CHAPTER 1

"No!" Snowfeather wailed as Raventail dragged a body from the thick of the battle. It was Snowfeather's mother, Windsong. "Windsong! Oh, Windsong!" Snowfeather ran over to the body and buried her nose into Windsong's fur. Only the scent of death entered her nose not her mother's sweet scent.

"Snowfeather! You can grieve over your mother later! Go back and start treating Violeteyes!" Hailshade, the medicine cat barked at her apprentice. Snowfeather nodded and slowly left Windsong and went to treat Violeteyes, her own eyes dull and losing their river blue shine.

"Snowfeather, I'm really sorry about Windsong." Violeteyes mewed as Snowfeather applied cobwebs to her shoulder. Snowfeather just nodded as she went to snatch up a few leaves. When Violeteyes was done and able to rejoin the battle, Snowfeather nodded again. Violeteyes cast a sympathetic look at her before leaping onto a huge black and ginger tom.

Snowfeather trembled from the top of her head to her tail. She had already lost her father, Grayblaze in a fox attack, her brother Jayclaw with greencough and now her mother. Shimmerfire, her sister, shared her grief. Their Clan had lost the battle. DarkClan have won and MistClan have lost, losing many warriors.

As Snowfeather grieved, she remembered all her time with Windsong. The memories zipped back and forth in Snowfeather's mind almost as if they were bursting. Many cats came to share their grief for Windsong with Shimmerfire and Snowfeather. Snowfeather just nodded but Shimmerfire did most of the talking. Snowfeather just silently wailed her grief to StarClan. She glanced up at Silverpelt. A new star shone brightly.

"Oh, Windsong. What will I ever do without you?" Snowfeather mewed to herself. When the grieving was finished, Snowfeather touched her nose to Windsong's pale gray pelt once more before she was lifted up and led to be buried.

"Let all cats old enough to catch thier prey gather beneath the HighBranch for a Clan meeting!" Leopardstar, a gray spotted black she-cat yowled. All the cats gathered beneath the huge tree that leaders have always held meetings.

"We have lost a grave battle. Only nine of our warriors remain and one queen. We hope all the fallen warriors find peace in StarClan." Leopardstar mewed. "Our only warriors now are Violeteyes, Shimmerfire, Iceheart, Raventail, Nightstorm, Flowershine, Graywhisker, Tawnyclaw, Lichenpelt and Hazelsnow."

"We will keep an eye on all our borders now. If any Clan dares to challenge MistClan, tell them that we will fight. We will fight for those who have died! For all of MistClan!" Leopardstar yowled. All the cats shouted back in agreement and the meeting broke up. Nightstorm, the deputy, began to organize patrols for Hazelsnow and Tawnyclaw's two tom kits. The only three apprentices, one she-cat and the other two toms, went with Summerwind and Flowershine on a hunting patrol.

Snowfeather hung her head, still in grief, as she went back to the medicine den with Hailshade.

"Snowfeather, you can take these to the nursery." Hailshade prodded at a lump of moss oozing with honey. Snowfeather nodded and picked it up, padding towards the nursery.

"Hazelsnow, these are for your kits." Snowfeather dropped the honey-moss in front of Hazelsnow's kits. Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Thank you, Snowfeather." Hazelsnow nodded at Snowfeather. Leaf-bare was fast approaching and prey was getting scarce. Hazelsnow's kits, Tigerkit and Sunkit, both jumped at the honey, licking the golden liquid greedily. "They haven't drank milk in two days."

"I'll go get you a rabbit or something." Snowfeather mewed as she walked to the fresh-kill pile. Nightstorm was there, mewing to Violeteyes.

"Hello, Snowfeather." Violeteyes mewed. Nightstorm nodded at Snowfeather. Snowfeather nodded at Violeteyes and dipped her head to Nightstorm as she selected a rabbit for Hazelsnow. Snowfeather returned to the nursery and gave Hazelsnow the rabbit.

She gazed dully at the kits as they ate the honey. But she wasn't thinking about Windsong anymore, she was thinking about love. But she quickly forced the thought away. She was a medicine cat! She would never know the real truth of being a mother or having a mate and kits.

"Shall I go and get more honey?" Snowfeather asked Hazelsnow.

"That will be enough, Snowfeather." Hazelsnow nodded at Snowfeather as she picked up the moss and padded back to the medicine den. She was sent to the forest to pick some herbs.

As Snowfeather bent down to pick up some leaves, she bumped noses with something. Nightstorm!

"Sorry." Snowfeather mumbled. She looked up into Nightstorm's green eyes and for a moment, she couldn't move. Neither could Nightstorm. A flash of embarrassment rippled through Snowfeather's pelt as she looked away, feeling hot with embarrassment.

"Out collecting herbs?" Nightstorm asked, sitting down and began grooming his sleek jet-black fur.

"Yeah. Just before leaf-bare comes." Snowfeather nodded as she bent down to reach the leaves again. She gathered them in a bundle and dipped her head to Nightstorm once more before padding back to camp. As Snowfeather shared a vole with Shimmerfire, Shimmerfire noticed something different.

"Snowfeather, you don't look the same." Shimmerfire mewed.

"What do you mean?" Snowfeather asked.

"You look moony. There's something different with your eyes." Shimmerfire explained. Moony? Who would I ever moon over? I'm a medicine cat for StarClan's sake! Snowfeather thought to herself.

"I'm a medicine cat! I don't moon over anyone!" Snowfeather snapped.

"Suit yourself." Shimmerfire shurgged and bent down to take another bite of the vole. Snowfeather glanced around the camp. Violeteyes was mewing with Nightstorm almost as if they were...mates. A surge of jealousy waved through Snowfeather. Snowfeather struggled to push the feeling away. She should be happy. Violeteyes was her good friend. Thinking about good things didn't calm Snowfeather's jealousy, only by a bit.

"I'm not hungry." Snowfeather managed to not growl at Shimmerfire as she stood up and went to the medicine den. She needed to calm down. Snowfeather curled up and began to sleep.

END OF CHAPTER 1!

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~Bluefeather of MistClan