It was a cold leaf-bare day. Cloudtail and Brightheart were visiting Princess, Cloudtail's mother. Brightheart would soon have her first kits. Suddenly, the first kit was coming.
"Cloudtail! My kits! They're coming!" cried Brightheart. The first kit came. She licked it. Something was wrong.
"Cloudtail! Run back to camp and get Cinderpelt now!!! This first kit… he's very weak! He's barely breathing! He won't live without a medicine cat! RUN!!!" cried Brightheart. Realizing how serious it was, Cloudtail ran as fast as he could. Seconds after he was gone, a second kit came. The second was an all white she-cat. The first had been a very light tan tom with white paws. The second was stronger than the first, but just barely. The first had no hope of survival, with or without a medicine cat. The second would not survive in the forest unless it had time to become stronger and healthier out of the leaf-bare cold.
"Princess! My first kit won't survive. He's too weak. This second one isn't much stronger. She won't survive the leaf-bare cold in the forest. She needs to stay in a twoleg nest. Please! Help me get her a home with some twolegs who will be nice to her, but will not be so nice that she doesn't want to return to the forest later. And please, don't tell Cloudtail about her. He won't like it. And he would be so unhappy if he knew about all of this but she didn't want to come back. Your twolegs might take her. Her name is Frostkit. Tell her about me, Cloudtail, and what you know about the forest when she's old enough to understand. I'll come back to talk to Frostkit too, but Cloudtail can't know yet. Will you help me?" meowed Brightheart.
"Yes, of course. I'll take her inside now. My twolegs will find her soon, and take care of her if she's inside. If Cloudtail asks, I went to get some water for myself," replied Princess, picking up Frostkit. While Princess was gone, the third and final kit came. It was another all white she-cat. Princess came back and helped Brightheart wash the two remaining kits. A few minutes later, Cloudtail and Cinderpelt appeared. Brightheart's first kit was too weak for Cinderpelt to save.
"No! I was going to name him Oakkit! He was the only tom!" whimpered Brightheart.
"Oakkit is in the paws of StarClan now," meowed Cloudtail sadly.
"Brightheart! Cloudtail! This kit still needs you!" Princess reminded them.
"You're right, Princess. Let's call her Whitekit. What do you think, Brightheart?" asked Cloudtail.
"Good idea!" answered Brightheart, glad Cloudtail hadn't suggested Frostkit.
Cloudtail! Brightheart! We still need to get Whitekit back to camp! She'll freeze out here!" meowed Cinderpelt.
"You two go ahead with Whitekit. I'm going to bury Oakkit. This is something I need to do alone," replied Brightheart. Cloudtail and Cinderpelt nodded and started walking toward camp. Once they were a few foxlengths away, Cloudtail turned to Cinderpelt.
"Brightheart is up to something. She looked away when she said she needed to bury Oakkit alone. I'm going to go back and watch what she does. You keep going and take Whitekit," meowed Cloudtail quietly. Cinderpelt nodded, so Cloudtail slipped away silently to go find Brightheart. He saw her still with Princess. He listened carefully to hear them.
"Poor Oakkit. He never even saw camp. Not even the nursery. I hope Frostkit lives long enough to become a warrior, or at least an apprentice. You will tell her about me and Cloudtail, right?" asked Brightheart.
"Of course. Don't worry, you still have Whitekit for now. My twolegs will take care of Frostkit for you. Do you need help burying Oakkit?" replied Princess.
"If you will help, that would be great. Poor thing. He didn't even live long enough to meet his father. I hope Cloudtail isn't too upset. What would he do if he knew about Frostkit? What would he do if he knew his own mother was hiding his kit from him?"
"I don't know, and I definitely don't want to find out."
"Neither do I. Thanks for doing this for me Princess. Frostkit will thank you too. I know she will." As soon as Princess and Brightheart stopped talking, Cloudtail came out of his hiding place.
"Cloudtail!" gasped Brightheart.