"She was hurt, both mentally and emotionally. But everyday, she walked with a smile. Because that was who she was and is: the she-cat who never stopped smiling." "I'm bleeding out, I'll bleed out for you...for you.." Moons after the strong warrior, Marigoldheart, has disappeared, her brother, Applemask, discovers she has died when she visits him in his dreams the night of the anniversary of her disappearance six moons ago. He struggles with this information, unsure what to do with it. He tells their living sister, Jadesong, and she becomes stressed as well. She had just announced that she was expecting kittens when Marigoldheart had gone missing. Grief-stricken, she lashes out at her mate and the father of her kits, Smallstep. He leaves her, and she blames herself. Applemask promises to be there for his littermate and her kits, but when Marigoldheart's secret children appear out of nowhere, what will Applemask do?