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forestclan-clangen · 1 month ago

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MOON 13 (Final)

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Riversnow goes into labour at dawn.

(Shiverpaw, medicine cat apprentice, female, 13 moons. Loving.) (Windfur, medicine cat, male, 27 moons. Lonesome.) (Cloudthunder, warrior, female, 46 moons. Adventurous.)

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It was at the brink of dawn when ForestClan were quickly roused awake and told in hushed tones to quickly gather around the center of camp. Riversnow reported contractions, and it was time to get to defensible positions, immediately.

ForestClan thought that the worst possible thing that could ever happen to them, was that the Living Tendrils would come, and would take every last newborn from Riversnow's side.

They were wrong.

The unstirring silence from beyond the walls was much, much worse.

In the heat of the newleaf dawn, ForestClan had prepared torches and stakes. Olive, Branchpaw and Cloudthunder guarded the medicine den, shielding the injured apprentices and wary kits within. Barleywave and Iciclepool guarded the nursery entrance. Redstar stood on top of the wall, staring out into the woods with unflinching poise. Cats waited with unsheathed claws, ready to pounce.

Silence.

Windfur and Shiverpaw worked quickly, but uncomfortably. They whispered instructions to Riversnow, who was silent in her pain. Her cyan blue eyes stared past the guards at the entrance. She barely breathed, as though something was listening for her to give away her location.

The morning sun rose into the sky, and the glare of the rays dappled the camp. Soft shadows painted the mulched pines below.

It was a very nice day.

Even when Riversnow had finished giving birth to two little kits, no one could breathe. Windfur kept pressing a paw at Riversnow's side, trying to find any more kits left to help, but no. That was it.

"Two she-kits. That's all," Windfur mustered.

But still, nothing stirred.

As the morning turned into sunhigh, and there were no signs of the tendrils, Cloudthunder's kits became irritable. Branchpaw was distracting them, but she was also exhausted from waiting for something to happen. Redstar paced back and forth along the camp walls, restless.

Tree and Hopechase were among the first to break the silence of camp. While still wary - Hopechase approached Redstar and interrupted her pacing, speaking to her calmly. Tree placed their tail on Branchpaw's shoulder, spoke directly with both Olive and Branchpaw, then pointed towards the cooking pot and fire.

The amount of cats on high alert slowly dwindled. There was a quiet hope that remained unspoken. Perhaps the woods were fed? Maybe they didn't come in daylight? Whatever the case - they hadn't appeared. So...maybe things were alright?

Redstar was reluctant. So was Iciclepool, who glared at Redstar with a doubt and skepticism that could reverse a river's current. Redstar agreed with her deputy. But, to force the Clan to live in fear for an event that may never occur…?

After Hopechase spoke calmly to her mate, butting her head into her shoulder reassuringly, Iciclepool's fear cracked. She sat down, her ears folded back. She looked at Redstar with a tired, resigned stare.

Redstar felt a pang in her heart, understanding her deputy's terror. Personally - she didn't want to stop the vigil. But…she couldn't hold her clanmates hostage. With a thrash of her tail, she closed her eyes, and looked down at Hopechase, nodding at her.

Redstar watched as Hopechase went to the medicine den, helping Perchpaw stand to her feet. She beckoned Tree and Branchpaw, and guided them to a thin, tall tree near the back of the camp. It had a rope pulley with a piece of white lattice at the highest branch. There was a yellow lattice on one side, and a red one on the other. Hopechase pointed and instructed the two apprentices about these lattices, and how they were used as distant warnings for any cats out on patrol.

She watched as the dark warrior taught them to pull the rope to change the flag. They raised the yellow one.

And so, ForestClan lived.

Only Barleywave, Riversnow and Redstar still remained alert, unwilling - or perhaps unable - to relax.

Eventually - the sun started to set.

Cats grew wary again. Chatter died down. They glanced at Redstar, hoping she would guide them.

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, Shiverpaw stood in front of the nursery. She stared at the vanished sun. Her paws locked into the ground.

She felt something pulling at the back of her head. Slowly lifting the hairs on her scruff.

She felt the burrowing. Shiverpaw desperately tried to cling onto consciousness. This was not from the beings. This was something else. Something else.

She trembled as she clung to her own mind. It pushed back. In a desperate mental scramble, she clung to Olive's lessons when she was a younger apprentice. Ground. Feel the ground. She could barely feel her paws. She felt like ants were crawling up her legs to engulf her head.

She breathed. She forced herself to breathe. The feeling rose into her neck. She grasped the only things she could still feel.

My eyes are my own. My teeth are my own.

She felt the world rumbling around her, pushing and pulling against herself. She gulped air into her lungs.

She felt hollow.

She blinked. She blinked.

Her paws refused to move. It felt like gravel scraped over her skin.

Her teeth were her own.

Her teeth were her own, her teeth were her own,

HER TEETH -

The camp jolted into action as Shiverpaw yowled, her jaws clamped shut on a tendril that had burst from the ground next to her.

