Ok, so with less confusion (I hope) let's get on with this next chapter… sigh. If you don't recognize some of the fighting skills Xena teaches Kat you are not very dedicated to PRSPD! If you do need a hint try watching the fight scene at the end of Shadow part 1.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any part of PRSPD blah blah blah….

XXX

I did train with Xena the next day, whilst I left Soul in summers care. Xena taught me how to take on two enemies at once, walking up a tree and back flipping over the enemies' heads, to shake them off. She taught me how to spin 180 degrees mid-air whilst lashing out with my feet and striking with my claws. She taught me how to leap up high in the air and flip over backwards in mid air, stretching my legs up as high as I could – this would apparently let you keep your balance if your legs are attacked. They all proved very effective methods. I returned to camp happy.

But when I returned, everyone was crowded around my brothers den, anxiously. I pushed my way through.

"What is going on?" I asked Breath, who was very near the front of the crowd.

"Scrouge is dying! It's this disease, which came on this morning. Felix says it is very contagious. Almost everyone who has been with Scrouge is sick. They may not die, but Scrouge probably will…" Breath wailed. I looked down at Whisper, Breaths 7 year old girl and then back up at Breath, positively stunned to silence. "Three of Summers' sons are dead and Summer herself is very ill. Bolt is dying and Toad has died…" At this point tears began to stream down Breaths face. Toad, I remembered, was Breaths son and Bolt was Whisper and Toads father.

"How did this illness start?" I asked.

"Felix thinks maybe a rotten fruit with certain germs living in it, or poisoned water…even Sasha is sick, Kat, nobody knows what to do!"

I closed my eyes. As much as I hated them, if Scrouge and Sasha died, this clan would fall apart completely. As I opened my eyes, I spotted a movement outside of the medicine den and I craned my neck to get a better look. Felix.

"Bolt is dead." He announced. After the yowls of grief died down, he added, "I do not want you crowded outside my den. Kat, you may help me, but the rest of you, please… go away."

I slid through the crowd and entered the den.

"Before you approach the sick ones, you must put this on." Felix handed me the pretty moonstone necklace that had once been Hope's. I shivered as I put it on, and looked at Felix's own claw-shaped moonstone charms hanging round his neck. "The moonstone will protect you from becoming ill."

I nodded, and cast a pitying glance at the row of sick catumans. Summers two remaining sons laid side by side, one of the squirming and moaning, whereas the other I had to stare at for a long time before I noticed the shallow rise and fall of his flank as he laid unconscious in the downing. Then I reached one hand out towards Summer, who was the nearest fully-grown catuman, and crouching down I gently patted her swollen stomach. It felt full of water and bloated. Summer's eyes opened slightly, and she tried to pull away but ended up moaning at the pain. I nodded and stood up.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"I think they all have a temperature, so I'm going to ask you to record it whilst I take them." Felix handed me a long feather and ink pot with a sheet of cloth. My brother was right. Both Scrouge and Sasha were overheated, and Summers two sons were under heated.

"We need to get them to bring up anything poisonous." My brother growled. "can you fetch some Bethroot and Dried Oak Leaf? The Bethroot must be consumed – only a flower head per person though or they could die, and the Oak Leaf will absorb any sweat containing poisons." I nodded, trying to take it all in, before I brought the herbs to him. I wiped away all the sweat, and moped away the vomit.

"Kat…" I heard Felix whisper. I looked up at him. "Scrouge… he is dead."

For a moment I was silenced, and I felt grief wash over me. I hated him so much. Yet, Scrouge was a strong warrior. He didn't deserve to die this way. "Should we tell them?" I asked, jerking my head back towards the entrance to the cave.

"No. They will only panic." Felix muttered, hanging his head. "Sasha will definitely live, and Summer will too. Move them to a fresher part of the den." And I did.

This went on for days, and in the end fourteen lives were lost. In fact, to put the scale clearer, Felix, Ice, Thunder, Sasha, Whisper, Summer, Breath, Phantoes, Heather, Xena and me were the only ones left. All the children, even Soul had died, and the whole clan was grieving.

Summer had lost all of her new children, and her mate, and Breath had lost Toad. I had lost Soul and Sasha had lost Scrouge… but life would go on. It had to. Heather was still carrying and her mate, Ice was still alive.

Of course, now that we had rapidly decreased our numbers, it was easier to feed ourselves, and we all became equals. No head guards or discrimination from skill and power. Except Xena. She of course became our leader, a very popular choice, and she made many changes to our life style. There was only one downside – it was harder to defend our borders,

I thought that things would be really good now that our style had changed. I hoped the fighting may end. I presumed I'd no longer feel the outsider. For the last one I was wrong. Heather and Ice were obviously mates, as she had children on the way, and everyone was fine with this. But then Xena declared that we too needed to start having children, to boost the strength of the tribe again. She said that during Scrouges rein, traditions had been ignored once or twice and reminded us that once we had a spouse we should stay with them until one of them dies. It wasn't long until Felix began flirting with Summer, and they announced their partnership, goaded by Xena. Shortly after, Whisper died unexpectedly, which sent her grieving mother Breath into Phantoes's arms. That left me, Thunder and Xena, after Sasha decided she was too old to raise more children.

The outcome was the obvious. Thunder really liked Xena – he always had – and so they became spouses. I knew who I wanted. Frog. I began seeing him again, but I was careful tha a) we were not caught and b) I did not fall pregnant. All this had happened over about seven months.

One day, Lithe's Clan attacked us again. This time, we were almost outnumbered. Frog pulled me to one side.

"Kat – I've been watching what's been happening in your clan, all this spouse-for-life business, and I know you don't like it." He hissed.

"I've got nobody to be with!" I spat back, the battle roaring in my ears.

"Now you have," whispered Frog. "Lithe has consulted our ancestors and they seem pleased with the idea."

"Idea?" I asked cautiously.

"You come to live with me, in my tribe, and we'll be spouses! Leave your hateful mother and your sister. Come find a new life with me and um… maybe our future little ones? I mean, Lithe says that it is common courtesy to wait at least three months before we can be together, just so the ancestors know for sure they are doing what is best for us."

"Of course I'll come with you." I nodded and hugged him affectionately, before rejoining the battle.

For the first time since I'd been in the tribe, our clan had lost.