Mapelstream woke to the sun filtering through the nursery.Maplestream felt Sandfire laying next to her, his presence soothing.Maplestrema looked down at her kits, all of them seemed to be alright.

Maplestream bent down and nudged all of them one by one.Sandkit pawed her muzzle, Leafkit mewed, Larkit rolled over to showing Maplestream her soft belly.Mapelstream held her breath as she checked Goldkit.The small tom touched noses with his mother.Maplestre sighed in relief, her kits were ok.

See, our kits are fine now raise them, my love, Sandfire whispered then faded with the breeze into the morning light.Maplestream was nursing her kits when Lillytail screeched with fear"No!Moonkit wake up!"

Maplestream looked into Lillytail's nest, laying on his side was Moonkit.He had died in his sleep, blood pooled from his mouth.Maplestream flattened her ears in fear, she glanced at her kits fearful that they would catch what Moonkit had.

Deadheart ran into the nursery to find his son lying dead at his mates paws.Amberkit sat up in fear, Maplestream beckoned him to her with her tail.Amberkit crawled into Maplestreams nest and Maplestream licked the top of his head.

"What happened to him?"Amberkit squeaked, looking at his dead brother.Maplestream looked at Moonkit and a flash in her mind.Mapelstream was an apprentice and her father had died the same.His body lay in the clearing blood pooling from his mouth."His spine broke in the night."Streamleaf had told her.

Maplestream Woke back to the present, she peered into the nest to look at Moonkit."His spine broke in his sleep."Lillytail and Deadheart looked up at her."He would have never survived."Lillytail waled, then picked up Moonkit softly and cared him into the clearing.

Darkface came and sat next to Maplestreams nest, sorrow in her eyes"Did your kits make it through the night?"Maplestream rested her muzzle on the small lump shape that was her kits"Yes, but I wish Moonkit was here to see them."Darkface smiled sadly, then went to Snowkit.

Maplestream got up and walked out of the nursery the sun filtering onto her kits, warming them.Lillytail was sitting next to the small white lump that was Moonkit, Berryleaf came to greet Maplestream"How are your kits?"Maplestream gave a small smile"They all made the night."Berryleaf purred then looked at Lillytail and Deadheart."It's odd that with the birth of one litter, another had to lose a kit."

Maplestream padded away to the fresh kill pile picked up a shrew and carried it back to the nursery.Goldkit had got up on his small legs and was teetering toward the smell of his mother, mewing as he went.Maplestream put the shrew down and scooped up the small kit and cared him back to the nest.When she set him down Leafkit woke and squeaked which woke the others.

"Now my little ones be quiet the others are morning Moonkit,"Maplesteram told her kits then ate the shrew.When she had finished she looked up to see a small white starry kit walk toward her."Moonkit?"Mapelstream gasped, the kit nodded.Moonkit hoped into the nest and curled up with the kits.

Maplestream smiled then curled up around the kits.We will all miss you Moonkit, she thought then went to sleep.