Cloverpaw heard a yowl and she sat up abruptly. Sprinting out of the apprentices den, she gazed around in confusion. It was nearly moonhigh. What had woken her up? Was there an attack?

Other cats were stirring. Marshflight poked his head out of the warriors den. Needlenose was rushing back and forth from the nursery to his den. Poolpaw was half-in, half-out of the nursery.

Cloverpaw heard a wail from the nursery, and turned to Nettlepaw. "What's happening?" She asked, stopping her.

"Briarwhisker's kits are coming!" She said.

Cloverpaw blinked. "So soon?" She asked. That couldn't be right. She should have at least two more moons!

Nettlepaw nodded and rushed off. Cloverpaw lost track of time, pacing back and forth, worrying.

After a while, she heard mews of congratulations. She headed to the nursery.

Nettlepaw was beaming. "Three she-cats and a tom!" She told Cloverpaw.

Cloverpaw smiled. New births into the clan was always a good thing. She watched as Marshflight headed in to see his kits, and she turned around. Vanishing into the apprentices den, she curled up in her nest, determined to get some sleep.

Cloverpaw woke up to a paw prodding her shoulder. She sighed. Early morning sunlight streamed in from the entrance. Sunpaw lifted his head from his nest.

Struggling up, she looked up at Silverpaw. "What?" She asked, her voice coming out more harshly than she meant to.

Silverpaw's expression flickered, but she looked away. "Cloudfall wants you for the dawn patrol."

Cloverpaw smoothed down her fur, which was ruffled. She had a long night of training again with Deathshade, and she didn't want to do anything other than sleep. Sighing again, she followed Silverpaw out of the den.

They joined up with Cloudfall and Firefang at the entrance. Silently they padded out, and Cloverpaw inhaled the fresh forest scent.

The made their way along the Shadowclan border, renewing the scent markers. Cloverpaw let her mind wander, following Firefang and Silverpaw. She halted as fresh Shadowclan scent tickled her scent glands. Looking back at Cloudfall, she told him, "Shadowclan patrol coming."

Cloudfall faced the border, just as a patrol emerged from the trees.

Cloverpaw didn't feel like a confrontation with Shadowclan, so she shrank back until she was hidden behind her mentor.

She didn't recognize two of the cats, but she had a faint remembrance of the third. She stared at him, confusion filling her mind. He was an apprentice, like her, with dark brown fur and startling ice blue eyes. She couldn't remember seeing him before.

Then it hit her. This was Snakepaw. She had met him briefly at the last meeting with Twistedbrook. He was training him.

She studied him, wondering if he would remember her. He kept his gaze straight, but when he spotted her, he gave a small nod.

Cloverpaw blinked. She realized she had been tuning out the dialogue with Cloudfall and the leader of the Shadowclan patrol, a heavy black tom.

"... just leaving." Cloudfall was saying. He motioned for the rest of the Thunderclan patrol to follow him, and he turned around. They headed off into the trees.

Cloverpaw glanced back once. Her gaze went straight to Snakepaw. He was staring back at her. Then she vanished into the trees, and he was gone.

***

They entered camp and it was chaos.

Cloverpaw raced up to the nearest cat, which turned out to be Lightningcloud. "What happened?" She shouted over the noise.

He looked at her with a clouded expression. "Briarwhisker woke up and Branchkit was cold. She was still in shock when Duskkit disappeared."

Cloverpaw was about to say something when a tremendous wail broke out. Fawncloud had something in her mouth. Cloverpaw took a closer look and felt like throwing up. It was Duskkit.

She laid the tiny kit next to her mother. Cloverpaw shook her head and backed away. Briarwhisker didn't deserve this!

Running out of the entrance, she raced through the trees, not caring where she was going. She crashed into a bramble bush and the thorns scratched at her. Feeling dizzy, she staggered away.

She heard a snarl behind her. Assuming it was Twistedbrook or Deathshade, she said, "Why is Starclan allowing this to happen?"

Nothing but another snarl. Turning around, she let out a gasp and backed away. A bitter, strange smell washed over her scent glands. A huge black mass was standing in the shadows.

Cloverpaw had found the badger. Or rather, it had found her.

Shaking her head, she backed into a tree. The badger advanced. "No," She whimpered. She didn't want to die like this!

The badger raised a huge paw above her head. She cowered under its beady stare. "I'm sorry," She whispered, not sure who she was talking to.

She looked up at the badger, locking gazes with it, just as its massive paw came down on her.