The stormy weather continued for the next moon, and eventually turned into blizzards as leaf-bare approached. It became harder to hunt in the snow, as many of the prey hid in trees or in burrows, sheltering from the frosty air.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of soft powder, which made paw prints when cats walked in it. The river had almost completely frozen over, and RiverClan cats had to hunt mice and birds instead.

Applekit watched as tiny snowflakes fell from the cloudy sky. One lands on his nose, and he sneezed, feeling it melt into water and run down his face. He reached up with a paw to wipe it.

The kits were now 2 moons old and were growing every day. Dapplekit was old enough to play too, now being over a moon old.

"Hey, Applekit! Do you want to play digging with us?" Applekit heard his brother call him, so he bounded over to where he was sitting with Curlkit. They had already dug out a small hole in the snow, but not deep enough to see the grass underneath.

"Sure, let's see if we can reach the grass!" Applekit began frantically scrabbling at the cold ground. It made his paws feel numb, and it wasn't a feeling he liked, but he wanted to play.

The other kits started digging too. Dapplekit had walked over to see what they were doing, and was now stood near them, her head cocked curiously.

"You can dig too, Dapplekit," Applekit mewed, looking up from the hole at her.

"Ok," Dapplekit stuck one paw into the hole, and immediately withdrew it, shivering. "It's cold!"

"You'll get used to it," Applekit touched his nose to the smaller kit's flank reassuringly.

Dapplekit looked at him, hesitating, but eventually padded back over to the hole and reluctantly started digging in it.

Applekit smiled at her and continued digging his part of the hole. It was getting deep now, and Applekit could see the tops of some long blades of grass just starting to poke through the snow.

"Guys, I can see some grass!" Applekit called.

Curlkit looked into the hole. "Oh yeah!" she exclaimed. "Now we know roughly how deep the snow is."

Duskkit felt the grass with his paw. "Those are the tallest grass stalks," he meowed. "There's loads more snow before we get the the ground."

"But that's a good thing, right?" Applekit looked over at Dapplekit, who had stood up and was circling around Duskkit to get to the grass in the hole. "That means there is more snow for us to play with!"

Applekit's ears flicked. "Yes, but that means it'll be hard to see where you're going, because everything is white, and it'll be hard to find prey in the deep snow."

Dapplekit licked her white chest, embarrassed. "I didn't think of that," she admitted.

Duskkit glared at Applekit, his green eyes like ice. "Way to spoil our fun, Applekit." He stalked away, his light ginger tail swishing.

Applekit stared after him. He didn't want to ruin the game. He just wanted what was best for the Clan. The Clan always comes first. Isn't that what Lilyfeather had told them?

The dark ginger tom sighed, and looked up at the sky. Why do I always have to ruin things, StarClan?

Suddenly, the snow started falling thicker and faster, landing on Applekit's fur like rain, soaking him to the skin. Was this his punishment? All he did was try and think of the Clan first, just as he was told to. Was StarClan punishing him for that?

"Applekit, don't just stand there!" Applekit looked up to see Icewing standing over him. The white warrior's thick fur was flattened against her skin from the wetness. "Hi to the nursery, quick!"

Applekit backed away. "Uh, yes, I was just going." He turned around and ran quickly towards the nursery.

Skidding inside, Applekit shook himself dry. Lilyfeather immediately sat up and began licking him vigorously.

"Applekit, what were you doing, standing outside and letting yourself get absolutely soaked? You could easily catch greencough out there!"

"I'm sorry, Lilyfeather." Applekit hung his head. "Where are the others?"

"Duskkit and Curlkit are in their nest, and Dapplekit is in hers," replied his mother. "And you should be in YOUR nest."

"Alright, alright." Applekit slowly walked over to his siblings, who flicked their ears in acknowledgement.

"Now settle down, kits. You might as well rest until this horrible storm stops." Lilyfeather lay next to her kits.

"Curlkit?!" Applekit jolted awake at the sound of Lilyfeather's voice. He sat up quickly, and looked at his sister in alarm.

She lay, motionlessly, breathing shallowly.

"Wha- Curlkit?" It was all Applekit could say.

"She has been coughing throughout the night," explained Goldenface, who lay with her newly born kits, Emberkit and Marigoldkit. They had been born just days before, as Goldenface had been late kitting.

"What do you mean, 'coughing'?" Duskkit, who had woken up a heartbeat after Applekit, growled as he nudged at Curlkit desperately.

Goldenface gazed sadly at Curlkit. "She has greencough," she meowed. "I can smell it."

"No, she can't have greencough!" Applekit yowled. "It's all my fault! I probably caught it yesterday and passed it on to her! She's going to die because of me!"

"Applekit, it's not you're fa--"

"Yes it is!" Applekit ignored Goldenface and fell to the ground, yowling loud enough to wake the entire camp.

Just then, the medicine cat, Specklewhisker, sped in, carrying a bundle of herbs in his mouth. "I heard that Curlkit has greencough," he meowed, "so I brought in some catmint and some poppy seeds."

He pushes his way to Curlkit and bent over her. "Yes, definitely greencough."

"Oh, please don't let her die!" Lilyfeather pleaded.

Specklewhisker stared at her gravely. "It might be too late for that, but I'll try my best."

He gently prised open Curlkit's mouth, and helped her swallow down the poppy seed and catmint, while Applekit watched. If he wasn't so distraught, he would've wanted to ask Specklewhisker about the herbs he was using, and what they did.

Curlkit finished eating the herbs, and her breathing seemed slower now. Her muscles relaxed and she seemed to go back to sleep.

"That's all I can do for her now. She had to rest for a few days, and you must give her plenty of water," Specklewhisker mewed quietly as he backed out if the nursery.

Lilyfeather nuzzled her daughter softly. "Please be safe, little one," Applekit heard her whisper.

Duskkit had already gone back to sleep, with one paw resting protectively on Curlkit's shoulder. Applekit lay on the other side of her and did the same, praying all the while that Curlkit would get better.

His prays were in vain. Curlkit was stiff and cold in the morning, and was silent.

The yowls of grief from Lilyfeather and her two remaining kits were loud enough to hear from every corner of the forest.