Chapter 4

"Claw! What happened?" Bird cried.

The mangled tom lifted his head slowly, trying to focus on the two cats standing before him. He opened his mouth to speak, choking out each word as if it caused him great pain. "Ice…kittens born…done with me…knew too much…had to die…kittens…" Claw's head fell back to the ground, his sides heaving as he fought for breath.

"Oh, my gosh! Ice had her kittens!" Song exclaimed.

Claw nodded slowly. "Knew too much…couldn't be trusted."

Bird pressed her nose against Claw's pelt. "Did Ice do this to you?" she asked quietly.

"No…her…friend," Claw coughed.

Song tipped her head to one side, bewildered. "Friend?"

"I don't understand," Bird said, glancing up at Song with confusion in her deep blue eyes. Turning back to her mate, she asked, "Claw, who did this to you?"

Claw stared at Bird for a moment, mustering up enough strength to answer. "It was…" Claw's voice faltered, his eyes rolling back. The battered tom breathed one last time, then lay completely.

Bird jumped back in horror. "Claw! Claw!"

Song nudged her sister, trying to comfort her. "Claw is dead, Bird. I'm so sorry," she whispered, bowing her head.

"No, no, no, no! He can't be dead! It can't be true!" Bird wailed, pressing her dark gray body around Claw.

"I'm sorry, Bird, but it is true. Claw is dead," Song repeated, not knowing what she could say that would make her sister feel better."

Bird stared at Claw with hollow, empty eyes. "Claw is…dead," she mewed slowly, as if she barely understood the words she was saying. Suddenly, her eyes sparked with anger. The she-cat rose to her paws, glaring at an image only she could see. "Ice will pay for this. I'll flay her! Just wait until I get my claws on her…"

Song nodded in agreement, but she remembered something just as her sister was speaking, something more important than revenge. "Claw said Ice's kittens were born. We need to find them before Ice kills them," she hissed urgently.

"Claw's kittens…my Claw's kittens," Bird whispered, glancing at her mate's body. Her body tensed, as if preparing to attack at that moment. Then she relaxed her muscles, staring at Song with anger and urgency in her eyes. "I'll search for them even if it takes all night. Ice will not hurt this litter," she declared.

Song nodded, already thinking about who they could ask for help. "I'm going to find Sasha and see if she will help us look for the kittens."

Bird padded away from Claw, walking briskly. Her tail lashing, she turned back to face Song. "Hurry!"