Silverpaw woke up as the first fingers of dawn penetrated the den's walls. Finally, dawn has arrived. She thought. The night had been cold, wind penetrated the thick bramble walls of the den, chilling her to the bone, reminding her that the harshness of leafbare was on its way. She stretched the sleep out of her wings and saw a small huddle of warriors. She padded forward and saw her mentor.
''Ravenstalk? What is going on?'' She asked.
''Oh, we are just going to retrieve Whitefoots body...'' her voice trailed off.
''Can I come. I ... I would like to help.'' Silverpaw quietly mewed.
''Yes, yes. Now come. We must get going.'' Said the black She-Cat.
At the front of the group Duskstar supported Snowbird as she led the way. The cat was trembling, but she led the party through the forest, the sun had rose and the scuffling of prey had started. Silverpaw looked around, now that the sun had risen, the shadow had disappeared, but it's damage would last for moons to come. At last, she led them to a clearing in which there was a stream, and from that stream, was a trail of blood. Duskstar signaled for the others to stay back as he investigated. The blood had led him to a bush. He looked at it and found a small gap at the bottom. He noses inside and called out to the group.
''I... I have found him...''
The cats rushed over and Silverpaw could not suppress a gasp of horror. There he was. A deep, large bite-mark on his throat and on his neck. His neck fur was matted and in clumps, one of his legs was missing and another broken. His tail was barely holding onto his body, and scratches ran down his body. His spine was broken. His amber eyes were full with fear, that creature would be the last thing he would have ever seen. Silverpaw sat in shock. None of the other cats were this destroyed. Ravenstalk wailed and pressed her nose into his fur. The other cats pressed their noses into his fur as well. Then she did the same. They all carried the body back, and layed it gently in the middle of camp. One by one, cats came out and said their last words to him. Silverpaw's stomach growled, but she couldn't bring herself to eat. Instead, she padded over to the den and layed in her nest. Frostpaw came over to her and started to groom her.
''Silverpaw, if you want to come, my mentor said you could come train. Since Ravenstalk is mourning her brother.''
Silverpaw only nodded and padded out of camp to the hollow, where Frostpaw's mentor, Specklemask, was waiting. The tom paced around the hollow in a very stiff-legged way.
''Today, we are going to do some hunting. But since we can't go to far, you will be tracking me.''
Silverpaw paw looked shocked, while Frostpaw looked normal. Was this something they did often?
After the tom had walked some way away, Frostpaw piped up in the silence.
''I have a plan. First off, I track him. bUt stay upwind so you can scent me. Then, I will chase him towards you. Then, jump onto him. Now lets go.''
Silverpaw mewed ok and tracked him, coming to a space without any undergrowth. Making sure she was upwind, she poised to strike when the time came. After what seemed like an eternity, the bushes next to her began to quiver. Suddenly, a spotted shape raced out. Silverpaw lept onto him and he collapsed with the sudden weight.
''Well...Well done you two!'' He half heartedly purred since he was panting. ''Now, go bring two pieces of prey back to camp each before sunset.'' He mewed before racing oiff back to camp.
When sunset came, the two siblings arrived back to camp. Silverpaw had caught a mouse and rabbit, and Frostpaw caught a vole, crow, and squirrel. they dropped their prey on the pile and then took their pick. The sun's grip on the world started to falter as the moon started to rise. Silverpaw flopped onto her nest and slept, completely forgettting the mornings affairs.