Chapter 1
Firestar tasted the air. Mouse! In the corner of his eye he saw the mouse scuffling among the leaves. He quickly dropped into the hunter's crouch and crept up to it. It heard him, but it was too late. Firestar was already in the air. He killed it fast before it could squeal. He purred with satisfaction. Firestar was enjoying this hunt so far. He, Sandstorm, and Cloudtail had been hunting since dawn. Suddenly, a new scent interrupted his thoughts. "Fox! I should warn Sandstorm and Cloudtail!" Firestar thought. He raced through the forest, but everywhere he went he scented fox. "Why can't I get rid of this scent?" he thought. Suddenly, a weight crashed into him. "The fox!" he thought. He was wrong though. It was actually Brambleclaw. "Brambleclaw! What are you doing here?" Firestar said. "I was on a hunting patrol with Dustpelt and Ashfur when I scented fox. I thought I should get you," Brambleclaw said. "Where did you scent the fox?" Firestar asked. "Near Fourtrees," he said. "I scented one too! Near Tallpines," said Firestar. "We should find Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Dustpelt and Ashfur and get back to the camp!" And together they raced through the forest.
"The sun is going down. It's getting dark. And we can't even pick up a scent trail. Where are they?" Firestar had a feeling that his question would not soon be answered. Then he picked up a scent. "Ashfur," he thought. "Finally!" But when he found Ashfur he was not relieved. He found him lying on the forest floor barely breathing. "Ashfur!" he said. "Brambleclaw, let's get him back to camp." Before they could go, Firestar scented fox again much closer than it was before. "Oh no!" Firestar thought. "Brambleclaw! Get him back to camp, I'll hold the fox!" Firestar ordered. "Okay," Brambleclaw said. Brambleclaw spun around and raced through the forest. "So much for hunting," Firestar thought bitterly.
Firestar braced for battle. "Where is that fox?
I smell it, but where is it?" Firestar thought. Then, suddenly, the fox scent disappeared. "What?" Firestar thought. "Wait a minute, how could there be so many fox scents? Oh no! I have to find the other cats!" He hoped what he thought wasn't true. He scented Dustpelt's faint trail and he raced off in the direction it led.