[ x ] {hush} T h e N u r s e r y <3 {my dahling}

[frosty ♥]

Swanfeather padded wearily into the nursery. The air was warm unlike SkyClan camp's windy clearing. After a moment she padded over to a mossy nest and laid down. She wondered if she would have any visitors, they would probably make her feel proud. Her paws kneaded the soft moss as her plump body positioned itself into a comfortable ball. A soft sigh escaped her lips as her eyes adverted away from the nursery entrance to her belly.

It was swollen from the kits that squirmed inside, she wondered about what they would look like. Would one look like her or Hawkclaw? What would the clan think of the new arrivals? A purr swelled in her throat and she gave her belly a few gentle licks, she could swear she felt three kits from the way they moved. Three. A brief fear passed through her eyes, she never had kits before. How could she know how to care for them without any proper knowledge or guidance?

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"Twilightleaf, I... I... am scared," Rosepetal murmured softly with a slight Spanish accent, looking up at the tomcat with a truly scared look dancing through her eyes as she spoke to him. The she-cat was settling herself in the midst of the SkyClan Nursery, a frightened look written across her face as she spoke to her mate.

"Rosepetal," Twilightleaf meowed in a tender tone as he padded up to his mate. He seated himself next to her and rasped his tongue lightly over her ear in a single, soothing stroke. "You will be fine, mon amour," he whispered in her ear. "My love."

Again, as his pelt touched hers, Rosepetal felt that same tingly sensation that spread throughout her whenever he did so. She looked up at Twilightleaf, most of the anxiousness gone from her eyes and features. "If you are sure, Twilightleaf," she whispered softly.

"I will be back later to check on you," Twilightleaf promised, stroking Rosepetal's flank with his tail a few times before standing up. With an affectionate purr toward the she-cat of Spanish descent, Twilightleaf padded out of the entrance of the Nursery, careful to slip out quickly so as not to let the warm air drift out.

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[frosty ♥]

A young ivory she-cat lay in a sea of moss and feathers, her eyes closed and her breathing soft and steady but somewhat shaky at the end of each breath. She drew her feathery tail near her as she slept quite peacefully, finally it rested neatly next to her delicate face, after a few moments soft mews seached her ears. Two gentle green eyes opened sleepily, the nursery was all a blend of colors that her eyes hadn't yet adjusted for, the queen blinked a few times to see Twilightleaf depart from the warm den. She was curious to why he was here even though her mind was rather foggy. Soon enough she saw Rosepetal, a new Clancat to join her in this comfortable space. She smiled slightly, remembering when the she-cat had just learned she was going to have Twilightleaf's kits. Wonderful moment it was.

Swanfeather opened her mouth about to cheer up the frightened queen but didn't have the chance as a welcoming, warm scent reached her nose. The ivory queen adverted her eyes from Rosepetal to see her handsome mate slip quietly into to visit her and to her delight he brought a delicious vole. "My sweet" he murmured quietly and wound himself gently around Swanfeather so that she could feel the warmth from his body pulse through her. She purred into his ear in reply.

"Thank you, Hawkclaw" she meowed softly and nuzzled his cheek before taking a bite of her meal. The black and white tomcat's eyed her stomach for a swift heartbeat before settling down beside her in her moss. She knew he was going to ask if she and the unborn kits were alright so after she swallowed she meowed, "The kits were fine while I slept but they are a bit more pushy then a few sunrises ago" Swanfeather told him before he could even ask her the question. Her ears tilted back a little as she added in a whisper, "I-I-I'm afraid though... I don't know if-if I'll be a good mother..." her voice trailed away uncertainly as she gazed into his loving blue eyes.

Hawkclaw twined his tail with her own and rubbed his head affectionately against her body, "I'm sure you'll do fine, Swanfeather. They'll have a great mother that will be so gentle and kind" he began to rasp his tongue over her ear in slow movements so that a drowsiness crept over the queen and she sank down again. Swanfeather yawned, stretching her paws out before her, just then did she realize that a plump figure was just a little ways away.

"Rosepetal? Are you doing okay?" the snowy white she-cat asked sleepily then she took a bite of her vole, it was warm which meant it was freshly killed. Hawkclaw stood behind her and trotted out of the den and before Swanfeather could even protest, he returned with a mouse for Rosepetal whom he dropped gently in front of her. In a heartbeat he was beside her once again. "For a moment I thought you just decided to suddenly leave me," the queen purred.

