"This den is much too crowded!" Alder pushed his little paws against Bat's back, letting them sink into his father's thick coat. "I want more room!" he cried.

"Stop whining," Sage growled, but the young tomkit continued to whimper and mewl in disagreement.

"Sage, he's a kit," Bat warned her softly, eyes glowing in the darkness. "And he's not wrong. Flint and Smoke have been sleeping outside the den, and look at poor Creek." He nodded to the she-cat, who was curled at the entrance, fur ruffled and body tight to not take up room.

"Then she can go back to her own den," the silver tabby grumbled, shifting her body weight. Crow and Ash were curled against her stomach, with Alder right next to them--he began to close his eyes and fall asleep again--but Echo had refused to sleep next to her mother, and instead was tucked against Bat's chest, little nose twitching.

Ravenpaw watched the tiny version of the first leader of his Clan. He was awkwardly sitting right in front of Creek, his tail draped inside of her body and his front paws through Bat's front legs. It was strange, being there but yet not at the same time. He felt bad for little Echo, who obviously was overwhelmed by her mother. Knowing that, someday, she would be leader of his Clan, he wondered when her transition from a tiny, defenseless kit to a great, wise warrior would begin to take place.

"All three of them are helping us," Bat argued quietly. "Flint and Smoke help me hunt, and Creek helps you with the kits."

"You're a perfectly fine hunter by yourself! The only reason we need their extra prey is that they eat it themselves," Sage hissed back quietly.

"And what if one of the kits catches a cold? Do you know how to treat it?" Bat shot back, eyes glowing in the darkness. It was clear he was trying to remain calm, but his mate was making it hard to do so. Ravenpaw wondered how they fell in love, when they seemed so different. How did Bat, a loner, become so close with a pampered kittypet, that obviously had no skills for the outside world.

She must get better in the future, Ravenpaw thought, if she was the leader of a Clan alongside her daughter, son, and mate. A sudden shiver went through him. If they were all family, parents, and kits, why did they separate? It would be strange being in a different Clan than his siblings, mother, and father, so why did these cats choose to go their separate ways? He burned to know more of the future. Or, more correctly, more of the past.

Sage let out a quiet grumble. "What did you say?" Bat meowed, sounding a little calmer.

Surprisingly, the mother let out a light growl, and Bat flattened his ears in shock. "I said, I should've stayed with my Twolegs."

Bat let out a soft mewl, sounding just like one of his little kits. His eyes were full of distress. "You would lose our kits, Sage, if you stayed with them."

"At least they'd be safe, and they'd have room."

"They are safe," Bat told her softly. "I'm one of the best fighters in the forest, and I've taught Flint, Smoke, and Creek everything I know. And if you want more room, there are plenty of dens to choose from, all of those safe as well. I told you the first day you came here that this den was temporary because it was so small. We can always move to Creek's den by the river, or one on the moor, in the dense forest, even in the marshland. Anywhere you and the kits want to go, I will follow. So will Creek and her kits."

Sage was quiet for a few moments, eyes unreadable. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, Bat, I trust you. But we must wait until the kits are bigger, they're much too small to travel far. Especially Echo." The she-cat suddenly sighed, sounding utterly lost and sad. "Oh, Bat, how will she ever survive? I used to know a blind cat. He could originally see, but he lost his sight after getting attacked by an evil dog that lived next to him. He was never the same again, and couldn't do a thing by himself. If a blind cat is useless in a housefolk den, how will one survive in the wild? Perhaps we should give her to my housefolk, so she can be taken care of better."

"Never," Bat responded immediately, sounding disgusted at the thought. Sage looked slightly offended. "She's not going to become a kittypet. She'll be perfectly fine, you just can't treat her like a kit. I've met plenty of cats who are half-blind and survive fine. And I've heard of other cats that are completely blind that have no trouble hunting and even fighting. In fact, being blind sharpens their senses, to the point they may see more than those with sight. She needs to be treated just like her littermates. If you treat her differently, or like she is defenseless, she will just despise you for it. If anything, treat her as if she's stronger than her littermates."

