Jolting awake, Harmonystar's gold eyes flung open and her head bolted upwards. Heart racing, she found herself surrounded in complete darkness. No shadows shifted inside of the den as she surveyed the roots that held the den walls together. Another shriek reached her ears, echoing all throughout the camp. Her blood ran a shocking, freezing cold, as if her blood had just turned into ice cold water. The first thought that flung itself into her mind? An attack.   

    Leaping to her paws, the large doe bolted out of her den, climbing up the step-like roots. Charging into the snowy clearing, Harmonystar's head whipped back and forth, searching for shadows in the night. Instead of finding foes, however, she was met with Cherryfrost racing across camp. Her white and russet fur was bristling as she disappeared into the fern den. Outside of the a shallon bush stood Hollykit, her smokey gray fur fluffed up against the cold.

    The fawn's owl-like eyes were wide as more shrieks came from the den that she stood beside. Slamming to a stop, the leader's own eyes widened, her paws skidding along the snowy ground. 'Brokendoe's kitting,' she realized as the shrieks continued, stunned in place. Far above her head, wispy clouds drifted over the quarter moon. Its sliver of light drifted down onto the forest floor, making the snow glow a faint silver. Harmonystar stood absolutely still, the shock keeping her in place as she stared at the nursery.

    Around the leader, heads poked out of dens as the Clan became roused from their slumber. Confusion spread like wildfire among the does as the shrieks persisted. Their whispers filled the air as they stumbled into the dark clearing. Many looked terrified, their fur bristling or fluffed up. One of the apprentices, a smokey black & white tabby, bolted outside of the den, her claws unsheathed. Her copper eyes were wide in terror as she snapped her head from side to side, as if she too had been expecting invaders.

    Another apprentice carefully walked around the wild-looking fawn, resting her tail on her denmate's shoulders.

    "It's okay, Harepaw," the large calico reassured her. "It's just Brokendoe." Harepaw stared up at her denmate, eyes still wide, before nodding slowly. She sheathed her claws, forcing her fur flat, and slowly looked around the moonlit clearing. The calico looked up at Harmonystar, her milky gray eyes meeting the leader's gold ones. She had no idea what to say to the apprentice, but she didn't have to.

    "What's happening?" A voice demanded to the leader's right. Twisting, Harmonystar spotted a black and dark red tortoiseshell shoving her way out of the warriors den. Her ears were flat as she stomped across the snow covered ground. Behind her, several other warriors followed the tortoiseshell into the thick snow. The larger doe opened her jaws to speak, but Cherryfrost had suddenly stopped beside her.

    "Brokendoe is giving birth," she puffed, her amber eyes wide in amazement. The tortoiseshell stopped dead in her tracks, her ears slowly perking up. Behind the small doe, realization dawned on the other warriors as they also came to a stop. One by one, they all turned to look at the nursery, where the shrieks had subsided for the time being. They watched as Breezesky raced inside, a mouthful of herbs in her jaws, her tail disappearing into the den. Silently, they all stood where they had stopped, the emotions of the Clan becoming more mixed as the shrieks started up again.

    The tension in the air grew thicker the longer they remained there. It was suffocating to the large doe as she warily eyed the cats around her.

    "I'm going to see if she needs help," Harmonystar suddenly announced, trotting after the medicine cat, in a desperate attempt to escape the suffocating feeling. The warriors watched her leave, murmuring to each other as their eyes burned into their leader's back. Cherryfrost followed closely at her heels, stopping outside to curl her tail around Hollykit and ushering her away from the den. The large cat pushed her way under the shallon bush, stopping just inside the entrance. Painfully twisted in her nest, lied Brokendoe, her jaws clenched in agony. She was kicking at the ground with her backleg, while she buried her foreclaws into the ground.

    Her jaws opened again in a painful wail as another contraction gripped her. The queen's body shook all over from the pain, her eyes screwed closed. The leader's own eyes were wide as she stared down at the doe. Harmonystar was completely uncertain on what to do, but she knew that she had to help. Even if she didn't know how. Just staring at Brokendoe sent the leader into a panic, urgently wanting to help, but knowing that it'd be hopeless.

