The early morning light peeked in through cracks in the den roof. The birds were singing and the leaves were rustling. Cedarfur opened his eyes and yawned. His mate, Leafstorm, sat up and stretched next to him. " Want to go and hunt?", he asked her quietly, being careful not to wake up any other cats. " Definitely. It''ll be good to get out of camp." Leafstorm had been in the nursery for the past six moons taking care of their three kits, Thornkit, Rainkit, and Sparrowkit. Now that she was out of the nursery, she was spending as much time as she could out of camp. "I'll go tell Waspclaw", Cedarfur meowed softly to her. Waspclaw was the new deputy. Firestar had made him deputy 2 moons ago and he was doing a fine job at it. Cedarfur carefully weaved around his sleeping denmates and slipped out of the small opening. The ground had a thin layer of snow on it and it was glistening with a soft sparkling light. He spotted Waspclaw padding out from the dirtplace tunnel. " Good morning Waspclaw", Cedarfur called out to him. " Oh, hello Cedarfur. Going out for a morning hunt?", he asked cheerfully. " Yes, with Leafstorm, if thats alright." Cedarfur replied. " Oh yes, perfectly fine! Make sure you bring some prey back though.", Waspclaw reminded. " Of course", Cedafur meowed. He went back to the den where Leafstorm was washing herself. " Ready when you are", he said. She got up and stretched and padded out of the den. They walked toward the camp entrance and walked through the gorse tunnel. They bounded up the steep ravine rocks and into the snow coated forest. " Let's see if there's anything by Snakerocks. Nobody has been there in over a moon.", Leafstorm suggested. Cedarfur nodded and they both headed in the direction of snake rocks.

When they reached the clearing, Cedarfur instinctively crouched down and tasted the air. This was a dangerous place. Adders lived in the cracks between the rocks and foxes sometimes inhabited the caves under the jagged rocks. Dogs had once lived here, lured by Tigerstar.

" I guess we can just search around the rocks", Leafstorm murmured softly. " Yes, but be careful", Cedarfur mewed. " I'll be fine, don't worry", she reassured him. Cedarfur rubbed his muzzle over her flank and then circled around the rocks, his mouth open, hoping to catch the scent of prey. He wrinkled his nose as he smelled a strange scent. It was the scent of a cat. But not a cat who was from a clan.

"Leafstorm, come here. Quietly. please." Cedarfur called out softly. A few heartbeats later, he saw Leafstorm rounding the corner of the largest rock with a mouse in her jaws. She trotted toward him and dropped the mouse at his paws. "What is it?", she mewed softly. " Smell.", Cedarfur whispered. Leaf storm opened her mouth a crack to take in the scent. Her eyes widened and she looked at Cedarfur. " Do you think there is a cat living in there?", she meowed quietly. " Its very possible. No cat has been over hear for more than a moon. Let's investigate". Cedarfur crept slowly over to the entrance of the cave. " Wait, Cedarfur, I don't think you should go in there. We don't know what or who is in there.", Leafstorm meowed urgently. " Its fine! If its a lost kittypet, we can easily fight it off!" Cedarfur told her. " Alright, but be careful." Leaf storm murmured. Cedarfur crept slowly into the cave. He thought something smelled odd, like a Twoleg thing. He moved a little closer and suddenly, with a large snap, something grabbed onto his paw. Searing pain shot up is left foreleg. He let out an earsplitting yowl and Leafstorm came running in. " I'll fetch Firestar!", she meowed and rushed out of the cave.

Leafstorm raced through the lush green undergrowth, panting. I knew he shouldn't have gone in there, I knew it. I should have stopped him. She slowed as she reached the ravine and bounded down the rocks and shot through the gorse tunnel. " Firestar! Waspclaw! Come quick! Cedarfur has been caught in a Twoleg trap!" Cats came rushing through the clearing. Voices called out " How" and "Where is he?" Firestar padded out from his den and came up to Leafstorm. " What has happened?", he asked calmly. She said what happened as quickly as she could. " Please, Firestar, we have to get him out!", she mewed urgently. " Alright." Firestar meowed. "Stonepelt, Foxfoot, and Blueleap! Come on, we have a classmate to rescue!" Leafstorm lead them out of camp and rushed up the ravine.

* * *

Cedarfur tried to remain calm. His heart was racing faster than it ever had before. Leafstorm will be back soon, and they will get me out. I know they will. He tried to clam himself. Suddenly, he heard the sound of heavy steps. Much to big for a cat. A fox?He listened more. No, it was much to big for a fox. Fear began to engulf him even more as a Twoleg face poked into the cave. Cedarfur backed up and hissed. The Twoleg stretched out his hand and spoke in a soft, quiet voice. Cedarfur flashed out his paw and stretched the pink hand. Surprisingly, the Twoleg didn't react. He pulled something out of his "fur" and walked slowly over to him. Cedarfur backed away, shaking. The Twoleg reached down and pried apart the two shiny teeth that were grabbing his paw. Then he quickly grabbed Cedarfur's scruff and stuffed him into the thing he was holding in his paws. Cedarfur struggled to scratch a hole in his captor's bag thing. He finally managed to make a hole big enough for his head to fit through. Then he heard yowling of his clanmates. The last thing he saw before the Twoleg dropped his bag into the belly of a monster, was Leafstorm's terrified face as she slowed to a stop and crumpled to the ground in shock.