Fall’s father was never in the picture. He was long gone by the time she was born, and her mother Eve never said anything about him—though it wasn’t hard to tell that the kits weren’t born out of love.

Fall had a single littermate, Lake. Lake was born very small and had health complications from birth.

Having never wanted to be a mother, and suffering from postpartum depression, Eve spent much of her time lying in her nest, unwilling to stand up and leave to hunt. She didn’t make an effort to teach her children any necessary skills. Eve was not a cruel mother, but she was emotionally absent.

Lake died at three moons due to malnourishment. Shortly after, Eve left the den and never returned.

Fall struggled to make do on her own, scrounging scraps from the edge of twoleg place. It was there she met a cat her age named Juniper. He was smaller and more frightened than Fall. She managed to feign strength and bravado to comfort him, building up her own bravery for his sake. The two became close friends, and began fending for survival together.

The two were barely making ends meet when winter came. They tried to cross the frozen lake in search of somewhere safe and warm, but Juniper passed out from the cold. Unwilling to forge on without her friend, Fall curled up against him to try and give him some of her own warmth.