Littlebird's scent trail grew stronger as Iris approached a fox den. She didn't know if a fox lived there, so Iris did the best crouch she could and followed to the fox den. When the blue she-cat was about 3 foxlengths away from the hole, she saw a fox coming out of the den.

Iris opened her mouth again and the scent of fox flooded her mouth, but she could sense Littlebird's scent among the fox's. "What is she doing in there?!" Iris whispered to herself. "She must be hurt, or even worse, dead!"

The kittypet jumped from where she was hiding and entered the fox hole quickly. There she saw a small silver body covered with blood on the corner of the den. "LITTLEBIRD!!!" Iris nudged the small warrior, but she didn't move. She started to worry even more, and only the faint rise of Littlebird's belly calmed the blue kittypet a little.

Iris grabbed her sister by her scruff and dragged her back to ThunderClan's camp as fast as she could. Being a kittypet made this even harder, because when she was a warrior, Iris was strong and fast, and now she was lazy and slow.

The she-cats were near camp when a patrol consisting of Ashpaw, a warrior by now, guessed Iris; Dustpelt, and a bright ginger she-cat with green eyes and a white paw, maybe an apprentice.

Dustpelt stared at Iris with a disbelief look and asked "Rainswirl? Is that you?" She nodded and pressed her nose against his cheek. Beside him, the ginger she-cat looked at them confused.

"Littlebird!" Ashpaw meowed worried. He ran and crouched beside the small silver she-cat, then he started to lick her cheek "What happened to her!?" He asked between licks.

Iris saw a tear fall from his eyes, and she realized that he was in love with Littlebird. "I'm sorry Ashpaw, I-" She was interrupted by the ginger she-cat

"It's Ashfur." Iris nodded to her.

"Ashfur. I'm sorry Ashfur, but I don't know what happened to her." The blue kittypet replied, not taking her eyes off from Ashfur and Littlebird. "I found her like this in a fox den, and I decided to bring her to ThunderClan's camp."

Dustpelt turned to the ginger apprentice and ordered "Squirrelpaw, run to camp and warn Cinderpelt and Leafpaw that Littlebird is gravely injured." Squirrelpaw nodded and darted back to camp.

"Can I go with you?" Iris asked uncertainly. Dustpelt exchanged looks with a sad Ashfur, then nodded. The brown tabby warrior got Littlebird in his jaws and carried her back to camp, Ashfur and Iris close behind. The flecked gray tom was trying to hold his tears, but the pain of losing his loved one was too hard.

As they arrived in camp, a small light brown tabby she-cat was waiting for them in the clearing. When she saw Littlebird in Dustpelt's jaws she meowed "Take her to Cinderpelt's den." He nodded and followed the small tabby she-cat.

Iris entered the medicine cat's den and it hadn't changed. Cinderpelt, had a pile of herbs before her, and as Dustpelt lay the small she-cat on a moss nest, she started sniffing her wounds.

After Cinderpelt and the tabby she-cat examined Littlebird, they asked Iris and the other cats to leave them alone so they could do a better work. Iris padded to a hidden spot in the clearing and curled into a ball. She closed her eyes and prayed to StarClan to keep her sister alive.

"It's good to see you again." A meow made her look up and Iris saw Firestar. He was the last cat she had talked to before she left ThunderClan. He sat down by her side and looked at the clan.

Iris got up and Firestar licked her ear "I've missed the clan." Iris admitted.

"You can still join us again Rainswirl." The leader offered but Iris shook her head.

"It's Iris now, and I like my new life. It was worth it Firestar. Bloom makes everyday the best day of my life."

"I can't change your opinion, but I'm glad that you've found a perfect place for you."

They stood there, watching the clan until the tabby she-cat came out of the den calling for Firestar. The ginger leader got up and padded to meet the she-cat. Iris stayed where she was until Firestar signaled her to follow him.

The ThunderClan leader and the kittypet followed to Cinderpelt's den. There Ashfur was over Littlebird, crying a lot. Iris walked over to the medicine cat and touched noses with her. When she was a clan cat, Cinderpelt was one of her closest friends.

"I'm sorry Rainswirl," she started "her wounds were too deep, and I and Leafpaw couldn't save her." This made Iris flinch. Her only sister was now dead. She headed to her sister's body and sat by Ashfur's side.

After long minutes Firestar nuzzled her and whispered "You can stay for the night to set vigil for her, if you want." Iris meowed thanks to the ginger leader and turned to Littlebird.

The night arrived quickly, and the blue she-cat stayed in ThunderClan to set vigil for Littlebird. When she was heading to the clearing, Iris looked around saw a silvery cat looking at her, but after she blinked, it faded away.

Frostfur, Littlebird's mentor joined Ashfur and Iris on the vigil for the silver warrior. Frostfur left to the elders den at moonhigh, but Ashfur stood with her and Littlebird the whole time. This made Iris realize how much he loved Littlebird.

She stayed with ThunderClan until the elders buried Littlebird's body the next morning. "I hope to see you again Iris." Firestar meowed to her before she left the clan. "Just one question. What were you doing in the forest yesterday?"

Iris hesitated, but then she answered "Every quarter-moon, Littlebird and I met in a clearing near that fox den. And the last time we met there, that fox didn't live there." She turned to Ashfur, that was by Firestar's side "I'm so sorry Ashfur. It was all my fault. If it wasn't for me she'd still be here."

His eyes lighted with anger, and he prepared to leap onto Iris, but Firestar stood between the blue she-cat and the gray tom. He looked at Iris and meowed "It wasn't your fault Iris. Now go." Iris nodded and ran through the gorse tunnel and into ThunderClan's territory.

As Iris took the same way she had taken the day before, her stomach started rumbling, and she realized that the last time she had eaten was at her house before she left. And Iris hadn't eaten a mouse since she left ThunderClan to take care of Bloom, so the blue she-cat decided to hunt.

She opened her mouth and caught the scent of a mouse. She crouched and started to stalk the mouse in front of her. When it was a mouselength away from her, it heard Iris paw steps and ran to a nearby hole in the ground. Iris ran after the mouse, but it entered in the hole and escaped from Iris.

The blue cat tried to catch another mouse, but it ran away, just like the vole before it. Iris gave up and padded home. On the way, she saw a rabbit, and started to stalk it. When she was ready to pounce on the rabbit, it started to run, and Iris ran right behind it. Iris was so distracted with the prey she was chasing, that she didn't notice that she was near the workfolks work place.

Iris was growing tired, and the rabbit was a taillength away from her, but she didn't give up, and accelerated a little bit. The blue she-cat was now a mouselength from it. She leapt on the rabbit, but while Iris was on the air, something hit her side really hard. Iris was thrown away, and hit her head on a rock. Her head was spinning, and she saw the workfolks running to her. Iris opened her mouth and could only smell blood. Then her head stopped spinning and her eyes closed, forever.