[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

{When did Twiightleaaf && Rosepetal become mates??}

[frosty ♥]

[ They've been mates, Heart. x3 ]

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"Thank you, Hawkclaw," Rosepetal murmured softly. She lowered her head from her position in the warm moss nest that Twilightleaf had helped her create and began eating from the mouse in a few, small, dainty bites. After a few moments, Rosepetal had finished the piece of fresh-kill. Amazing how carrying kits could make you so hungry. The she-cat warrior -- now queen -- couldn't remember when she had polished off a piece of fresh-kill that quickly.

Feeling content, the white and brown colored she-cat shifted herself lightly so that she was in a comfortable position in which to sleep. It was strange -- she was so accustomed to the life of a warrior instead of being a queen and having others look after her. Her energy was draining rather quickly, making her have to sleep for longer periods of time. It made her rather restless, this waiting and waiting. But the fact that she was carrying Twilightleaf's kits -- well, that made this whole entire time of fear and impatience worth it.

At first, Rosepetal's mind has too many thoughts flitting about in it, making it next to impossible for her to sleep. Soon, however, she relaxed as the warmth of the Nursery soothed her, and she had the waves of sleep rushing over her, one by one. No dreams disturbed her sleep, and that was a good thing -- Rosepetal needed all the sleep she could get.

After a while, Rosepetal awoke to the sound of purring. Looking up, she saw that it was the figure of a black tomcat who she instantly recognized. "Twilightleaf," she meowed quietly, looking up at the tomcat. "I didn't know you'd come back to check on me so soon," she purred, a slightly amused tone of voice coming across her as she spoke. Despite the fact that she was frightened at the prospect of becoming a queen and having kits, she still managed to mantain some state of humor.

"With a mate, you will find that she's the only thing that's on your mind," Twilightleaf purred tenderly to the she-cat, dipping his head down and nuzzling her gently. "How are you feeling? Is there anything I can bring you?" he asked all at once, pure affection and concern flickering in his eyes as he spoke to the she-cat.

"I am fine, Twilightleaf, just perfectly fine," Rosepetal responded, closing her eyes for a few moments before opening them again to look at Twilightleaf.

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

Moonsilver padded into the nursery, a gust of warmth washing over her. she padded over to Rosepetal, and smiled. "Just checking up. How are the kits doing? And how are you?" she asked.

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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"I am fine, thank you," Rosepetal meowed in a light tone of voice, looking up at Twilightleaf as he stood there, gazing down at her with all the thoughtfulness and tenderness she could wish for. "And I believe the kits are perfectly alive and healthy there," she added, her voice slightly hinting at her tinkling bell-like laughter. In truth, there was a limit to how good you could feel when you were due anyday with kits, but Rosepetal felt relatively lucky. After all, she had Twilightleaf, her beloved mate, and a trustworthy medicine cat -- Moonsilver.

Well, to tell the truth, she was a little drowsy. A slight purr trembled in her chest when Twilightleaf lowered his head, gently running his tongue over her right ear in long, soothing strokes. As she grew more relaxed, her eyelids fluttered half over her eyes, suggesting that indeed, yes, she should sleep, despite the fact that she longed to get up and dash around as she had done before she and Twilightleaf had become mates.

"Mmm... yes... I am all right... No need to worry a--," Rosepetal meowed in an airy tone, her voice getting cut off as her jaws opened wide in a yawn.

ooc; Sorry this post was kinda... shortish/dumbish. I can't think straight after just spending some time doing Spanish. *-*

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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"Sheesh. This waiting can be a real big bother." This complaint came from the brown-and-white colored she-cat nesting in a rather spongy and comfortable area of moss. Still, her words were said with an equal amount of humor mixed in, meaning that she didn't truly find it too boring, although, yes, she did long to be outside and doing something else rather than sitting here.

Rosepetal's jaws seperated as another yawn pushed its way through. Resting her head on her paws, her eyelids fluttered closed and opened as she fought to remain awake. It was rather difficult, with Twilightleaf gently running his tongue across her right ear, his tail lightly brushing her flank in his small yet meaningful acts of affection.

