Squirrelflight felt her belly shudder one last time before another kit slid out. This one did have dark gray fur like Stormfur, but her Clanmates would probably think it was from Ashfur, darkened by Squirrelflight's darker ginger fur.
"Four kits." Cinderpelt announced. "You and Ashfur should be proud."
"You can come in now." Leafpool called to Ashfur, sent outside when he'd scattered the herbs.
Squirrelflight heaved her head up. Three of the balls of fluff had nuzzled their way to her belly, and hungrily drank their milk, but the fourth hadn't moved.
"Wake up." Squirrelflight nudged the kit, and then shrank back. The she-kit was cold.
"Leafpool!" Squirrelflight wailed, as Ashfur slid through.
"What's wrong?" Her littermate asked, her amber eyes wide.
"I think this one's…" Squirrelflight felt the words she could not bring herself to say choke in her throat.
Leafpool urgently sniffed the kit. Squirrelflight waited for the kit to move. She waited for Leafpool to look up and assure her that the kit would survive. But when Leafpool did look up, her eyes were pools of sadness.
"I'm sorry." She whispered. Squirrelflight felt her breath catch in her throat. How could she face Stormfur knowing that she had let their kit die?
Ashfur pressed himself closer, but it only made Squirrelflight feel worse.
"Our kits need you now." He finally said. "What do you want to name them?"
Squirrelflight first looked at the cold, silver she-kit.
"I will call her Starkit for her pelt, and for her only Clan." She rested her muzzle on Starkit's head. "You were never in ThunderClan. Your birth Clan is StarClan." Squirrelflight murmured. She felt her eyes cloud, and her breath shorten, but she blinked until her eyes cleared.
"I will name this one Briarkit." Squirrelflight nosed the ginger tom. Next, she motioned to the dark ginger she-kit whose fur was a frizzy mess.
"Tanglekit?" Ashfur guessed. It was a good suggestion, but Squirrelflight did not like the idea of her kit going through life with the possibility of Tanglepelt or Tanglefur as a name.
"Wildkit." She corrected Ashfur. Wildkit sounded fierce, and Squirrelflight could already tell by the small, churning legs that Wildkit would definitely be a hard-core warrior. Lastly, she gestured to the dark gray she-kit.
"I'd like to name this one Rosekit." She told Ashfur. The youngest kit seemed a nice, soft kit, but able to defend herself. Like Leafpool. Squirrelflight realized.
"Rosekit." Ashfur repeated. "It sounds brilliant."
Squirrelflight gave Starkit one last lick before Goldenflower, accompanied by Mousefur, picked up the silver kit and took her to bury.
"Goodbye, Starkit." Squirrelflight whispered before the limp heap of fur disappeared for the last time.
"Are you all right?" Ashfur asked as the two cats returned to their den.
"Yes, fine. Just exhausted. Delivering kits isn't exactly the easiest job in the Clan." Squirrelflight retorted, putting her head down. Ashfur went to the fresh-kill pile to bring her a piece of prey, but before he returned Squirrelflight had already fallen asleep.