadn’t entirely occurred to Heronflight that a she-cat could go into labor during any time of day. He simply assumed that the sun would be high in the sky when the moment came. He couldn’t have been more wrong. And as chances had it, Starclan or fate or whatever was going to be rolling about laughing at him. He was curled in his nest, actually more accurately – he was curled in Cloudeyes’ nest. He’d dragged it to the very front of the den. Her stale scent was comforting. She’d kicked him from the Nursery, and this was the only way he could sleep comfortably. It gave him, in sleep, at least the illusion that she was at his side. Carmineflower was at his side, but Heronflight was oblivious to all of this. Quiet snores echoed from deep in Cloudeyes’ old nest.

A sharp jab to the side sent his eyes flying open. He gave a very immasculine yelp, though attempted to swallow it back. He whirled on Carmineflower, ready to snap at the other tom, but his words died on his lips. Silhouetted in the moonlight, he could see Cloudeyes’ beautiful pale narrow-eyed shape. His head throbbed slightly where she had cuffed him, but he barely felt it. His jaw dropped open, his eyes popping. The pain was clear on her face. He sat dumb, simply staring at her for a moment. But a second later she was hobbling away towards Fogheart’s den. And Heronflight, true to form, utterly lost his mind. He scrambled to his paws, parts of his nest clinging to him. His fur was fluffed out, his breath coming fast. His voice rose in an anxious wail, “OH GREAT STARCLAN!” He sprinted from the den, kicking a few fellow warriors in the head as he did so. He sprayed up dirt and debris in his wake, scrambling towards Cloudeyes. He sniffed her anxiously, his face contorting with horror at the sight of her pain. He continued wailing, oblivious to the danger of waking the entire clan.

“What are you doing up and out of your nest! Oh god, you can’t give birth here in the middle of camp! Where is Fogheart?! CARMINEFLOWER!” Heronflight’s gaze was darting about, his mind filling with awful scenarios. There was one in which Cloudeyes bled out in the middle of camp, most obviously. He began nudging her back towards the Nursery. Usually a sense of self-preservation would have kept him from such behavior with his beloved mate. But fear for her, and their kits, won over his fear OF her. He was insistent. Heronflight, though scattered and hysterical, was finally going to be a man. And he wasn’t taking no for an answer.