    She wasn't a medicine cat, and she only knew the basics about healing injuries. What good would she be to the kitting doe? Harmonystar blinked slowly as she watched the apprentice and queen. Breezesky was desperately doing her best to soothe Brokendoe, trying to coax her into eating some of the herbs she had brought. However, she ignored them, turning up her nose at the herb pile. Moments later, another shriek left her open jaws, her ears flatting from the pain.

    Harmonystar suddenly snapped out of her trance, shaking her head roughly. "Where's Cloudfall?" She demanded the medicine cat apprentice, stepping farther into the den to stand beside the pale blue-gray doe. Breezesky looked up at her leader, eyes wide and pelt completely ruffled. Uneasily, she glanced down at the queen that writhed at her paws, before shuffling closer to Harmonystar.

    "She won't help her," the apprentice hissed into the leader's ear. Those gold eyes slowly blinked as her head turned to stare at the young doe, her emotions completely unreadable. All of her attention was now solely on the pale blue-gray cat, who hesitated before continuing. "S-she said that Brokendoe is undeserving of her help... That a rule breaker abandoned Faith and the Ancients, therefore she abandoned the Clan, too." Breezesky took a step back, her sunset blue eyes full of worry, flattening her ears.

    "I'm so scared... I-I don't know what I'm doing..." She admitted, fear striking through her eyes. Harmonystar felt her heart racing, panic and anger charging through her body all at once. She eyed the twisting queen, unsure of what to do herself.

    'Dear Faith, what do we do?' The leader asked as another agonized wail exploded from the birthing doe. Harmonystar's ears flattened as the wail pierced her ears, ruffling her ear fur. Even Breezesky flinched, the fear never leaving her blue eyes. Swallowing, the older doe looked up at the roof of the den. 'Faith, please help me,' she silently begged.

    'We need your help... Please... Just please help us.' After a few more moments, she looked back down and turned to Breezesky.  Doing her best to remain calm, she started, "I-I think I know what to do. But first, I need you to go find a strong, thin stick," she ordered. The apprentice nodded, her eyes still wide, and she silently walked past the older doe.

    She slipped out from the den, leaving the leader and queen alone together. Harmonystar let out a worry filled sigh and padded up beside Brokendoe. Gently, she stroked her flank with her tail, her eyes focused solely on the doe. Slowly, the queen looked up at the leader, orange eyes glazed with pain. Beneath it, the larger doe could practically see the queen's panic. Panting, she started to meow,

    "Harmony-." The larger doe silenced her by placed a paw on her shoulder.

    "Shh, it's okay, Brokendoe," she murmured gently. "Just take some deep breaths... Breath in, breath out." The queen nodded, forcing air in through her nose, then back out of her mouth. "That's it, good..." Harmonystar praised her, her whiskers slightly twitching.

    The queen started to meow something again, but in that moment, Breezesky forced her way back inside the nursery. She kept her jaws clamped on a stick as she dragged it in after her. The apprentice pulled it farther inside before stopping in front of Harmonystar.

    "Will this work?" She puffed, lowering the stick to the ground. The leader nodded rapidly, stepping closer to Breezesky.

    "This is perfect," she agreed, pushing the stick over to Brokendoe. Placing the stick beside the queen's muzzle, she faced Breezesky. The medicine cat apprentice still looked worried, her eyes darting to the twitching and moaning doe. "Now," Harmonystar started, snapping the apprentice from her thoughts, "she's going to need some water. Send Firepaw to go soak a piece of moss in the stream. When you come back, we'll get Brokendoe more settled."

    Breezesky dipped her head to the leader before turning and leaving the den once again. After watching the younger doe walk away, Harmonystar turned to Brokendoe. She was panting, her eyes half closed, while her tail tip flicked wildly. Nudging the stick with a paw, she murmured, "Grab this when the pain becomes too much, okay?" Dazedly, the other doe partially nodded, but she made no move to grab the stick. With a soft hum, Harmonystar carefully ran her paw over the queen's flank.

    Blinking in surprise, she peered at the belly of the kitting queen. She hadn't realized before how round Brokendoe's belly had become. 'Have we really grown this far apart so fast? It hasn't even been two full moons yet...' Harmonystar thought wretchedly. Her ears flattened as the anger and betrayal from those, less than two, moons ago surged through her body.

