Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower
Book 1: Budding Moon
Chapter 3

Lilyshadow's paws glided across the mossy forest floor effortlessly, as if her pads had been used to trekking these lands for moons. Her silver-tipped ears perked up at the sound of trickling water in the distance. As she lifted her nose to the air, sure enough, the scent of fresh water met her nostrils. Whiskers twitching at the thought of the refreshment, she bounded in that direction. She trotted towards the aura reverberating from the water and for a moment wondered why she was being so whimsical; normally she never did anything on a whim.

The landscape beneath her changed, the forest's pine needles giving away to slightly slippery stone blanketed with moss here and there. A tall circle of pond reeds jutted up out of the earth in front of her. Flicking an ear curiously at their sudden appearance, she wove her way through them, only to come to an expansive pool of water. She skidded to a stop right at its edge, her paws almost brushing the tip of its depths. It wasn't large enough to be called a pond; it was definitely not much more than a puddle, but there was something about it that made it seem as if it would never dry up. Her icy blue eyes gazed at it and the surface of the water almost seemed to reflect icicles back at her because the sheen the water had to it had a starshine all of its own. With uncertainty, she leaned forward and gazed into its depths. Looking back at her was the unmistakable reflection of her self. It was a perfect picture, her face looking back at her as if she was looking into glass, not water. Suddenly, her eyes caught her attention. Within her irises, she could see swirls of color meshing together, the blue of ice mixing with an emerald green, like the swell of a great body of water. The wave of colors churned and churned until all blue had left her eyes and starring back at her was a cat whose eyes shown like bright, green stones. The outline of the cat's features had barely changed; perhaps it looked a big sharper and fiercer.

"Lilyshadow..." Her name echoed in her head. Or was it from her head? She blinked down into the image in the pool beneath her.

"Lilyshadow..." she heard again. It wasn't in her voice, but a deeper one. Although the voice was laced with more gruffness than hers, it still sounded like cold water dripping down rocks. It had a strange smoothness to it as well.

She opened her muzzle to speak to her reflection...this reflection...this cat...whatever it was, but no words came to her throat anyway.

"Do you know where you are?" the cat in the pool asked her. She nodded slowly. She was at the Moonpool, the sacred body of water where Clan cats, mostly leaders and medicine cats, shared tongues with their warrior ancestors in StarClan.

"Do you know where I am?" the reflection cat went on. This time Lilyshadow shook her head, no. "I am Ivystrike and I walk the starlit hunting grounds of StarClan," he meowed through the whispering water. Lilyshadow's eyes went wide. So this cat had once been a living warrior?

"Listen carefully, Lilyshadow..." his voice went on. The black she-cat could only nod her head. "StarClan has brought you and your cats here for a very special reason. You must trust us." With those last few words, Ivystrike's image in the Moonpool started to ebb away. In fact, all of Lilyshadow's vision was disappearing! She was slipping into darkness, her vision completely failing her. At first she considered yowling out loudly and flailing around pathetically in madness at her lack of sight, but it mere moments a silvery light, like a moonbeam, appeared in front of her. From within its shining curtain, her eyes made out the image of a blooming white flower opening up its petals to soak up the silver light.

"When blood boils with deception and four becomes six, peace will be found on the petal of the flower that basks in the darkness before ice blankets the forest."

The voice of Ivystrike echoed in her mind as a strong gust of wind barreled through, ripping the flower before her out of its moonlight and sending her fur astray. A sudden gush of ice and a flurry of snow accompanied and seemed to blow her clear off her paws and into the darkness around her.

Lilyshadow's eyes shot open as her head bolted up, gasps for air streaming out of her muzzle. Her blue gaze scanned the clearing this way and that, only for her find she was in the ThunderClan camp surrounded by the bodies of her band of cats, safely in the hollow. Moonlight still trickled down from overhead, accompanied by the lights of silverpelt.

"What is it?" The meow startled her, her fur fluffing up as she twisted her head to see Stripedshadow against her pelt behind her. Even though it was obvious that he had just been asleep, his green eyes were bright with awareness and his fur bristled.

"N-nothing," the black she-cat muttered under her breath, careful to be quiet so as to not wake the sleeping cats next to her. The ebony tabby gave her an unamused look, narrowing his sharp eyes.

"Yes it is," he shot back. She flattened her ears, holding back a glare.

