With a hiss, Patch clawed the small grey dog. Her short tail wiggling fast as a blur. She jerked her head away, only getting a light scratch. The dog's only response was that she pawed at Patch like she was trying to play with him. The red dog ran up to investigate what was going on, she quickly turned when she caught a different scent. She sniffed around again before putting her front paws on the tree that DarkMoss was on. She let out a slight growl then an ear splitting bark. Only then did DarkMoss realize that she was shaking. The black dog let out a lower bark in response. DarkMoss whipped her head around when she heard one of the dogs squeal. The grey one had a large, bleeding scratch across her muzzle. Patch bolted away from the dog, only to get chased by the red one, then shortly afterwards, the grey one. The black one had already crossed the creek and was heading away from the territory.

Without thinking, DarkMoss quickly climbed down the tree then chased after the dogs.
"DarkMoss! What are you doing?" Sootnose's call faded away as she pushed herself forward. Quickly, she caught up, some how passing the dogs and catching up with Patch.
"Go that way!" She called to the tom, glancing toward the side he was on. Almost immediately, he turned, DarkMoss turned the other way. One dog was behind her, the other following Patch. DarkMoss found a large oak tree and threw herself up it, only stoping when she was on the lowest branch, about three fox-lengths high. DarkMoss heard a two-leg's call for the dogs. The black one had already left, and the red one was heading past the territory. The grey dog paid no attention to her two-leg, only DarkMoss. Every once in a while she would let out a bark that hurt DarkMoss' ears.  After what seemed like moons, the grey dog left. DarkMoss climbed down the tree carefully, still watching for the dogs.

***

DarkMoss stretched in her nest. It had been a while since the dogs where on BirchClan territory. Sadly, two more clan mates had died: Crystalpelt and Pineclaw. Whoever the murder was is tearing the clan apart. Friends turned on friends, cats would attack who they thought was the murder. Most cats still thought it was DarkMoss, but it didn't bother her that much anymore, nearly every cat had someone who thought they was the murder, though, the rouges still had the most blame. With leaf-bare approaching fast, prey would become scarce. If cats where to scared to go out and hunt, the clan will starve.

DarkMoss walked out of the den, her pelt still ruffed. The morning patrols had already been assigned, and the left overs on the prey pile were gone. I'll do some hunting later on, she thought. A dead leaf fell in front of DarkMoss, most of them had already fallen, very few where still on the trees. DarkMoss laid down in a strong patch of sun light. Letting the sun warm her pelt.

"DarkMoss." She quickly lifted her head when she heard her name. Thistle looked down at her.
"Let me sleep." DarkMoss complained, closing her eyes.
"Do you want to go hunting?" Thistle asked.
"I guess." DarkMoss rolled over on her belly and stood up. Thistle lead the way out of camp.

"Rabbit!" DarkMoss called out. She chased the rabbit past the two-leg bridge, heading to great oak. Everything was in a brown or grey blur while she ran after the rabbit. Thistle, being more stocky, had a harder time catching up. DarkMoss kept getting within a fox-length of the rabbit, but just couldn't push herself the rest of the way. The rabbit dove under a small tree that had fallen. DarkMoss pushed hard with her back legs, sending her flying past the tree. As soon as she landed, she quickly scrunched up her body and lunged at the rabbit. She flew over the ground, coming within a whisker from the panicking brown critter. She flared out one of her front paws, snagging a chunk of the rabbit's soft fur. Nearly tripping over herself, DarkMoss reached for a killing bite, only to be met with the rabbit's claws. She held the rabbit down after she scrunched her face in pain. After a quick moment, DarkMoss opened her eyes and bit down on the rabbit. Warm liquid filled her mouth as the rabbit gave a final kick before going limp.

After a few moments she released her grip, looking back to find Thistle. He was padding up from the small fallen tree. After panting for a few moments, DarkMoss let out a heavy cough.
"Are you ok?" Thistle called out, picking up his pace.
"Yeah, I'm good." DarkMoss replied. Her face started to sting as she realized where the rabbit had scratched her. Blood ran next to her eye and down into her mouth.
"Let's head back to camp, we've caught enough." Thistle said when he was next to DarkMoss. With a nod, she grabbed the rabbit and headed up toward the corner of the territory next to the two-leg bridge.

DarkMoss sniffed around in the leaf litter for the buried prey, her mouth slightly open. She found the shrew Thistle had caught earlier, with a few swipes of her paw she uncovered the prey. Thistle looked around for the mouse DarkMoss had caught.
"Sunfish?" Thistle called out.
"What?" DarkMoss asked.
"Thistle!" DarkMoss looked at a cream colored tom with darker red-brown legs, muzzle, tail and along back. She trotted up near the two-leg bridge, where the tom was.
"I thought it was you, you've gotten so big." Thistle told the tom. "I hope you remember that I'm not going back." Thistle's tone was stern.
"That's not why I'm here, Nutmeg is expecting kits!" Sunfish surprised Thistle.
"Who's Nutmeg?" DarkMoss added in.
"She was my mate before I joined the clan. That's amazing Sunfish, tell her I said congratulations." Thistle informed DarkMoss.
"Aren't you coming with me? She wants to see you." Thistle glanced over at DarkMoss before answering.
"Maybe another time, the clan comes first." Thistle proudly told him, Sunfish looked confused, but nodded his head.
"Alright, she'll be due in about a moon. I'm glad I got to see you again Thistle, tell Fox I said 'hi'."
"Come by and visit some time, please?"
"Bye Sunfish." DarkMoss just nodded to Thistle's response. The cream and red tom said 'good bye' and turned around, padding out of view in the rouge's territory.