Meadowsong waited for the leader to announce who was going to the gathering. As she waited, her mind wandered back in time, and into a dark alley. She remembered living in a den of a sagging cardboard box. She remembered a litter of three kits, snuggled by her side. She remembered loving them with all her heart. She flexed her claws when she thought of the kittens' father. She had loved him, too. But he had left her after she told him she was expecting his kits. She had struggled to survive with only herself and her kits, so in desperation she had brought the kits to a gang of tough alley cats, hoping they would have pity on them. She flinched as she remembered her kits being killed by the vicious cats. She had been forced to stay with them, and she had many other kits with them, too. But the band of alley cats hated the kits, and just considered them more mouths to feed. Many of her kits died; only two survived. Then they grew up and left her. Meadowsong hung her head. With no other options, Meadowsong had ran into the forest and stumbled upon Flameclan. Flameclan was her family now. She loved Flameclan now, almost as fiercely as she had loved her kits. Now, Meadowsong stood up to find the deputy.