Prologue,
Ember woke with a start. The warmth of his mother soothed him from his wild dream. His dream involved his mother and the sound of Twolegs barking. Suppressing a shudder he pressed closer to his mother. "Get off, you're squishing me, Ember," a tiny squeak filled his ears from below. Jumping upward, his eyes widened as he saw his sister, Vole beneath him. "Where's mama?" Vole yawned and settled back down. An icy chill ran through Ember. Perhaps it wasn't a dream, maybe it was reality. Shaking his head wildly, he shook of the thought. She's just hunting, he reassured himself, but doubt prickled in his belly. Ember could no longer smell the scent of his mother, or feel her fur pressing against him. It was just Vole, and his brother Lake. Squeezing his eyes shut, Ember burrowed up against his siblings and suppressed a whimper. They were alone. Forever.