    'How could she have done this to us..? To me? After all we have been through, together?' The anger never stopped swirling in her gut as the betrayal gnawed at her heart. 'Why... Just why, Brokendoe?' The doe was torn away from her thoughts as the queen let out another wail. She opened her jaws to say something encouraging, despite her feelings, but stopped as Breezesky reappeared.

    Her eyes were still wide, but this time they were full of shock and fear.

    "H-Harmonystar..." she stuttered out, staring at the leader, her head low as if she had just been scolded. The doe twisted to look at her, head tilted, noticing the fear in the apprentice's eyes.

    "What is it, Breezesky?" She demanded, tail twitching, as she turned fully to face her. The medicine cat apprentice swallowed nervously before responding.

    "Cloudfall is telling me that I can't help Brokendoe... She's saying that if I do.. th-then she won't teach me anymore..." Harmonystar stared at her, as if all that she had spoken went through one ear than out the other. She felt her blood run ice cold again, before it raged into bubbling lava. The fury that swelled into her icy gold eyes could have set the branches of the den ablaze. Harmonystar's jaw clenched tightly and her ears flattened against her skull, fur bristling.

    "Okay. Go on, then. But, tell Cloudfall I will talk with her once this is over." She growled through gritted teeth, doing her best to keep her fury from blowing over. As she turned to Brokendoe, Harmonystar added, "And I need you to send in Aquashade, too." Breezesky nodded slowly before turning and leaving the den, her head still hung low.

    "W-where is she going..?" Brokendoe whispered as she watched the apprentice leave, puffing through the contractions. Harmonystar stared down at the doe helplessly.

    "She can't help us... But it's going to be okay, I promise," she tried to reassure her. The queen's eyes flashed with worry, a low moan leaving her muzzle.

    "C-can't.. help..?" She huffed before yowling, her claws sinking into the ground. Harmonystar nudged the stick closer to her.

    "O-okay, I need you to bite down on the this stick. Now," she ordered the kitting doe. The light chestnut queen stared at her, then reached out and grasped the stick in her mouth. As she did this, a familiar dark blue-gray doe slipped inside the bush.

    "You asked for me, Harmonystar?" She asked, head tilting. Whipping around, the larger doe nodded rapidly, waving her tail at the warrior.

    "Yes, yes I did. Come over here," Harmonystar ordered. Aquashade dipped her head and strolled up beside the doe, eyeing the queen.

    "What do you need me to do?" She questioned, looking over at the dark rosy cream doe. Angling her ears at Brokendoe's hindquarters, Harmonystar answered her,

    "I need you to crouch right there. I'm not sure how long the kitting will take, but we need to be prepared for when the fawns come." Aquashade nodded and wriggled into place while Harmonystar settled beside Brokendoe's flank. The queen was clenching the stick tightly, her eyes still glazed with pain. Just then, a dark russet apprentice joined the small group, a wad of wet moss in her jaws. Harmonystar perked up, waving her tail at the fawn.

    "Firepaw, quick, bring it over!" She hissed, making the apprentice scurry inside. The fawn dropped the moss beside the queen's muzzle, who immediately let go of the stick and began to lap feverishly at the water. Firepaw dipped her head to the leader, tail flicking.

    "Did you need anything else, Harmonystar?" She had asked, her hazel eyes flicking over Brokendoe and Aquashade. The larger doe shook her head and the apprentice nodded before turning and exiting the den. When she had left, Harmonystar turned back to Brokendoe. She did her best to soothe the writhing queen, coaxing her into drinking some more of the water that was provided. When the silence began to stretch, Aquashade offered some playful jokes, in an attempt at trying to keep the mood light.

    As the night wore on, it grew harder and harder for them to stay focused and keep calm. Harmonystar paced anxiously behind Aquashade, scrambling Cherryfrost's nest across the den floor. Brokendoe had gone almost completely limp, her throat sore from all of her painful cries. Aquashade's eyes kept closing and she would tip over every few seconds as exhaustion dragged at her. It wasn't until early dawn broke that the kitting doe suddenly rolled over, gasping.

