Runningwish had finally been told the story. It was only given away when Rainpaw and Winterpaw came back into camp. They told the clan they had been hunting with Patchpaw and their father.
Suddenly though a band of three foxes raced through the forest where they were chasing prey. Barkfur had rushed everyone under tree roots that had enough room for them to huddle together.
Patchpaw had realised they wouldnt be able to survive three foxes, so she ran out from the safety of the roots to bait them away, and two of the foxes chased after her. Barkfur did his best and tried to attack the last fox but he died when the fox thrust its paw into their spot and cut open Barkfur's throat with its long claws.
Barkfur though, with his last ounce of strength, caught the fox in the eye and it ran off. Rainpaw and Winterpaw cowered behind their father and watched the whole ordeal.
It only got worse though. The two apprentices had been to stiff with shock to move and sat there, looking at their father's body with horror.
They started to hear voices in the distance and Firestar, Tigertooth, Goldensky, amd Sunscar had come to their rescue. They first found Patchpaw after the foxes were done with her. She had barely been grasping onto life when Sunscar found her through the stench of blood.
Sunscar ended her misery by giving her a death berry. Before that though Patchpaw told them where Rainpaw and Winterpaw were. So the group hurried to find them.
The apprentices refused to move from under the roots and claimed they wouldn't until their mother was there.
They brought Patchpaw's body to camp and told Ravenscar what happened. The she-cat ran out of camp and Runningwish guessed that the same thing that happened with Longfrost happened to her.
Runningwish had been sitting with the others in memorial for Patchpaw but her ears became alert when she heard Ravenscar returning with her dead mate and her children.
She had lost her connection with Bluestar's spirit just as Longfrost lost his connection with Longtail. Runningwish watched the older warrior with grief. These cats didn't deserve to die. Barkfur had been a friend to Runningwish and Patchpaw was so young.
The brown tabby sighed heavily and went to comfort Ravenscar.
Not much later Cheetahstep returned with Swiftrise. She saw Barkfur and she seemed to be crestfallen. Two brave and loving cats lost in the same day.
Runningwish looked around and spotted Sunscar. She had an unreadable expression as she looked down at Patchpaw. This apprentice was her sibling. Even if she wasn't born by Heatherear and Longfrost, they raised her as their own.
She had joined all the others, Owlpaw, Softpaw, Acornpaw, and Seapaw to mourn.