"But she's not!" Sage cried, trying to keep her voice down. "We have to protect her!"

Bat let out a soft sigh, and just mewed softly, "we can talk more about this tomorrow. Sleep now." He rested his head down, putting it close to little Echo. Ravenpaw was surprised he hadn't noticed--her sightless gray eyes were open. She had been awake and was listening to the entire thing. Sadness pinched his heart as his vision faded.

Dead-Echo did not visit him, and allowed him to wake up peacefully.

Pale sunlight shined into the den, revealing it was early dawn. The dawn patrol had likely left, but probably not long ago. Raising his head up, Ravenpaw blinked his eyes to clear his vision. Mossrain's nest was empty but still warm. The apprentice spotted herbs sitting outside the store and guessed his mentor had gone herb hunting. Gazing around the den, he spotted the three other cats sleeping. 

Blossompaw's side was moving slowly but soundly, her body stretched out and looking small; Grayblaze was curled in a ball, his thick fur parted from cobwebs along his stomach, where his worst wound was. His leg was stretched out behind him, and Ravenpaw remembered seeing the twisted limb when he first came in after the battle.

Shaking his fur out, he looked at Russetdawn, and fear flooded him. The she-cat was breathing heavy, and her mouth was open as she struggled to get a breath. Ravenpaw went over, sniffing her body. Her fur was matted with dried blood, since her wounds continued to bleed randomly, and the cobwebs coating her fur were beginning to go dark. He smelled fresh blood underneath, and knew the wounds had reopened, probably after Mossrain had left.

Part of him wanted to go get Goldenpool, but he knew she would be sleeping. Mossrain had taught him to replaster cobwebs, just the day before when Russetdawn moved and broke the covering. Feeling anxiety rise in him, he hurried to the storage and grabbed as many cobwebs as he could. After dropping them off at the nest, he cleaned his paws in the pool, shivering at the feeling of the water. Licking the fur dry with his tongue, he took a few licks from the pool afterward then hurried to his patient.

Sitting down next to her, he got some cobwebs ready on one of his paws, then got ready to peel the used cobwebs away. But, he paused. Before he put on the new cobwebs, he would clean the wound of blood until it stopped leaking, and so he should probably put some herbs on it. Maybe a poultice of marigold and goldenrod. They were the simplest herbs to learn, and some of the first he mastered. Marigold helped stop infections before they set in, while goldenrod would help heal the wound.

He noticed the blood began to sink out of the cobwebs around her neck and hurried to grab his desired herbs. They were already set out, and he knew Mossrain must be out trying to find more since both piles were low. But he knew Russetdawn needed them, and there were always other herbs for other cats.

Going back to Russetdawn, he set the herbs down, covered one paw with cobwebs again, then peeled away the neck covering. Instantly, blood spluttered from the wound and began to leak down her fur. Filled with anxiety, he quickly began to lick the wound, ignoring the bad taste of blood. Russetdawn flinched when his tongue flicked over her open flesh. "Sorry," he mumbled softly, and noticed her paws twitch, as if she was trying to answer. He moved his tongue more softly, using the tip because he knew the rest was rough and could hurt her wound more than help.

Fur had matted down and was stuck against the wound, and he did his best to flatten it away. Russetdawn, who had probably been bothered by the fur, let out a soft sigh and shuddered deeper into the nest, her body going loose. She had been in pain and was now relaxing. Feeling better, he continued to lick softly until the blood stopped seeping against his tongue.

He softly put the cobweb bundle over the wound, holding it still with his paw. Then he began to chew a small amount of the two herbs together. Once it was in a proper pulp, he removed the cobwebs and began to lick the chewed herbs into the wound. Russetdawn tensed for a moment then relaxed into the moss.