"I'll tell you later," she whispered sharply before tucking her head back down in hopes of returning to sleep. A yelp almost made its way from her lips as the strong paw of Stripedshadow came crashing down on her tail, yanking her back awake. Shooting icy stares at him, she pushed herself to her paws, the action to which Stripedshadow soon followed. He nudged her with his shoulder and flicked his tail towards the camp entrance before making his way in that direction as swiftly and silently as a shadow itself. She followed him, carefully stepping her way over Bearclaw, Berrypelt, Icestripe, Lionfang, Moontalon, Stoneflight, and Cloverfur on her way. The pair reached the edge of camp just by the bramble tunnel where Lilyshadow's nose picked up the traces of Hollystep and Dirtface accompanied by Rippedpaw and Dawnstorm. They must've gone out on the night patrol. She caught how tired the small tortoiseshell cat looked. She couldn't blame her. Back to back patrols? She looked at Rippedpaw's sandy-colored mentor.

"She'll take whatever chance she can get with Dawnstorm," she realized, looking at the old warrior.

"What?" she hissed quietly to Stripedshadow, pulling herself back to reality as he nudged her with a paw roughly.

"Tell me what you were dreaming about," the shadowy tomcat meowed calmly as he sat down and wrapped his tail elegantly around his paws as if he had all the time in the world.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked. Truthfully, the she-cat kind of wished to keep her dream to herself. What if it had been a message from StarClan? ...No.. A prophecy..?

Stripedshadow shrugged. Before either of them could say anything else, the almost inaudible sound of a cat slipping out of its den made them turn their heads. They pivoted to see Patternedflower slipping out of the medicine den and making her way towards them and the bramble tunnel entrance.

"What are you two doing awake?" the medicine cat asked in her soft tone. "You weren't selected to go on the night patrol." Before Lilyshadow could reply, Stripedshadow beat her to it.

"What are you doing awake?" he shot back, flicking his tail. The black she-cat held back a sigh. Why did her friend have to be so rude? Brushing it out of her mind, she convinced herself he didn't mean it. Luckily, the medicine cat didn't comment on it.

"I'm heading out to collect some herbs. We're getting low on daisy leaves because we've been giving it to Lizardclaw for is aches, and Spiritpetal says she thinks he's starting to run a fever so I'm going to need some extra feverfew," she explained, her tail winding back and forth good-naturedly. "And since I was out I was going to collect some watermint, since night is the best time to collect it because the ground is damp." All these herbs were beginning to make Lilyshadow's head spin. Wait.. Lizardclaw? Fever? In the back of her head, the black she-cat wondered if Berrypelt and Snowpaw knew.

"Now that I think about it," the medicine cat went on. "I'll probably need some help carrying it all. Would you two mind coming with me?" It may have been a question, but Lilyshadow knew better than to refuse help to a medicine cat.

"Not at all," the black she-cat replied just as the bramble tunnel rustled and the smoky body of Mouseear as she shrugged through, a mouse in her jaws. She was followed by Adderstorm, Stormpaw, and Ledgepaw and then Ghosttail, Jaggedtooth, and Bristlepaw. That must have been the nighttime hunting patrol. The smell of fresh-kill enveloped her snout, but she would have to wait until she returned in the morning to have any.

The medicine cat gave a nod before scrambling out of the thorn tunnel. As the almost all-white she-cat disappeared, Lilyshadow shot Stripedshadow a strong, "look-what-you've-gotten-us-into" gaze and followed the medicine cat out of camp.

The ThunderClan medicine cat led them north, a way Lilyshadow hadn't been yet, towards the scent of gusting wind laced with the slight tang of rabbit. "WindClan scent," she thought. A shiver shot through her as she realized if they kept heading north, they'd reach the Moonpool. Instantly, thoughts of her dream replayed in her memory, making her fur bristle. Stripedshadow, who was flanking her closely in the darkness, felt when her pelt stood on end and flicked his ears in her direction. His eyes practically lit up in the dark as he hissed quietly to her under his breath.

"Are you going to tell me now?"

"Later!" she growled back, head-butting him away and shouldering ahead of him to walk next to Patterenedflower.

"Isn't it not a good idea for you to leave the medicine den? What if a cat needs you?" Lilyshadow asked like a curious kit. She hoped an aura of curiosity would mask her anxiousness, and would also get her mind off her dream.

