Warm newleaf sun shone down on the camp. A white queen with gray spots was sunning in front of nursery. She decided to fetch some fresh-kill. In that same exact moment she caught sight of hunting patrol returning back to the camp. They were carrying few rabbits and a squirrel.
"Here, Cindertail. This one's for you." said a white fluffy tom with piercing yellow eyes, dropping fat rabbit.
"Aww, thanks Webface. If it wasn't for you, I would starve to death." purred Cindertail, picking up the rabbit. An apprentice came over to the two cats speaking.
"Hi, Cindertail! How are the kits?" asked ginger tabby tom.
"They are fine, Duskpaw. Do you want to see them?" answered Cindertail.
"May I?"
"Of course, come." said Cindertail, nudging the apprentice.
They bounded over to the nursery and looked inside to find something that should never be in the nursery.
"Help!" yowled Cindertail with terror.
Webface ran straight to them and stopped to see what scarred Cindertail so much. It was the fearful enemy of cats, snake. Its small eyes looking straight to Webface's.
Webface was frozen by shock and then the snake sprang at the white warrior. But Webface dodged its attack and pinned down the snake's head with his paw and killed it. Cindertail ran to check her kits.
"Two of my kits are gone! I have to find them." said Cindertail.
Just then Webface saw movement in snake's body.
"Wait!" replied Webface.
He cut open the snake's body with his claw. Gray ball of fur dropped out, moving. There was one more. But the other kit was dead.
"Whitekit!" gasped Cindertail. "No!" she cried out.
"We have to get Mousekit to Sandfur or she will die!" said Webface.
Cindertail started to lick her other one kit to calm him while Webface, carrying Mousekit, and Duskpaw hurried over to medicine cat's den. When they arrived, the golden long-haired she-cat was checking her herb supplies. Mousekit let out meow of despair.
"Webface? What happened?" she asked.
"Sandfur! Mousekit was eaten by a snake but she's still breathing. You have to help her." said Webface, trying to catch his breath.
"Lay her down here and bring the snake here as well."
Webface looked at Duskpaw. "Bring the snake." he said and Duskpaw dashed back to the front of the nursery.
Duskpaw came back with the snake in his jaws. Sandfur already had some herbs prepared. She was only waiting for Duskpaw to bring the snake. He dropped it to Sandfur's paws.
"She was lucky. It's only grass snake, that means there's no venom in her body and she will survive." said Sandfur and she patched the bite on Mousekit's back with cobwebs.
When she finished, she sent Duskpaw to bring Mousekit back to her mother and told Webface to wait.
"Webface, I believe this was an omen from StarClan." said the medicine cat, her eyes gleaming.
"What omen?" asked Webface, uneasy.
"StarClan doesn't accept the kit yet, she's meant to do something important for the clan. But I don't know what." replied Sandfur.
"Should I tell Brightstar or Cindertail?"
"No, there's time for that. Now let's go give Cindertail and Mousekit some poppy seeds for the shock."