Solar jolted awake at the sound of a spine-prickling wail. She hurried out of her and SkyChaser's den, and she noticed HavenFlight rushing over to the nursery-den.

     Meadowlark!

     HavenFlight and Meadowlark padded slowly back out of the nursery-den, each carrying a small, frighteningly still scrap of fur.

     Solar recognized the light cream she-Drolgonet with white stripes, and the dusky brown she-Drolgonet with a cream chest.

     By now everyone was out of their dens, and watched sadly as Meadowlark and HavenFlight set the two lifeless Drolgonets in the middle of the camp. SpringShine and QuietFlower murmured quietly to each other, and HailClaw dipped his head to the two grieving Drolgons.

     The two Drolgonets left alive peered, frightened, out of the nursery-den entrance.

     "Why are they still sleeping?" The she-Drolgonet asked.

     "Yeah!" The he-Drolgonet squeaked. "Wake up, you two!"

     HavenFlight waved his Drolgonets over with his tail, and Meadowlark wrapped her wings around the two.

     "They've gone to the spirit realm, my loves... you won't be seeing them for a long, long while... but they're safe..."

     "Oh." The he-Drolgonet's face fell.

     Solar twined her tail with SkyChaser's, her heart aching for the poor three Drolgonets who hadn't made it. SkyChaser licked her ears comfortingly. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning, and storm clouds covered the dawn sky. Darkness flooded over the camp. Solar jumped as thunder boomed above her. She slowly turned toward where the storm clouds were coming from, and her eyes stretched wide as she saw thousands of shadows soaring full tilt toward the camp.

     Solar screeched in terror."Eclipse was right!"