Adder's P.O.V.

Midnight was just out of my reach, his muscles twitching with effort. Mud splashed in my face as his paw flew up and grabbed at more mud. I reached down further and I felt Brindle grab my scruff and hold me. I reached down and opened my mouth.

Just then, more mud went flying up as his other paw grabbed at the muddy wall. I opened my mouth wider and just as his black fur touched my nose, he slipped and in a heartbeat, his body was consumed by water and the gross water was sent flying up at us. I was left there, mouth gapping open. The water rippled and I searched the water for any sign of life what-so-ever. But the water was just stilling.

I could see a black figure at the bottom and I knew it was Midnight. Unless there was something else there and he was gone...

"Midnight! Midnight, are you okay?!" Brindle's desperate call rung in my ears. Our deputy is drowning and I am just standing there like a complete mouse brain, mouth open and eyes wide.

I couldn't move, really. My body was frozen from shock and I didn't know what to do. Brindle seemed to be freaking out though; she ran around the edge of the hole and looking around. "Is he there? I need to find something to get him up with!"

I just stood there.

Finally I closed my mouth and backed away, shaking my head and taking in deep breaths slowly.

"There is no time for you to be hitting your head, help me find something to grab him with!" Brindle growled and my head whipped toward her. Glaring at her dead in the eye for several heartbeats didn't solve the problem. I halted at the edge of the water hole and peered down there. "Brindle... its no use. Bella will be back and I don't even know if they can help us... He hasn't breathed, moved or anything... Its a matter of time before he dies." I sigh, my voice low.

And thats how you mature. Death in front of you, how serious life can get within heartbeats. Brindle sat beside me and we watched as the water stilled to a sheet of shinning ice, so it seemed. As if nothing could break it.

"How could we loose five cats within a quarter-moon? Am I going crazy or are we all going to die?" She whispered, her mouth next to my ear.

"Brindle, just because five of our warriors have passed on in a short amount of time, doesn't mean we're next. It's the way of life. Cats will die and we will live on and die, too. It may seem scary because five died in three or four days, but many died back when you weren't even born, right? They lived on, and we will too." I replied, looking over at her and instantly, she went silent. I took in my words myself, thinking over how mature and serious and... amazing it sounded.

She only dipped her head and I looked back down into the hole. The water was murky and the black figure started thrashing. I stood up and leaned over but Brindle grabbed my scruff and yanked me away. I tore at the ground and watched the water as it rippled and the figure went still again.

Silence ebbed around me, the only sound my hears could register was my heart pounding.

My breathing went shallow and all I could do was gasp for air. Worry, frustration, confusion and grief washed over me in a heartbeat. "Where in The Tribe of Glittering Stars could Bella be." I growled, anger flodding over me.

We waited in utter silence until Bella finally came down with Venom and Thorn. They rushed over and halted at the edge of the hole. "Midnight stopped thrashing a bit before you guys came here." I informed them and Venom rushed around the hole, eyes narrowed. "Any air bubbles?" Thorn asked and Brindle shook her head, "No. He was so close to getting pulled out but he slipped off the muddy walls and the air was knocked out of him as he hit the water again..."

Thorn and Venom both didn't answer; Thorn jumped up a tree and jumped onto a branch, jumping until it started cracking. Finally, it snapped and Thorn and the branch came tumbling down. "Tell me, how did he fall in there? You were only coming to the territory line and Twolegplace!" Venom hissed, eyes two narrow slits. "He needed a drink, his fur was making him burn and he spotted this and he slipped into the hole," I whispered.

Venom turned around a drug the heavy branch into the hole and before we could say anything, Venom jumped into the mucky water.

Water splashed up out of the hole once again and air bubbles came to the surface. Venom's dark pelt was no where to be seen, even with the sun glistening through the water.

"That mouse-brain!" Thorn growled, peering carefully over the edge. His scarred face was pink, standing out with the dark brown fur. His eye was lighter then the other, he must be almost blind in that eye...

I peeked into the hole once again and studied the water for any movement. But nothing. Venom can't swim; Thorn should've went down there. My heart thumped loudly in my chest, so hard I was beginning to think it would explode.

Then, the branch moved. It slipped over the side sat in a different place.

'What is he doing?'

**********

Venom's P.O.V.

The water felt nice and cool as it wrapped its deadly paws around me, pulling me further under the water until I touched the bottom.

I let out a bit of air and widened my eyes, searching the water for a black pelt. I turned around and looked, but all I saw was the end of the branch. A black figure laid at the bottom of the pit, fur waving as the water moved with me. I didn't care how much I needed air, I grabbed the grassy ground and clawed my way through the water and over to him, pulling my body towards him so I didn't float back up to the surface.

I yanked at his scruff but his leg was caught under the branch. I pushed at the branch until it was off of him almost completely and I pushed off of the ground, forcing my body up to the surface and gasping for air.

My lungs ached but I felt better. My eyes stung as the cool air collided with my water coated eyes. "After this, I am never going in water again!" I hissed, bringing in a huge breath and diving back under before anyone could say anything.

The water stung my eyes again and I clawed my way down to the bottom, using the branch as a guide. I let out some air and felt the ground for fur. My claws connected with a squishy pelt and I pulled it toward me. Opening my mouth I quickly grabbed what seemed to be the neck or scurff and pushed off the ground.

The sun was very bright as I neared the surface, even brighter as my eyes came out of the water. My body was tired but I pulled Midnight to the branch and used all my neck strength to keep his head out of the water. I clawed up the branch slowly and looked up. Thorn, Adder, Brindle and Bella held the branch in place while I slowly made my way up the thick branch. My paw slipped and I pulled all of my weight to the side and got my footing again.

