Firemoon dropped her magpie at the fresh-kill pile. She'd gone out hunting with Iceheart, Petalshine, Junipercloud, Webwhisker, Snowbush, Ivypool, Flowerpaw, Lionpaw and Wingpaw.
She turned to Flowerpaw. "Take some prey to the elders and then you can have the rest of the day off," she mewed to her apprentice.
Flowerpaw nodded before snatching up a couple of rabbits and dashing across the clearing and disappearing into the elders' den.
The barrier rustled, and the scent of blood and distress met Firemoon's nose. She whipped around, as well as every other cat in the clearing.
Dawnpaw hurried into camp, eyes wide. Stormsky followed her, pelt bushed up. After them came Nightstorm, carrying a limp bundle of fur on his back. Featherpaw, Firemoon realized with a jolt of shock.
"Featherpaw!" Iceflower shrieked, dashing across the clearing. Nightstorm let the little tom slide to the ground.
Icefeather and Fernstar hurried over. "What in Starclan's name happened?" Fernstar asked as Icefeather turned to Iceheart. "Go get Jayfeather!" she yowled at him.
Iceheart scrambled with shock. "I don't know where he is!"
"He's out collecting herbs with Featherheart and Crowpaw in the old twoleg nest!" Goldenpaw called.
Iceheart bolted towards the barrier and shot into the tunnel, tail streaming out behind him.
"What happened, Nightstorm?" Fernstar demanded as cats crowded around them.
Nightstorm shook his head. "I don't know, we were practicing tree climbing and he seemed to have gotten it. He was doing well, but he must have slipped or something," he mewed lowly, eyes wide with distress.
Hollytuft quickly trotted over. "It wasn't your fault, Nightstorm," she mewed, pressing herself up to her mate.
"Is he alive?" Fernstar asked.
"Let me through!"
Firemoon hadn't noticed when the medicine cats pelted into camp.
Jayfeather shouldered his way through the throng until he came to the little tom. He put his ear to his chest and closed his eyes for a moment. Then, they flew open. "He's still alive but only barely." He flung his head to the sides. "Get cobwebs!" he yowled angrily.
Crowpaw sprinted towards the medicine den. "Featherheart, go with her!" Jayfeather ordered.
Featherheart sprang after the young she-cat and disappeared into the den.
"My kit!" Iceflower sobbed. "Oh, my kit!" She crouched and buried her face into his pelt.
"Back off!" Jayfeather snarled.
Iceflower shrank back with shock. Her eyes, wide and scared, turned angry. "That is my kit!" she snarled.
"Iceflower!" Hazelwhisker snapped.
"We don't want to make it worse," Jayfeather growled, trying to hold down his anger.
For a moment, Iceflower stood in her place without staggering. Finally, she swung her head aside. Her best friend, Hazelwhisker, hurried over and pressed herself up to her.
"Where's Redstorm?" Iceflower whispered.
Hazelwhisker exchanged a glance with Spiderleap. "He's on a border patrol," Spiderleap mewed. He glanced at the white she-cat as Hazelwhisker wrapped her tail around her. "I'll go get him," he then murmured before trotting forward and then bolting through the tunnel.
