No reviews. Oh well, that's okay.

And I just realized that besides gender, I never described the characters. Here's a mini allegiances list:

Swift Fox: Ginger tom with white paws and ice-blue eyes

Flooded Stream: Patched dark ginger-and-white she-cat with pale green eyes

Tall Willow: Gray she-cat with pale green eyes

Thistle: White tom with dark brown tabby patches and dark blue eyes

The dreaded cold season had come. Swift Fox and Thistle, especially Thistle, keep Flooded Stream a priority since according to Leaf, an old tom that lives under a young oak by the shore, she was only days away from kitting.

"What did you find?" Swift Fox asked Thistle after a hunting trip.

"I just got a mouse," he replied.

"I got a rabbit." Swift Fox could tell that Thistle was impressed, and it wasn't wrong to be. A large rabbit was a rare find during cold season.

"The snow's a bit early," Tall Willow commented when they returned with their catch. Flooded Stream got the rabbit and the others managed to split the two mice.

"At least we have some," Flooded Stream pointed out.

But some may not be enough, Swift Fox thought as he chewed the stringy mouse. He was still definitely grateful though; some cats died in the cold season. Not from the lack of warmth, but of hunger.

"Let's all go out for a short walk for some exercise," Tall Willow suggested, trying to brighten the mood. "We can't spend all cold season huddled up in here."

"I'm coming too," Flooded Stream insisted. Her bulging belly swayed as she rose.

"No you're not," Swift Fox countered.

"I'll stay with her," Thistle offered.

"No, I will."

He sighed. "...Okay. Just... take care of her."


A long time had passed and hey still hadn't returned. Swift Fox din't worry, though, because sometimes they took long walks. They might be investigating, he reminded himself. He looked at his sister, but she was sound asleep. He saw her belly contract and expand that wasn't ordinary breathing, so he decided o find the others or maybe Leaf. He was scared to leave her, but he wouldn't be gone long, and he would have help.

"Flooded Stream, I'm leaving for a bit," he informed her.

"Okay," she mumbled.

He went off in search of the young oak and Leaf.


Usually, the path to the oak was stoney, but it was covered in a thick, hard layer of snow now. He passed the badger settlement and and saw the naked branches of Leaf's oak.

"Leaf?" he called. The old gray tom popped out of a hollow under a root.

"Yes?" he asked. "Let me guess, it's about your queen?" He disappeared for a moment and popped out again with sticks and leaves in his jaws.

Together, they ran back to the Nofur den to help Flooded Stream.

But when hey got back, the kits were already entered into the world.

But none of the cats were moving.

Including Flooded Stream.

So, yeah, a cliffhanger ;) But tell me how it is.