"I can excuse myself for a few minutes. Besides, Thornpaw and Spiritpetal are there if any cat needs help," she replied.

"You trust an apprentice and a non-Clanborn cat?" Stripedshadow meowed. His tone didn't carry a particular emotion but his words sounded strange coming from him considering he wasn't Clanborn either.

"Thornpaw is a bright, young she-cat and Spiritpetal is more than trustworthy," Patternedflower replied. "She has helped so much these last few sunrises. In fact..." The medicine cat brought her paws to a stop and looked back at the two dark cats. "All of your cats have been a great help." Lilyshadow and Stripedshadow exchanged a couple of slightly surprised looks to which the smooth-furred she-cat chuckled. "No cat in ThunderClan can deny that we're flourishing with your help," she went on. "We are able to have the largest patrols in the forest, and more of them. Cats are bringing in piles of fresh-kill, and large numbers provide security for us all. Not to mention, new friends are being made and lives are being shaped." The silver tips of Lilyshadow's ears twitched at the medicine cat's words. Lives are being shaped...? Thoughts of how Patterenedflower spoke of her cats flooded her mind: taking care of Lizardclaw like he was a forest-born elder, thinking Spiritpetal was practically a medicine cat apprentice, trusting her and Stripedshadow, two strangers, to go out on an herb hunt with her... ThunderClan was just accepting them, not that she was complaining. It was almost as if StarClan was paving a way for them to be accepted into Clan life... What if they were?

"Perhaps it is the will of StarClan that you all are here," Patterenedflower meowed. Lilyshadow's blue eyes blinked in surprise. It was as if the ThunderClan medicine cat was reading her mind! ...She was pretty sure medicine cats didn't have that power though...

"Maybe it is," Stripedshadow agreed wistfully, flanking Lilyshadow's side again. The black she-cat blinked again. Did Stripedshadow believe in StarClan? She found that hard to believe if he did, or if any of her other cats did. They hadn't been here for long, yet they spoke and acted half the time as if they were part of ThunderClan. Even Patterenedflower gave Stripedshadow a surprised look, but it was soon replaced with a happy meow and the three padded onward.

Thoughts of StarClan swirled inside Lilyshadow's head, and she kept coming back to her dream.

"Can I share something with the two of you?" Patterenedflower asked, suddenly sitting down. The two black cats brought their paws to a stop and sat down next to each other, looking at the medicine cat with bright eyes.

"Has Spiritpetal ever showed any ...strange signs before?" she questioned, flicking her thin color-muddled tail. Stripedshadow was the first to respond.

"What kind of strange signs?" he said, flicking an ear.

"I don't know..." the older she-cat muttered, looking down and flattening her ears as if she were nervous. "... Other-worldly signs?"

"Why?" Lilyshadow asked quickly.

"I believe StarClan shared something important with me in a dream..." the medicine cat replied. The black she-cat stood stark up-right, ears perked, in shock. A dream?

"What sort of dream?" asked the black tom. His fur was laying flat and he seemed rather relaxed. Lilyshadow wished she could show that much control over her emotions.

"I saw a white flower bathed in the moonlight," the almost all-white she-cat spoke. The icy eyes of Lilyshadow went wide. That was her dream! "And a cat from StarClan said to me, when blood boils with deception and four becomes six, peace will be found on the petal of the flower that basks in the darkness before ice blankets the forest." A shiver shot down Lilyshadow's spine, sending her fur on end.

"How long has Patterenedflower been having this dream?" she wondered.

"Why are you sharing this with us?" Stripedshadow meowed. "Shouldn't you tell Hollowstar?"

"You know Spiritpetal better than I do. I'm convinced the prophecy has something to do with her," the medicine cat exclaimed quickly as if she had been prepared for the dark tom's retort.

It took her a minute, but Lilyshadow swallowed her shock and carefully responded.

"Well, we've never noticed anything abnormal about her," she meowed. Patterenedflower hung her head for a moment as if defeated.

"Alright, but let me know anything if you find out, will you?" she said softly and got back to her paws, returning to trekking through the damp, midnight forest.

"Of course," Lilyshadow replied. "Of course not!" she added in her mind. StarClan must've had shared this dream with her too for a reason, but if the prophecy was about Spiritpetal, why share it with her...?