Just as she was being lulled to sleep by everything, a rather sharp pain struck her. Her eyes immediately snapped open and she looked at Twilightleaf, her expression changing from its relaxed state to one of fear. "T-Twilightleaf...?" she meowed hesitantly, her voice quivering lightly.

"I'm right here, mon amour," Twilightleaf answered in a soothing tone, thinking that Rosepetal was just having a bit of a doubt attack.

"No -- I know that. I think -- I'm not sure -- It feels--" Rosepetal trailed off there.

ooc; Shoot me.

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[frosty ♥]

s ll wan ;:; feather

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my;love;for;you;burns;hawkclaw...[/right]

"Hawkclawww," Swanfeather murmured in her sleep, she writhed a bit before stopping in the most peculiar pose, the beautiful ivory she-cat now lay on her back with her paws facing skyward. She herself didn't seem to mind at all, "Hawkclaw...?" the queen began to purr indulgently, a bliss expression melting onto her delicate facial features even as she was in a slumber.

This purr was lit from a burning sensation deep within her soul, somewhere that only one cat could reach. Hawkclaw. He was the only one that could bring her into a state so pleasant, so happy that there isn't any words in the world to describe it. Right now it pulsed and rumbled as her purr rose from her chest, coming smoothly into the atmosphere. It seemed to blend into her surroundings quite neatly.

Suddenly Swanfeather's lovely dream began to drift away from her grasp, first she was surprised then disappointment washed over her as it faded away to black. Her eyes slowly opened to reveal glassy emerald green orbs, the dim light soothed them as they began to adjust the warm nursery den.

The queen blinked a few times and realized she was looking upward, "Hnnn?" She turned to her side and got her paws, "Ugh... not feeling so well today as I expected." Swanfeather mumbled before stretching her stiff limbs.

As she stood up she heard a panicky voice, Swanfeather's ears pricked forward as she locked her eyes onto Rosepetal. The sienna and ivory she-cat was there with her mate, Twilightleaf, but something was wrong. This wasn't the usual worrying but she seemed to be pained. Pained in the stomach.

Then it hit her. It was either a contraction or kitting.

"T-Twilightleaf--!" Swanfeather cried and scrambled forward, her paws slipping on the soft moss below her and tiredness tugged at her paws. "Get Moonsilver!" The feline choked out, her eyes illuminating in the gloom of the den. She gave his shoulder a rough nudge, "T-tell her its R-Rosepetal! And be quick!"

The white queen shifted her gaze so that she was looking down upon Rosepetal herself, then she give a gentle lick on the frightened cat's forehead. "It'll be all right, dear! Uhm- er- breath deeply!" Swanfeather meowed, her fur prickling along her spine.

Would this be her in the near future?

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Fear instantly alighted in Twilightleaf's eyes, like a fire. He looked around wildly, torn between going to find the medicine cat and staying with his mate. He looked down at her, seeing from the tension in her face that she was just as frightened as she was, only she was the one experiencing the added pain with it. "Shhhh.... shhhh. You're going to be all right," he meowed softly to her, as if cooing to a little kit. He stroked her flank with his tail in a rhythmic motion, trying to soothe her. After all, the more fear she had mentally, the more pain there would be physically.

When he was sure that she had regained control -- at least for a little while -- the tomcat darted out of the Nursery, hurrying over to Moonsilver's den. Even though the temperature outside was near freezing to him, he ignored it. His heart raced with every pawstep he took, every pawstep that took him farther away from Rosepetal, should something happen to her while he was gone for these few moments. The dire urgency of this situation was catching up to him, and the moment was slowing itself down, nearly maddening the tomcat with impatience.

Rosepetal, Rosepetal, Rosepetal... The she-cat's name pounded itself in his mind, and he almost found himself murmuring her name aloud as she ran over the short distance in between the nursery and the medicine cat's den. The ground was hard and cold underneath his paws, but he didn't feel them -- he was just spurred onward by this critical situation.

"Moonsilver!" he called out on account of approaching the she-cat's den. His eyes searched around wildly for her, hoping that she was in there. "Moonsilver!" he cried out again, slowing his pace down, although there was still a sense of necessity in this plight. Taking a deep breath to calm his own nerves down, he padded in to the den, breathing clouds of cold air.

