The Heart of the Storm (Tagged/ Open)

[Icestorm]

Tags: Echo Frost @rocktail21 Sand

Icestorm had been up for a while now with heavy pains in sides all night, and it had even started to rain. She knew the kits would be coming soon, but she had hoped for some more time. She didn't feel ready. She felt some panic rise in her chest. Her thoughts moved to her kits. What would they be like? Would I be a good mother? What if they don't like me? At least Silverstar is gone. The last thought calmed her a little bit. She had been worried that they would be raised in her horror. With Silverstar gone they could grow up to be great warriors and make Leafclan great again. Icestorm hoped they would make great warriors like their father, and not like her. Let them have his heart, and courage. Let them have his skills. She closed her eyes as another small wave of pain shot through her. She was worried they would be like her. What if they were unskilled like me? What if? Was the rain a bad sign from Starclan?

She felt a sharp and heavy pain. Her time was up. As the pain exploded in her sides Icestorm let out yowl. With another wave of intense pain Icestorm yelled out, "Bluewing!" She was going to have these kits with or without the medicine cat. Her thoughts moved to her mate, she wanted, no she needed him here. He was her rock. Quietly she called out for her mate, "Loudheart," she knew he wouldn't hear her, but that didn't stop her from calling out for him periodically as the pain rippled through her. She tried to focus on the rain, the sound it made hitting the new leaves out side the nursery. She was glad that it helped her focus on something else other than the pain.

[Echo]

OOC: Posting just so I can keep up with the thread! la la la la la la la la la Post count can be annoyiiiiing singing in the rain I I I I I I I I I I I I I ii I I ii I I I I

[Sand]

Bluewing was busy sorting herbs in her den when she heard Icestorm call out her she knew that the she-cat had been expecting kits so she grabbed some raspberry leaves, and borage before bounding out of the medicine den. She headed towards the nursery and slipped inside laying down the herbs that she had brought with her. "Icestorm, I want you to eat this," she meowed pushing the raspberry leaves towards the queen. "I'll be right back," she meowed going to fetch a stick and returned with a stick clutched in her jaws and she put the stick down. "I want you to bite on the stick when the pain gets to be really bad, and when the kits come," she told the other she-cat nudging the stick towards her.

[Icestorm]

Icestorm looked to the leaves Bluwwing had set in near her. Quickly she reached over to the leaves and ate them. The looked to thank Bluewing, but she was leaving. Why was leaving? I need her. Wait she said she would come back, clam down. Icestorm tried to calm her nerves but it was hard for her to do so. She was beyond nervous to have these kits. As Bluwing came back Icestorm let out a sigh of relief. She knew her panic was not needed, and that Bluewing was there for her, but that didn't stop her from feeling she was going to mess this up. As Bluewing brought the stick over Icestorm nodded to her, grabbing it just as another intense wave of pain rippled through her.

As tightly as she could she bit down on the stick. The pain had intensified and she knew in her heart that her first kit was coming. The pain grew. Oh this one is big, she thought to herself. The pain became almost unbearable, but soon the pain had receded a little bit. There was her kit, her kit. She smiled weakly as she tried to lean over to clean them, but a sharp pain hit her. She tried again, and again the pain hit her. It was too much, she could reach her kit. She hadn't even had all of her kits and she was failing as a mother. With a pained voice filled with panic she managed to say, "Blue-wing. P-please." She didn't even know if her kit was a tom or a she-cat yet.

[Sand]

Bluewing watched the new queen and moved towards her to help her with her first kit when she noticed the pain the she-cat seemed to be in. 'She shouldn't be in this much pain,' she thought torn between getting the queens first kit to start breathing and helping the queen. "Mousedung," she thought abandoning the kit to help the mother. "Hold on Icestorm everything will be okay," she told the queen keeping her voice calm she was actually unsure if the queen would be okay. She placed her paw on the she-cats stomach wondering if she should call for her apprentice. "Take deep breaths," she told the queen running her paw genitally down the queens stomach to see if there was any problems with her. There didn't seem to be any problems but she supposed it was because she was going to give birth to large kits.

