Introduction

Mournful yowls echoed like fading thunder as news began to spread. Only the nursery remained silent as a black tom rasped his tongue over a small white bundle. He laid next to a dead tabby she-cat. Two tiny bundles of black fur rested motionless at her belly. A black she-cat, with a white hind-leg, pressed against her brother with two four-moon-old kits glued against her other side. The kits' eyes were wide and terrified while they stood quiet with shock over what happened moments ago.

A golden tom sat on the other side of the dead she-cat with his head hung in defeat. His voice shook, sorrow rooted in each word, "I tried to save them all, Greenclaw." The young tom's amber eyes glittered with emotion as he stood over the dead queen and kits. "Birdpelt's shakes that seized her body were something told in stories by ancient medicine cats. There was nothing I could do-"

"I don't blame you," Greenclaw's deep tone interrupted the apprentice. He lowered his massive head over the small white kit at his paws, tucking her under his neck and closer to his warm chest. Greenclaw's eyes closed in mourning as the she-kit mewed and nuzzled hungrily beneath him.

Greenclaw whispered, "I don't blame anyone or anything."

A small fluffy gray she-cat rushed into the nursery very suddenly. "Sunpaw," she mewed. The golden apprentice jumped as Featherwhisker, the clan medicine cat, snapped him from his thoughts. Sunpaw shamefully held her piercing blue gaze. "What happened?"

"Meadowfoot called for help," Sunpaw answered while glancing at a black queen with a white hind-leg. Meadowfoot tried to shoo her stubborn kits back to her nest, for a fifth unsuccessful time, as Sunpaw began to shake.

"Birdpelt was having what the ancestors once described to me as a seizure. She died but the kits were still moving! I helped push them out but only the first one survived!" Sunpaw began to yowl miserably and Featherwhisker pressed against him for comfort. "I think I killed the kits!"

"No, no. You did everything right. You are not to blame. Greenclaw and the little one were very lucky you were here to save one of his kits."

Meadowfoot glanced longingly at Greenclaw, wishing to comfort her brother, but her kits started to mew worried questions about the scene they have just witnessed. She didn't want her brother to hear the insensitive, unfiltered questions the kits were asking. So grudgingly, Meadowfoot walked away from him with her kits following her outside, still pressed tightly on either side of her as though StarClan might try to take her next. Greenclaw was relieved but too numb to show his gratitude.

"Meadowfoot will need to come back soon," Featherwhisker whispered gently to Greenclaw as he started to shake with grief. "Even though her kits have stopped nursing, she can still feed the newborn. Meadowfoot's milk is starting to dry but she's the only queen we have until we can find another Clans' queen who will help."

Sunpaw wailed softly over Birdpelt's body and Featherwhisker crouched against him. She knew the hardships of losing one's first warrior to illness. Sunpaw had never had a cat die of anything but old age before now. After a few minutes of Featherwhisker comforting the little medicine cat apprentice, she asked Greenclaw, "What are you going to name her?"

The black tom looked up with emotion swimming in his green eyes at his dead mate, distressed to name the kit by himself. After a few moments, he glanced out through the nursery entrance as something caught his eye. Featherwhisker followed his gaze.

"Snowkit."

The first snowfall of Leaf-bare had begun.