Twilightleaf >> Moonsilver's Den

--x

"I'll be okay... I'll be fine... Mi dios..." Rosepetal murmured to herself, breathing in and out as she tried to not succumb to the panting breaths that fear sometimes brought along. It would be okay... it would be okay... Closing her eyes, she attempted to just forget about everything -- the pain, especially. She did, however, acknowledge Swanfeather's attempts at trying to help her, and she appreciated them.

Opening her eyes, she focused them on the ivory colored she-cat. "Thank you... Swanfeather..." she murmured in short, clipped tones. The pads of her paws were sticky with sweat, and she tried to settle herself down in a comfortable position in her moss and feathers, glad for the softness of their touch. She wasn't sure if she were going delirious or not, but her senses seemed more... magnified. Not her sight, but just her hearing and sense of touch and smell...

Trying to shake it off, the she-cat closed her eyes, again trying to force her mind to find something else to think of, rather than worrying over this pain... It wasn't too unbearable, but it certainly wasn't exactly something she would prefer to take ownership of. Still, Rosepetal had known pain somewhat equivalent to this would come: she had had time to prepare for it.

Right now, Rosepetal was probably one of the most glee and delight stricken cats in the world, despite the stabbing aches that hit her. She was having Twilightleaf's kits -- their kits. She would be a mother, he would be a father. Thinking about it, a slight purr trembled in her chest. She would be a mother -- a queen. Although she didn't exactly savor the thought of having to spend endless months (well, six, probably) in the nursery with her kits, she did relish the fact that she would be the bearer to more cats for SkyClan.

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[frosty ♥]

swan ll feather

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Swanfeather slowly calmed down as she sat next to Rosepetal, "Just breathe in deeply and try to keep your mind clear." She advised before sinking down to curl up next to her friend's and clanmate's head, her green eyes gentle even if she was frightened for Rosepetal inside. "Just imagine... soon you will have beautiful kits... Twilightleaf's and your own blood running through them... you will see them slowly transform from quiet cuddly kits into little hyper balls of fluff... Twilightleaf watching them grow at your side... a happy little family that you can call your own..." In a way she was speaking for both of them.

The ivory she-cat drew her tongue swiftly, but with care, over Rosepelt's ear and head. "Twilightleaf will be back with Moonsilver in a few moments..." I hope. She thought the last part silently before releasing a soft sigh. Just then a new scent flooded the nursery.

Hawkclaw.

Swanfeather got up and padded quickly over to him, "Rosepetal's kitting, Twilightleaf went to get Moonsilver." She explained in a hushed voice. Her mate blinked slowly before turning his eyes back to her own and giving her a gentle nuzzle-- he left then. Swanfeather felt a smile trying to pull the edge of her lips, he'd be back after it was over to check up.

Returning to her friend's side she finally answered her bleak whisper of thanks, Swanfeather dipped her head slightly, "No need to thank me. I'll always be here for you," she answered simply before resuming her place by calmly crouching at her side.

{ Ugh. Bad post, sorry. >.< }

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Rosepetal closed her eyes once more, imagining about the soon to be born kits in her mind. Thinking about it more and more, she was soon engulfed in a fantasy, away from the pain, as if she were floating on a cloud above it. She shifted positions again in her soft nest, finding another comfortable position. Her muscles were still tense, and she attempted to loosen then all at once. When that didn't work quite well, she began to fous on each limb, trying to loosen each and ever one by itself. It took a while, but she managed to relax herself well enough.

She felt the kits stir inside of her, and despite the pain, she once again tried to remain as optimistic as possible. Just think about it, Rosepetal -- you're going to be the one to give birth to new life, to bring new kits in to the world... These thoughts were quite satisfying, and she clung on to them, although the pain didn't exactly make it the easiest thing in the world. Suddenly, a sharp pain jabbed, much more defined than anything else. Rosepetal's eyes snapped open and she took a sharp intake of breath, exhaling it after a while as she tried to even her breathing out.

Oddly, Rosepetal wasn't as frightened as she thought it would be. Sure, it was scary, but the fear had somewhat subsided, due to the fact that she was reassuring herself rather well -- with Swanfeather's help -- that everything would be okay, and that everything was going to work out perfectly fine in the end. "Thank you," she repeated again, even though Swanfeather had told her that there was no need to give her thanks. "I'll do the same for... you when your... time... comes," Rosepetal meowed a little breathlessly, for her breathing was now rather labored.

