DarkMoss stretched in her nest. It had been about half a moon since the battle with the three raccoons. Her wound was healing nicely as Blacktip had put it. It had a small infection a quarter moon ago, but a concoction of herbs had fixed it in a few days. Nearly every day, Silverpatch's belly seemed to get bigger. Sitting up, DarkMoss looking in Silverpatch's empty nest. She knew it was going to be a long time before she would see her friend in the warrior's den.

DarkMoss walked into the snowy clearing. Patch and Silverpatch where right outside the nursery, sharing tongues. She padded over to the medicine cat den. Blacktip came out right before DarkMoss had got there.
"Is everything okay, DarkMoss?" She asked, she sat down and wrapped her black tail around her paws.
"Yeah, I was just wondering if I could go on a light hunting patrol."
"I think you could. Just don't chase any squirrels into trees. I know you like to do that." Blacktip gave a slight laugh.
"I won't, thank you Blacktip." DarkMoss said as she padded away from the den, heading to the prey pile. Only a small mouse was left. She decided to leave it for another cat. I've done nothing to help the clan, not hunting or anything. I need to repay them. DarkMoss thought. She padded out of camp, the entrance had been fix a while ago.

DarkMoss ducked down into a crouch. She lightly placed her paw on the snow, trying not to let it crunch under her weight. A mouse was a fox-length away. It was eating some sort of seed. DarkMoss picked up her tail as she felt it touch the snow. She crept closer, the mouse completely unaware of a cat stalking it. She lightly wiggled her haunches, holding her breath she pushed her paws to the ground. She grabbed the mouse and broke it's neck. Quickly, she scratched up some earth and snow and buried the brown piece of prey. Snow was still falling, harder than before. The snow came quite high on her legs, twice as high as her paws.

***

"When did you leave the den?" DarkMoss turned around, Aquaspear was padding up with Brambletail behind her.
"A little bit after sunup. Have you caught anything yet?"
"A squirrel, that's about it." Brambletail explained.
"Let's hunt together." Aquaspear suggested. DarkMoss nodded and followed Brambletail. DarkMoss' breath became a cloud of white fog as she sniffed for any signs of prey.

"Rabbit!" DarkMoss whispered quietly.
"Where?" Brambletail asked. DarkMoss pointed under a small pine tree.
"How about this. DarkMoss will scare the rabbit to Brambletail and I. DarkMoss, you'll only have to catch it if it doubles back. Dose that sound good?" Aquaspear directed.
"That sounds good." Brambletail agreed with DarkMoss. Aquaspear crept up to a side and Brambletail did the same, only on the other side. DarkMoss came up between the two she-cats. With a nod from Aquaspear, DarkMoss dove under the small tree. Claws first she tried to catch it but missed. The rabbit bolted out from underneath the shrub, on Brambletail's side. DarkMoss backed out of the pine tree, looking for the rabbit. Brambletail head her head down doing something, her stance wide. Moments later she lifted her head, a white rabbit dangling from her jaws.
"Good catch! Wait, Aquaspear where is your apprentice?" DarkMoss questioned.
"Thanks!" Brambletail's mew was muffed.
"I let her sleep in today. She worked hard yesterday. When she gets up, If she should clean the elder's and queen's nests."
"Oh. I'm pretty sure the elders will enjoy the rabbit though." DarkMoss replied. Brambletail was digging a hole in the ground for the rabbit. She placed it in the hole and covered it back up.
"Let's head up to the twoleg bridge, hopefully there's some more prey there." Aquaspear suggested. Nodding in agreement, DarkMoss pranced behind Aquaspear, her tail held high.

"I hope none of Silverpatch's kits have the same personality as Patch." DarkMoss said after a moment.
"Why?" Brambletail inquired.
"Have you never been on a patrol with them two? They don't stop fighting!" Aquaspear answered for DarkMoss, who just nodded in agreement.
"Oh. Let's see if we can get something quick, I'm freezing!" Brambletail complained.

DarkMoss opened her mouth, smelling for any sign of prey. Aquaspear stoped and raised her tail, telling Brambletail and DarkMoss to stop. Ahead of her was a squirrel. With out thinking, DarkMoss hared after it. She got within a fox-length before it darted away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aquaspear and Brambletail chasing after her. The squirrel dove under a small gap between a fallen tree and the ground. DarkMoss leaped over the log, landing heavily. A faint pain shot through her shoulders. She pushed harder, but the squirrel ran up a tree.

"Good job, you've lost him!" Aquaspear joked. DarkMoss coughed for a few moments.
"I want to chase him up the tree but Blacktip told me not to."
"You know, what she doesn't know, won't hurt her." Aquaspear walked up to DarkMoss and stared into the tree.
"Yeah, it hurts me and I really don't want a scar from this, too." DarkMoss informed her.
"Let's head back, I'm freezing to death." Brambletail gave a slight shiver.
"Alright, Let's go find our prey." DarkMoss finished off, she ran back in the direction of her mouse.

The snow had changed again, from large flakes to a near sleet. It took a while to get to her mouse, even at a steady pace. Eventually she made it there after what seemed like half a moon. She opened her mouth and tried to find the pice of prey. The snow had covered any scents, so she had to look for the dirt still on top of the snow. It wasn't too hard to find after a moment. She dug up the mouse and grabbed it. It's brown body started to get cold.
Instead of waiting for Aquaspear and Brambletail, DarkMoss decided to meet them at camp. DarkMoss turned around and headed for camp.

Fresh scents of a cat caught DarkMoss' nose about half way to camp. She would've normally have left it alone, but the smells where odd. A strong scent of blood and Branchwalker? Maybe he had killed something, but it didn't smell like prey's blood, but another cat's.
"Branchwalker?" DarkMoss called out. She followed some tracks into a small clearing in between some bushes. DarkMoss' heart seemed to shatter again at the sight. Not because Branchwalker was dead, but because of his murder.