"Mother!" Squeaked little Dustkit. Rushing, Lurkingsnake stood up, weighed down by her heavy belly. "Snowclaw is out of camp. What do you need?"

"Cherrykit keeps being mean!" "Am not!" Squeaked the little brown kit. "Petalkit!" Called Lurkingsnake. A little gold she kit with white spots came running.

"Was Cherrykit being mean to Dustkit?" "I don't know. I was talking to Lostheart."

"Talking to that medicine cat again? I had better not have a sister be a medicine cat!"

Petalkit's head and tail drooped. Softness enveloped Lurkingsnake, and she wrapped her tail around her.

"Its OK, you can be whatever you want. Cherrykit will be proud of you either way."

"No she won't, she hates me." She smiled and shook her head. And she heard a high pitched scream of absolute terror.

"Starclan's kits!" She yelled. Running as fast as she could while encumbered by her belly, she reached the clearing.

Littlefox and Redstorm were already there.

Snowclaw lay dead and mangled, her neck bent at an awkward angle. "Snowclaw is dead!?" She managed to choke out against the sea of shock and sorrow.

Littlefox and Redstorm bent their heads.
Snowclaw was Redstorm and Bluebreak's sister.

Lionbreeze arrived, and when he saw the body of his mate, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock. "No! No no no no no no! Not my Snowclaw!" Lurkingsnake sat beside him.

He sobbed into her shoulder, and she wrapped her tail around him consolingly.

"She hunts with Starclan now." She whispered to the golden tom.

"I know." He replied, and let out a yowl so loud, he surely woke every cat in the forest.