Three moons later...

Snow crunched under Autumn's paws as she padded through the woods above the crack in the ground, Snow at her side. Or, the ravine.

It was leaf-bare and greencough was raging through the camp. Half the cats in the Dynasty had it, including Emberstorm. Storm was extremely busy trying to save every cat's life, as he had Sand, Cloud, Emberstorm, Flash, Sparrow, Ash, Sky and Oak in the healer's den, suffering from greencough.

Autumn was extremely worried for Emberstorm, who had caught a cough similar to greencough when he was less than a few moons old. While she and Wild Wind were still considered kits in the eyes of the Dynasty, they were working hard as their respective roles of hunter and guard. Autumn was up at dawn every day to hunt with Snow while Wild Wind would always be seen guarding the ravine.

"Autumn, there's an eagle overhead. I'll have no trouble blending in, I'm worried about you." Snow hissed.

"What's our plan, then?" Autumn mewed.

"I was thinking we lure it to the ground. Then we attack it and kill it." Snow growled.

"Good thinking." Autumn purred. She strode out of the thick trees and let the eagle see her.

Immediately, the eagle circled Autumn and swooped down, its talons outstretched. Fear swept over her even though she knew Snow was nearby to intercept it. No sooner than she had had that thought, her friend leapt onto the eagle, her claws unsheathed.

Autumn joined in, hooking her claws into its body and bringing it down. She finished it off with a quick snap of the neck. Satisfied, she dropped the eagle.

"How will we bring it back to the camp?" Autumn queried.

"You haven't learnt this yet. Most hunters will only learn it at 10 moons of age." Snow explained quickly.

Autumn watched as Snow tapped a rock with her claws unsheathed. They sat around for a bit, exchanging idle conversation, when Fawn led Mountain and Shadow towards them. They eyed the eagle letting out joyful purrs.

Picking it up with their large claws, the guards bore the weight of the eagle together, taking it down into the camp.

"Let's continue hunting, Autumn. We don't want to waste any time." Snow suggested.

"Good idea," Autumn agreed.

In the end, they didn't manage to find much prey, but Autumn caught two rabbits and Snow caught a squirrel and a shrew. They brought their prey into the camp with bright eyes and cheerful flicks of their tail.

Upon entering the camp, Autumn froze. A thick scent of grief hung in the air, clouding up the unmistakeable scent of death.

"Who died?" Snow demanded; worry etched on her face.

"Sand died," Sun sighed, his pelt ungroomed and dull.

"Oh no," Autumn breathed, letting go of her rabbits immediately.

"I must name a new deputy," Sun's eyes flashed with unease. "Truth, listen to me. Sand has passed into your realm, so I declare that Snow will be our new deputy. She may be young but I believe she can serve us to the best of her ability."

Autumn bounded over to where Snow had been sitting neatly and nuzzled her friend. "Congratulations!"

"Snow! Snow!" the Dynasty cheered for their new deputy.

"Deer, Violet and Cloud, you were the closest to Sand, so you may bury her body." Sun gestured to the lifeless body behind him.

The three she-cats tenderly picked up Sand's body and carried it out of the camp.

"Oak has been talking to me and has decided that he wishes to start helping the Clan. Oak will be joining us as a hunter." Sun announced. "Sky, you must return to your normal duties after you recover from greencough."

Over the next few days, Oak, Sky, Ash and Flash recovered from greencough, so it was only Sparrow, Cloud and Emberstorm in the healer's den with Storm. Autumn was growing increasingly worried for Emberstorm, which she shared with Wild Wind.

"I don't know if he'll make it," Autumn whispered.

"He will. He's our brother. Emberstorm is strong," Wild Wind tried to comfort her.

"He's been sick before. And he was only cured by Twolegs!" Autumn hissed.

Wild Wind was silent.

"Help!"

The call came from Storm, whose green eyes were dull with exhaustion and his pelt was matted. "I can't keep hold of Cloud anymore!"

Cloud staggered out of the healer's den, looking gaunt and like a skeleton. "Don't...bother," the deaf she-cat rasped. "It's too late...anyway."

The white she-cat collapsed on the ground, the sweet and sickly stench of death beginning to rise from her body. Beside her, Storm looked on, horrified. Snow immediately rushed to his side, taking him into a secluded corner of the camp.