While spreading the herbs, he used his paws to spread out a bit of the cobweb, then removed his tongue and covered the wound. He made it was down tight, then moved onto the large scratch down her side. It was much too long to do all at once, so he kept half of it covered and worked on the open part.

He stopped the blood quickly then chewed the herbs, and once he was done spreading them that part of the wound was covered as well, save for a small bit where the other cobwebs were. When he removed them, he licked a bit of the earlier poultice did his best to ignore the taste, as he did when chewing it up.

Now used to the taste of blood and herb, he finished the rest of the wound quickly and covered it up. The last wound was on her stomach, near her chest. It wasn't that long, but it was thick and deep. But before he could remove the cobwebs, he heard pawsteps and turned to see Mossrain walking into the den, his jaws full of both marigold and goldenrod.

For some reason, fear filled him. What if he had done something wrong. The look in Mossrain's eyes didn't help. The young tom dropped his herbs and hurried forward, looking worried. "What's going on?"

"Russetdawn was breathing heavy, and the wounds were bleeding again. You weren't here, and I knew Goldenpool would still be sleeping..."

Mossrain looked thoughtful, but also a little angry.

"I'm sorry, Mossrain, I won't do it again." He dropped his head, ears flattening. He heard his mentor sigh, and looked up slightly to see sadness in the gray tom's gaze.

"Don't be sorry. I just want you to be sure that you know what you're doing before you try something by yourself."

"I did!" Ravenpaw mewed quickly, and Mossrain tilted his head, curious. Ravenpaw decided to continue, to calm his mentor. "We did it yesterday, remember? I got cobwebs and herbs beforehand, then cleaned the wound. I covered it with cobwebs while I chewed the herbs, then spread the pulp over the wound before covering it again. I made sure I did it correctly."

Mossrain looked conflicted and gazed over the she-cat. "That's normally the right remedy, but what if the problem was something else? You said she was breathing heavy, and the cobwebs were getting bloody? Was she tensed?"

Ravenpaw nodded quickly. "I didn't notice at first, but after I started cleaning the wound she relaxed."

Mossrain nodded slowly. "The wounds were probably paining her. You should've checked for tense muscles before cleaning the wounds, but you did the right thing. We can't leave a cat in pain, especially one as injured as Russetdawn. You did good, but make sure your completely correct before starting with herbs, because it could've been an early sign of an infection if it was just bleeding. If it was infected, she'd be too weak to tense her muscles."

Ravenpaw nodded quickly. "Yes, Mossrain. I understand."

Sighing and nodding lightly, Mossrain meowed, "I found some borage in the forest. Bring some to the nursery for Goldenpool to eat when she wakes. Her kits are still nursing, and we haven't had the other two long enough to know yet. But I'm sure that for the next few days they'll nurse to get strength, even if they're on prey right now."

Nodding again, Ravenpaw nosed through the new herbs, feeling drawn into their scents. Clearing his mind, he focused on the hairy leaves of borage and picked up some of the leaves, then he left the den. Outside, the clearing was empty, as it was too early for any cat to be awake. He did notice Maskdapple guarding the forest camp entrance, looking around with eyes like a hawk. As normal during the day, the moorland entrance didn't have a guard, as it was easy to see out across the land from the forest entrance. During the night, though, both sides had guards for protection.

He was surrounded by the milky scent of the nursery as he entered the small den, and he was surprised to see that Goldenpool was actually awake, staring at the two new kits that were curled up with her own, their bright ginger coats standing out against the brown and golden of her own kits.

But one of them, the tom, had dull fur, and his body almost seemed smaller than the day before when the Clan rescued them. Goldenpool looked up, sadness flooding her gaze. Dropping the borage, a scent filled his nose. He was terrified as he recognized the scent from when he lost poor Berrywhisker--the scent of death.

The strange tomkit wasn't just small--he was dead.

Quietly, Ravenpaw stumbled forward, looking down at the small body with obvious fear and depression.

