Speckletail watched as the cats left the RiverClan camp. She turned to look at Frostfur, who was talking to Shadepelt and Loudbelly. Twolegs were destroying the forest and taking all of the prey away. WindClan was forced off the moor and ThunderClan had to leave our camp. Together, we sheltered at sunningrocks. ShadowClan's own camp was destroyed by Twolegs. ThunderClan's leader, Firestar, lost a life in the process. ShadowClan and RiverClan agreed to join WindClan and ThunderClan on their quest to find a new home.
"Speckletail, what do you think?"
"What?" Speckletail turned around to find Shadepelt, Loudbelly, and Frostfur watching her.
Frostfur repeated, "Where do you think we should go?"
"I don't know. What do you two think?"
Shadepelt shifted, "Maybe we should become kittypets."
"No! We are warriors. We may be old and our bones may be tired but we are still warriors." Speckletail snapped.
"Perhaps we should just stay here in RiverClan territory." Loudbelly suggested.
"I'm going to hunt." Speckletail announced.
She crept out of the camp and went to the fields of the northern RiverClan territory. The sun went high in the sky and yet Speckletail had found nothing. Speckletail was about to give up when a bush finally shook. She padded over to it with anticipation. She had not tasted prey since the previous morning. As she approached the bush it shook more. Speckletail stuck her head in the bush and she came face to face with the leg of a Twoleg. She yowled and scratched its leg. It yowled in return and Speckletail took off for RiverClan camp.
When she returned Loudbelly lay in the camp, unmoving. She ran up to him and sniffed him. His fur had gone cold, "Loudbelly!" She prodded him but there was no response.
Frostfur came back to the camp carrying one scrawny mouse. When she saw Loudbelly she dropped it and came running over, "May you wallow in the great warmth of StarClan, my friend."
"I came back and found him like this. He died alone, Frostfur. I feel bad."
"He's with StarClan now; he's in a better place." Frostfur said rubbing her tail along Speckletail's flank.
The sun was going down by the time Shadefur returned. When Shadefur saw the body of her denmate she just closed her eyes and muttered to herself. Shadefur had returned with a squirrel, the best piece of prey Speckletail had seen in many moons. They ate in turns and buried Loudbelly before bed.
Speckletail volunteered to stay on guard for the night. It was a cold night and she thought of all of the deaths, Dappletail, Shrewpaw, Hollykit, Larchkit, Mudfur, and Loudbelly. The Clans had lost many brave cats this leaf-bare and Speckletail knew the three of them would be joining them soon.
Shadefur relieved Speckletail of guard duty at moonhigh, allowing her to get rest. That next morning Frostfur, Shadepelt, and Speckletail decided to go into ThunderClan territory. The stepping stones lay ahead and Speckletail crossed first followed by Frostfur. Shadefur was coming over when a wave came and swept her off of her paws. Her head hit a rock and there was a loud crack. Shadepelt went limp instantly and her dark body disappeared in the water.
Speckletail and Frostfur ran down the bank and found her body caught in a fallen tree just outside RiverClan territory. It had only been a day and the scent markers were already fading. They picked up the young she-cat's body and buried her on the riverbank.
"We should go hunt now." Frostfur said.
The two she-cats went their separate ways, agreeing to join back at sunningrocks. Speckletail caught a small vole and returned to the rocks where many battles had been fought. Night fell and Frostfur hadn't returned. When the sun rose the next morning Frostfur was still missing. Speckletail followed her scent trail and found the body of her white friend in the ThunderClan camp asleep in the elders' den. Speckletail buried Frostfur with her clanmates and went back to sunningrocks. The vole she had caught the night before was cold; she was waiting to share it with Frostfur. Now she was the last Clan cat in the forest unless you count Ravenpaw. Ravenpaw!
Speckletail started in the direction of Ravenpaw's and Barley's farm, which was north of WindClan territory. She crossed the stream ThunderClan went over every full moon to go to the Gatherings. Fourtrees lay in front of Speckletail at sunhigh. She was too tired to go on so Speckletail stopped for the day. She curled up in the roots of one of the Great Oaks and closed her eyes.
Ravenpaw and Barley were traveling across the moor. Firestar said that four cats stayed behind. They made it to Fourtrees and Ravenpaw was disappointed to find the body of Speckletail. She was curled up in the roots of one of the Great Oaks. Ravenpaw didn't see his older sister, Frostfur, or Loudbelly, or Shadepelt of RiverClan. He knew they wouldn't separate and said a silent prayer to StarClan. They buried the old she-cat in the clearing and went back to the barn. "StarClan may you honor the deaths of Dappletail, Hollykit, Larchkit, Shrewpaw, Mudfur, Loudbelly, Shadepelt, Frostfur, and Speckletail. They all died as warriors."
