Cricketwing woke up, shaking the moss out of his dark-colored pelt. He blinked his bright yellow eyes a few times, then looked down to see his sister sleeping fitfully, most likely dreaming about when their mother had died from the badger attack so long ago. Cricketwing knew that waking a dreaming cat usually wasn't a good idea, he poked his sister anyway. "Desertstorm!" He whispered. "Get up!"
Desertstorm sat down, watching the clan life around her. None of the cats noticed her because she wasn't really there. Sitting next to her, but not seeing her, was her mother, Whitefeather. Beside Whitefeather were three kits that Desertstorm recognized easily. It was her and her two brothers, Cricketkit and Stonekit.
Desertstorm sighed as she looked at the happy family, chattering away to each other. It was odd seeing herself talk, for she herself hadn't done so in many seasons. Suddenly, there was a large rustle near the camp entrance, and a ginger-colored warrior covered in blood emerged. "Badger!" He yowled before collapsing, dead. Her mother shot forward. "Sunpelt!" She cried, staring at the lifeless tom. "No!" She wailed. It was then that Desertkit had realized that Whitefeather must have been in love with Sunpelt.
Stonekit, the strongest of the three nearly-apprenticed kits, ran over to his mother to comfort her, but was interrupted by the largest badger that Desertkit had ever laid eyes on. It burst into the camp, grabbing Stonekit in its powerful jaws and throwing him across the clearing. "Stonekit! NO!" Cricketkit screamed. After the young grey kit was out of its way, the badger lunged toward the grieving Whitefeather.
But before the beast could crush Whitefeather's skull in its large jaws, Desertstorm was prodded awake by her older brother. "Let's go, Desertstorm! We have things to do!" Her brother meowed in annoyance, stalking out of the warrior's den. Rolling her blue eyes, Desertstorm heaved herself to her paws, following.
