Down the Mountain - Prologue

Allegiances
LEADER - MOUNTAINSTAR - large silver-gray tom with blue speckles

SECOND - TAWNYFANG - pale ginger tom with sharp claws

HEALER - CRYSTALFUR - white tom with ginger splotches     TRAINEE, HOLLOWPAW

TRAINEES -

HOLLOWPAW - tortiseshell tabby she-cat

BEARERS -

DANCINGPELT - dark brown she-cat with black splotches

GINGERHEART - dark ginger she-cat

Prologue
It was hot and stuffy in the nursery. Crystalfur watched Dancingpelt carefully. The bearer gasped as another wave of pain hit her. Gingerheart sat beside her, whispering words of encouragement. Dancingpelt groaned, her eyes wide. Crystalfur's paws shook as he laid them on her stomach.

"Hollowpaw!" he mewed. "Go get the herbs from my den!"

"Right, and those'll be..." The tortiseshell tabby proceeded to list all the herbs she was supposed to get.

"Yes, that's right," Crystalfur meowed impatiently. "Now go get them!"

"Of course, Crystalfur." She ran out of the nursery.

He sighed. When would that cat learn that sometimes you need to rush...

He shook his head to clear it of all other thoughts. He had to help Dancingpelt. This was her first time kitting and the first was always the most painful.

A pale ginger muzzle poked itself into the nursery. "Everything OK in there?" Tawnyfang, Dancingpelt's mate, asked.

"All fine, Tawnyfang." Gingerheart answered. "You should be a father soon."

Tawnyfang pulled back his muzzle. Then there was a moan from Dancingpelt.

"Crystalfur! They're coming." Gingerheart meowed.

He was about to position himself when Hollowpaw came in, looking nervous.

"Um, Crystalfur? I, um, forgot where the marigold is..."

Crystalfur touched her shoulder with his tail tip. He knew all about the pressure. "it's OK. She should be fine without it."

He positioned himself and a small pale ginger bundle slid out.

"A she-cat!" he announced. He set it in front of Hollowpaw.

"Lick, please." Hollowpaw started licking the kit.

Next came a dark brown one.

"A tom." He set it in front of Gingerheart and she went to work.

He readied himself and a smaller black bundle slid out. He set it in front of Hollowpaw and she started to lick it.

"Another she-cat." He felt her stomach. "Only the three. Good job, Dancingpelt."

Gingerheart and Hollowpaw stopped licking. Crystalfur set them all down next to Dancingpelt's stomach.

The bearer breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Crystalfur."

He dipped his head and then backed out of the nursery. He looked around camp. the mountains were such a peaceful place. At least when no one was kitting. He saw Tawnyfang and Mountainstar talking near the edge of camp.

"Tawnyfang," he called out. the pale ginger tom looked over at him and padded over, Mountainstar on his heels.

"Well?" Tawnyfang asked.

"All good." Crystalfur replied. "Two she-cats and a tom-"

A sudden wail of horror cut him off. He bolted back into the nursery. Dancingpelt had pressed the black kit against her and pushed herself away from two limp bodies, one pale ginger, one dark brown.

He felt the two unmoving bodies.

They were dead.

Crystalfur looked up at Dancingpelt and opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. There was nothing to say.

Crystalfur felt the black one. It was breathing, but barely. It might die like the others.

He stepped out of the nursery and looked at Tawnyfang.

"Two dead," was all he said.

Tawnyfang shouldered past him and entered the nursery. Crystalfur followed him.

Tawnyfang sniffed the two dead kits, then approached Dancingpelt.

"Be careful with the kit." Crystalfur warned. "She might also die."

Tawnyfang licked the little black head. "Is there anything we can do?" he asked.

Dancingpelt shook her head. "I don't think so. All we can do is hope." The bearer looked up at them, eyes wide. "Hope..." She looked back down at the little body. "Hopekit."

Hope you enjoyed the Prologue! :D