Ivypool and Foxleap stared at their kits, moonlight dappling their fur.
"They're beautiful," Foxleap mewed, his eyes sparkling. Ivypool gazed at him warmly and twined her tail with his.
"What should we name them?" she asked quietly, turning her gaze to her sleeping kits as the first snowflakes of leaf-bare began to sprinkle down on them.
Foxleap prodded a silver she-kit with his paw and said, "This one looks like a perfect Moonkit."
Ivypool nodded her agreement and looked at the brown tabby tom, "That one looks like a Treekit to me."
A white she-kit with silver flecks mewled in her sleep and rolled onto Treekit. "That kit should be named Cloudkit, after my mother, Ferncloud and your grandfather Cloudtail," Foxleap said.
Ivypool purred and licked her mate's shoulder, "Yes, she looks like a mixture of both of them."
Foxleap looked at the last kit, a red she-kit that had black paws, white chest fur, and a white tail tip. "What about this one?"
"I thought we could name her Foxkit, after you."
Foxleap licked Ivypool between the ears and murmered, "Whatever you want, my dear flower."
Ivypool relaxed against him, curling her tail around her kits and she quickly fell asleep.
Early at dawn, the next morning, Ivypool woke in her nest in the nursery, her kits by her side. She prodded them each with her nose, but when she poked Foxkit, a cold touch met her nose. Ivypool's blood froze. "Oh no!" she murmered.
I should fetch Jayfeather! she thought instantly, but she vetoed it. She didn't want to wake her denmates. Instead she prodded Leafpool, who was in the nest next to her, with a shaky paw.
Leafpool lifted her head and groggily looked at Ivypool, "What is it?"
Ivypool picked up Foxkit and put her beside Leafpool. "She's so cold," Ivypool hissed.
Leafpool felt the kit all over then asked in a whisper, "What happened last night that could have caused this?"
"Foxleap and I were laying outside the den last night around moonhigh naming our kits. I fell asleep right there. Foxleap must have carried me in first and Foxkit last," Ivypool started explaining.
"It's likely she died of the cold, but there's nothing we can do about her now."
Ivypool wanted to wail in distress. "Don't tell Foxleap or anybody about this." she pleaded.
Leafpool sighed and nodded, "I've kept too many secrets in my life, but okay, Foxkit's death will be our secret." Then she tucked her nose under her tail and fell asleep once more.
Ivypool picked Foxkit up again and silently picked her way out of the den and out of the camp. She buried Foxkit under a bramble bush by the lake and sat crying for what seemed like moons. What will I tell Foxleap! she thought in despair. Then, she scented something. It was a fox, she realized. She could tell by the scent it was a fox kit and that it was a she-fox, too.
She followed the scent into the clearing next to the Sky Oak and she saw it, with the same markings as Foxkit, sitting next to the tree's trunk crying for it's mother. That's when she saw the fox kit's mother and littermates, dead near the bushes.
Ivypool felt a rush of relief, Thank StarClan!
She picked up the fox kit gently and carried her to the lake where she washed it in the cold she licked it's fur the other way to warm her.
"Hello,Foxkit," she mewed gently. Ivpool picked Foxkit up and rushed back to camp and into her nest with her other three kits. Leafpool watched as Ivypool settled her new "kit" in with it's "littermates".
"A fox kit?" Leafpool mewed incredulously, eyes wide.
"How did you know?" Ivypool asked, shocked, "I thought I washed all the fox scent off of her!"
"You didn't revive Foxkit," Leafpool pointed out,"But don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."
Ivypool looked out of the den into the dawn sky.
Precious Foxkit, walk safely in the sky. And just please know I'm so sorry.