Her pelt, in all its ivory and brown fur, was rather disrumpled from her continuing to switch positions. With that sudden burst of pain now disappearing somewhat, she relaxed again, closing her eyes once more. "Where's Twilightleaf?" she asked, her voice inhabited by a murmuring, whispery tone.

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

Moonsilver hardly stepped put of her den, going to check on the expectant mothers when a fluffy black blur came running up to her. Twilightleaf. Rosepetal must be in labor! "Twilightleaf," the she-cat mewed to him. "I'll be there in a minute. You go and help Rosepetal, I need to get some poppy seeds and a lot of wet moss. In fact, could you get the poppy seeds for me? I'll go and get the moss now." And without waiting for Twilightleaf's reply, she turned back into her den and bounded in with light, rabbit like steps to get balls of moss to wet in the little pool of water in the back of her den, her sapphire colored eyes set straight ahead.

ooc;; Blehh, short post.[/size]

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Twilightleaf gave a quick nod when he was told to go retrieve some poppy seeds from the den. Panic had set in his mind, but it was gently ebbing away, releasing its grip on his mind, allowing him to think a little more clearly as he attempted to find the correct herb for his mate. Poppy seeds... Poppy seeds... What did they look like again? Where did they come from? Poppy seeds... Poppy... They were black, Twilightleaf knew that. They were also small, and had the medicinal value of being able to put a cat to sleep or to soothe shock or something... He wasn't exactly quite sure.

Doubts began flickering across his mind as he licked his paw and stepped down on the collection of poppy seeds, allowing them to stick to his paw. Poppy seeds would calm a cat... would they numb the senses? If so, would Rosepetal stay awake? What would happen? These thoughts continued crawling and growing, but with one large jolt of a head shake, Twilightleaf reinstalled confidence back in to him. Moonsilver was the medicine cat of SkyClan -- she knew her job better than he did. What right did he have to question her authority?

Hobbling back to the nursery on three legs as he didn't want to disturb the poppy seeds stuck to one of his paws, Twilightleaf moved as fast as he could, wanting to get back to Rosepetal in order to support her. He had already been gone for a while -- he needed to make sure that she was all right. Worry creased the features on his face as he darted back, and he almost stumbled, but he quickly regained his balance. There was no time for being clumsy right now: his mate was kitting, and he had to be there for her.

The tomcat slowed to a walk a few paces before the entrance to the nursery, as he didn't want to just barge in and surprise everyone. His breathing was hard and labored, but he didn't pay attention to that quite yet. His eyes were focused on Rosepetal as she lay in her nest of moss. His breath still coming in pants, he shook some of the poppy seeds off of his paw on to the ground, crowding them together so that they formed somewhat of a pile. "There you go, Moonsilver," he meowed in a faint voice before turning to his mate.

"Twilightleaf..."

The quiet and weakened meow came from Rosepetal as she struggled to move in to a position in which she could see Twilightleaf at a clear angle. Not wanting her to move too much, the tomcat instead padded over to her and stopped her from moving with a light touch of his tail. "Rosepetal, mon amour. I'm here," he murmured in to her ear, cooing softly, his tail moving in a back and forth motion, stroking her flank in order to try to put some confidence in Rosepetal that he was here. "I'm sorry I took so long... I'm sorry," he meowed, running his tongue lightly across her ear.

"Twilightleaf..." When addressed again by the she-cat, Twilightleaf looked at her, waiting for her to speak. When she turned her head to fix her azure gaze upon him, the tomcat's heart skipped a beat. "...These are going to be our kits... Our kits..." she murmured, her voice barely at a level that was audible. In addition to saying that, a purr rumbled gently in her throat, giving another way to show that she truly meant what she said.

The gazes of the two felines met, and a look was shared between the two, a look that they would remember for some time to come. It was a short glance, but it was a glance that contained a mixture of emotions: gratitude, happiness, pain, suffering, anticipation, fear, awe, pride, and mostly, love. At that moment, it seemed as if something was made, a pact, if you will. A promise. A vow. Despite the fact that the two were mates, they were now bound together by something more. Something deeper. Despite the pain, there was indeed something magical in having kits, and knowing that your successors in your life would be right there with you, living and breathing, with your blood running through them.

ooc; all righty. i admit it. that last paragraph was extremely corny. c;

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