"I woke up and found him dead," Goldenpool whispered softly, her mew full of regret. "I couldn't move because I didn't want to wake the other kits. I hoped some cat would come in before they woke to remove the body. I didn't want his sister to wake up and see him dead... It's most likely that she'll forget her past pretty soon, being so young. But seeing the death of her brother, that will remain in her mind forever, no matter how young she is."

Ravenpaw was frozen for a moment, feeling weak. "Does that mean she won't remember her real mother?" He asked quietly.

Goldenpool flicked her ear softly as a way to say she didn't know. "It's possible, she might start to believe I'm her real mother. And I'll treat her as my own, no matter what happens."

"So we can't ask about her real mother, about where she is?" Ravenpaw whispered, trying to get the dead kit out of his mind, but yet his gaze was still locked on the dead, cold body.

"If we do, she might recall her brother, and we don't want to traumatize her." The she-cat sighed, and murmured, "can you please take his body away? If any of the kits were to see that..."

Nodding, Ravenpaw forced himself to swallow. His throat was dry, and it found it hard to breathe in his sadness and fear. Slowly, he closed his teeth around the tiny scruff, feeling the cold skin touch his mouth. A shiver went through him, but he forced himself to stumble from the den. Still, the camp was empty, and he brought the small body to the center of the clearing and lay it down. Feeling weak, he collapsed next to the dead kit and began to clean his fur, brushing it down. The kit fluff continued to stick up, and Ravenpaw felt bile rising in his throat.

This poor kit died before he even had a chance of life before he even got to become a warrior or even a real Clan member. I don't even know his name... Ravenpaw thought with despair. Would he be able to ask the she-kit, or would she bring it up herself?

His mind whirling, Ravenpaw rested his head on his paws and watched the poor kit with sadness. He raised his head when he heard a gasp, and looked up to see that Maskdapple had looked into the clearing to see the kit. Her eyes were full of grief, and old memories. Ravenpaw wondered if she had lost a kit in the past. Finally, the tortoiseshell turned her head away.

Sighing, Ravenpaw rested his head on his paws and waited. For what, he didn't really know, but he still waited, not knowing what else to do. After a while, the sun rose high enough for cats to wake. The first cat to emerge was, of course, Eagleclaw, and she froze at the den entrance, causing a mew of surprise behind her.

"Eagleclaw, move your tail!" Silverstrike pushed his way out and stood there for a shocked moment. Then, he shook out his fur, and meowed, "at least it wasn't one of Goldenpool's."

Eagleclaw and Ravenpaw both looked surprised, but the silver tom padded for the camp entrance without looking at them again, walking right past the dead kit. Ravenpaw thought he looked a little unsteady. And it wasn't from sleep.

"I'm going hunting," he called behind him to the deputy.

"What about Flamepaw?" Eagleclaw called after him.

"He can clean out the elders' den today," the tom replied as he disappeared, and Maskdapple stared after her mate with sadness.

More cats came out from the warriors' den, and awkward silence went over them as they noticed the dead kit. When Snowfern emerged, she stood there silently for a moment before walking over on soft paws, resting her tail on Ravenpaw's shoulder. "Why don't you go to sleep? I can take him to the burial spot and send his spirit off."

Ravenpaw shook his head, his heart still breaking. "I want to help," he meowed.

Snowfern nodded softly, and said, "We should go, so Eagleclaw can take care of the Clan." Ravenpaw forced himself to nod his head, but before he could grab the kit Snowfern picked it up herself, her teeth gentle against his small scruff. Ravenpaw looked worried, but she shot him a soft expression, and together they headed for the moorland entrance.

A few cats watched after them before Eagleclaw began to order patrols to distract all the cats.

Together, Ravenpaw and his mother brought the dead kit down the rocky pathway and onto the moorland. They walked along the side of the mountain, and Ravenpaw eyed the herbs they passed. There was some chervil growing from the rocky cliff beside them, with tiny stems of chickweed not far. He reminded himself that after their sad task, he would bring some chervil back to camp. At the moment, he couldn't remember the use, but he knew it was helpful.

