Tragedy Follows

Iceshadow woke up to a thin layer of snow covering everything. For a moment, her eyes lit up at the sparkling snow. Then the kit like excitement faded and she looked away. Iceshadow looked back to the warriors den. All the others were asleep. Iceshadow cuddled closer to Snakeclaw, looking out at the snow. As she gazed out at the white covering the forest, she felt emptiness. She missed the time when she would have bounded out into the snow, and rolled in it.

Iceshadow stretched out of the den a little, and scooped up a pawful of snow. She squeezed it slightly, and listened to it crunch slightly. She dumped it out of her paw, watching it fall like pine needles.

She felt Snakeclaw move behind her. "Playing with the snow?" he asked lightly, resting his head on her side.

Iceshadow purred. "I guess so."

Snakeclaw's whiskers twitched. "Come on." He stretched, and padded out into the snow. Iceshadow followed, standing next to him.

Snakeclaw flicked some snow onto her with his claws. Iceshadow hissed, and did the same. In a matter of minutes, they were rolling around in the snow. Snakeclaw fell into a deeper drift of snow, and Iceshadow leapt down next to him, digging more snow onto him.

"Hey!" he protested, pushing her into the snow.

Iceshadow laughed as he rolled on top of her. They rolled over each other until they heard paws padding towards them. Iceshadow looked up in surprise. Petalstar was looking gently at Iceshadow and Snakeclaw. Wolfpaw inquisitively asked, "What are you doing?"

"We're playing," Snakeclaw purred at the young apprentice, getting off of Iceshadow. He looked up at Petalstar. "Sorry, Petalstar."

Petalstar looked at them both. "Play," she said gently. It was good to see Iceshadow looking alive again.

Wolfpaw asked, "Can I play too?"

"Of course you can." Iceshadow purred, looking into the all too familiar eyes of her apprentice. She scooped snow onto Wolfpaw's head.

"Hey!" Wolfpaw squealed indignantly.

*.*

Iceshadow was sitting by the freshkill pile, eating a mouse when Thornpaw and Silverheart ran into camp. "Petalstar! Petalstar!" Silverheart called in a strained voice.

Petalstar padded out of her den, a thrush in her mouth. She put the thrush down. "What is it?"

"It's Hollyfire. She went out hunting last night, and we thought she'd come back in the morning. She didn't." Silverheart panted, and Petalstar nodded. "We were on the dawn patrol, and we went to look for her. That's why we're late."

"Where is she?" Petalstar asked anxiously.

Silverheart paused, still breathing heavily. "She's dead. She was lying in the middle of a clearing. Whoever killed her obviously wasn't worried about hiding the body."

Petalstar sank down and closed her eyes. "Come into my den, please." Silverheart followed Petalstar silently. Thornpaw stood, panting, forlorn and alone in the middle of the clearing.

The words rang through Iceshadow's mind. Dead. Dead. Dead. Hollyfire was dead. Really dead. A twinge of guilt went through her, although she had nothing to do with it. She had never really got to know Hollyfire. Now the deputy was simply dead, and the chance was gone. Iceshadow sat, her thrush forgotten by her side. Snakeclaw came over to sit by her. "Iceshadow, are you going to eat that?"

"No," she said hoarsely, lost in her own thoughts.

Snakeclaw rolled his eyes. "Childish," he muttered.

Iceshadow growled, but he was right. She bent down to the thrush, and finished it. Thornpaw was still standing by himself in the corner, watching where Silverheart had disappeared to. Iceshadow stood up, legs slightly shaky. "Someone should talk to him," Iceshadow said. "Not many kits have to see a dead body."

"Mudsplash and Fishshadow are out hunting," Snakeclaw said. He padded over to Thornpaw, and Iceshadow followed.

It was Iceshadow that spoke first. "Thornpaw, are you alright?"

He stared blankly at her. Iceshadow didn't blame him - it had been a stupid question. "Would you like to come sit with us?"

Thornpaw swallowed, shook his head, and turned back to watching the shadowy entrance to Petalstar's den.

"I think they'll be in there for quite a long time," Snakeclaw told the young apprentice gently.

Thornpaw gave a small sigh, and came to sit by the warriors den. Normally the apprentice would have been thrilled at this chance, but today it was different. Wolfpaw came to sit by Thornpaw too, her small paws crunching in the snow as she approached. Usually Wolfpaw came up with a joke, or some kind of sweetly phrased mischevious question. Instead she just sat in the cold snow next to Iceshadow, Snakeclaw, and Thornpaw.

Iceshadow closed her eyes against the burning in her throat. A member of their Clan had died, and there was nothing they could have done. Hollyfire had probably just gone out for a little midnight hunting, as she liked to do. A memory of the Clan deputy arose, and Iceshadow had to push it back to avoid breaking down.

She sighed. Tragedy follows us wherever we go.