Moth Flight’s Vision

“But I have to.” Juniper Branch began to pant.

Moth Flight leaned closer. “Keep panting. Focus on that. We need to stop your body pushing and let your kits find their own way out in their own time.”

Pebble Heart blinked at her. “She can’t be like this for a half-moon!”

“She won’t need to be,” Moth Flight told him. Calmness swept over her. She remembered heading into the Highstones tunnel for the first time. She was gripped by the same quiet certainty she’d felt then, as though she knew what to do. “What happens when you stub your paw?” she asked Pebble Heart.

“It hurts?” He stared at her, puzzled.

“What else?”

“It swells up.”

“Exactly.” Moth Flight rested her paws low on Juniper

Branch’s belly. Heat pulsed from the queen’s fur. Something was inflamed. “Her body’s not ready yet. I can feel where she’s swollen. And each time she pushes, it gets worse. The swelling is blocking the kits’ way out. She has to stop pushing long enough for it to go down.”

“So they’ll have room to come out!” Pebble Heart’s eyes widened with understanding.

Juniper Branch growled. “Another pain is coming.”

“Keep panting!” Moth Flight darted out of the den and scanned the clearing. Her heart leaped as she saw a thick pine twig lying at the edge. Racing to it, she snatched it between her jaws and headed back to the den. She thrust the twig into

Juniper Branch’s jaws. “Bite on this when the pain comes. Put all your energy into biting, not pushing.”

Juniper Branch screwed up her eyes. A low moan rolled in her throat. The wood cracked between her jaws as she bit down hard.

“We’re going to need more sticks,” Moth Flight told Pebble Heart.

He nodded and ducked out of the den.

Moth Flight lapped Juniper Branch’s belly with her tongue, relieved to feel no spasm reach the kits. “Don’t worry, kits,” she murmured between strokes. “We’ll have you out of there before long.”

Juniper Branch fell limp.

Moth Flight jerked her muzzle around and stared at the queen. Her eyes were glazed with exhaustion, but the spasm had clearly passed. The crushed pine twig lay on the ground next to her. “Well done!” she meowed. “You didn’t push that time.”

Juniper Branch drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“This is going to be difficult,” Moth Flight told her. “You need to stop yourself from pushing for a while longer. Just until there’s enough space for the kits to get out.”

“It’s hard,” Juniper Branch moaned.

“I know.” Moth flight felt a wave of sympathy for the queen.

“But you have to do it. For your kits.” And yourself. She held Juniper Branch’s fearful gaze. “We are going to help you.”

As she spoke, Pebble Heart slid into the den. He dropped a fresh twig on the ground. “Mouse Ear and Mud Paws are scouring the forest for more.”

“Have you got any poppy seeds?” A pang of guilt jabbed Moth Flight’s belly. Had she eaten his whole supply that first night?

“Dappled Pelt brought two leaf wraps,” he told her.

“Fetch what you’ve got,” Moth Flight ordered. “We need to ease her pain.”

“I’ll bring thyme as well. It’ll calm her.”

“Good idea.” Moth Flight met his gaze, relieved they were facing this together.

As Pebble Heart disappeared again, Juniper Branch began to moan. “Here comes another one.”

Moth Flight grabbed the fresh twig and slipped it between

Juniper Branch’s jaws. “Remember. Focus on your breathing.

The pain will pass before you know it.”

She rested her paws gently on Juniper Branch’s belly as the queen stiffened with the effort of not pushing. No! The small movements inside were weakening. Hang on, kits. It won’t be long now. She hoped she was right.

Spasm after spasm gripped the queen. Moth Flight soothed her as she fought each one. Pebble Heart returned with poppy seeds and thyme. Juniper Branch swallowed both and, when Raven Pelt brought water-soaked moss, she lapped at it thirstily.

“Is she going to be okay?” Raven Pelt gazed fearfully at his mate.

Pebble Heart nosed him toward the den entrance. “We’ll do the best we can,” he promised.

As the black tom let himself be guided out, Mud Paws stuck his head inside and dropped a bundle of pine twigs.

“Thank you!” Moth Flight nodded gratefully to the tom and quickly thrust one of the twigs between Juniper Branch’s jaws.

Another spasm was coming. She pressed her paws low on the queen’s belly. The kits were hardly moving inside. But there was no heat pulsing from her fur. Had the swelling gone down?

She caught Pebble Heart’s eyes as he came back in. “Feel this.”

She moved away and let him place his paws where hers had been. “Less swelling, right?”

He nodded slowly, eyes narrowing with alarm. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “But I can hardly feel the kits moving.”

“I know.” Moth Flight leaned close to his ear. “She needs to start pushing now or we’ll lose them.”

“But what if it’s too soon?”

“It’ll be too late if we leave it longer.”

Pebble Heart gazed at her darkly. “I agree.” He pulled his paws away and ducked down beside Juniper Branch’s head.

“When you get the next spasm, we want you to push.”