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| - I gasped. Hawktail was dead? I could not belive it. What had happened while I was gone? "What happened?" Gorserunner demanded. "How did he die?" Then I remembered, they were brothers. Nightbracken stared at him. "Hawktail was complaining of everything being to dark this morning. He said... He said he it was freezing. Then he said, later on, the coldness was becoming unbearable. That his heart felt like ice. Like he could hardly breathe." I then noticed Nightbracken was shaking, and his fur was fluffed up... Was he sick, too? I shook my head. Nah. But still, a cold feeling crept up my spine. Just then, commanding voice broke into the Clan's murmurs. "Calm down. I'm sure that this was a one-time thing. Hawktail will be missed, but we have more pressing matters," Poppystar said, her yellow eyes soft, but her expression hard. She turned to Nightbracken. "Fill me in later. You need some rest after caring for him all day." Nightbracken nodded, then padded away to his nest. Poppystar told Gorserunner to get some rest too, to relieve his grief. I trotted away to my nest, hoping to get some rest. Though my eyes were closed, my mind kept me awake. "What seems to be the problem here?" A smooth voice interrupted my thoughts. I glanced up. Silverrain? What was the deputy of RiverClan doing here? I saw Littlestream and Clouleaps' patrols. But hadn't Littlestream been sent to intercept Cloudleap? I heard quiet mews telling her something, as I looked up. "Ah. Thank you, Sleekfish. Can I talk to Poppystar?" Sleekfish nodded, and lead Silverrain to Poppystar's shallow nest. I wanted to spy, but I knew it was not my place. Soon, Poppystar padded up the Tallrock. "All cats fast enough to catch a rabbit, gather beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting." A little voice let out a sqeuak. "I can catch hares!" It was little Elmkit. His sister had died, so he was an only kit. His mother, Swanfeather, pampered him much more than my mother ever did. Poppystar opened her mouth up to speak, but Silverrain stepped up first. "As you know, Hawktail is dead. He complained of darkness and coldness. I don't know the cause of it, or if it is contagious. Any cat the has been near him today, step forwards." Only Shineflower and Creeksplash did, both of whom went on patrol with Hawktail this morning. "Okay. Meet me in the forked tunnels in you camp after this. I know Nightbracken has been near him, and I believe Nightbracken is sick, as well." Poppystar stepped forwards. "Silverrain will be staying with us until this sickness is all sorted out. Clan dismissed. Sleekfish moved to sort out patrols; he was acting as deputy while Nightbracken was sick. Silverrain lead Nightbracken, Shineflower, and Creeksplash over to the tunnels. I was glad she was staying with us for a while. I liked Silverrain. I decided to take a walk, to clear my mind. "Wait up!" Sunpaw called, as I was beginning to leave camp. "I- actually wanted some time to myself," I explained, genuinely sorry. "Okay. I understand. I'll hang with my other friends, if that's alright? I'll give you all day tommorow," she mewed. I saw little hurt in her eyes, and nodded. "Yeah. Cool," I said. Sunpaw smiled and trotted back to her friends. I padded though the grass, heading towards my favorite place. It was a circle of heather bushes, with a small stream from the ThunderClan border in it. Only Sunpaw and I knew about it. It was on our border with the rest of the world. I bounded ahead as I spotted my sanctuary. Then, I stopped dead. I saw a shadowed figure in the heather circle. I couldn't make out their fur color, or face, but... I recognized that slender tail... That wiry build... The regal shape of their face... "Dewshine?"
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