"Roseheart! Catch!" Mousekit flung a scrap of moss over Tanglekit's head toward the warrior. Roseheart reached up and snagged it on her claws, purring with amusement as Tanglekit pounced on her, trying to get the moss.
It was snowing lightly, and Wolfkit was nearby, batting at the falling flakes with tiny paws, his green eyes lit up. Roseheart was watching the kits while Willowfur went on a quick hunt with Whitespot and Ferntail.
"All right, kits," said Roseheart. "Let's get back inside."
"But I don't want to!" protested Mousekit.
"Yeah, we're having fun!" Tanglekit pounced on his brother to demonstrate how much fun they were having. Mousekit let out a very loud, excited shriek, causing the nearby Smokefang and Moosefur, who were sharing a scrap of prey, to look up in alarm.
"Kits," Smokefang growled good-naturedly, shaking his head as he returned to his meal.
"You have to come in anyway," Roseheart said. "We can't have you catching a chill. Come on, Wolfkit." The bitter cold that had accompanied the first snowfall had claimed Kinkedwhisker's life, and now Runningbelly and Marshpelt were sick.
After much grumbling and complaining, Roseheart managed to herd her younger brothers inside the warm nursery. Whitefeather's kits were napping. Applekit and Goldenkit were playing quietly (for once) near their dozing mother, Sandstripe. Brookfur was grooming herself, and her belly was round with Sunstorm's kits.
"Go take a nap," Roseheart ordered.
"I don't want to!" Tanglekit protested.
"We're not tired," Mousekit said. Wolfkit contradicted him with a huge yawn.
"Go to sleep," said the warrior, whiskers twitching with amusement. After making sure that they were warm and comfortable, Roseheart sat nearby the kits to wait for the return of her mother.
She watched the steady rise and fall of the kits' furry backs. Mousekit looked almost exactly like Leafwhisper, but he had Willowfur's bright, sky blue eyes, the exact same shade as Roseheart's. Roseheart could tell that he would have a strong, muscular build when he grew up.
Tanglekit was twitching in his sleep. This kit seemed to like play-fighting a lot; almost as much as Applekit, and that was saying something. His fur was brown and faintly spotted. Tanglekit's brown eyes often burned with unquenchable enthusiasm. Roseheart knew he would grow up to be a strong and loyal warrior.
Wolfkit, on the other paw, was quite different from his brothers. His fur was dark gray and his eyes bright green, like Leafwhisper's. He didn't have the broad build of this brothers. Wolfkit was more agile and lithe than brawny and muscular. He was a thinker, not a fighter, and although he often was quiet and obedient, he at times was fiercely independent.
Willowfur soon returned, and Roseheart was free to go about her business. The young warrior got sleepily to her paws. She decided that watching napping kits was the most relaxing thing in the world, and it had almost made her nod off as well.
"Roseheart." The young she-cat was stopped by Whitefeather on her way out of the nursery.
"Yes?"
"I was watching you with the kits today. You did a great job," said the gentle queen. "You'll be a wonderful mother someday."
"Thank you," purred Roseheart, surprised and pleased. Her heart feeling light, stepped out of the nursery and into the cold of the camp.
As the warrior started across the clearing, someone called her name. At first, she thought it was Whitefeather again, but then she saw Crowflight padding toward her.
"Hello, Crowflight," she said in greeting.
"Hello," said the black warrior. "Could I ask a favor of you?"
"Anything."
"Stripefur and I were going to take our apprentices hunting today. But Stripefur is sick –"
"Oh no!" Roseheart interrupted. "Did she catch what Runningbelly and Marshpelt have?"
"I don't know," said Crowflight, and Roseheart thought that he looked very worried. "But the point is that I now need another warrior along for safety reasons. Briarpaw suggested you."
"Of course I'll come!" Roseheart said, too happy to notice Crowflight's amused purr.
"Come on then," said the tom, leading her to where Orchidpaw and Briarpaw were waiting.
"Hi, Roseheart," Briarpaw purred.
"Hello," said Roseheart. She stepped forward and brushed her cheek to his. Neither of them saw Orchidpaw's exasperation or Crowflight's amusement.
"Let's go," Crowflight said, leading the group out the camp entrance. The four of them padded through the noiseless pine trees. The snow that covered everything seemed to have cast a spell of silence over the forest. It was slightly unnerving.
"We're going to the Willow Pool," Crowflight whispered, seemingly unwilling to break the enchantment.
As they passed the training clearing, Bluepaw and Cloudstorm were just coming out. Their fur was rumpled and covered in snow and pine needles, and both cats seemed out of breath. Roseheart guessed that they had been battle training.
Cloudstorm nodded at Crowflight and Roseheart.
"Hi, Briarpaw!" Bluepaw said loudly. "Hey, Roseheart!"
