The forest is full of dangers, Brindleface knows. She fears for her kits every day, knowing the fate that Swiftpaw met. That Brightpaw only just escaped.
And Cloudtail, her beautiful son, just named a warrior. She wants him to have a chance to enjoy his new name before tragedy strikes again. But she wakes up that morning with an buzzing in her paws. She finds herself leaving camp, padding down the paths she's abandoned for moons in favour of the nursery, raising Ashkit and Fernkit, and comforting Speckletail.
She just wants to see the forest one more time.
His scent is so familiar that for a moment, she doesn't even register it. Then like realizing the scrabble of a mouse is actually a fox, deep in the bushes, her head snaps up, heart pounding. He's on her in an instant, and there is nowhere to run.