Prologue
Jayfeather crouched over the weak body of Ferncloud as she lay, heavily panting, on a nest in the nursery. It was the day after the half moon, when the medicine cats travelled to the Moonpool to speak with Starclan, and nearly an entire moon since Hollyleaf had died, Leafpool had stepped down as medicine cat, and the stunning truth of who Jayfeather and his sibling's true parents were was revealed.
Dustpelt crouched worriedly nearby, watching his mate struggle to give birth to another kit which Jayfeather had suggested they shouldn't have after Ferncloud struggled giving birth to Foxpaw and Icepaw, who were outside waiting with Millie, Daisy and their kits.
Finally, after a long struggle, Jayfeather confirmed that their new kit, a small she-kit, was alive and would be fine after a few moments. He passed the kit, a tabby brown colour like her father, to Dustpelt to clean whilst he checked over Ferncloud.
Jayfeather grew concerned when he smelt blood, and not the blood of the afterbirth. Ferncloud's breathing became more laboured and her eyes began to droop; Jayfeather cursed mentally and hurried out of the nursery, returning a few moments later with herbs clamped in his jaws. He chewed most into a poultice and persuaded Ferncloud to open her mouth and chew them; she did as she was asked, but could only manage a few chews before her jaws ran out of strength and opened, making the poultice fall out.
Becoming increasingly worried for his mate, Dustpelt crept forward with their kit and placed her gently on the ground before looking his mate in the eye and almost pleading with her:
"Ferncloud, I don't think we should have any kits anymore. Just please hold on, please make it through this." He meowed gently, licking his mate's ears and trying to get her to swallow the poultice again.
"I think…You're right…" Ferncloud forced out, flanks shuddering as she inhaled a shaky breath. "We…should stop…having kits…" Her eyes slowly dropped shut and her flanks fell and stilled, she didn't inhale air again because she didn't have to; Jayfeather bowed his head. Dustpelt stared at his mate's face; a calm, peaceful expression planted eternally on it, and felt his world dissolve around him until he felt like he was falling through nothing.
Jayfeather heard the tom collapse and shuffled over to him, helping him up into a sitting position. "You still have your daughter." The medicine cat murmured to the warrior, nudging the newborn who was wailing for milk. Dustpelt turned his gaze slowly downwards to said daughter and Jayfeather swore he could physically feel the dislike radiating off the dark brown tabby warrior.
"Oh yes…So I do." He muttered; Jayfeather frowned.
"It's not her fault Ferncloud died, don't blame her." The gray tom almost snapped at the other tom. "If anything it's your own fault. I told you quite clearly not to have another kit and what did you do? Went ahead and got Ferncloud pregnant again!" He felt Dustpelt flinch away from him and Jayfeather sighed. "I'm sorry, but it's really not your kit's fault. Do you have a name for her?" The medicine cat bent down and began to lick the she-kit in an attempt to quiet her wails and almost froze at Dustpelt's next words.
"Lostkit." He near-spat. "Because her mother is lost and she is too."
The medicine cat sat up sharply and turned his head to snap at the warrior but Dustpelt had already turned and stalked out of the nursery without looking back. With a disappointed sigh at the tabby warrior, Jayfeather picked up Lostkit – as she had been named – and carried her outside to the waiting clan, ready to explain what had happened.