Disclaimer: If you don't know by now that I don't own this then pity for you. I'm not doing the disclaimer any more.

Ember's Shadow: In a way yes and in a way no. Mostly I do know where it is going but I have some wiggle room.

A/N: I have had this chapter ready for a while but was hoping to make it longer, but I need some feedback, please?

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Things change faster than the eye can blink. Big changes sometimes give a little warning, but only if you're watching. Sometimes knowing doesn't do you any good. Some things you can't prepare for.

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Day later...

Sari strode down the street her long stride eating up the space between her and her destination. She paused a minute outside the faded stall her hands on hips. A moment of doubt filled her mind until she pushed it out.

Squaring her shoulders she hoped she wasn't over reacting, or under reacting.

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Empty streets make empty pockets and empty pockets make empty stomachs. –The Fox

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Sari looked down at her hand with her little piece of meat that barely filled her palm. It was supposed to last her a whole day. She sighed her eyes scrunching with worry, and it was still better than yesterdays. The Fox income was shrinking and so was the food. The twenty members in the Foxes gang couldn't survive on rations that were so rapidly shrinking into oblivion.

Silently Sari stood up and left the circle of rock seats in the center of den. She made her way to the entrance closing her hand protectively around her food. Leaning against the wall just out of the blazing sun's reach Sari figured it was time again.

Dreams of bleached streets and black shadows haunted her memory to the point she could almost close her eyes and see vultures circling above. The sun wasn't helping calm her any, it had picked up intensity making water start to disappear and heatstroke so dangerous everyone stayed indoor during the afternoon,

Sari blinked her eyes and came back to the present with a strange little cool feeling on her bare foot. Glancing down Sari found herself looking into very green eyes. A cat had a small paw on her foot and was looking up at her with expectant eyes.

A little startled Sari crouched to look closer. The white cat took the opportunity to clamber up onto her lap. Seeing the puss up close Sari could see it had orange, brown and black all splattered all over marking it as a calico.

The kitten, or maybe a very young cat, was batting at her orange scarf on Sari's arm with enthusiasm unchecked. Sari couldn't quite resist she gave the playful cat a stroke along it's back and was rewarded by a soft little purr.

The cat had lost interest in her scarf and was now batting at the hand that wasn't petting it. Sari opened her hand and saw her food for the day, yipe; she snapped her hand shut again. So the little kitty had ulterior motives for being charming.

Looking at the kitten's tummy Sari could see the ribs, starving just like everything else in Chammar. Sari glanced back in the den, no one was watching. She had a soft spot when it came to cats

Maybe just this once, Sari opened her hand and let the little kitty attack the food. She sat there silently letting the cat eat until its pink tongue was washing the palm of her hand.

With one last lick the calico hopped off her lap and walked away. She enjoyed watching the hungry cat eat almost as much as she would have if she had eaten it herself. Sari wasn't that hungry anyway. She stood up and wrapped her headscarf tightly around her head. Hoping that she wouldn't be too sunburned Sari set off into the late afternoon sun.

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A/N: If I am screwing up or getting boring or something is stupid please tell me so that I can improve. I don't like the feeling that people may just be saying my story is good to be nice, while it really sucks.