She shivered.

The den was so cold. Silvershy curled tighter around herself, her thin silver tail covering her muzzle in a desperate attempt to stay warm. The other prisoners in the den were also freezing; mumbling their discomfort as they huddled together to stay warm.

Silvershy sighed into the scraps of old moss that made up her nest. Being at the edge of the den meant she had the worst of the cold. She was unable to sleep- reduced to a shivering ball of fur, her green eyes wide yet filled with exhaustion.

Beside her, Bluesnow rested fitfully. The blue she cat had taken Flamestar's nest to sleep in and it seemed she had constant nightmares during her slumber. Silvershy had tried to remove Flamestar's old bedding but Bluesnow wouldn't let her. It was saddening to see the she cat grieving for her sister. And where is Shadepaw? He hasn't visited Bluesnow in so long...

Chills ran down her spine, turning her attention back to her own shuddering body. Silvershy forced back a whimper, shifting around in her nest to find more warmth. Why was it so cold? It wasn't even leaf-bare!

Another prisoner near her let out a low cry for help, her feeble mew stuttering from the cold. Silvershy looked up as the sharp yellow eyes of one of the guards turned to look at them.

"Shut up!" The tom growled, his thick, snow white pelt fluffed up against the cool air.

The she cat cried out again, this time with clear words. "It's too cold! Please bring us some warmer bedding!"

The guard rose to his paws and strode right up to the she cat, a menacing scowl on his lips. Silvershy stared at him in the darkness, seeing the glint of his claws just before he landed a heavy blow on the she cat's head. She shrieked as beads of blood flew from her fresh wound, landing squarely on Silvershy's muzzle.

Silvershy let out a shocked mew, shaking her head to rid herself of the blood. The guard's yellow eyes fixed on her. "Can't handle any blood on your fur, eh? Even now you're all still acting like pampered kittypets! You're a disgrace to the Clans!"

The tom stepped over the whimpering she cat, still glaring at Silvershy. She struggled to her paws; ignoring the stiffness in her limbs. Just as she took her first step away from the guard, he knocked her back down with a hefty strike on her chest. She hissed as she landed on her back, throwing all four paws up at the tom to kick him away from her. He wasn't affected by her kicks, flicking her limbs away with ease. "Don't even try to fight me." He snarled, giving her cheek a sharp jab.

Silvershy growled defiantly. "Leave us alone!"

The guard chuckled darkly. "Why should I do that? It's my job to keep you in check, and I'm doing just that." He landed another blow on her side and she let out a faint cry, curling into herself.

There was suddenly a second, powerful growl behind the guard and Silvershy looked up to see Tyler standing behind the white tom. "Go back to your post." The winged tom snarled.

"But I was just-"

"No excuses." Tyler lashed his tail. "With you occupied here, one of the prisoners could've escaped! Now get back over there and complete your shift!"

The guard dipped his head, scurrying back to the den entrance where he sat rigidly, staring outside at the clearing.

Silvershy shuffled back into her nest, not meeting the black and blue tom's gaze. She gasped when his paw rested on her shoulder and she snapped her gaze up to him to see a solemn frown on his face. "Come with me." He murmured.

Fear stabbed through her, her heart fluttering in her chest. Where is he taking me? She felt her paws go numb and she was unable to move. With a reassuring nudge, Tyler helped her to her paws and led her to the den exit.

Barely a second after she left, the prisoners nearby grabbed at the scraps from her nest in a wild frenzy to make themselves warmer.

Tyler led her past the guard, and she flinched as the white tom's piercing yellow eyes bore into her. Tyler's tail flicked across her shoulder, calming her only slightly.

The winged tom padded calmly into the Enforcers den, bringing Silvershy with him. "What're you-" Her mew was cut off by his tail brushing over her muzzle.

"Hush, you don't want to wake the others do you?" He murmured, glancing back at her. She shook her head, not daring to utter another word as she looked around the den of Enforcers. If they saw her, she was dead.

Tyler stepped into an empty nest. It was right next to the sleeping Strike, with Zephyr snoring on the other side. Silvershy held her breath as Tyler beckoned her closer. She slowly crept to the nest, gasping softly as Tyler's paws wrapped around her and pulled her into the nest with him. He laid down, resting her in the curl of his body. His wing settled over her, surrounding her in his warm scent.

With the new warmth surrounding her Silvershy fell asleep quickly, snuggled into the bigger tom's body.

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