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    A gray blur rushed through the undergrowth, chasing a plump squirrel that clawed its way up an old tree. The young gray kit stopped and looked up at it. “Mousedung!” He squeaked, shuffling his paws in dismay. Then reality hit him, he looked around to see he was in the forest, “Wheres mommy?” He spoke to himself softly, “Wheres the twoleg nest?” he went on with his voice growing louder. How long had he been chasing that squirrel? He began to whine quietly. He was far from home, and was too scared to move.
    Something moved in the bushes nearby, the kit sharply turned his head facing the noise, his ears perked as he got up. His plump belly still touched the cold grass. “Mommy?” He called again, hoping it would be her. Yet, something else came from the rustling bushes, something the kit never saw before, a badger.
    It screeched loudly, angry when it saw the kit in its territory. “What do you be here for?!” It said, echoing in the trees.  As it came closer the kit shook, but held his ground. “Oh? Kit, didn't they learn you? Curiosity got cat killed!” It said loudly.
    “I'm not scared of you! You... foxdung!” he said, he shook terrified, trying to not let out his fear scent.
    The badger cocked its head to the side, “You are not very good nor smart. Weak you are. I kill you in one paw swipe!” It said, raising its huge and mighty paw. “Leave now! Young kit not good enough for food, Pitiful prey!” It said. Without needing a reply from the kit, it stepped forward and swiped its paw towards the gray coat. The kit ducked down and ran to the trees. Without stopping to look back he kept on going, unable to see, he tripped over a round, stubby, cold rock. He tumbled downhill and unsheathed his claws trying to grip the hard dirt.
    He finally landed in the undergrowth with a loud yelp. He stumbled to his paws, and looked up at the hill he just fell from, how did he not see that earlier? And where was he this time? “I want my mommy...” He shivered and walked towards a patch of grass that lay under a big tree. He saw prey run past him, but he was to weak to follow and chase it. He gazed up at the stars above him, even they looked foreign to him in this distant land. He looked back down and gulped loudly, curling up into a tight ball. After scanning the area he was in for a good couple of minutes, he closed his heavy eye lids. All he wished for now was a good deep slumber.

    “Another failed patrol Rumblestar...” Sulked a she-cat with a brown coat. The tom she talked to, Rumblestar, looked at her with a soft stare. “We lost Blackpaw...” she went on when he didn't answer. “He fell into the water when Stormclan attacked us. I tried to save him but the mud was slippery and...” she choked on her words, Blackpaw had been her only son that survived the harsh leaf-bare. She lost her other three kits at early moons. And now he too was gone in the wind.
    “Blackpaw will be missed, we will sit vigil tonight. But first, we need more warriors. We cannot and shall not go on like this, leaf-bare is harsh the time. There is less prey then ever before and we cannot have more deaths then there has been already.” Rumblestar tried to comfort the brown coat she-cat. He also lost a daughter to a battle with Stormclan, and he did not want to talk about it anymore. Death wasn't something he took lightly, “But first... before you came, Starclan had sent me a message.”
    The brown coat looked at her leader with a shocked stare. It had been moons since their ancestors spoke with them, “What have they said? Tell me please Rumblestar!”
    Rumblestar stayed quiet and closed his eyes, he heaved and finally spoke, “The winds will grow colder and a battle between the forest will kill all.” He looked back at the brown coat. She had a terrified look on her face, she sat back down and he could smell her fear scent. “I'm sorry, Bramblewood...”
    Bramblewood stared at him with a depressed look, “Who will I lose now?”

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