He also spotted more goldenrod, and as they entered the small area surrounded by bushes in a small dip in the ground, he saw a large patch of thyme. He had never learned the use--as far as he remembered--but remembered Mossrain having him separate the dead leaves from fresh ones.

Ravenpaw passed many graves, most with grass growing over the small mounds. But one only had a light cover of small, bright green grass. "Berrywhisker?" he whispered softly, and Snowfern looked at him with sad eyes, nodding with the tiny dead kit still in her jaws. She lay him down softly on a clear patch of ground.

"Do you want to choose where to bury him?" Snowfern murmured, eyes soft and sad. Nodding, Ravenpaw looked around the clearing in silence.

A few places stood out to him. The sun rose behind the mountains, and he knew that when it came out a certain spot would be lightened by the sun. Perhaps the little tom would enjoy having the sun rise on him each day... Or perhaps under a rose bush near the edge of the clearing, sweet scents coming from it. But there was also an open space right next to Berrywhisker.

"I want to bury him there, next to Berrywhisker," he said softly. Snowfern looked faintly confused, but she didn't argue and began digging at the grass. Ravenpaw decided to wait until the hole she was making was the size she wanted it, then she began to dig down, piling soil on the side. Now Ravenpaw went forward and began to help.

Because he was so small, it didn't take long to create a grave for the tiny kit. Gently, Snowfern settled him in the hole, and, together, mother and son covered him up, flattening the soil above it so the mound wasn't too large. Light death scent still fluttered around the clearing, but it would likely clear soon, protecting the dead cat from any fox or other creature that might wander onto the territory.

Sitting down with his head dipped, Ravenpaw meowed, "Berrywhisker, if you can hear me, please take in this kit. I don't know if StarClan accepts loners, but he would've been apart of the Clan soon. Take him in, and protect him. Lead him to StarClan's hunting grounds, and teach him to live, even at such a young age. Perhaps he can grow in StarClan, even if a tiny bit..."

Snowfern pressed against him, wrapping her tail around him. He tucked his head in his mother's shoulder, hating the world for taking life from such a young, innocent cat. They sat there for a while, then together they finally left their Clan's burial sight, heading back for camp. When they passed the goldenrod, he took a mouthful of the leaves.

They traveled up the rocky pathway peacefully, but when they entered the clearing anger rushed over him like a wave. Acornstar stood pacing in the clearing, her tail lashing and her fur bristling. A few cats were in the clearing, watching their leader with wide eyes. They all looked uncomfortable, and a part of Ravenpaw knew they were waiting for him and Snowfern.

It seemed Acornstar was as well.

A growl rose in her throat as she walked over, and Ravenpaw dropped his goldenrod, knowing something was wrong. He was terrified when his leader did not look at Snowfern, but instead at him.

"You heard me say I knew these kits would die, and yet you and your mouse-brained mentor didn't listen. Where did you put the body? You did not have the time to leave the territory!" she growled, and Ravenpaw flattened himself to the ground.

"We didn't leave the territory," Snowfern answered, standing close to her son, almost like she was going to protect him. "We buried him with all the other cats we have lost."

Fury glowed in Acornstar's eyes. "You dare bury an outsider with our ancestors? That is disgracing their memory!"

"No, you are disgracing their memory!" Snowfern growled, surprising the leader and the cats in the clearing. More had appeared, including Ravenpaw's littermates and mentor. He even noticed Goldenpool's eyes flash from the nursery before disappearing again. "He was a defenseless kit and you wanted to leave him to die!"

"Better him than our cats!" Acornstar snapped back.

"The warrior code says we should rescue and help any cat who needs our help, no matter their past!" Snowfern's fur was bristling as much as her leader's, and both their eyes glowed with anger. Ravenpaw noticed both had their claws scraping against the ground.