Sunlight was streaking the sky when Lilyshadow followed Patternedflower back into camp through the bramble tunnel with a bushel of watermint clamped tightly in her jaws, Stripedshadow squeezing into camp behind her. His mouth was packed with round, dark green daisy leaves and he had a couple white and yellow daisy flowers stuck to his ebony fur. This image made Lilyshadow giggle in her head.

The two found their way into the medicine den, an open crevice in the rock hollow that made up ThunderClan's camp. It smelt of so many strong, pungent herbs that Lilyshadow's nose seemed to be spinning at the end of her face. She dropped the watermint, glad to rid her mouth of its tangy, frosty taste and glanced up. Lizardclaw was curled up in a scoop in the earth near a small trickle of water that dripped into the den to provide sick cats with water. His fur looked more tangled than when he had got here and his ears were flat, but Lilyshadow could see the rising and falling of his pelt as he slept. She looked up as she heard the brushing of Spiritpetal winding her way out of the back of Patterenedflower's den, another little alcove where the medicine cat had even more herbs stored.

"Patterenedflower," Spiritpetal began as she bounded up next the three. "I moved Lizardclaw in here away from the other elders. I think his fever's getting worse." Patterenedflower dropped her feverfew and padded over to the old, brown tom cat, pressing her nose to his ears.

"You're right. Guess it's a good thing I fetched some of this," she meowed, ushering to the feverfew with her tail. That's when the small white form of Thornpaw wound her way into the den, the scent of nursery milk and sweet berries clinging to her fur. Lilyshadow recognized it from when Berrypelt stumbled out of the medicine den with it plastered to him.

"I just gave Redmarigold some juniper berries," the medicine cat apprentice meowed to her mentor as she padded in. Like Patterenedflower, she was almost all white except for a calico patch on her forehead. "We'll be needing raspberry leaves anytime now though. She'll be kitting soon." Lilyshadow shook her head. Once again, herb talk was making her head spin. Nevertheless, she gave Lizardclaw a pitiful glance and retreated out of the crowded medicine den with Stripedshadow on her heels. Just outside, they ran into a frantic Berrypelt and Snowpaw.

"Did you see Dad? How is he?" squabbled Snowpaw, her fur a flair with worry. Lilyshadow blinked.

"Spiritpetal and Thornpaw won't let us in to see him," Berrypelt explained, his face stern with concern and probably some tiredness.

"He has a fever," the black she-cat replied. "They probably don't want you to catch it. I'm sure you'll be able to see him later." Berrypelt let out an exasperated sigh that was almost a growl.

"I can't! Twistedtail's putting me on the dawn patrol." The fur around her whiskers furrowed sympathetically.

"Do you want me to go with you?" she offered. Her paws were aching from trekking want seemed like to the moors and back with Patterenedflower, but if it would make Berrypelt happy...

"I'm afraid you can't do that," came the gruff meow from behind them. They turned to see Twistedtail himself trotting towards them, his crooked tail held high in the air. "Hollowstar wants to see you," he explained, ushering to Lilyshadow. Again? She gave Berrypelt a sympathetic blink. "And you!" Twistedtail meowed, averting his gaze to Snowpaw. "The other apprentices could use your help refreshing the elder's den." Snowpaw flattened her ears but dare not argue with the Clan deputy and shuffled away on her fluffy white paws. "Come now, Berrypelt," he meowed, padding towards the bramble thicket. "And bring Icestripe with you," Twistedtail called back. With a sigh, the cream colored tom bounded off across the clearing.

Lilyshadow felt a brush on her right shoulder and turned to see Stripedshadow moving away silently. "I'll keep an eye on him," he meowed under his breath as he stalked away like the shadow he was. She flattened her ears... He was probably as exhausted as she was. She'd have to thank him for helping Berrypelt later. Without another thought, she started making her way through camp towards Hollowstar's den. Passing the fresh-kill pile, she felt her mouth water. She still hadn't eaten since yesterday. Ignoring a growl in her stomach, she convinced herself it'll have to wait.

As she approached the alcove under the Highledge overhang where Hollowstar's den was, the leader stepped out of the crevice looking as smooth and regal as ever.

"Good morning, Lilyshadow," she meowed with a flick of her tail. The ebony she-cat nodded her head politely.

"Good morning, Hollowstar."

