In the little time she'd been alive, all she knew was cold. Nothing was ever warm, and the material beneath her paws was scratchy and brittle.

There'd be a presence that would curl around her, let her muzzle up to the fur, take in the precious contact for just a few heartbeats. Not only was her fur cold, but so was the presence that made itself known to her.

Sometimes it didn't stay long. Sometimes it would stay a while, exertion clear in its shallow breaths, and a strange sour smell that clung to its pelt. Sometimes it would be gone for what felt like moons until her stomach felt hollow, and there would be no response, no matter how much she mewled and mewled.

And when she opened her eyes for the first time, there was no one there.

Just her, by herself, in mist and the cold.

Her little legs were too small to even attempt anything, everything was too blurred and too loud all at the same time. Everything was blue and as the time passed it became darker, everything now layered in a red haze.

"The scent leads all the way up here, Cedarfang." A voice suddenly broke the silence.

It wasn't like the cat that had been hovering around her. No, it was someone different. They smelled of dampened wood and moss, not like the sour smell that often clung to the presence.

"I knew they'd been on this side of the territory, but of course Tulipstar wouldn't believe me." Another voice sounded out, a hint of annoyance in their tone.

"Well, you were right, Birdfrost. You can bring Tulipstar up here yourself to show the proof." The other cat—Cedarfang—responded.

The pawsteps and voices got louder.

"So how long do you think they stayed here for? I mean, there's a den up and everything. Even some scraps of prey over there."

"I don't know." Cedarfang responded. "Could've been a while—StarClan!"

"What is it?"

"A kit. Right here, in the den."

"Is it alright? Is it breathing?"

She felt a paw set on the back of her flank.

"It's breathing, yes. But StarClan—it's so cold."

"You don't think it could be a bait, right?" Birdfrost responded nervously.

"I don't think so. It so cold. If it was left here, well, it's been left a while." Cedarfang replied. She felt herself be tugged upward, held gently by the scruff.

"Maybe they left it hoping that it'd well...y'know." Birdfrost paused. "But that would seem out of character, wouldn't it?"

"I agree." Cedarfang nodded, and she gently bobbed along with the movement. "The murderer would get the job done quickly...not leave it to freeze. And even if it is bait, we'd be just as bad if we let this kit die."

"We better get her back to Pearthorn and get her warmed up."

And then she was being carried. She didn't know where they were going, or what they would do, but she hoped it would be better than what she'd already experienced.