Briarpaw and Roseheart returned the greeting more quietly. As Bluepaw passed Orchidpaw, the two apprentices exchanged a glare. As Roseheart's party moved on, Orchidpaw spoke.
"Oh, I can't stand that Bluepaw!" she burst out.
"Why not?" asked Crowflight, surprised.
"I just – he just gets on my nerves!" Orchidpaw hissed. "He is so annoying, and he's always getting in trouble, and –"
"Oh, lay off it, Orchidpaw," Briarpaw said in a rare burst of irritation. "He's not that bad!"
"Oh yes he is!" his sister retorted. "How many times did he get you into trouble when you were kits? You never got into any trouble unless you were playing with him!"
"He's my best friend!" Briarpaw growled. "Everyone else likes him! You're just determined not to!"
Orchidpaw opened her mouth angrily to reply, but Crowflight cut her off. "Both of you, that's enough!"
The two apprentices lapsed into a tense silence. Roseheart sighed. Having shared the apprentice den with both Bluepaw and Orchidpaw, she knew very well the enmity between them. She had never really understood why the two of them so hated each other – neither of them seemed to have a concrete answer – but each absolutely refused to like the other.
The four cats trekked through the snowy forest, not speaking. Suddenly, Orchidpaw froze.
"What's wrong?" asked Roseheart.
"Shh," said the apprentice. She nudged her brother and gestured to a clump of dead bracken with her tail. "Squirrel."
"Watch this," Crowflight whispered to Roseheart as Briarpaw dropped to his haunches. Briarpaw crept forward, tasted the air, and sprang into the thicket. Roseheart heard a scuffle, and then the tabby apprentice emerged with a reddish, furry bundle hanging from his jaws.
"Wow," said Roseheart. "You two make a great team!"
"Nice catch, Briarpaw," Orchidpaw said.
"Nice find!" Briarpaw returned. "None of us even scented that – we would have walked right by!" The siblings practically beamed at each other, their earlier argument forgotten. After burying the squirrel to pick up later, the cats headed on.
"Wait!" Roseheart cried suddenly. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" asked Crowflight.
"I hear it too!" Orchidpaw exclaimed. "Shh!"
They all were silent, and Roseheart strained her ears to listen.
"...Help..." a weak voice called.
"It's coming from this way," Briarpaw said, dashing off across the snow. Orchidpaw scented the air while they followed.
"It's one of our Clan!" she announced. "Either Hawkscar or Lionclaw... I can't tell for sure." Roseheart was impressed despite her apprehension. She was just now picking up the PineClan scent, but could not identify the particular cat. They were too far away.
They ran on, and, sure enough, Roseheart soon spotted a ginger lump lying in the snow.
"...Help..."
"We're coming!" Crowflight called. Roseheart slid to a stop beside the immobile cat, spraying snow onto Briarpaw, who was already at the ginger cat's side.
"Lionclaw!" she exclaimed, now able to recognize the cat. "What happened?"
"Oh ... thank DreamClan you're here..." the ginger tom panted. "I ... was on patrol with ... with Cedarheart and Daisyheart .... We were ambushed .... Doom and his rogues again ...." Roseheart then noticed in horror the many wounds covering Lionclaw's body.
"No!" Crowflight hissed.
"Lionclaw," Orchidpaw said, her voice shaking, "no one's .... No one's ...?"
"No one's dead," Lionclaw said, and all four of the other cats breathed a sigh of relief. "But Cedarheart's badly hurt .... I went to get help, but I hurt my leg... tripped over a root ...."
"Hush," Crowflight soothed. "Lionclaw, where did this happen?"
"Near ... near the OakClan border," Lionclaw gasped. "By the fallen pine...."
"Briarpaw," the black warrior said, "run to camp, as fast as you can. Tell Windystar what's happened, and get Forestpelt. Bring him to the fallen pine."
Briarpaw nodded and touched his tail to Roseheart's shoulder before sprinting in the direction of the camp.
"Orchidpaw," Crowflight said, turning to the frightened-looking apprentice. "Help Lionclaw get back to camp. Take it slowly, and rest whenever you can. But be alert. We don't' know exactly where Doom is."
Orchidpaw nodded, eyes wide. Crowflight helped Lionclaw to his paws. The young warrior winced when he tried putting weight on his right forepaw.
"I think I sprained it or something," he said, grimacing. Orchidpaw stepped forward and allowed Lionclaw to lean on her.
"Let's go," Crowflight said to Roseheart, a hard, determined look in his eye. He loped of, Roseheart at his heels. They ran through the snow, silent. Roseheart dreaded what they might find when they reached the fallen pine.
After a long while, Crowflight spoke."I can scent them," he said between gasps for breath. Roseheart looked ahead, eager for sight of her Clanmates, yet terrified of what she might find. What if they were too late?