"You seem tired?" the white-and-bark-colored leader mused. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No. Stripedshadow and I went out with Patterenedflower before sunrise to help her collect some herbs," she explained. Lilyshadow didn't tell the leader that her paws felt like boulders and she was about ready to collapse. Surprisingly, Hollowstar let out a meow of amusement.

"You sure are working hard..." she muttered. Lilyshadow blinked a couple of times. "A lot of you are actually."

"Um...who...?" the black she-cat stammered in confusion.

"You and your band of cats," she replied. "You all are working so hard for the Clan." Lilyshadow hadn't thought of it that way, but that was certainly the case. "Any particular reason why?" The question took the she-cat off-guard but she was ready to answer.

"You took us in. We're only showing our gratitude. And especially if we want to stay here, we have to learn how to fit in," she replied.

"And fitting in you are," Hollowstar went on, kneading the ground beneath her claws. Where was this conversation going...? This wasn't just idle chat again was it?

"Um...did you need something, Hollowstar?" Lilyshadow meowed softly in the most polite tone possible.

"Yes, but eat first. When you have, meet Silverpaw at the camp entrance." The leader didn't give her the chance to say anything else. She had already bounded off.

Lilyshadow didn't object and quickly made her way back to the center of the camp clearing, finding the fresh-kill pile again. Selecting a vole, she snatched it up in her jaws and plopped down into the ground not far away, holding the little brown body between her silver front paws. She took a couple enormous bites and swallowed them ravenously. As she chewed, her gaze drifted across camp to the nursery. Pearlnose, one of the queens, was outside with Hollykit with whom Hollystep was distracting by swishing his bushy tail from side-to-side. Not far away Lionfang and Moontalon sat, flanks pressed against each other, watching the kit. The ginger, lion-like tom rasped his tongue between the dark silver she-cat's ears... A beautiful sight. Lilyshadow didn't linger on the image for long and speedily devoured the rest of the vole. Just as she was lapping the remains of her meal from her jaws, the rusty-brown form of Dirtface padded over next to her.

"Where have you been?" he asked. His tone wasn't particularly hostile, but Lilyshadow wasn't sure if she liked it.

"I had to help Patterenedflower collect some herbs and now I'm about to go do something for Hollowstar," she explained. Surely her friend couldn't be cross if she was doing things for high-ranked cats?

"That's not what I mean..." he shot back. The black she-cat pressed her ears against her skull.

"Then what -"

"What are we doing here?" the dark red-and-brown tom cut her off. She was shocked by his sudden ferocity.

"What are you talking about?" she shot back, this time with a hiss in her own voice. She made sure to keep it down so as not to draw attention.

"Why are we here with the Clan cats? We're not part of ThunderClan! How long before we leave?" he asked. Lilyshadow hadn't thought of it like that at all.

"Why are you under the impression we're going to leave? If I can arrange it, this will be our life now!" she snapped, her tail lashing as she got to her paws. "What's wrong? Don't you like Clan life?"

"It's not that," he bit back. "It's just that ..." He trailed off and took a deep breath. "We're not warriors. We're not real members of ThunderClan." Lilyshadow withdrew some of her harshness.

"Right now that isn't a problem. We're all doing our best to fit in."

"We can't be thrown into a life we don't know and expect it to work," he argued, stomping a paw on the ground. Her whiskers suddenly twitched with annoyance again.

"Well when you think of a safer place to be, let me know!" she snarled and turned, bounding her way towards the camp entrance.

Silverpaw led Lilyshadow to the outskirts of camp to an area between a nestle of trees packed together to make a small, soft clearing where the ground was covered in a thick blanket of moss.

"This is the mossy hollow," he explained, waving his tail. "Mentors train their apprentices for battle here." Once again Lilyshadow noticed how the apprentice was easily as tall as she was and had such a strong build. His fur shown silver in the sunlight and was smoothed back, giving him a handsome appearance. He wouldn't remain an apprentice for long, she was sure.

"That's right, Silverpaw," came the regal voice from across the little clearing. Lilyshadow looked up to see Hollowstar sitting patiently with her tail around her paws. "And that's why we're here today." The black she-cat blinked at the ThunderClan cats.

"Are you and Silverpaw going to train?" she asked Hollowstar, tilting her head. The white-and-bark-colored leader chuckled under her breath.

"No. You and Silverpaw are going to train," she replied with a grin thrown across her muzzle.

"What?" Lilyshadow squeaked in surprise.

