It was three moons later in a harsh leaf-bare that Talonkit and Spiderkit became apprentices. Thorn had become Talonpaw's mentor while Rowanfang had become Spiderpaw's.

Snow crunched under their paws as Thorn led their apprentice toward the RiverClan border. Talonpaw had been an apprentice for a week, but was still staring around the territory, wide-eyed.

"I'm teaching you to fish," Thorn said.

Talonpaw snapped back to the elderly brown cat in front of him. "I thought SkyClan ate birds?"

Thorn huffed, "The day that there's a code that states each clan must only eat one kind of prey is the day I become a rogue again."

Talonpaw skipped forward, coming shoulder-to-shoulder with his mentor. "But won't RiverClan get us? It's their river!"

Thorn flicked their tail, "During leaf-bare they hunt in the river near ThunderClan territory, it's deeper there."

Talonpaw didn't respond after that and just let Thorn lead him to the riverbank.

"Careful," they mewed, "Hill."

Talonpaw scoffed and rolled his eyes. Immediately, he placed his paws wrong and tumbled down, yowl running out of his throat. Ice-cold water splashed over his head and his paws skidded against pebbles.

It wasn't very long until jaws clenched around his scruff and were dragging his small body to shore. Talonpaw's pelt met once-dry stones and he coughed up water, shivering.

"Hey!" came a voice from the other side of the river. An equally as cold Thorn looked over. On the other riverbank stood a tall black tom and a just-shorter ginger-and-white tom. "Do you need help? Don't want you freezing to death."

Thorn shivered and turned back, which the toms took as good enough as an invitation. The tall black tom pressed his fluffy pelt against Thorn's, while the ginger tom nudged Talonpaw up. Talonpaw ducked into his equally as fluffy pelt and wished he was half-RiverClan rather than half-WindClan.

They were half-way back to camp when Thorn's eyes went wide and they opened their mouth to breathe. From the sounds of things, that didn't help. A quarter of the ways to the camp, Thorn stumbled, only kept from crashing into the snow by the tom beside them. Talonpaw made his own stumble, not nearly as bad as Thorn's, and took in his own shakey breath.

So cold, so cold.

The toms grabbed the cats by the scruffs and dragged their semi-conscious bodies down the tunnel. As soon as they were inside the camp, their bodies were shoved into the empty apprentice's den and the black tom started barking orders.

"I need the fluffiest cat in the paw's den, and water mint, thyme and tansy, now!"

Dashtail emerged from his den, "What part of tansy?"

"All of it! We got two cases of hypothermia!"

Blossom and Rowanfang rushed into the den, pressing themselves against the cats. Thorn panted and flexed their claws. Blossom pressed the tip of her tail against the brown cat's chest as she settled across them. The blood roared in her ears and she wasn't sure if it was from her own nervous heartbeat or Thorn's pounded against her.

"Blossom?" whimpered Thorn, their voice sounding so terribly dry.

"No, shh…"

"Do you think… I'm going to StarClan?" they went on despite Blossom's protest.

Blossom pressed her ears flat to her head and felt her heart drop.

"Don't you start speaking like that, Thorn-"

"I'll see Dew again…" they went on, as if they couldn't hear. Dashtail entered and started to force the herbs down Talonpaw's throat. "Our kits again…" they sighed. "I'll say hi to Pink Eyes for you…"

They uncurled one paw from under themselves, Blossom followed their pointing. Nothing was on the other end.

"There he is, now…" Thorn whispered. After that, slowly but steadily, Thorn stopped shivering. Even as Dashtail shoved herbs down into them, they stopped trying to keep themself warm. Then they stopped- it hurt Blossom to much to think they froze.

Talonpaw let out a noise. Blossom, despite her grief, pushed up and covered his head. The black tom parted his fur where his nose was.

Thorn slumped as Blossom pushed over them. The ginger she-cat never took her eyes off the corpse, though. They were so skinny, so small, with such a thin pelt. They could've so easily been a WindClan cat. That would've been better, Blossom figured, they were further from the river.

Dashtail licked their eyes closed and shook his head up at her. Blossom clenched her teeth and eyes closed, resisting to make the sob in her chest audible. Dashtail stepped out and turned to the black tom, letting Talonpaw warm himself.

"I believe I may need to pay Meadowpelt a visit."

Spiderpaw rushed up, tail spiked in anxiety.

"Talonpaw's fine," Dashtail informed, dragging a sigh out of Spiderpaw. "Would you like to come with me to RiverClan?"

Spiderpaw tilted his head. He then glanced between the tall black warrior and the apprentice den. Looking back up at Dashtail, he nodded.