"To me, to me!"

Maplekit glanced at Dovekit, her younger sister. She was flailing around like a fish out of water! Her tiny paws were flapping around like fins, a rush of guilt flowed through Maplekit like a surging river. Poor Dovekit, she was so small. Her light grey sister never got to join in properly like her other littermates.

They had meant to be meeting their father but he was late, so they had decided to play moss ball. Her eyes glowed, she couldn't wait to meet him! I hope he is proud of me…

Maplekit had been so caught up in her own thoughts, not even Moonkit's thrumming paws on the crisp, dry ground had risen her. By then it was too late, with a clumsy leap her midnight black brother had snatched the moss right out of her mouth! But his victory was short-lived, out of nowhere Owlkit had burst out of the clustered clump of reeds beside the nursery and leaped neatly onto Moonkit's back preventing the larger tom from escaping.

"For a turtle you're pretty fast!" Exclaimed Snowkit, her blue eyes were open wide in awe.

Her brother ignored the comment and tried desperately to get the ball of moss away from Moonkit.

Owlkit and Moonkit tussled determinedly, both trying to expose the others weak spots. Moonkit was noticeably stronger than his only brother but nowhere near as agile. Maplekit was just about to check on her smaller sister when she realised, she was gone! Luckily her worry was over in a heart-beat when she saw that her sister was climbing the nearest birch tree. The ginger she-cat twirled around, so she was facing the tree her sister was climbing. What was she doing up there! Maplekit was about to shriek a warning when Dovekit jumped off the tree and began plummeting down from above. Did Dovekit have bees in her brain?! Cats didn't jump off trees!

Maplekit was waiting for a sickening thud to fill her ears but it didn't come. Instead she heard a startled mew and a loud gasp. Maplekit whirled around quickly, only to find Dovekit standing on the two toms.

"I did it! I did!"

She didn't know what to say, Maplekit thought she had just witnessed the little grey kits death but no, far from it, she had just watched the most breath-taking feat she had ever seen. Dovekit had literally jumped out of a tree and onto Moonkit's back. There she was, thinking how horrible it must be to be tiny and then, that had happened, and now…. She really didn't know what to say.

At that moment Iceflower hurried outside, "What happened?"

"M-mother, Do-Dovekit jumped o-out a tr-tree."

"She did what?!"

"I'm not lying mother! She did she really did!"

Iceflower looked at the kits and then at the towering tree, and collapsed.

"Mother!" All the kits squeaked, each trying to get to her first.

Maplekit shook herself together and scampered off to the nearest den, the nursery.

"Iceflower collapsed!"

The only other nursing queen in Riverclan, Brightfrost, whipped her head around to face Maplekit.

"Great Starclan! Go and get Featherwing, she'll be in the den with the purple flowers growing outside" The queens voiced ringed with urgency.

"I-I e-err…"

Brightfrost pushed the kit gently with her tail "You'll find it easily, go now before any real harm takes place!"

Maplekit clumsily ran to the clearing, "Purple flowers….. There!" she spotted the fragrant flowers growing outside a large cave.

She bounded over to the den a squealed out "Help! I need help!"

A beautiful she-cat with long silver fur, strode outside, she smelt like flowers.

"May I help you little kit?" She inquired.

"Iceflower! Iceflower collapsed!"

Without another word Featherwing trotted towards the rock where a bunch of cats, stinking of fear had gathered.

"Move out the way!" The she-cat mewed, her voice was soft but demanding.

Obediently they broke apart, creating a clear gap to Iceflower's body. Maplekit squeaked in terror when she saw that her mother's flank was only just rising and falling.

"M-mother" She tried with all her might to stop her voice from shaking, but it was no use.

Tears started to well up in her eyes. She noticed a few of the cats giving her sympathetic glances, but it didn't help.

"Someone help me move her, I think she might of fell on a rock when she collapsed" Featherwing looked calm but Maplekit wasn't sure if she was just putting on an act for the sake of the clan.

"Maplekit! Over here!"

She looked over her shoulder to see her litter-mates crouching beside a rock.

"Come here!" Snowkit hissed through clenched teeth.

Maplekit was taken aback by her sister's aggressive tone, but then who could blame her? She padded up to where her siblings lay, each with their shoulders sagging and ears flat.

"What should we do?" It was Moonkit who broke the silence.

Owlkit looked up at the sky thoughtfully but provided no answer. The unspoken truth was, that they were helpless in this situation, it was up to Featherwing.

Dovekit shuffled her paws "It's all my fault…"

Snowkit eyes softened "No one blames you Dovekit"

"You're wrong" Dovekit spoke shakily.

Maplekit and her siblings tilted their heads, what did Dovekit mean?

"I do" Tears streamed off her grey litter-mates eyes as she said those two words.

Maplekit's heart was suddenly pierced with annoyance for herself. How could she not have realised what her sister was going through, of course she would blame herself for what happened. Dovekit stood there, looking at her paws for a minute, then ran as fast as she could, towards the elders den.

Before her siblings could rush after her, Maplekit blocked their path with her tail.

"Leave her" Although she knew her own paws were dying to race after her, Maplekit figured it was best to leave Dovekit for a while, Greylake was sure to take care of her.

"Fine" The other kits knew the reasons of her words without being told.

"It's for the best, that way we can focus on what we're going to do"

"What we're going to do?" It was Snowkit who interrupted.

Maplekit sighed "Yes, what we're going to do"

Her snowy coloured sister hissed "I know what you said! I just don't see what we can do!"

Maplekit's mew was filled with an adamant tone she had never heard before "Well we can't do nothing!"

"Believe me, if I could do something, I would but the fate of Iceflower isn't something we can control!"

"I never said that! I just want to aid in some way, any way!"

Snowkit's fur was visibly rising, "You're not listening!"

"Well, that makes both of us then!" Her lips were curled back, in a beginning of a snarl.

"You can't control everything, things like this can't be tampered with by us!"

"I'd prefer to tamper, then sit around whilst are mother is seriously hurt"

"Are you saying I wouldn't help if I could?!"

"Well I'm definitely not saying you would!" Maplekit retorted hotly.

Her sister flexed her tiny claws, frustrated.

"Stop! This isn't helping anyone!" Owlkit stepped forward, his tail lashing viciously, ready to whip either of them, if they dare carried on.

Snowkit looked like she was going to reply when a loud rustling sound filled their ears and a ginger tom stepped out of the reed tunnel.

His loud voice sliced through the air "I'm back!"

All sets of eyes turned to look at him.

The tom looked around, obviously confused, until his eyes laid on Iceflower.

"No!" he gasped.