Chapter 8

The Clan was starving. It had been a moon and still, Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw hadn't returned. And now Leafpaw, Cloudtail and Brightheart had disappeared. According to Sorrelpaw, who had become the warrior Sorreltail, the Twolegs nabbed her.

She saw Cinderpelt come to the new camp at Sunning Rocks. The Clan was hungry because of the Twolegs and their stupid monsters. They had caused all the prey to be poisoned or else they had run out of the forest.

Behind Cinderpelt Darkpaw saw… Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw! Everyone glared at the two muscular and well fed cats. Darkpaw, Sandstorm and Goldenflower were the only smiling faces. Goldenflower ran to Brambleclaw and Darkpaw ran to Squirrelpaw.

"I know you knew." Squirrelpaw glared at her. "Did you tell anyone?"

"No, how did you know?" Darkpaw asked.

"Leafpaw and I have a special connection because we are actually sisters." Squirrelpaw explained. "Where is Leafpaw any way?"

Darkpaw didn't know what to say until she heard Firestar come in.

Squirrelpaw quickly turned her attention to her father. "Firestar!" she called.

Firestar ran over to Squirrelpaw happily and Darkpaw knew he was happy to have his daughter back. She knew he wouldn't have greeted her that way.

She went outside ready to go hunting – with or without the Twoleg monsters attacking around her.

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Darkpaw slowly and quietly followed a vole. She didn't notice the Twoleg monster behind her.

"Darkpaw watch out!" Darkpaw heard someone call. She turned to see the river and her favourite cat behind it. He swam through the river quickly and pushed Darkpaw out of the way of the Twoleg monster. As the monster drove by Darkpaw stared wide-eyed at the path the monster had just made that she had been on a heartbeat before.

Darkpaw stared at Hawkfrost. "I have to go," Hawkfrost said as he headed back to the RiverClan boarder.

Darkpaw shook off the thought and grabbed her vole and headed back to camp.

---

Darkpaw headed straight back to the nursery. "Ferncloud!" Darkpaw called, heading to the nursery.

Ferncloud looked at her ready to hiss until she saw the plump vole in her mouth.

This hunger is getting really bad. Cats aren't even mad at me anymore – now any cat that can help them is like their best friend.

Ferncloud snatched the vole and split it three ways.

She took a small bite out of her piece and mewed, "Take this to Frostfur and Speckletail." She sighed, staring hungrily at the rest of the vole.

"You take it you need to feed the kits; I'll go find something else for the elders." Darkpaw sighed as she headed out again.

---

Darkpaw headed out to the river, hopping to catch a water vole. She saw Hawkfrost – again.

"Waiting to save me again?" Darkpaw mewed.

Hawkfrost wasn't paying attention to her; instead he was staring at the river. Darkpaw saw a silver fish swim by. Hawkfrost lifted his paw and splashed it into the water, catching the fish with his claws.

With the fish in his mouth he swam over to her and dropped the fish at her paws. Darkpaw hadn't realized how big it was.

"Make sure you get a bite out of that. Maybe you will get some muscles under that fur." Hawkfrost meowed as he swam back across the river.

As Darkpaw headed back to the camp rumors about Hawkfrost swam in her head. He was very ambitious, just like one cat she didn't want to think of. Did Hawkfrost look like…? Tigerstar?

She shook away the thought and headed back to camp.

She dropped it in the elders den and padded away.

"Darkpaw?" Longtail asked.

"Yes?" Darkpaw mewed.

"Take some of this there's too much for the three of us." Speckletail mewed.

"No, go ahead; I gave Ferncloud a whole vole." Darkpaw said as she got ready to go hunting again.

"Take some for yourself," Frostfur mewed.

"No, it's okay, really!" Darkpaw mewed.

"You've said that for the past few days." Longtail meowed.

Darkpaw felt her stomach rumble. They were right she hadn't eaten for half a moon; her stomach only had water from the stream in it.

Darkpaw tentatively took a bite. Frostfur and Speckletail looked at her with upset looks on their faces. Darkpaw knew what it was; they had both been mothers to many litters of kits. They probably didn't want another cat to die because she wanted them to live.

But Darkpaw was scared, and it wasn't because she hadn't eaten for so long. She suddenly thought if all these cats were being nice to her when they use to hate her then this hunger was definitely going to kill them.