"You're lecturing me about the warrior code?" Acornstar stood a step forward, seeming to grow in size. Surprisingly, Snowfern took a small step back. "You ran away from your Clan because you found love outside of it. And you say I disrespect the code? You're lucky we ever even took you in!"

"This isn't the Clan I thought it was," Snowfern growled.

"Then leave."

Even Snowfern was surprised by the words, and her head moved back, ears flattened and eyes wide. "Excuse me?"

"Leave." Acornstar took another step forward, forcing the white and black she-cat back once again, farther from her terrified kit that crouched over the ground. "Leave my Clan!"

For a moment, Snowfern looked like she was going to move away, sending fear through small Ravenpaw. Was he truly going to lose his mother? Was she going to leave the Clan, leave him?

Relief rushed through him when Snowfern stomped a paw, raising her body higher until her neck was stretched out and her tail was high in the air. "No."

"No?" Acornstar looked worried, but only for a heartbeat, then her eyes went guarded again. "You cannot say no to me! This is my Clan and my territory, and I command you to leave and never return!"

"No," Snowfern said again. "This is my Clan, too. I have given everything to prove my loyalty. I have given you warriors, a medicine cat, and myself. I would give my life for this Clan, and you cannot take away my right to be a warrior."

The rest of Ravenpaw's family had gathered together; Boulderclaw, Jaypaw, Willowpaw, Stonecoat, Shadefur--they all stood together, looking worried, but also somewhat proud.

Suddenly, Acornstar whipped her head to where Frostfall, Oakcloud, and Foxpounce were gathered. "Chase her from the territory, now!"

Snowfern took in a sharp breath, turning her gaze to the cats she obviously saw as friends. Ravenpaw wondered what they would do, terror rushing through him once again. They would listen to their leader, surely? Then why were they hesitating...?

Oakcloud stood a small step forward, eyes full of a hesitant fear. "Acornstar, the only time you come to lead us is to punish a cat. You were once a great leader, but you have been lost for some time, and you are in the wrong. I know we are supposed to follow you through everything, but we cannot do this. Snowfern is a loyal warrior, as are her kits. You cannot chase her from the Clan she has given everything to."

Complete anger flared in the she-cat's eyes. "Traitor! You are a traitor to your Clan!"

"No, he's not." Eagleclaw slowly walked forward, looking sad as she gazed at her mother. "Acornstar, please listen to me. We are all loyal warriors to EchoClan, Oakcloud and Snowfern included. You are not in the right mindset to lead right now. Just trust me, please..."

"My own daughter... Turning against me..." Many emotions rushed in the poor she-cat's gaze. "Is there any cat left that is loyal to me?"

"We are loyal to you, but you cannot punish cats because you are hurting yourself. Redcloud is gone, and he's not coming back." Eagleclaw looked upset, speaking about her dead father.

"Never speak his name!" Acornstar yowled, causing poor Ravenpaw to flinch at the anger. Realizing his sadness, Snowfern quickly went and stood over him, licking her son's forehead to calm him. Her scent helped his heart slow down, along with the soft movement of her tongue.

"You can't act like it hasn't changed you!" Eagleclaw growled back. "I have been leading this Clan for moons now! You only come out for ceremonies or punishments! I know you're grieving, I am, too, but your role as a leader is to look past your mourning and lead your Clan!"

Acornstar looked lost for words, and finally, she just growled, teeth gleaming, and stormed away toward her den, leaving her Clan in shocked silence.

If their leader would pick fights with not only her deputy but her medicine cats as well, would they have any chance at a good future?

Ravenpaw was terrified of the answer.

I just want to say to people who might read this book in the future, make sure you comment on the questions, because if I'm still on Wattpad years in the future when you may be reading this, I'll still answer because it makes me so happy to hear what people think!

Question #1: Are you still enjoying the story? (sorry I ask this a lot)

Question #2: Do you think StarClan will accept the little tomkit?