She trotted out of the bushes towards me, a tiny kitten in her mouth. I dismounted and she dropped the tiny kitten at my feet, going back to the bushes again and grabbing two more. The other two were bigger, so the first one must have been the runt. Poor thing. Ada stood in front of her kits, guarding them. She let out a soft meow and looked at the kittens, then at me. I walked slowly towards her and the kittens, smiling.

As I got closer she purred and rubbed on my legs. The smallest one was white with green eyes. Practically a clone of her. I wondered if it was a girl or boy. One of the other ones was a light grey one, and the biggest one was white with gray patches. "They are so cute..! But.. how are we gonna bring them along?" I stood and thought for a second, thumping my boot against the ground. "Ah! The saddlebags! They are huge, and there is a soft blanket in there that we can set them on!" After looking at Ada for permission to pick them up, I gently set each of them on the warm, fuzzy blanket that lay in the saddlebag. 

"Ada, you coming up here?" Ada jumped up beside the saddlebags and layed down. I mounted Velvet and eased her into a slow, and steady walk. The snow was starting to come down steadily. I laughed when Ada got a snowflake on her nose and started throwing her head around. We picked up a steady, slow trot and Velvet's head bobbed up and down as we went along. I heard loud chattering, and then saw two fox squirrels chasing one another. I eased Velvet into a slow canter, and she tried to push of into galloping. She was very energetic right now, and very enthusiastic to gallop. I tightened her reins in my hands. "Woah girl. Steady. We got three kittens and a mama cat on your back." 

The snow was gathering, and Ada sheltered her kittens protectively. I slowed Velvet down to a walk, and turned around, wiping the snow from Velvet's back. The snow was starting to come down more aggressively now. I spotted a tree that we could stand under. I eased Velvet into a fast walk so we could get to the tree quickly. I shivered, and shook my head. We got under the tree, and I dismounted. I tied Velvet to the lowest branch, and looked into the saddlebags. I grabbed the kittens gently and held them close to keep them warm. 

I lay the thick blanket on the ground and set the kittens on it. Ada ran up to them, laying down to let them nurse. The snow was coming down very heavily. I undone the cinch of Velvet's saddle, and threw it off along with her saddle pad. I laid her down, a trick I had taught her.I got the blanket from under the kittens, laid Ada and the kittens in my lap, and covered me, and Velvet up. I shoved my head under the cover when I saw that icy wind coming towards us, and the heavy snow. 

It seemed like it lasted for hours. By the time it had eased, it was late afternoon.I was warm from laying by all of them for so long. We all got up, except Ada and her kittens. Velvet's saddle and saddle pad weren't anywhere in sight. I jogged around for a few minutes, and then finally saw the two, mounded with snow. I carried them back and brushed the snow off of them with Velvet's brush. I hung them on a low branch along with the blanket to let them dry for a little while. 

I sighed. I jumped onto to Velvet's bare back, and lay there, soaking in the warmth. "Are we ever going to make it home..? Maybe I shouldn't make so many promises," I mumbled, tired and cold.