After talking to Icestar, Petalnose had not been exiled, but she still had received a punishment. Still, helping the elders did not seem like such a big deal.

Skycloud assumed Icestar would've assigned a greater punishment if it wasn't for Petalnose's bravery and loyalty. She guessed she might've been exiled.

"SHE'S MISSING! WHERE IS SHE?!" Rosefur's yowl suddenly came from the center of the camp.

"Who?" Blacktail asked.

Rosefur growled, refusing to face the tom. "OCEANPAW! I CAN'T FIND HER ANYWHERE!"

"I'll send out a patrol immediately," Blacktail said, calling cats. In a matter of minutes, they were off, Rosecloud following behind.

"Smokepaw is gone too," Petalnose quickly told Skycloud. Her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, Petalnose, but I have to find him!" she screeched, running off towards the patrol as she left her pregnant sister behind.

The patrol had not gone far, and within a few minutes, Skycloud had quickly caught up. She walked behind her frantic mother, hoping to find her two siblings. It was only a matter of time before Moonstar got them.

"We'll never find her," Rosefur wailed. Angry, Skycloud stomped on her mother's tail.

"You mean we'll never find them?!" she hissed at her mother. Rosefur's eyes widened.

"Your son is missing too! Rosefur, you can't blame him for Mousekit's death!"

"Yes, I can," she snorted. "I'm doing it right now." She began to walk again, yowling as Skycloud's paw came down on her tail again.

"Mother, look at me!" she hissed.

Rosefur turned, growling at Skycloud.

"When we were kits, you left Olivetail and ForestClan," Skycloud explained, "but you still loved us no matter how sad we were. You never favored one over the other. Smokepaw is depressed right now, and it's all your fault! Just give him another chance! He's out in the forest again, but this time, with Oceanpaw. So when we find them, punish them both."

Rosefur looked down, letting out a sigh. "I'll try to be a good mother. I'll forgive Smokepaw when we find them. And..." she looked up, pain in her eyes, "I'll try to treat them equally."

Skycloud smiled at her mother. "Good."

Blacktail and Thorndapple stood next to each other, Lilypaw at their side. Skycloud knew Lilypaw loved Smokepaw, but she also knew that Wavepaw had feelings for the tom as well. There was no telling what would happen.

As Skycloud caught up with the others, she smiled at Blacktail, who returned the favor.

"We should camp out here for the night," Blacktail announced. As the cats curled up next to each other, Skycloud snuggled near her mother's side. Rosefur was still much bigger than her, and Skycloud supposed she always would be.

Feeling her mother's warm pelt against hers reminded her of those nights in the woods as kits. She was glad to have her mother by her side.

Yawning, Skycloud fell asleep and became haunted by nightmares, watching as her family was killed by Moonstar over and over again. Even Blacktail appeared in them too.

Skycloud awoke frantically, finding sunlight. All the other cats had woken up by now and were busy preparing for another day's journey.

Skycloud quickly rose to her feet and went off with the other cats, walking for hours by her mother's side.

As the afternoon came, Rosefur immediately stopped near a pile of bushes.

"What's wrong, Rosefur?" Skycloud asked.

"This is the ForestClan border," Rosefur explained. "I haven't been here since-" She stopped talking, holding back tears.

"It's okay, Mother. Smokepaw and Oceanpaw must be nearby. Their scents are strong here. Come on, let's walk."

The cats made thier way through the territory, approaching the camp. As they came nearer, Skycloud could hear distant voices.

"Well, if that is your decision," a deep, male voice came.

Skycloud popped through the bushes to see Smokepaw and Oceanpaw looking at an older brown tabby tom who she assumed was the leader of ForestClan.

"I FOUND THEM!" she shouted, turning to find no cat behind her. Curious, Skycloud was about to call out when she heard a familiar yowl.

"ROSEFUR!" she screeched, racing towards the screech. Her mother was lying on the ground, metal clasped to her fur, squeezing tightly at the she-cat's side. Blood dripped down, and Rosefur cried out in pain. She was caught in a fox trap.

The cats quickly tried to pry the metal off, but it was no use. Her mother would die. Skycloud stared at the bloody she-cat, trying not to cry.

Suddenly, Smokepaw and Oceanpaw burst through the bushes, gasping to find their mother.

"MOTHER!" Oceanpaw screeched, Smokepaw beside her.

"Rosefur," Skycloud began, but she stopped.

"I know," she gagged. "I will die. I love you, Skycloud, and your siblings," she gulped in pain, turning to face Smokepaw, looking right past Oceanpaw.

"Smokepaw, I-I'm so sorry," she cried. She then turned towards her daughter. "I love you too, Oceanpaw. Olivetail and Mousekit will b-be here soon to collect me," she stammered.

Skycloud and Smokepaw burst into tears as Rosefur's beautiful white and gray pelt became drenched in red. The she-cat's eyes closed slowly, and her breathing froze.

Skycloud fell over at the sight of her dead mother, light fading.

When Skycloud awoke, she awoke in a den, away from the carcass of her mother. She opened her eyes, Blacktail and Smokepaw leaning over her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You passed out after Rosefur died," Blacktail explained.

"Blacktail carried you to this den to rest. We're almost back to SnowClan," Smokepaw explained.

Skycloud's heart warmed at the thought of Blacktail carrying her, but she didn't want to return. She didn't want to look at her siblings and explain the grim news of their mother's death.

"Thanks," she mumbled, standing up. She joined the patrol, padding back to camp.

As they came into the SnowClan camp, Petalnose quickly raced towards Oceanpaw and Smokepaw grinning. She then looked up at Skycloud, her eyes bright and happy.

"You found them!" exclaimed Petalnose.

But Skycloud didn't smile. Cloudfur came over, his eyes turning dull as he realized who was missing.

"Where's-" Cloudfur was cut off by Skycloud.

"SHE GOT CAUGHT IN A FOX TRAP! I stayed with her until she died! It's all my fault!" she wailed.

"What?! Rosefur is dead?!" Petalnose gasped, beginning to stagger. Cloudfur caught his sister, trying to hold tears back.

Cloudfur's made, Dovewing, and Icestar came over.

"She's truly dead?" Dovewing asked sadly.

Skycloud nodded, tears in her eyes.

Icestar looked down too, seeming the most upset. Skycloud didn't understand why. She heard Icestar mumble something about the she-cat being a strong kit, but perhaps she misheard her.

Skycloud and her siblings sat together, looking into the blue sky, hoping Rosefur was somehow watching them.