Sky eventually found herself at the edge of her territory. She sighed. She had already explored every area of the territory, and the was still no trace of Hawk. Cats don't just vanish. She had to go somewhere. She's still around here somewhere. She has to be here somewhere... Sky was starting to get really confused by her friend's disappearance. It seemed very unnatural. Hawk had been there, laying next to Sky, and then she wasn't. There wasn't even any scent to follow. Great Spirits... Sky thought in desperation. She didn't understand what was happening. She hated feeling like that.

With a deep breath, Sky walked onto unknown land. She looked up. There wasn't much time until the sun started to set, and Angeni wanted to ensure her warriors' safety. I could be back by moonrise. Angeni doesn't have to worry. Despite the thought, Sky felt that her leader had every reason to worry. She didn't bother to go over the list of curses in her head again. She padded down a grassy hill, wondering if she was leaving the mountains. No cat had dared to venture far outside the territories before. However, Sky believed she would do anything for Hawk. Although she didn't know where she was, Sky still believed in herself, and she believed she would find Hawk.

The smell of another cat's sudden appearance sent a feeling like sharp claws through Sky. She hadn't thought about what she would do if she encountered a stranger. She crept over the grass to the bottom of the hill, where there were some clusters of bushes she could take cover in. Sky quickly glanced around and ran toward the nearest bush, hiding inside it. She heard a distant rustling. The other cat must be emerging from another bush in the large field. Sky felt the cat coming closer to her bush. She knew she could fight if she had to, but she wanted to avoid it if possible...

"Sky? What are you doing out here?" Sky heard a voice say behind her. She jumped, making the bush rustle loudly. Struggling, she pulled herself out of the branches and turned to face the cat. It was a she-cat, and she looked rather familiar. The gray patches on her pelt stood out against the brown. Sky looked at her face. There was a large scar above the she-cat's bright blue eyes. Sky realized where this cat was from and wondered why she didn't remember. "Storm!" Sky said after stopping to think. She could recall everything that had happened now, distracted from Hawk. This was the loner from the Tribe of Striking Rivers who had joined the Tribe of Burning Clouds. "Why are you this far out of the territory?" Storm questioned again. Sky shook herself. "Hawk...we don't know where she is. She sort of disappeared," she said, trying not to put Storm in a hostile mood. Storm scoffed. "Maybe she ran away. Maybe she wanted to go chat with the Spirits about her dead Tribe," she said with a tone of anger. "She wouldn't do that," Sky growled, turning away. "She's still helping to improve the Tribe."

Sky started to move across the field, trying to push away the thoughts of Storm. "What hope do you have that you'll find her?" Storm called after Sky, making her stiffen. Turning around, she said angrily, "Hawk is hope! I will find her, no matter what it takes!" Sky started to walk away again, even faster now. She believed what she had said, and what Timber had said. Sky wondered again if Timber knew anything about Hawk's life. She sighed, leaving the field behind and padding across stone again. The sun was starting to set, and Sky was still very far away from camp. She sighed again, weary.

Mixed feelings battled inside Sky, making her even more tired. She hated how emotion could burn someone from the inside. Not too long ago, she had felt free and happy. Now, she was more troubled than ever. Sky longed to just lay down and rest where she was. She didn't want to feel anything at all at that moment. Her paws started to tremble with exhaustion. I can't fall asleep out here...Angeni warned me not to...I have to get back...I shouldn't have gone this far... Sky thought, yawning. She walked as fast as she could in the direction of the camp, hoping the cool air would give her a rush of energy. She stumbled over a loose rock and fell, panting. Sky closed her eyes, feeling sleep drag her into darkness. I can't...fall asleep... she thought, forcing herself to get back up. If she fell asleep, she could end up like Hawk, waking up somewhere else with no sign of her left. "Hope. Hope. Hope," Sky repeated to herself as she struggled to get home.

Sky let out a small sigh of relief when she saw land she recognized. It was past moonrise, and Sky started to worry about Angeni. What felt like seasons later, Sky staggered through the camp entrance. Angeni was there waiting for her, her eyes wide with anxiety. Sky saw her as a faint golden blur. She was so exhausted she believed she was about to faint. "Are you alright?" she heard through the ringing in her ears. "Went too far...exhausted...sorry..." Sky managed to choke out. Angeni placed her tail across Sky's shoulders, steadying her. Angeni guided Sky to the den, pausing when she stumbled and fell again. She forced herself to get back up again. Hope...almost there... Sky finally let herself collapse into a nest, still panting. She felt a strong cat lay down next to her just before she allowed sleep to take over her.