It was just an everyday average leaf-fall night in RiverClan.

Except for the fact that Cindertail had been laying awake in her nest for ages trying to fall asleep. She'd watched as the moon made its slow way across the sky, until it passed out of sight and she only caught occasional glimpses through the branches of the nursery overhead.

Her belly was huge and swollen with her unborn kits. The medicine cat suspected she would have four or five, a large litter for someone her age and size and for someone having kits for the first time. He also said they were due any day now, and to not worry if she went into labor. He never really said it, but Cindertail was pretty sure he was a bit worried about her. The medicine cat's worry couldn't compare to Leopardfang's fretting, though. The adorable old worry wort, she thought fondly.

One thing was for sure, her stomach was so huge she couldn't get comfortable no matter what way she adjusted herself. The kits were particularly energetic tonight. She could feel a tiny little tap on her insides every so often, and sometimes a harder one that stung. They just couldn't settle down enough to let their mother sleep.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Ouch, that was a good kick, she thought. Someone's gonna come out strong. She laid there for a few more minutes in a restless, sleepless silence, and then she felt it again. Sharper now. Great StarClan, ow. All at once, she realized what was happening. The kits were coming.

Cindertail forced herself to her paws and toddled her way outside the nursery, her eyes set on the warriors den. She had to get up Leopardfang. He would know what to do. Halfway across the camp's clearing, she had to stop as another pang of pain shot through her body. Teeth gritted, she stubbornly pushed onwards until she reached the warriors den. From there it wasn't hard to find Leopardfang. He slept near the den's entrance.

She jabbed a paw sharply into his side, harder than intended because she felt another pang just then. "Leopardfang," she hissed between her teeth. "The kits are coming.

Cindertail stood impatiently while Leopardfang woke up and yawned. Slowly her words seemed to dawn on him. He leapt to his paws as he realized what she meant. "The kits are coming?" he exclaimed. "Now?!"

"Oh, no, it just feels like they're shredding my insides because it's fun," Cindertail growled. Toms could be so daft. But she couldn't stay irritated with him because he was instantly all about her, being his protective, hover-y self and offering to help her back to the nursery and then go fetch the medicine cat. She leaned into him thankfully and began the slow waddle/walk back to the nursery.

The duo had reached the entrance of the nursery when she felt another contraction. She grunted and gritted her teeth, burying her face in Leopardfang's fur as they walked. She forced him to stop for a moment until the pain passed, and then she pushed onwards. When they arrived back at her nest, she was surprised the other inhabitants of the nursery were not awake. They probably wouldn't be asleep for long.

Despite Cindertail's mild irritation at Leopardfang's daftness, any lingering annoyance soon faded with his proclamation of love. Toms might be senseless sometimes, but her mate really did care for her. He was probably feeling quite panicky over this, seeing as how he'd never had a mate have kits before. The leopard-patterned tabby promised he would return soon, gave her an affectionate, comforting nuzzle, and then shot out the nursery entrance with the speed of a WindClan cat, or perhaps the true leopards for which he was named in the stories the elders told them when they were young.

The queen laid in her nest and attempted to find a comfortable position -- easier said than done, that was for sure. Her swollen belly alone was quite the inconvenience; she hadn't really been able to get comfortable before she began her kitting, so what made her believe she could now? Absolutely nothing, she determined after a moment as another contraction seized her. She clenched her teeth through the unpleasant sharpness of the pain.

Much to Cindertail's relief, Leopardfang reappeared by her side at that moment. "Shadetooth will be here shortly," he informed her.

"Great," she meowed. "Then we can get this over with." She winced as another brief pang shot through her. Enduring this for the next few hours would not be fun.