A long forlorn wail sounded through the camp and made Scarkit wake up. Her eyes were open and glistened in the setting sun. She tumbled into the clearing and instantly wished that she had stayed in the medicine cat den.

Larkbelly lay dead on the floor with not a scratch. The smell of death hit Scarkit's nose and she began to tremble. Brightleap sat next to Sunstorm, giving soothing repetitive licks and tried to analyse the body, but he was just as confused as anyone
else.

"It is the third death this moon. Why are Starclan doing this to us? Will we lose every cat in this cursed clan?" Webpaw stuttered.

Scarkit remembered the deaths of Goosewhisker and Featherfall in the past half moon. They all bore the same glazey look in their eyes and none of them had a wound. The cause of death unknown.

Snowystar emerged from her den a look of disgust spread across her face.

"Why, Starclan?" she muttered under her breath, "Why to us? We haven't had any deaths in moons and suddenly cats are dropping dead?"

Brightleap drew away from the mourning Sunstorm and murmered something in Snowystar's ear, who withdrew from Brightleap and lept on to the big rock at the centre of the clearing.

"Everyone including kits come to the Big Rock and gather for a clan meeting."

Once everyone had gathered around including Scarkit who still lay trembling in the shadows of the rock, Snowystar started.

"We have right to think that these cats are dying from poisoned fresh kill or water contamination of dead fresh kill. I must tell you all to check before eating fresh kill for maggots and before you drink water you must smell it to see if it is contaminated
/or look in it for any deadfresh kill. I do not want any crt drinking from muddy puddles or any small water source for that matter. From now on all water will come from the stream or the lake. I want the apprentices to fetch water and moss twiceaday
for the elders and queens and take them for a drink in the evening. I will send two patrols now to check for poisoned prey and check before you bring it home. If you step in any unknown things wash it off immediately. Thank you, you are all dismissed."

Snowystar leapt off the rock and retreated to her den calling Brightleap on the way. A crowd of cats gathered aroundMeadowleaf desperate to be assigned to roles. The apprentices sat a little further away, muttering quietly to each other. Duskkit

boundedup to Scarkit.

"Hey Scarkit, do you want to play moss ball?"

"No Duskkit!" Scarkit screeched, "Cats are dying around us, I don't want to play I just want to be alone for a while. This deaths have been happening suddenly since we were born, do you not think anything of that?"

"Maybe, it is just a coincidence. I don't know but I know that it has nothing to do with us. I am going now, see you later!"

Scarkit said nothing, but just sat there quietly with her head rested on the bone dry earth.