The nursery was always warm and smelled constantly of milk, even in the cold and bitter leafbare. Cuddled around Branchkit, Phoenixwing stayed inside the comfy nursery. The young brown kit mewled by her side, unwilling to leave it. "Maaami, it's so cold."

"I know."

"Make it less cold!"

"I can't do that."

Branchkit made a pouty face and looked around for Ripplekit. Like usual, the older kit was nowhere in sight. Phoenixwing couldn't blame him- these days in the nursery were longer than they were rewarding.

Starkit just curled against her mom. This winter had been even worse than most.

"How are they?" Rivertail asked.

"They're good."

Rivertail laid a mouse at her feet. "This is for the kits. It's about time they try their first prey."

Starkit sniffed it, and asked, "Do I have to? I could eat, you know, milk. This thing is weird."

Branchkit play pounced on her and stole the mouse, running across the den to hold it up triumphantly, alone.

Starkit squealed and ran after her. Together, they tussled for it until Branchkit took one big bite.

"Delishis!" She exclaimed, and Starkit bit out of it too. Fighting for the remaining mouthfuls, they both finally settled down as Ripplekit came back. He was completely covered in mucky snow.

"Ripplekit!" Phoenixwing held an excited Branchkit back by the tail. "Oh no you don't."

Phoenixwing shoved Ripplekit outside. "You need to clean off."

Ripplekit nodded, and Moonstar came over to help lick off the filth. "Where hath you been?"

"Here and there." He gulped.

Moonstar donned a curious expression. "Oh, really."

"Fine. I snuck out of camp."

"And where exactly did you go?"

"J-just outside."

Moonstar called for the others. "Lightningstrike! Bluewing! Ivywhisker!"

The three cats ran over. "Yes, Moonstar."

Ripplekit looked confused, terrified, and sneaky all at the same time.

"He's been somewhere. Can you track his scent?"

The three cats nodded swiftly and padded out of the clearing together, their paws making a steady crump, crump sound in the snow.

Phoenixwing watched on, but quickly the three cats came back. "The scent stops, and the snow covered up his pawprints. Either that, or he just made a u-turn and came back here." Lightningstrike told his mate lovingly.

"You know what they say, innocent until proven guilty." Bluewing agreed.

Moonstar sighed, turning to face Ripplekit. "What you did was wrong, and I don't know why you did it. Please don't let me catch you doing it again."

Ripplekit nodded, a pure, childish smile on his face. "Okay!"

"Now go play with the other kits. Ivywhisker, Bluewing, and Lightningstrike, you go take out a hunting patrol. The cold has scared all the prey away."

"Can I take my apprentice? She's been puffing up bedding all day."

"Yes, of course."

Bluewing's eyes lit up. "Great! I'll go tell Scarletpaw now."

Phoenixwing watched silently as the camp went through the same old motions. Swallowfern was giving out some herbs to Clawpelt, who was tending to some wounds from a skirmish with RainClan, Sunpaw and Cloudpaw were wrestling in the snow, and Petaldust and the other older warriors were all clustered together in the late daytime.

The snow shone different colors in the dying sun. Weakly, Branchkit coughed. "You okay?" asked Phoenixwing, worried.

"I-I'm fine. Just cold."

"I'll keep you warm, if you want." said Ripplekit with a smile. Starkit, not eager to be left out, wedged her way into the little huddle.

Ripplekit purred, but silently gazed out at the edge of the camp. A golden pelt, beaten down by moons of harder, wetter living, was evident.

Phoenixwing's eyes opened wide. Could it be... but before she could question, it was gone, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined the phantom of her past.

Nightsky bumped into the nursery. "May I sing for you little kits?"

"Yes, Nightsky! Your songs are the best!"

Nightsky cleared her throat, and began,

"Far up over mountains cold

lies a clan forever lost and old

frozen fire in their tears

and doomed to freeze for all their years

a clan once mighty as the day

but Thunderstar lead them astray

a silent assasin lead them to fight

the clan that rules the forest bright...

They fell on us like a rolling wave

it seemed impossible we'd be saved

but Moonstar knew just what to do

and ended the war for me and you...

A dark cat left to spy up there

but she fell astray in the mountain air

her mate cried long but the moon stopped his pain

Lightning and Moon, together lived again

SnowClan still waits dying in snow

but two kits come to live below..."

All three kits were already asleep. "Did you think of that on the fly?" Phoenixwing asked in awe.

Nightsky nodded proudly.

"How do you know so much about SnowClan?"

Nighsky, realizing she'd said a bit too much, bit her tongue. "I have my ways," she said finally.

"I'm sure you do." Phoenixwing said.

Nightsky looked across the clearing to the warrior's den, near the Great Tree, but shrugged it off. "I- guess I'm staying here tonight." she laughed, and the two curled up since the first time since Phoenixwing had her kits, five cats pressed together, a makeshift family.

SnowClan still waits... dying in snow...

but two kits come to live below...