Autumn followed silently, knowing what she was doing was wrong, but desperate to help anyway.

"Shh, you'll be fine, Storm," Snow licked his ears.

"You know we can't be...together, Snow. Stop doing this to me! I love my job as a healer-" Storm broke off to cough slightly.

"Storm, are you okay?" Snow eyed the blue-gray tom in concern.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Storm waved her away.

"You haven't caught greencough, have you?" Snow mewed shrewdly.

Storm opened his mouth to answer before coughing heavily. "I think you might be right."

Autumn ran away from her hiding spot and into the nursery, panting heavily. What had she just witnessed?

Snow and Storm have feelings for each other.

Storm might have caught greencough.

Her head snapped up as she heard more coughing from a new source. Autumn's blood chilled as she realized Snow was coughing, as was Sun.

Leaf-bare was not done with them just yet.

One moon later...

Leaf-bare was just about finished, yet the sick cats weren't healed yet. That was mainly due to Storm being sick himself. It was confirmed; Storm had caught greencough off Emberstorm and Sparrow, and he had given it to Snow, who had then given it to Sun. All five of them resided in the healer's den.

Autumn sat around idly, unable to go hunt due to Snow being confined to camp. A thought struck her suddenly. Now that Snow was deputy, she wouldn't be Autumn's partner anymore. She would be Sun's.

The chatter inside the camp came to a halt, and Autumn turned slowly around towards the healer's den, afraid of what she would see.

It was the worst.

Two bodies were hauled out of the den, one of them being Snow's, and the other being Emberstorm's. Autumn's breath caught in her throat and she fell to the ground, her paws being chilled by the snow. Struggling to breathe, darkness overtook her.

Autumn opened her eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight. She took a moment to observe where she was. Autumn was lying in the medicine den. Storm was bending over her, Wild Wind hovering anxiously at the entrance of the den.

Autumn struggled to recount what had happened for her to end up here, and for a second, she couldn't remember anything. Then, it hit her. She had seen Emberstorm's body, lifeless and still.

"Emberstorm?" she let out a pained mew, her voice trembling.

"He's gone," Storm's green eyes were filled with worry and fear.

"No!" Autumn yowled, trying to lift herself from the nest. Upon standing up, her legs buckled underneath her, and she fell back into the feathers and ferns of the nest.

"Please...Wild Wind, tell me it's a joke," Autumn addressed her brother, her body twitching uncontrollably.

"It's not a joke," Wild Wind sighed, dipping his head before coming to her. He nuzzled her, trying to help her.

"Go away!" Autumn lashed out with her claws, feeling satisfaction as she let the anger replace the grief.

Wild Wind staggered back; his pelt marked with a single wound. Blood dripped from it as he stared at her in shock.

"Leave me alone!" Autumn roared, reaching out with her muzzle to bite, to claw him, to hurt and to harm.

Wild Wind cast a fleeting look at her, his brown tabby pelt bristling with shock. "A-Alright, then." He backed out of the den, the tip of his tail twitching.

Autumn realized that Wild Wind was scared of her.

Slowly, Autumn padded out of the den. Stretching, she viewed the scene in front of her. Snow and Emberstorm's bodies lay in the middle of the camp, arranged as though they were sleeping. Autumn let out a pained yowl, rushing to Emberstorm's body to thrust her muzzle into his thick fur.

He was the one that protected us.

Beside Snow's body, Wild Wind hovered around her anxiously, as though unsure if it were safe to come.

He better not.

"Emberstorm! Why did you have to leave!? I miss you!" Autumn raised her voice to the night sky.

"All cats gather here, please!" Sun yowled from just outside his den.

Autumn plodded towards him, her head drooping and her spirit low.

"I have decided on the new deputy." Sun announced. "When I announce my choice, please let me explain."

It's probably Wild Wind. Stupid furball.

"The new deputy for the Dynasty of Truth shall be Autumn!"

Immediately, the cats began to protest.

"She's still a kit!" Talon argued.

"She joined like three moons ago! How can we trust her?" Mountain added.

Sun's fur spiked up in annoyance. "I trust her. That is all you need to know."

Ayy, this is about 500 more words than my usual, dunno how I managed 🤣😂