-6-

Tiny mouse feet pattered around on a small gray stone. It cautiously looked around, eyes open wide and ears pricked, for any signs of danger. Seeing none, it began to nibble the seed grasped in its two front paws. Just upon finishing its food, the mouse started to feel vibrations in the stone it was standing on. It scampered away a moment too late. Sharp claws hooked its tail and pinned it down. A light brown paw dealt it a heavy blow, making quick work of killing the mouse.

Lilytail gripped the mouse in her jaws, then padded back in the direction of the CloudClan camp. The sun felt warm on her fur, and she stopped to let the heat seep in for a moment. She rarely had time for hunting; her responsibilities as deputy left her little free time. On the way back to camp, she brushed some dirt away to pick up a stash of other prey she'd caught earlier. Her jaws stuffed full with the fresh-kill, she trotted into camp.

A few cats were lounging around outside the dens, bathing in the sun or chatting with Clanmates. Lilytail caught sight of Bearheart and Dragonpaw, the medicine cat and his apprentice, squeezing out of the nursery. "Hello," Bearheart meowed cheerfully, "Redflower just had her kits."

A purr rose from Lilytail's throat. "How many? Has she named them yet?"

"Three: Gingerkit, Seedkit, and Goldenkit," Bearheart told her. "She's suckling them right now."

Lilytail turned toward the nursery, anxious to see the new kits. Pushing her way inside, she saw CloudClan's only queen, Redflower, on her side with three mewling kits gathered around her. Redflower looked up, displaying the exhaustion and happiness in her eyes.

Lilytail gazed at the three kits, one tom and two she-cats, and felt thrill rush through her. Kits were always good news, and something happy to chase away some of the bitterness of late Leaffall.

"Which one's which?" Lilytail inquired, wanting to give Redflower an opportunity to show off her first litter.

"This is Gingerkit," the queen meowed, gesturing toward the tom, who had the same dark ginger fur as his mother. Redflower nudged a golden kitten toward her deputy. "This is Goldenkit, and then the last one's Seedkit." Seedkit was a very small, light brown tabby with streaks of white.

Lilytail nodded, lowering her tail so the kits could bat at it with their small paws. Their paws moved surely through the air, and their build looked sturdy enough. They'd make good warriors when they were older. She lifted her tail out of their reach and then meowed a quick goodbye to Redflower before exiting the nursery. She needed to send the sunhigh patrol out to check CloudClan's borders.

Lilytail thought for a moment, trying to decide who should go out on the patrol. She'd let Fleckfur lead it, she decided, and then Thundertail and Vulturepelt could go with her. It only took a moment for her to spot Thundertail and Fleckfur, lounging around outside the warriors den.

"Fleckfur, Thundertail, can you come here?" she mewed. The two cats got to their paws and padded across the clearing and sat down in front of Lilytail. "Fleckfur, I'd like you to lead the dawn patrol, and Thundertail and Vulturepelt will go with you."

Immediately Thundertail's eyes hardened. "Vulturepelt isn't here," he growled, meowing through clenched teeth.

Lilytail recoiled in surprise. "What do you mean he's not here? Didn't you two just get back a few days ago?"

"Yes, but now he's gone again. I haven't seen him since yesterday at sunrise." Thundertail's claws unsheathed and sheathed as he spoke, and Lilytail couldn't help but wonder why he looked so angry. Shouldn't he be worried?

"Well, I guess Greenleaf will have to join you then," she stammered. "Go get her, and on the patrol, keep an eye out for Vulturepelt."

Fleckfur nodded and she trotted toward the mouth of the warriors den accompanied by Thundertail, who still looked extremely cross. Lilytail felt a little unnerved; Thundertail was usually sociable and tolerant, and she couldn't understand his sudden rage.

Still puzzled, Lilytail started toward Phantomstar's den. She needed to tell him about Vulturepelt's second disappearance and give him news that Redflower's kits had arrived as well. She'd break the bad news to him first, so that maybe he'd be cheered up by the good news afterward. Cautiously, she pushed her stepped into the cavernous den and spotted Phantomstar at the back.

"Yes?" Phantomstar was washing a paw, and the skeleton of a bat lay about a tail-length away from him.

Lilytail took a deep breath. "Vulturepelt's gone again," she meowed quietly.

The fur on Phantomstar's spine ruffled a bit. "Thundertail's still here, right?"

Lilytail nodded. "Yes, he's here, although he seems like he woke up on the wrong side of his moss."

Phantomstar looked troubled. "You know as well as I do that we're short on warriors. With Vulturepelt gone, we only have you, Fleckfur, Thundertail, and Greenleaf. Redflower won't be out of the nursery for a long time either."

Lilytail felt her fur prickle uncomfortably. "Yes, but hopefully Vulturepelt will return as he did last time. I also have a bit of good news though: Redflower had her kits, two she-cats and one tom. Their names are Gingerkit, Seedkit, and Goldenkit."

Phantomstar seemed to relax, but only a tiny bit. "Well, that's good. I'll have to go see him."

Lilytail waited until her leader flicked his tail, telling her she was dismissed. She padded out of the den and back onto the damp soil. Rain drops immediately began pelting her fur like tiny stones. She flinched a little, but it rained a lot in the jungle, and she was used to it. What was really bothering her was CloudClan's shortage of warriors. Phantomstar's words had shaken her into reality and made her realize just how small CloudClan was. Dragonpaw had really wanted to be a medicine cat, so that was one warrior lost. Redflower wouldn't be out of the nursery for six moons, and her kits wouldn't become warriors for at least twice as long. If their territory was invaded by other Clans, they might not be able to defend themselves. Lilytail could picture the clash of claws and blood, the yowls of fighting warriors, Redflower's kits mewling pitifully…Lilytail squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get rid of her vision, but she knew that it was all too possible that it could come true.