Lurkingsnake jumped at the sound of shocked yowls. "No!" Racing to camp and leaving the freshly caught mouse behind, she ran to investigate. When she arrived, she recieved a huge shock.

Lionbreeze and Turtlepelt lay there, scratched and broken. there was no fur in their claws this time. His three kits sat at his side,heads bowed in sorrow, as well as his brother Finchfoot.

Lurkingsnake heard her name called, and turned her head to see Deepstar beckoning with his tail. She followed him in, where she saw Lostheart and Petalshine.

"Lostheart tells me you received a  prophecy around the time of Raventflight's death. Could you repeat it for us?" He asked politely. "I can't remember well..." She racked her brains.

A whisper started up in the small den.

"Lurkingsnake! Beware the cat with a bloody pelt. The cat whom sadness never felt. They created fallen snow, next the bird most close to crow. The lions fury burns bright, but nothing to the fall of night. The deepest pit may once be filled, but snake tragedy cannot kill. Rising like the cobras strike, killing killer and killed alike."

There was a stunned science in the den.

"Will you be the deputy? Starclan obviously trusts you, and I will give you Cheetahkit as your apprentice."

"I will."

"Finchfoot, Webspin, Stormnose, and Leapheart, take a border patrol." She instructed, and the four cats left.

"Snakefang, Starkfern, Redstorm, and Spottedpaw, go on a hunting patrol"
These left, too.

"Cheetahpaw, were going training." The spotted apprentice jumped up, her eyes shining. Lurkingsnake led her to the training hollow, where she said "I'll show you a basic move, called the escape. First, let's see what your instinct tells you. Claws sheathed."

She leaped at Cheetahpaw. The small she cat screeched and fled, hiding behind a tree. Growling menacingly, she stalked over to it, and instantly felt a weight drop onto her back. her ears were being cuffed, and so she shook Cheetahpaw off of her.

Lurkingsnake swiped at the unbalanced she cat, and she fell over.  She put a paw on her chest, and she started squirming around. At last, she gave in.

"Clever move." She commented. "Now, let's try the Escape."

Cheetahpaw couldn't seem to get the hang of it. She wriggled, she batted at her mentors face, she tried to push her off, but she simply couldn't wiggle out from under Lurkingsnake.

As they walked back, they heard more yowls. "Not again!" Cheetahpaw exclaimed.  Who could it be? Images came to her mind, Spidertail, Littlefox, Bluebreak, Webspin, Snowscratch, Snakefang.

They raced each other to the camp, and Lurkingsnake got there first, with Cheetahpaw several paw steps behind her. Looking wildly around the camp, she saw a grey furred body.

With a gasp of horror, she saw the white spot on her chest.

"Lostheart!" She gasped.  Bluebreak, Greeneye, and Limptail were mourning. Cheetahpaw was staring with absolute terror at the body. "What is it?" She asked. "I was too young to remember when Lionbreeze and Turtlepelt died. I heard about the murders, but I never imagined..."

Petalshine sat, unmoving, staring at the ground, while Cherrycloud murmured comfort into her ear. Dustclaw sat next to his sister, too, and was stroking her back with his tail.

Then, she noticed the two missing cats. Stormnose and Snowscratch!

She started to walk toward the warrior's den. She stopped when she heard soft voices. "Good job. I think you can do the next one,too.  Who should we do next?"  Came a tom's voice. " Deepstar. Its his turn. " came a she cats voice.

Lurkingsnake burst in, but the den was empty. She walked out, and saw Stormnose next to Starkfern, and Snowscratch alone, but with a look of mysterious satisfaction on her face.

Was it her? She wondered as the senior warriors were called to dig Lostearts grave.