CHAPTER 9

Hey, friends! This chapter is pretty boring, with a little sadness. But hey, it's leaf-bare.

Also, I've noticed some things in the Warriors series. May contain spoilers, but I'll do them after the chapter.

The cats made it back to camp the following sunrise.

"We're home!" Icepaw called, bounding into the camp. Right away, he stopped, and Spottedpaw ran into him.

Robinsong crouched in the middle of camp, letting out an eerie yowl.

"No..." Spottedpaw murmured.

The queen was curled up around a small mass, and Icepaw knew it was Mousekit.

"Blackfoot, I'm so sorry." Rainheart said softly. Icepaw knew that as an apprentice, the tom had pulled his leg, he had basically lived in the medicine den, learning the herbs to pass time. "I couldn't save him."

Blackfoot touched the tom's shoulder with his tailtip. "It was destined to happen." he murmured.

Icepaw's eyes clouded with grief. Poor Mousekit would be a kit forever in StarClan. He felt even worse when he thought of Robinsong. Losing a kit must be the worst thing possible to a queen.

Bramblepelt approached his mate. Icepaw strained his ears to hear him. "Robinsong, I'm just as sad as you are, but you've got two more kits who need you."

Robinsong looked up. She touched her mate's nose, and walked slowly over to Lightspring, who held her tail around her remaining kits.

"What happened?" Rosekit asked.

"Nothing, dears. Your brother just... went somewhere else."

"No fair! Can we visit him?" Runningkit asked.

"One day. Now let's go into the nursery." Robinsong nudged her kits inside.

"When did it happen?" Blackfoot asked.

"Last night around moonrise." Rainheart mewed.

Bramblepelt lifted the limp kit up by the scruff, like he would if he was alive. The cats parted to let him through. As he passed, Icepaw reached out and licked Mousekit, feeling another pang of grief.

Sad, right? It's better than Rosekit, however. *evil grin*

SPOILER ALERT

So anyways, has anyone noticed that the Erins love tree deaths and injuries?

(heart) almost broke her leg when she fell.

4. According to the Erins, one of Firestar's lives was lost when he was hit by a tree.

5. Poor Briarlight attempts to save Longtail, and winds up crippling herself for nothing.

5. In the Last Hope, even after Firestar kills Tigerstar, apparently the Erins wanted him to die, and so 'StarClan' struck a tree with lightning and killed him.