Time Heals All Wounds...? (Birthing thread//Carotius&Open)

[Wolf]

Dawnthorn was just reentering the nursery after making dirt and let out a long groan of discomfort as she settled down, moving stiffly around her swollen belly. "Come on kits, hurry up and get here. You're causing me lots of trouble." She muttered light-heartedly before her jaw suddenly clenched as a wave of agony hit her. Her jaws gaped in a soundless scream, the unexpected surge of pain taking her breath away. Taking a few short breaths to regain her voice, she let out a loud wail for her mate. "Adderfoot! The kits are coming, hur-" Her call was cut off by a thin whine as another contraction hit, her head thudding onto the mossy nest as the pain took away what strength had powered her wail. Oh StarClan, is it supposed to hurt this much, and so soon? Dawnthorn thought, dread overwhelming her at the possibility of the something going wrong. Her paws twitched and she squeezed her deep blue eyes closed as the queen tried to fight the pain that wracked her body again and again.

Carotius

[Babylonranger]

A light brown head poked up from a nearby nest, yellow eyes gleaming worriedly. Scrambling out of the moss, the long-limbed kit padded over to the pain-wracked form of the young queen. "Dawnthorn?" Harekit asked. "Should I go get Adderfoot?"

The young kit's long whiskers twitched nervously. Dawnthorn needed help, that much was certain. Mind made up, Harekit dashed towards the entrance of the Nursery. "ADDERFOOT!" the brown kit shouted. "DAWNTHORN NEEDS HELP!"

[Carotius]

For a while, Adderfoot had been a glowing bundle of fur, pride and love adorning his features when he found out that Dawnthorn was expecting kits. Their kits. After the emotional turmoil they went through regarding the other litter he fathered, they finally chose each other as life partners, and were now gifted with one of their own.

So when the brown tabby came padding through the camp entrance with a thrush in between his teeth, his fur stood on end in fear and excitement at Harekit's call - the kits were coming! And Dawnthorn was looking for him! Quickly depositing his fresh-kill on the pile, he sprinted towards the nursery, squeezing through to where his agonised mate lay.

"Shhhh, I'm here, my dear. I'm here," he soothed Dawnthorn, giving her a comforting lick on the forehead. "Someone fetch Cedarpaw. And maybe someone else who knows about birthing."

[Wolf]

Dawnthorn whimpered as Harekit called for her mate, her paws jerking as she tried to hold back another screech of pain. She tried to get as close as she could to Adderfoot, her lower jaw shaking as she tried to speak, "I th-think something's wrong!" She told him, her blue eyes round with terror. "I don't think it's supposed to hurt this MUCH!" Her sentence ended in a scream, not squeezing her eyes shut this time now that the cat she loved was there with her. If this was going to kill her, she wanted to die knowing that her mate was there beside her. The white and cream she-cat's sides rippled and heaved as her body began trying to push the kits out, her claws extending as far as they'd go and curling in to grip the moss beneath her and practically tore it to shreds in a matter of seconds.

[Carotius]

Adderfoot pressed his ears against his head as Dawnthorn screeched, another ripple of pain passing through her small body. Her claws had begun tearing indiscriminately at the bedding, practically destroying the edges to shredded bits, her blue eyes wide with terror and pain. I don't know what to do! The tabby tom continued licking the she-cat's forehead, quietly shushing her in between licks. Where's Cedarpaw? Can the other queens help? Please...

"Don't be afraid, Dawnthorn.. Hold out a little longer," he pressed his cheek against hers, holding back the shiver of fear that was beginning to overwhelm his own body. "Help is coming. Y-You'll see."

[Wolf]

Dawnthorn let out another thin wail, her hind legs jerking as her body fought against the kit trying to expel itself from her body. "Oh StarClan help me!" She breathed as she gave a massive heave, the tiny bundle slipping onto the moss. Summoning all strength she had, determined to check if her kit was okay, the queen pushed her chest up and reached back to collect the white form beside her. She paused with a bit back whimper, as if moving caused a new burst of pain to alight inside her. Fighting past the new pain, Dawnthorn nipped the birthing sac of her new kit and gently laid back down, looking up at Adderfoot and murmuring, "We have a son," before reaching her head back down and licking the white kit in an attempt to warm him and get him breathing.
After a few minutes of rapid licking, she soon realized something was wrong with their tiny son. Nuzzling him desperately, she was unable to ignore the all too familiar scent of death. Dawnthorn let out a low moan of grief which soon rose to a loud wail of despair. The hard birth was all for naught. Their tiny kit, their son, was born dead. He would never open his eyes, never become an apprentice, never receive his warrior name...

