It was the next sunrise when Brightkit heard Smallfeather's shrill mew ringing through the camp. "Pinetail is dead!"
Brightkit was awake in an instant and raced out of the nursery. A moment later she felt the presence of Sorrelflower behind her. "Come back to the nursery, Brightkit." Sorrelflower gently nudged her toward the entrance.
In a flash, Sedgekit bolted into the clearing. Taking this chance, Brightkit followed, to Sorrelflower's protesting.
"Smallfeather, what's this?" That was Sandpelt, the deputy. He stared at the medicine cat apprentice; tail twitching with what Brightkit guessed was hidden fear. "Tell me."
Smallfeather looked so tiny with horror, his eyes wide and tail curled around himself. His ears were flattened to his head and his voice was so tight, Brightkit thought he would burst apart with tension. "When I woke up…" Smallfeather trailed off.
Sandpelt was joined by Tawnystar who gazed comfortingly at the medicine cat.
Smallfeather began again, "When I woke up, I went to check on him and… He must have died during the night." He dropped his head. "I couldn't do anything. He just wouldn't wake up." His voice was quiet.
Tawnystar sighed. "So you never learned who, if anyone, did this to him?"
Smallfeather shook his head.
"Then we may never know." The leader turned to Sandpelt. "Tell all the patrols that, if they see a RiverClan patrol, they should ask if RiverClan saw anything. Make sure not to sound accusatory. The last thing we need right now is a war with RiverClan."
Sandpelt let out a grunt of agreement. "I'll send out the sunrise patrol right now, Tawnystar."
Tawnystar looked back at Smallfeather. "Go and prepare for the journey to Highstones."
Smallfeather stared at Tawnystar for a moment, and then mumbled something Brightkit didn't catch, before heading toward the medicine cat's den.
Amberberry and Greenfang had already removed Pinetail's body from the den and were placing it in the center of the clearing. He looked peaceful, but Brightkit could see fur on his head dark with dry blood from his wound.
Sorrelflower began walking towards Brightkit and Sedgekit. Oh, here it comes. She's going to berate us for disobeying her. But Sorrelflower strode right passed Brightkit, to Pinetail's body. She bent her head and pressed her nose to his fur. She stayed like that for a few moments before returning to her kits. "Come; let's go back to the nursery." Her mew was heavy.
Sedgekit peered at her. "Did you know him?" he asked, his tone curious and perhaps not as solemn as Brightkit would have liked for a medicine cat having just died.
"Of course," Sorrelflower responded. "He was my mother's littermate. Always so cheerful and good-natured. When I was an apprentice cats said he could heal you with a purr." Sorrelflower's eyes grew sad and pained. "He was a good friend to every cat in the Clan, even some from other Clans. Maybe I can tell you more stories about him later."
Brightkit nuzzled her mother's side. "Yes, I'd like that."