"Silverstar? This cat needs to speak to you," Mothwings said quietly, as to not wake too many cats. Jayflight, Ochreheart, and the ShadowClan warrior remained outside of the den. Silverstar yawned quietly. He slowly rose, a little confused.

"At night…?" he whispered to her.

"That's what I said too," she whispered back.

"Mothwings, please bring the cat in," he said. Mothwings took a step back to allow the ShadowClan warrior to step in.

"Hello, my name is Sleekstep. I bring urgent news from ShadowClan," he announced. Silverstar nodded, beckoning him to continue. Mothwings noticed that he was handling the situation quite well for how strange it was. She made note of it.

"Prey has been running low, and many warriors are getting sick. Some have even died. The clan is being squeezed out of life in this leaf-fall. Leaf-bare will be much worse. We need an extra medicine cat."

Threelegs, RiverClan's medicine cat, rose. He was confused by the ShadowClan scent and the mention of his position. He glanced at his apprentice, Honeydew. He poked her awake and whispered some things to her.

"An extra medicine cat? Don't you already have two?" Silverstar said.

"That's how bad it is. Littleleaf has passed to StarClan, and Juniperpelt has caught greencough." Sleekstep said somberly. Threelegs gasped. He limped over to the others, and asked to come in. Silverstar accepted.

"Littleleaf is dead?" He choked out. He whispered something intangible to himself.

"Yes, I'm afraid. ShadowClan needs your help, Silverstar. We're willing to do anything in return," Sleekstep announced.

Silverstar thought for a while. He did not show any signs of what his answer would be.

"Alright," he finally said. Mothwings was genuinely surprised. She didn't know Silverstar to be the nicest leader ever, rather she knew him as the most logical one. Sleekstep breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Are there any conditions?" he said. "I said that we're willing to do anything, and I meant it."

"You will treat the warriors I send as your own. You must ensure that no harm comes to them, inflicted or caught. They are not your clan, you must remember, so you must ease them into your ways."

"They?" Mothwings repeated.

"Yes," Silverstar said. "Jayflight will go as well." From outside the den, there was a gasp. Threelegs departed to give Jayflight room to enter.

"Me? But… I'm only a newly made warrior! I can't go!" Jayflight stammered. Mothwings decoded her real intent.

"She wants to spend more time with me and Ochreheart…! Oh, StarClan, don't make her go..." Mothwings thought desperately.

"My judgement is final. There will be no questions. Honeydew and Jayflight will leave at tomorrow's sunrise." There was a pause. "Ochreheart, Mothwings, Jayflight, please escort Sleekstep back to ShadowClan."

Mothwings nodded. She beckoned for Sleekstep to come out, then led her friends out of the camp. They walked silently. Mothwings couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her sister for the rest of the season, then all of leaf bare. She filed in next to Jayflight, and they pressed up against each other.

Mothwings never wanted to leave her side.

Sunlight peeked through the woven reeds of the warrior's den. Mothwings had always been an early riser and thus did so. She sat on her favorite clan-watching spot, where she could view everything that went on from a sunbaked rock in the morning, then a shady cover at sunhigh.

Jayflight and Mothwings had always played on this rock. Her memory went back to when they were kits, tussling to be the one to capture the esteemed sunlight.

Now, it was only painful.

"Goodbye, Ochreheart…" she heard from across the camp. It was Jayflight.

"Oh no," Mothwings thought. "I hate goodbyes." She trotted over and joined her friends. They huddled for a while.

"I promise, you two will always hold a special place in my heart," Jayflight said, barely a whisper. She was choked up.

"Same," Ochreheart mumbled through tears. Mothwings only nodded. They parted.

"Jayflight…" Mothwings said somberly. Her sister came close.

"Goodbye," she said, so quiet she wasn't even sure that Jayflight heard.

"Goodbye," Jayflight said at the same volume.

And then she was gone, like a fish escaping her grasp. Mothwings watched as the last of her sister disappeared into the fog. Mothwings sighed heavily. The only thing she wanted was to curl up in her spot and not move until Jayflight had returned.

Mothwings' paws landed heavily on the vole, and she snapped its neck to make sure it was dead. She moved her paws and examined the creature.

"Ugh, skinny," she grumbled. "Leaf-bare is coming."