Sunlight streamed through the leafless branches of trees, glinting on the frost and icicles that hung from them. It was deep into leafbare in the forest, and a thick covering of snow had fallen the night before.  The forest's calm was broken as two figures pelted past, turning up snow as they went.

                The figures were the lithe bodies of cats, one was a muscular, dark gray tabby tom, the other was a small, brown and cream tom. They streaked through the woods, jumping over fallen logs and rocks that lay in their path. Their pace matched step for step the entire time.

                Eventually the dark grey tabby yowled "Oakleaf we must hurry!"
With a hiss the brown tom repllied "Nightclaw, quit wasting your breath. She's not going anywhere!"

                The pair stopped as they entered a small, snow covered clearing with a pile of large rocks in the center.

                "Larksong!" Nightclaw called "Larksong are you here?"

                "Nightclaw?" came the quiet reply "Nightclaw I'm here, did you bring Oakleaf?"

                Nightclaw did not hesitate, and he dashed around to the opposite side of the rock pile to a small crevice. With Oakleaf on his heels, Nightclaw peered into the dark,  a faint sent of milk wafted to him.
In side he spotted a patch of long, pure white fur, mixed with amber and black. It was Larksong.

                Weaving his way through the tight hole, Nightclaw made his was to the beautiful she-cat's side. He touched noses with her, his eyes wide and uncertain. "Are-" he began but was cut off by Larksong. Rubbing her head against his she purred,"yes we're all fine"

                Nightclaws eyes lit up as Larksong pointed with her white tail to her side. There, mewling quietly in her long fur, were three tiny kits.
One was a deep gray, with tiny dark gray stripes on it's pelt, another was a deep cinnamon, and the final kit was light gray with a darker stripe running down it's back.

                As Nightclaw watched his kits, Larksong told him that the one with stripes was a tom and the other two were she-cats. He purred, this was every thing he could ever hope for. He could almost see the great warriors that they would become, the cats that would one day protect the forest and their clan.

                "Well..." came a voice from the entrance, it snapped Nightclaw back to the world. Oakleaf flicked his tail from side to side. "Nightclaw, if you don't mind I need to make sure they're alright!" he growled.

                Nightclaw looked at his kits and back to Oakleaf before he backed his way out of the rocks. "Sorry Oakleaf" he meowed "is there anything I can do?"

                "We'll see soon enough" the brown tom meowed as he made his way to the kits and their mother. "Thank you Oakleaf" Larksong purred as he sat beside her looking at the kits.

                "Oh thats alright Larksong" he meowed "Its my duty as a medicine cat to come and help any cat in need." he paused as he sniffed one of the kits "Although it would have been easier if someone didn't take their mate, who was so close to kiting, out for a stroll, in the middle of leafbare no less" he meowed scornfully as continued examining the kits.

                "Alright" Oakleaf continued "looks like your all ok, but I think I'll go find some herbs for you my dear before we head back to camp." With that Oakleaf headed back out of the rock crevice. Nightclaw was waiting patiently for him to come out. "you can go back in now" Oakleaf meowed over his shoulder, as he padded towards the snow laden bushes on the other end of the clearing.

                Nightclaw watched him go then headed back in to his mate. They sat sharing tongues as they waited for Oakleafs return. Time passed and Oakleaf was no were in site. Nightclaws fur pricked at the thought of what was keeping the old tom.

                He couldn't wait any longer. "I'm going to find him, I'm sure he's just having trouble finding the herbs in this snow" he meowed. Larksong nodded, her eyes reflecting Nighclaws own concern for the medicine cat.

                Rubbing his muzzle against hers and casting one last loving glance at his kits and mate, Nightclaw padded out of the rocks and began to follow Oakleafs sent into the woods. He continued to push his way through the Bracken and snow covered plants. Oakleaf's sent lead him further in, near a larger clearing, and as he brushed past a bramble bush, Nightclaw caught another sent. It was even stronger than Oakleaf's and it made every hair on Nightclaws pelt raise in alarm.

                He could smell blood!