Cats broke into violent caterwauls. Shiverpaw couldn't move. Refused to move. The tendril pulled until Shiverpaw's face was smashed to the floor. She refused to let go. Her ears were ringing. Her eyes were blurry. Pain. Pain. Pain.

Shiverpaw wished that she could say she remembered what happened. But she couldn't. When she next came to, she was laying on the ground. She couldn't feel her mouth anymore. And…

"Shiverpaw, speak to me."

Shiverpaw blinked. A light brown and golden shape kneeled beside her. Slowly, Shiverpaw saw Tree's emerald eyes looking at her with great concern. Their mouth was stained black, and debris from the forest floor stuck to their fur.

Shiverpaw could feel their whiskers brushing near her face.

"You're breathing, thank goodness," Tree said, pulling away and placing a strong paw on her shoulder. "Hey, can you get up?"

Shiverpaw swallowed, her thoughts swarming and her fur prickling. Her skin felt hot. Quickly, she eeked out, "I'm okay." Shiverpaw slowly brought herself to her feet, staggering as she stood. Tree caught her as she fumbled.

"Hey, woah there, careful - you really exhausted yourself clinging onto that tendril," Tree said.

Shiverpaw was confused. Her head swarmed. She felt weak.

"Riversnow," she croaked, terror for her kits surging through her.

"She's fine. Her kits too," Tree said with a forced purr. "They didn't even get near the nursery."

"What happened? Where…" Shiverpaw said, forcing herself to look around her.

She didn't expect for the camp to seem…relieved. Less afraid. Her eyes scanned around her in disbelief. For a brief moment, she caught Barleywave awkwardly standing over Riversnow, his hazel eyes wild with a confusing mixture of relief, embarrassment and conviction. He clumsily removed himself from the nursery. Riversnow was bristling enough to become a porcupine. Redstar's fur stuck out at all angles, and she quickly weaved in between her clanmates, checking on their condition before moving to the next group. Morningspot was standing in the middle of camp, her eyes wide with adrenaline. Shiverpaw thought she was holding a branch in her mouth, until she saw the branch leaking out of one end. Shiverpaw bristled.

"Yeah, when you caught the first one, a second came out. I ripped into it. Turns out they have a similar tendon to Woodcrawlers." Tree explained. "But, uh, Morningspot was the one to find that out. I'll check on her in a second. Can you walk? Do you need Windfur?"

Shiverpaw felt her gums throb with pain. She was scared to touch her teeth. She said numbly, "I'm okay. I'm okay," before pulling away from Tree. She looked away, feeling embarrassed. "T-Thank you."

"No problem," Tree said with a nod, before padding away towards Morningspot.

On her way to the nursery, she was accosted by a frightened and relieved Iciclepool, and a very rushed Redstar. It was here when she asked Redstar what happened to the tendrils - only to receive confirmation that they had retreated when Morningspot tore one of them off. She reassured them both to the best of her abilities before finally approaching the nursery. Windfur had moved in and started checking Riversnow's pulse. He noticed Shiverpaw's approach and gave her an unreadable expression.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I…" Shiverpaw trailed off, and felt something roll down her chin. She wiped it away with her paw and looked at her pads in confusion.

Her paw was smeared black.

She was stunned when Windfur approached her and placed his paw on her cheek. "Let me see your teeth."

Shiverpaw obeyed. Windfur glanced around. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn't actually show fear if something was wrong. Windfur sighed.

"Your gums are swollen. No visible punctures, just from biting too hard. We can find you an anti-inflammatory poultice." Windfur looked away. For a brief moment, his dark blue eyes flickered. "...I'm…glad you're fine."

Shiverpaw just nodded, not quite sure what to say. She still felt unsteady and exhausted. Meanwhile, Riversnow's cyan eyes were wide with terror. The former outsider always had an outward air of confidence and individualism. But now, she was meek, curled into a ball around her two kits. Despite her kits' protests, she refused to move.

"Is it over? Are they gone?" The molly's voice shook.

It was Windfur that replied first, draping his tail over her shoulder. "Yes, Riversnow. It's alright. Your kits are safe."

"...Are you sure?" Her voice shook.

Shiverpaw felt her heart break at the near-childish plea. Windfur remained calm, and nodded.

Riversnow's bristled pelt lowered. She choked back on a sob as she uncurled, nuzzling her kits with disbelief.

"It's okay," she whispered. "We're...finally okay."

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Riversnow is quietly elated. She can't believe it. She's okay. Her babies are okay. She decides on names for them. Barleywave glances back inside, and awkwardly congratulates her before retreating back to give her space. Riversnow...doesn't know how to feel about that. But...she'll...talk to him later. Right now, she just wants to be with her kits.

(Barleywave, warrior, male, 42 moons. Playful.) (Riversnow, warrior, female, 62 moons. Adventurous.) (Owlkit, kitten, female, 0 moons. Bullying.) (Daffodilkit, kitten, female, 0 moons. Quiet.)

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4 gifs were made using clips from Remy Abode's "Gemini Home Entertainment", episode titled "STORM SAFETY TIPS". SOURCE: (X)

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