[Icestorm]

Icestorm let out a deep breath. The pain was incredible. Why was there so much pain? She didn't think this would that bad. Listening to Bluwing she took some deep breaths. Whether she was ready or not the next kit was coming. The pain again intensified. Icestorm closed her eyes and listened to the rain. trying to focus on something other than the pain in her stomach. She felt Bluewing's touch, but again she tried to focus on the rain. Just then the second kit was born. She had two kits. Two. She looked to Bluwing, "I- I think I'm doone", no, there was more. She hoped this next one was her last. The pain with this one was worse than the first. Something was wrong. This one kit was the reason she was in pain, deep inside she knew it.

[Sand]

Bluewing let her paw run over the queens stomach making sure to be gentle she didn't want to cause the queen any more pain then she needed to. After he second kit was born she realized that this kit being born would be her last kit. "Hold in there, Icestorm this kit being born will be your last kit," she told the queen wondering where the queens mate was. "Your doing just fine Icestorm, just hang in there," the medicine cat meowed making her mew soothing as she waited for the last kit to come out.

[Icestorm]

Icestorm gripped the stick between her teeth. This kit. She could grasp what was happening, but she knew that this kit who had been causing her so much pain would soon be out and she could great them as a mother should. She could finally great all of her kits. Icestorm nodded to the medicine cat's words. The last one. Finally. As the pain grew and grew Icestorm pushed with everything she had left. The faster this kit was out, the better. A searing pain shot through Icestorm, then nothing. The pain was going. She was finally able to relax, and look at her kits. She bent over to see her kits, a pain shot through her but it was nothing compared to earlier. "Bluewing," she looked to the medicine cat, "Bluewing could you go get Loudheart, and possible anything for pain?"

She looked down to her three beautiful kits. The pain was still there but it was starting to fade, slightly. Why was she still in pain? Shouldn't see be done with the pain? Pushing the panic away she looked down to her kits. She tried to bend over to clean her kits. The first one, her largest kit, he was a tabby, just like his father, with some silver like her.. She felt pride well up inside her. I shall let your father name you, to honor you looking like him. The second kit was next, as she clean the kit she realized he  too was a tabby like his father, the two kits looked almost identical. It seemed the only difference was that the second one had a white belly. She had a name for him, but would wait for Loudheart to say it. The third kit, the one she found herself so eager to meet, seemed a little still. Icestorm started to clean the kit, but something was wrong. He wasn't making any noises. He wasn't breathing. Panic struck her. Feverishly she started licking the kit, hoping he would start to breathe. She didn't even notice that the kit looked like her. "Bluewing?"

[Sand]

"Yes, I can go get Loudheart for you," Bluewing meowed she didn't know where the warrior could be but she supposed she could check the warriors den. "Yes, I will bring you some poppy seeds," she told the queen, she knew that poppyseeds weren't suppose to be given to queens but that was really only for queens that were expecting kits. She was worried though the raspberry leaves was suppose to stop the pain but it didn't seem like the raspberry leaves had worked. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Icestorm spoke and she saw the queen frantically licking the last kit that had been born. She moved over for the kit and sniffed at her while the scent wasn't strong she could smell the scent of death on the kit and she couldn't hear a heart beat either. "I'm sorry Icestorm, he walks with Starclan now, he didn't make it," she meowed trying to control her expression though for once her usual emotionlessness in her voice was gone and it was filled with sadness instead. She didn't like it when newborn kits died before they could live.

[Icestorm]

Icestorm heard Bluewing, but didn't seem to want to hear it. After all the pain this kit had caused her, he didn't even get a chance to meet her. Her ears flattened and she swiped her tail over him. It was then she noticed how he was the only one that looked like her. It saddened her to think maybe it because of that he wasn't strong enough to survive. Maybe he was too much like her. "Take care of him." she whispered to Starclan. She hoped he would watch over his brothers up there. Just then she looked to her two kits. "Stay strong you two."

