Three weeks had passed and the kits' eyes were opened and they had begun to move around in the den as well as adventure outside every so often. Todd chuckled as he watched two of the male kits play fighting with each other. He flicked his ears slightly in interest as he noted that the older of the pair was play growling loudly and had already pinned his younger multiple times during their play fight. He could tell by this observation that that kit was strong willed. He smiled softly then cast a glance over at Vixey who was interacting with the smallest of the male kits. Vixey play growled and pawed gently at the kit and in response, he easily dodged and nipped softly at the side of her paw. Vixey smiled, rather impressed by her kit's speed then looked up when she realized Todd was looking her way. Todd returned her smile warmly and yipped softly to the kit. He glanced up at his father then wiggled his tail and scurried over to him and ran in between his legs. Todd chuckled with amusement.
"He is a quick one isn't he?" Todd observed with a grin as the kit ran over and pounced on the largest of the female kits. The female kit yipped in surprise then swiftly rolled over and padded off with an annoyed grunt as she left her brother a bit flustered that he had been outsmarted. Vixey giggled softly after watching the scene then glanced at Todd.
"He may be quick, but that sister of his is quite clever," Vixey noted. Todd chuckled softly and sat beside Vixey then licked the side of her muzzle gently.
"Kind of like us. You always seem to be able to outsmart me," Todd said with a slight chuckle. Vixey sat up and gently placed a paw over Todd's in a show of affection.
"You are a quick learner though. After all, you have become a great hunter now, you know," Vixey complimented with admiration in her tone. Todd straightened up a bit and smiled proudly. Vixey nipped his ear softly and giggled. The two of them then glanced over at the other end of the den and spotted the other two female kits playing tug of war with a root. Todd titled his head as a thought occurred to him.
"Hey Vixey, I was just thinking: Wouldn't it be a good time to name the kits? They have all developed their own personalities and it would be nice for them to have names to match," Todd suggested excitedly. Vixey easily picked up on Todd's excitement and had admittedly been thinking the same thing to herself moments before.
"Sounds good, Todd. Would you mind if I named the girls and you named the boys?" Vixey proposed with a slight tilt of her head. Todd grinned widely and nodded firmly in agreement.
"That is perfectly fine by me!" Todd replied as his tail began to twitch with excitement. Vixey giggled then barked softly to the female kits. The three of them quickly rushed up to their mother, their tails waving happily as she gave them all quick, but gentle nuzzles with her nose. Vixey glanced at the largest of the females and smiled softly.
"I would like to name this clever little girl Charlotte," Vixey said with a flick of her ears. Charlotte yipped softly and immediately seemed to take a liking to her newly bestowed name. Todd chuckled happily.
"I think that will suit her just fine," Todd said with a nod of agreement. Vixey nodded once as well.
"Now, for the middle sized one, I think…" Vixey trailed off as she noticed the male kits had wandered over and sat down. Each of them was glancing over curiously at what was going on. Vixey and Todd laughed softly in unison.
"Guess the boys want to know their names too, Todd. How about you give one of them their names now?" Vixey proposed with a grin. Todd smiled brightly.
"I would love to! Well… This big tough guy here…" Todd began as he pointed to the largest of the male kits with his nose, "I would like to name him Sorrel. It is a strong name and will go well with his personality," Todd said with a glance at Vixey. Vixey smiled and gently pressed her nose against Todd's to express her agreement.
"I like it! So, for the middle sized girl, I think Amber would suit her. Like the other kits, her adult fur color is starting to show just a bit, but I have noticed that her fur is a golden color rather than the usual red. It is close to the color of actual amber which I have had the pleasure of seeing before and it is lovely, so I think that would match her perfectly," Vixey said with an admiring glance at the kit. Amber waved her tail happily from side to side. Todd smiled with approval.
"A lovely name indeed. I noticed her unique fur as well. It will be nice to see it when she is fully grown. Now, as for the middle sized boy, he is a bit of tough fellow too, but he is still a good sport when he plays with his big brother. I think the name Dixon would be good for him," Todd said with a glance at the newly named kit. Vixey smiled and cast an approving glance at Todd then glanced at the smallest of the female kits.
"As far as the little one, I think a name that is short and simple would be fitting. I will call her Faya," Vixey said with a flick of her ears. Todd yipped a soft approval.
"Charlotte, Amber, Faya, Sorrel, and Dixon. Those are great names! Now, for the last, but not least…" Todd said as he turned his attention to the smallest male kit. "For this quick little guy, I would like to call him Mason," Todd finished. Vixey giggled softly and licked Todd's cheek then glanced down at all the kits.
"They are all so wonderful, Todd!" Vixey proclaimed with pride. Todd yipped softly and nodded in agreement. All of the kits happily wagged their tails and seemed to be just as happy as their parents. Just then, a cloud that had blocked some of the sun's rays moved away and the shone brightly on the entire clearing.
"Such a lovely day! Let's make the most of it!" Todd exclaimed happily. Vixey yipped her agreement and the kits happily returned to playing.
After enjoying time together with his family for a while, Todd went out to hunt and later returned with a rabbit. Since the kits were still a little young and uninterested in meat, Todd and Vixey happily at side by side while they kept on eye on the kits. Soon the kits began to tire and one by one headed back into the den.
"I love you and our family so much, Todd," Vixey said as she affectionately nuzzled under Todd's chin. Todd wagged his tail slowly from side to side and nuzzled Vixey affectionately in return.
"And I love you along with each and every one of our kits more than anything in the world. You are all the best things that have happened in my life so far and nothing will change that," Todd said firmly. Vixey smiled brightly and scooted a little closer to Todd before she glanced toward the direction of the sunset.
Something was off about the color of the sky and Vixey also noticed that birds were flying away from that direction in what seemed to be a panic. The sky had not only taken a variety of colors that included pink, red, orange and yellow. All were colors that signaled a dangerous event: fire. Vixey's eyes widened in worry and her fur bristled. Todd noticed the change in Vixey and as a result was instantly on edge.
"Todd, we have to get out of here. Now," Vixey said quickly as she rushed into the den and barked loudly to wake the kits. Todd followed right behind her, barking as well.