"If you and your cats are going to become members of ThunderClan, you're going to need to learn to fight like warriors," she explained, a twinkle like stardust in her eye. Some amount of happiness welled up inside Lilyshadow, but then a glance at Silverpaw made her shudder. She'd hate to have his claws raking through her skin.

"Don't worry," he meowed. "Claws sheathed." Her ears burned a little and she chuckled cheekily.

"Okay, Lilyshadow. Silverpaw's going to lunge at you. Just bound to the side and get a paw in on him as he goes past," instructed Hollowstar. Lilyshadow took a deep breath and readied her muscles, assuming almost a hunting-like stance. Her piercing blue eyes were on the silvery apprentice. His lips curled into a smirk and he bounded forward at her with a powerful leap. All at once her courage leapt out of her and her eyes went wide at his fury. She bolted aside as he skidded past her, turning to look at him over her shoulder with her pelt bristling.

"You can't be afraid," Hollowstar critiqued.

"At least you dodged!" Silverpaw coaxed. "Try again!" He yowled out a fake battle cry and lunged at her again. This time, even though the sight of a cat charging towards her sent a chill through her, she wove around the silver tom as he got close to her and she twisted her body the way she did when chasing a piece of prey that was trying to get away from her and aimed a paw swipe at the apprentice's flank. She barely felt his soft fur brush against the tip of her paw as he skidded past.

"Better," he beamed.

"But still too slow," came Hollowstar, this time with a smirk. "Again."

Silverpaw shot at her, paws outstretched and fangs bared as if he was actually dangerous. She bolted to his side as he reached her and pivoted like a top, pulling a paw down onto his silvery head. It had happened in a second, and when it was over she blinked at herself in surprise. Silverpaw shook his head, his ears flattened, and looked up at her with a grin.

"Wow! You did it!" he grinned.

"Nicely done," Hollowstar mused. "Now...again." Lilyshadow's ears drooped. Were all apprentices pushed like this?

Gold bursts of sun were painted throughout the sky by the time Lilyshadow trudged back into camp with almost a limp. Muscles she didn't know she had were sore! That Silverpaw was ferocious in battle! She didn't want to ever meet him on the wrong side of a skirmish. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle between Berrypelt and Stripedshadow and fall asleep, dreams or not. However it was Bearclaw who met her first. A plump sparrow was wedged between his jaws.

"I saved this for you," he meowed, dropping it at her paws. Despite the fact that she had eaten earlier that morning, she was hungry again after having trained nearly all day with Silverpaw and Hollowstar. She didn't want anyone to have to look out for her in particular, but she didn't deny the thought.

"Thanks," she meowed as she sat down, her rump dropping like it was weighed down with rocks she was so exhausted. She didn't go for the fresh-kill right away. "What is everyone up too?"

"Lionfang and Moontalon are making googly eyes at each other.."

"Figures..." she thought bitterly, refraining from rolling her eyes.

"Stormpaw, Ledgepaw, and Blazetail are up to something with the apprentices."

"Blazetail was probably up to something with a certain apprentice - namely, Ashpaw."

"Adderstorm and Stoneflight are being lazy somewhere around camp. Cloverfur and Dirtface should be coming back from hunting any time now."

"Good! I won't have to deal with Dirtface yet," she sighed to herself with some relief.

"And Icestripe, Berrypelt, and Stripedshadow are still on border patrol with Twistedtail." She smiled happily to herself. Everyone was busy. Well, almost everyone. Some could probably do more. Then one more cat popped into her head. Wait...where was -

A hectic meow from across camp sprang Lilyshadow out of her thoughts.

"Snake!" came the ear-piercing yowl of Pearlnose from the nursery. Lilyshadow's eyes went wide as she and Bearclaw jumped to their paws and skirted across the clearing at top speed. She could feel the pelts of warriors around her as they rushed over as well. "Hollykit!" wailed the worried tone only a mother could carry. Lilyshadow bolted next to the nursery in time to see a sickly, black serpent weave its way out of the wall of the camp behind the nursery, not to far away from where an oblivious Hollykit played outside. Lilyshadow's heart jumped into her throat when she saw the snake rear its ugly head back and open its mouth, long sharp teeth like a cat's claws bared from its mouth. She coiled her legs like springs and was ready to jump, but another cat was faster. The black she-cat noticed a blur of white and marigold rush past her towards the kit. "Hollystep!"