    "I think it-it's coming!" She yowled painfully, sinking her claws into the moss beneath her. Harmonystar pressed a paw against her flank as Aquashade snapped out of her sleepy trance. The large doe could feel the contractions, and farther beneath them, a small lump. She sucked in a sharp breath, a feeling of raw excitement and wonder rushing through her body.

    'If only we weren't in DoeClan,' she couldn't stop herself from thinking. The instant she thought it, however, made Harmonystar shake her head roughly. 'Stop it,' she scolded herself. 'Get over it already. That option is long gone.' Despite this, she couldn't stop her body from trembling in time with Brokendoe's.

    One from excitement, the other from pain. "Okay, deep breaths, Brokendoe," she murmured, keeping the queen focused on her. "And as you take them, I want you to push, okay?" The lithe doe barely managed a nod, the pain seeming to lock up all of her muscles. Harmonystar pushed the stick back towards the doe, then glanced over at Aquashade. The dark blue-gray doe was entirely focused on Brokendoe's hindquarters, muscles tensed as if she were about to spring into battle.

    'Don't worry, Aquashade. This is one fight we're going to win,' the larger cat thought bemusedly. Moments later, Brokendoe let out a shriek, forgetting the leader's order to breath with the contractions. "Okay, now push!" Harmonystar ordered, placing her paw on the doe's flank again. The queen shook all over as she forced her body to push, her claws scrambling on the den floor.

    The leader felt the small lump move farther down and another wave of wonder washed over her. "Alright, good. Good," she purred. "Now, on the next contraction, you need to push as hard as you absolutely can." The light chestnut doe shivered, but nodded, breathing heavily. As the next wave took over her body, all of Brokendoe's muscles seemed to tense as she pushed. A shriek of pure agony ripped out of her throat as a small bundle tumbled into the moss nest.

    Aquashade's eyes widened as the kit landed at her forepaws. Her head shot upwards to stare at Harmonystar.

    "I-I don't know what to do!" She stammered, eyes wide in worry and amazement.

    "Nip that sac and start licking it!" The larger doe ordered sharply before running a paw over the queen's flank. She felt no more lumps through the round belly. The warrior nodded at the leader's command, quickly bending down and nipping the sac that encased the kit. She licked the fawn roughly, which sent it squealing loudly. Brokendoe immediately tried to sit up, looking over at the fawn colored kit.

    "Let me see it!" She hissed, her tail lashing. Harmonystar stood back and nodded to Aquashade, who carefully moved the fawn to its mother. Brokendoe began to groom it as soon as it reached her, keeping the fawn close between her forepaws. The other two does watched in awe as the fawn squealed and tried to drag itself towards its mother's belly. After several moments, Harmonystar rested her tail on the queen's shoulder.

    "Brokendoe," she meowed gently. "I need to check it." The new mother paused in her grooming, looking up at the leader with nervous eyes. The large doe took this chance to carefully tilt the fawn over. It squealed as she did this, desperately trying to wiggle away, but she ignored it. Her heart sank to her paws and her ears flattened.

    A tidal wave of emotions enveloped her heart and soul, threatening to knock her off of her paws. If it was a doe, it could have stayed in the Clan. However, if it was a buck... Harmonystar let out a raspy sigh as she stepped backwards. Shaking her head, she looked over at the warrior beside her. "It's a buck," she meowed roughly to Aquashade.

    The dark colored doe swallowed, her eyes flicking back to Brokendoe.

    "What do we do?" The warrior whispered, her face written with uncertainty. The leader snorted, tail flicking wildly. Aquashade could sense the fury rolling off the doe, coming in fierce waves.

    "Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she growled darkly before turning and stalking out of the den. Both warrior and queen followed Harmonystar with their eyes. One full of uncertainty, the other full of pain and regret. Blinking after the leader, Aquashade turned to look at Brokendoe. The heartache was clear as day in those usually warm, orange eyes. It was like she had just watched the most precious thing to her die.

    There wasn't anything any of them could do. All bucks were forbidden from living within the Clan. No exception had ever been made. And it definitely wouldn't now. The fawn was doomed from the very start.

~•《♡》•~

Author's Note

I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 1!

What do you think Harmonystar's thoughts mean? What do you think she's referring to? 

What do you think the kit will be named?

What do you think will happen to Cloudfall?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

For a word count, I got 3,144.

~Dragon