Bella and Brindle grabbed my scruff and pulled me off of the branch. I laid down on the ground, dropping Midnight, and heaved for air. I looked over at Midnight; his water-logged fur was clinging to his skinny body, eyes closed and mouth open, water dripping out of his mouth. 'He is long gone...' I thought to myself, sighing and standing up.

Leaf came rushing over, fur sticking up and eyes narrowed. "Move." She demanded, shoving me harshly out of the way. I fought back the urge to claw her ears off and scoop her eyes out and let her bleed out, but I knew she was important.

I stood behind her and watched as she held her ear to his mouth, her face filled with concentration. She looked in the distance of the twolegplace and moved her ear down to his water logged chest. I leaned in, not sure why but I was becoming impatient.

After several heartbeats she lifted her head and sighed. "He's gone. No heartbeat nor breathing." Leaf informed us, shaking her head. I looked away and closed my eyes. 'Just push it aside. Lets think... who should be the new deputy...?' I forced myself not to think about him.

Midnight had become a real friend to me, one of the only friends I had really. I was leader, not every ones Tribe-mate. 'Deputy... Shadow again? No, he won't live much longer... Wolf? Don't know him enough... Thorn? He seems like an evil, loyal cat... But Blossom could be a great deputy, too...'

"Venom, who's going to be the new deputy? You need to figure that out before tomorrow." Leaf asked, face blank. She almost always had a blank face.

"I'm not sure yet... I am choosing between Thorn and Blossom..." I whispered while Bella, Thorn, Adder and Brindle carried out Midnight's water soaked body. Leaf nodded watching them, too. "Yeah, a hard choice. They both are loyal, strong and good at orders. But Blossom is young, and her ankle is twisted still. I'm not sure she will be able to walk without a limp. And besides, Thorn can order a patrol better then her." I nodded while listening, watching as Thorn took most of Midnight's body.

"I think Thorn." I mumbled, and Leaf nodded, agreeing. We watched in silence as they made their way toward the trail to the camp. Slowly, we made our way over to the trail and made our way up the trail, following behind the group as they carried the water-logged body of Midnight.

I began to feel bad for a certain cat.

Fawn. She just lost her brother, Dodger and now she lost her other brother, Midnight... I shook my head and pushed the thought away. 'This is no time to be soft hearted.'

I pushed through the thorn entrance and into camp, passing the warriors as they laid down Midnight. Fawn rushed over to see what happened and gasped in shock, eyes wide and fur raising in fear. 'For such a nice cat, she seems to be going through a lot.'

I stared at her and sized her up as she stared at her dead brother in bewilderment.

Bella rested her tail on her shoulder and said a few things I didn't catch. My oh my, Bella was beautiful in the sunlight. She's just one of those cats everyone thinks is beautiful but not everyone loves.

My eye caught with Fox's; he seemed more satisfied then heartbroken. I narrowed my eyes at him and he did back, looking away at Midnight's body.

A growl rose in my throat. Leaf nudged me harshly with her paw and whispered harshly, "Fawn and you need to go bury Midnight as soon as Strike cleans him up. When you get back, announce the new deputy." I dipped my head, asking before I turned around, "Why Strike?" She rolled her eyes, which seemed to be getting more grey everyday.

"Because he needs to learn how to do that before its my time to go to The Tribe of Glittering Stars. He is almost ready to be a full medicine cat, and I just need to teach him a few more things before I leave. For good."

Leaf was pretty old, now that I thought about it. Her muzzle speckled with white, fur clinging to her bones as if she had no muscle in her body, her eyes becoming grey more and more every day and she seemed to be sleeping more then a kit. I feared I'd have to end her life before Strike could learn her tricks.

I dipped my head but said nothing more, realizing she had already left after I had dipped my head to her. I made my way to Midnight's body and just as I reached for him, Fawn came rushing over. "Don't touch him!" She screamed and I jumped in shock, my feet leaving the ground. I landed at least a tail-length away from Midnight.

"Fawn, its okay. I'm going to clean him up for you, so you can bury him as if he had died in his sleep." Strike soothed, nudging her slowly and softly away from her brother. Lily and Bella sat on both sides of her trembling body and comforted her. Strike worked quickly and swiftly, making sure he didn't scare Fawn anymore then she already was.

Within several heartbeats Strike was done. There wasn't much to do anyway, he was only soaked to the bone and he had a bit of mud on him still but that was it. I slowly made my way to the drying-black body Midnight was once homed to.

Slowly, I grabbed his scruff and lifted his limp body up so his head and upped back didn't touch the ground.

Fawn stalked behind me slowly as I made my way out of camp and down the trail. Fawn and I didn't speak at all as we made our way to the burial place.

Quietly, I laid Midnight down onto the dirt ground. This was one of the only places that wasn't rock behind the camp. It was dry dirt. All the plants that had been revealed from the snow were shriveled, dead and now dried to a crisp.

Just as I went to start digging, Fawn nudged me softly away and began to claw her way into the dirt. I patiently watched the tiny, grieving cat claw her way into the dirt until she was into the ground so far she was probably going to need a lot of help getting out. "Pass Midnight down." Fawn croaked, her voice soft and her eyes weary and distressed.

I would be, too, if I had lost Sunny and all of my kits. They were my family and without kin I'd be lost.

I lowered Midnight by his scruff slowly into the newly made hole. I leaned my head in and I let go as Fawn's tiny body let Midnight's heavy, muscular body rest on her bony back.

She set him down and stared long and hard at him. It was actually depressing to watch that little thing stand there and bury her second brother. Both died in two days. What a shame.

She seems strong, she'll get over it in time.