[Deleted]

Loudheart slept peacefully in the warrior's den, the rain lulling him into a deeper and deeper sleep. Every once in a while, he would snap awake, filled with worry about his pregnant mate Icestorm, only to quickly fall back into a deep slumber. The dark tabby had been sleeping for this for a moon now, constant worry about Icestorm's health hung over his head where ever he was. This time he woke to the sound of a faint noice, he worried for a second, but sleep pushed him back into rest. Again, his eyelid's snapped open, but this time he was sure of what he was hearing. Icestorm, he thought franticlly to himself. The tom lumbered out of the den and quickly made his way to the nursery, only to see two healthy kits up against Icestorm's belly. Fantastic, you weren't there for the kitting. What a great father. He scolded himself silently for his absents, then turned his attention to his family. "How are you feeling, do you want me to get you water?" He asked worried for Icestorm.

[Icestorm]

Icestorm looked up from her kits at the sound of her mate. She smiled to him, "It was painful, but I'll be fine by time the rain stops," she only hoped it to be true, "Loudheart come met your sons." She was so happy to finally be able to say that to him. Icestorm purred our of pride for her new family, and for her mate. She looked away from her mate, back to her kits. I hope you just like him. Strong. She felt a pang of guilt as she felt her third son under her tail. Very quietly she tried to find a way to tell him, "Loudheart, I- I umm," she stumbled to find the right words, "I'm sorry," she moved her tail away from their third son slowly.

[Deleted]

Loudheart was confused at first when he heard Icestorm say 'I'm sorry', but soon realized what she meant as the queen moved her tail to reveal the still born kit. For a moment, greif rushed over the large tom, her gentle brushed his muzzle up against the cooling kit, silently praying to Starclan that they would take care of the kit from now on. After a few seconds, the dark tabby moved closer to Icestorm, "It's not your fault, not even Starclan could have prevented this Icestorm." He murmered softly to his mate, before turning towards the two others. They were flawless in Loudheart's eyes, the tom liked his chest a bit to flatten out a couple of stray hairs as if to clean himself up a bit it impress the kits, even though their eyes hadn't even opened yet. 

Now they had to think of names. He thought for a second, wanting to come up with good names for his sons. He looked at one of the toms, both had his dark tabby markings. The markings seemed to tangle within one another like the branches of a bramble bush. "How do you like Bramblekit for one of them?" He gentley asked his mate, keeping his deep voice low and comforting in case she was still broken up about the little one that didn't make it. 

ooc: Icestorm sorry it took a while^^'

[Icestorm]

Icestorm watched her mate move toward their stillborn son, she felt a strong pull in her heart. She could see his pain as much as she felt her own. As Loudheart moved closer to her she felt more at ease, but the pain was far from gone. 'It's not your fault' Her wars flattened at his words. She wanted to tell him it was because she wasn't strong enough, because he was too much like her. She let out a shaky sigh, and only nodded her head to him.

Icestorm smiled softly to Loudheart as he said the name. She looked down to her first born son, licking the top of his head, "Bramblekit. What a strong name," she turned to her mate happy with his choice in name for their kit, "It's perfect." She looked back down to her other son. Another soft smile crept across her face, "I want to name him Rainkit." She looked to her mate for approval. It had rained throughout the kitting and it had helped her get through it, so she felt it was fitting.
Icestorm was glad to distract herself from the loss of her son, but yet she still felt guilty in her heart. She wrapped her tail protectively around him, she didn't want to give him up and yet she knew it was time. She couldn't hold on to him when he was never hers. "Bluewing. Could you please take him?" She said in almost a whisper, hoping the medicine cat had heard her. She had finally released her kit.

OOC: Sand just in case tagging you again.

[Echo]

OOC: RAINKIT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AHHDHHSYTDGG

The newly named kit flopped over on a cold dirt floor. A sudden hunger washed over him. He pawed the air with weak little claws until he found a soft nest. First attempt to climb in the nest failed, his legs were all very skinny and fragile. Second attempt was the same story. but third attempt he grabbed on to something, it was furry and large and smelled of milk. He pulled himself up and found a spot by his mother to suckle. After a little while, happy and warm, he dozed off into his first sleep.