New-leaf, New Life

[gingersnapsdacat]

She should have guessed that this was going to happen. The one time she snuck out to get herself a drink of water, her kittens would come. She, the cat who could never stay out of the trees, would now bear her kittens among them. 
"I'm glad you love the forest..." she groaned, trying to talk herself through the pain of kit-birth. "But I thought you could have waited until you could actually see it."
After what felt like moons, the first of her kittens made its sudden entrance into the world. Heronflight nipped through the sac, helping the kitten to wiggle free. She nuzzled and licked, hoping that she was doing the right thing to keep her newborn daughter alive. Her focus quickly shifted as another wave of contractions bagan to push out a second kit. Although this kitten was larger, the process seemed to go much quicker, as if the kit had payed close attention to his elder sister and knew exactly what he was meant to do. Soon, he too had let out a proud and healthy mew. Heronflight hardly had a moment to lick him before the third and final kitten was pushed free. 
The exhausted she-cat took a few heavy breaths, staring at the kittens that she and Wildstep had created. Two she-kits and a beautiful tom... She scraped each tiny head with her tongue, causing the fur on the little tom's head to stick up like the crest on a pheasant. 
"Pheasant...that suits you. Your father will be so happy to see you all.."
Dragon

[Dragon]

Wildstep returned from patrol with a nice big thrush for his mate. Pray was running and it was getting warmer. He headed straight for the nursery to visit his mate. But as he poked his head in he noted Heronflight was nowhere to be seen. "Heronflight?" Dropping the thrush at his mates nest he exited the nursery and scanned the clearing. "Has anyone seen Heronflight?" A moment later he heard someone say she had gone out to the forest.

Turning he quickly left camp and searched for her scent. Finding it he quickly began to follow Heronflights scent. As her scent grew stronger so did the smell of blood. He began to panic thinking a fox or badger must have found her and attaCked her. "HERONFLIGHT... HERONFLIGHT WHERE ARE YOU?"

[gingersnapsdacat]

The newly-made mother continued to lick her kits, committing every tiny little detail of their bodies into her memory. The tom, who she had already chosen to name Pheasantkit, had a close resemblance to his father, sporting the same tabby coat and large frame. The youngest, a she-kit, possessed Heonflight's coat, but with the fluffy plumage of Wildstep. Both of these kits had quickly latched onto her belly, suckling hungrily. But the other she-kit, her eldest, was just wiggling around like a confused, yet very determined caterpillar. Heronflight did not have much time to ponder on this before she heard...
"HERONFLIGHT... HERONFLIGHT WHERE ARE YOU?"
Wildstep's voice carried through the trees, its panic evident in every syllable. And although the kittens' ears were still closed, Heronflight thought she saw the longhaired she-kit raise her head in recognition. But she quickly turned her attention back to the moment at paw; reuniting with her mate. 
"I'm over here! We're over here!"

[Dragon]

Wildstep ran faster and faster so when he heard his mates cry he was going at top speed and had to come to a skidding stop when she came into site. When he finally came to a full stop it took him a moment to catch his breath and realize she said we're over here meaning more than one. Looking down at Heronflight he practically choked on a loud purr as he saw his kits for the first time. "Are you ok my love?" Bowing his head he licked his mates muzzle than sniffed and licked each kit. He froze though as he looked at one she-cat who was ginger and white. He had to choke back a sob. "She looks... so... so much like Dawnpetal." He sniffed the tiny she-kits fur and smelled Heronflight and milk. "Can we name her Dawnkit after Dawnpetal?" Wildstep had told her about his best friend and how she had died giving birth to her kits who were fathered by a cat in Mothclan. It had been comforting to know he wasn't the only one to break the rules by falling for a cat from another clan. Dawnpetal and he had been each others support.

[gingersnapsdacat]

Heronflight purred loudly, her leaf-green eyes twinkling as she watched her mate fawn over each of the new lives. When he reached the ginger she-cat, the smallest and weakest in the litter, Heronflight could not help but notice the way he paused. Is something wrong? she wondered, leaning to look at the she-kit.
"I know she is small but-"
She stopped, hearing her mate's muffled sob. "She looks... so... so much like Dawnpetal. Can we name her Dawnkit?"
Heronflight's worried expression quickly turned to one of a sad smile. She leaned close to him, softly nuzzling away the tear that was rolling down his cheek. Although she had never met her mate's close companion and confidante, the young queen had heard of how close Dawnpetal and wild step had been before she died kitting. 
 "That's a perfect name. I think it will suit her very well."
The she-cat bent her head, giving her daughter a comforting lick, as if to further emphasize her acceptance of Wildstep's request. 
"I was thinking that Pheasantkit would be nice for the tom. And for the other she-kit...maybe she could be named Sparrowkit. After all, if I had not been chasing that sparrow, these kittens would never have come around."

[Dragon]

Wildstep shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment as he pressed against his mates side. "No they're perfect, each and everyone of them. Just like their mother." Wildstep licked Heronflights muzzle gently. As Heron explained the names of the other two he nodded and chuckled softly. "They're perfect names," he purred. He licked each kit and noticed Dawnkit had lost her spot where she had been feeding and was having trouble finding it. He nudged her gently until she once more latched on and began feeding. "We need to get these little ones back to camp before the scent of blood brings a fox or badger." He could carry Dawnkit in his mouth and Heronflight could carry either Sparrowkit or Pheasentkit and then maybe put the third on his back or his mates back and the other could make sure that he or she didn't fall off. "Ok I'll carry Dawnkit, you carry one of the others and than we can carry the remaining on one of our backs. The one who doesn't carry the last can make sure he doesn't slip and fall off. Hows that sound love?"