[Carotius]

The brown tabby screwed his eyes shut when Dawnthorn wailed again, praying hard to StarClan to ease her pain and let the kit come quickly, just so his precious mate wouldn't suffer more than she should. He nuzzled her head as she pushed another time, thankfully the last, before he retracted to let her twist and bring the kit towards herself. Adderfoot narrowed his eyes in thought when he heard the queen's whimper, but dismissed it at the sight of the white bundle of fur. I have a son! Even if he's an only son...

Adderfoot purred in contentment as Dawnthorn began licking the kit to bring it warmth...until he caught the worried look in her eyes. The dread in his chest felt worse when her blue eyes showed fear, her franticness showing as she nuzzled the kit. Only then did the tom realise...

"He's...He's not moving..." he stared widely at his mate huddled around the kit, beginning to back away. "He's...not...moving...!"

[Wolf]

"He's dead." She murmured, burying her nose in the fluffy white fur of their dead son. "He should still have a name for his arrival in StarClan." The queen concluded, voice thick with pain. "Oh my precious son, I'm so sorry..." Dawnthorn whispered, giving the cold fur of her kit a few loving licks. "May you go swiftly into the skies of StarClan. Your mother and father will always love you." The white and cream shecat murmured just loud enough for Adderfoot to hear her.

[Carotius]

The mention of StarClan did not bring peace to Adderfoot's heart like it used to; this time, it brought a hard twinge of pain and fury, at first a small pulse of life before blossoming through his body like the hungry tongues of flame that can burn a forest down in seconds. The tabby was enraged at the mention of his ancestors. StarClan? Taking our only son? So soon? His claws slid out from their sheathes, digging into the floor of the nursery, sure to leave deep gouges once he retracted them. His green eyes were alight with a cold fire, burning intensely as he focused his disbelieving gaze on the motionless white kit.

"StarClan, Dawnthorn? A swift journey for him to StarClan?" Adderfoot struggled to keep the growl from coming out with his words, but it was becoming more difficult with each moment. "They are taking him from us. They are taking him from us! StarClan is punishing ME. They're punishing me for the wrong I've done to you! Your forgiveness hadn't been enough for them when it was enough for me!"

By now, the lean tom had shot to his paws, pelt bristling with anger; the anger was not directed at Dawnthorn, nor was it directed at the poor child of his - the anger was towards his ancestors, towards himself for doing a wrong so great to a loved one, that another had to suffer his painful price. Adderfoot felt the hot tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes, threatening to flow, but his stubbornness refused to let that mar his pride.

"They punish me...punish me by hurting more of those I love - you and this dead son of ours - when you are innocent and had nothing to do with my error!" he let the deep growl from the bottom of his throat erupt, his shoulders stiff with fury. "It's not fair to you! It's not fair to HIM!"

Howling, Adderfoot turned and fled the nursery, tearing across camp clearing, past bewildered Clanmates, and out the entrance to the wide open fields of WhisperClan territory, wanting to be nowhere near another cat. There was nothing on his mind but deep-rooted anger at his own folly that brought upon his new family a shattering start, and he let out another screech towards the sky, cursing the cruelty of his warrior ancestors.

[Isilme]

Whispersong had seem the whole thing from a certain distance, her own kits sleeping soundly by her side, poor Dawnthorn, the female couldn´t even begin to imagine what the other she cat was feeling right now... The calico sighed and got up making sure that all kits were still sleeping before approaching the female. "Dawnthorn." She called softly, the scene was even worse from so close and Whispersong did her best to control her emotions. "I´m sorry for your loss... Wish I could have done something to help." but the white female knew there was nothing she could have done, the kit had been dead even before coming to this world... She purred trying to calm the other queen. "You can have other litters, you two are young warriors and I´m sure things won´t go wrong next time." The calico said trying to sound hopeful and hoping to cheer up the other female a little.

[Wolf]

Dawnthorn flinched as Adderfoot began shouting and she stared hopelessly out the nursery entrance as he left. Sighing heavily and trembling with grief, she pulled the motionless form of her kit to her chest to hold him close to her for the last time before it would be time to bury him. "Your name is Swiftkit, my precious one. I hope I will share dreams with you soon. Your father loves you too, he grieves for the life we wish you had." She murmured as the other queen approached her. Glancing up, she nodded slowly. "I know, thank you Whispersong. It's just the first born is hard to lose." The white and cream queen replied, her voice dull with grief. Giving her dead son another lick on the head, she sighed again. "I'd better find Adderfoot so we can bury Swiftkit together. He's angry at StarClan but he wouldn't be so cruel as to skip burying his son. Can you keep the other kits away from Swiftkit?" She pushed herself to her paws, wincing at a sharp pain that lit up in her hips.