TW: Contains graphic depictions of violence

Blood-splattered paws stood near the corpse. The victim's eyes were glassy now, their fearful expression frozen on their face. An eerie smile crossed their murderer's face as they bare their bloodstained fangs, feeling a familiar sense of accomplishment as they raised their head to the sky and bathed in the moonlight. Despite their blood-covered paws, they pushed the white-furred cat into the rushing river, turning away and licking the blood off their teeth. 

Another life for their taking. 

————

Sunhawk crouched low to the snowy ground, her pale ginger ears flat to her head. As she tucked her dark ginger paws underneath her, she turned to watch the leader of the hunting patrol, Amberfang, who was pressed to the snow across the clearing, staring intently at the rabbit digging though the snow in an attempt to dig up any grass it could. 

Sunhawk stilled ger twitching tail as she stared patiently at Amberfang. At a soft rustling in the bushes to her left, Sunhawk yelped and sprang out of the way as a blur of white shot past her. 

As Amberfang shouted out something profane-sounding from across the clearing, the blur grabbed the rabbit and raced off, vanishing. 

Sunhawk lay there, on her back, staring at the sky with hazy eyes. 

"Again!" Snarled Amberfang, the fluffy ginger cat's white-tipped tail lashing in fury. "Lost prey, just like the last hunt. Whoever this crow-hearted piece of mouse-dung thinks they is, they are a menace."

Tundrastep padded out from the forest, her apprentice Lynxpaw scowling at her side. "I was excited for my first successful hunt!" He complained. "I'll never be a warrior now. Harepaw's going to rub it in my face when he comes back from his hunt with a fat bird or squirrel. He already teases me about my sister being a medicine cat." 

"Hush, Lynxpaw. Leafpaw is a good medicine cat apprentice, and Harepaw will be bitting his toes when he has to go to her for herbs." Tundrastep reprimanded him. 

Amberfang growled. "Lakestar won't be pleased about this." She grumbled. "Did anyone get a good look at them this time?" 

Scrambling to her paws, Sunhawk shook the snow off her fur and spoke up. "I think the cat was a tom, and they were completely white. Rather fluffy too, but that doesn't narrow it down much."

"Well, it's a good observation." Amberfang sighed. "The gathering is tonight. I'll remind Lakestar to ask the other leaders about it again." 

"Okay." Sunhawk twitched her tail before falling in step with her sister, Tundrastep, as Lynxpaw ran ahead and Amberfang lagged behind. 

As they walked, the white and gray warrior glanced over at Sunhawk, frowning and lowering her voice. "I can hardly believe this is still happening." She whispered. "It's worrisome." 

Sunhawk shrugged. "Well, many worrisome things have happened lately." She murmured back. "Like that poor apprentice from Frozenclan. Flurrypaw was his name I think? How he vanished and then they found his body in the river south of the Mountainclan border? They reported it at the last gathering." 

"His throat was ripped out, I remember." Tundrastep nodded. "I felt so bad for his poor mother. Bladeburrow looked so upset."

"She did." Sunhawk agreed as a chill went up her spine. She stopped and looked back, sensing eyes on her. When she saw no one, she sighed and hurried back to camp. 

As she ducked past the bramble entrance, she spotted Lakestar conducting a clan meeting and slid over to sit beside her littermate. 

"I'll be choosing cats for the gathering soon." Lakestar announced. "But until then, preparations for leaf-bare storms should begin very soon, as we don't know when the first blizzard of the season will occur." She glanced up at the darkening sky. "Clan dismissed." 

Sunhawk sighed and got to her paws and was about to pad over to the warrior's den when Lakestar approached her. "Sunhawk. I'd like you to come to the gathering tonight." 

Sunhawk smiled faintly. "Of course, Lakestar." She said, spotting a familiar golden-brown and white tom heading her way. 

Lakestar nodded. "Good." Turning away, the leader greeted the tom coming over and then hurrying off. 

"Hey, Sunhawk." Owlpounce purred. 

Sunhawk smiled at him, batting at one of his forepaws with her own. "Hey Owlpounce." She murmured. "I suppose your mother is bringing you to the gathering?" 

"Me and Riverpaw." He said proudly. "She was so excited. Because she had whitecough last moon and wasn't invited the time before that, this is her first time meeting cats from other clans other than border patrols and that one time a Tundraclan patrol came here to discuss something with Lakestar and Firerain."

"Wonderful. Is Harepaw going?" Sunhawk glanced over at the four apprentices, who were talking outside their den. 

"Harepaw has to say here due to his punishment for eating on the last hunt." Violetclaw put in from her spot not far away. "It was only a matter of time before I caught him." 

Sunhawk laughed softly. "Oh, wonderful." She said drily. "No wonder the fresh-kill pile has been dwindling more, even though the prey-thief has taken so much." 

"Fair." Violetclaw sighed. "Well, I wish you two both the best at the gathering tonight." 

"You aren't going?" Owlpounce blinked. "You've been to every gathering since you were an apprentice."

"No, I chose to stay." Violetclaw shrugged. "I needed a break. Besides, after the last gathering when Redstar announced Meadowheart's death and Echospots' move to the nursery, I have no reason to go for a while. I'd rather stay here for a few moons and help out in fortifying the dens." 

"I see." Sunhawk murmured. "Well, have a good rest today, if you catch a break between tasks. Today will be a busy one." 

"Indeed." Violetclaw stood up, stretching, and hurried off to where Amberfang was sorting out groups to shore up the dens.

Owlpounce sat beside the white-and-ginger warrior. "So. I take it the hunt went badly?" 

Sunhawk sighed. "Yes, annoyingly." She grumbled. 

Owlpounce wrapped his tail around her. "It's okay." He said, licking one of her ears. "I'm sure the next one will go fine." 

The warrior next to him shook her head. "No." She murmured. "I doubt it will." 

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sunny." Owlpounce purred. "It will be fine." 

Sunhawk scowled. "That name makes me sound like a kittypet." She said irritably. 

Owlpounce rolled his eyes. "It's sweet." He argued back. "And you call me Owl, it's only fair I call you Sunny." 

"'Sunny' is a nickname. 'Owl' is just a shorter version of your name." Sunhawk shot back. 

"What's the difference?" Grumbled Owlpounce.

Sunhawk sighed and chuckled. "Oh, whatever." She stretched. "I should probably go tell Lakestar we're ready. It's getting late." She turned and hurried to where the others were. She could see Riverpaw, Lynxpaw and Leafpaw hopping up and down happily as they raced after their mentors. Sunhawk fell in step with her sister. 

"Hopefully there's less bad news tonight." The gray-and-white warrior said to her softly. "I don't think the clan needs more poor news." 

"Indeed." Sunhawk twitched her orange-tipped ear. "After everything that has happened during today, some good news would be lovely." 

Tundrastep shuddered. "I agree." She said. "Lynxpaw, watch out for the-"

The sisters watched as Lynxpaw yowled in panic, slipping on the ice before sliding across a small pond on his belly. Sunhawk sighed, shaking her head slightly as the poor apprentice tried several times to get upright, only to fail in doing so again and again.

As the patrol slowly approached the edge of the territory, near the Mountainclan border, Sunhawk spotted a Mountainclan patrol just barely ahead of them. Standing higher on her toes, she searched the patrol for her friends. Not spotting their familiar pelts, she sighed and hurried over to Lakestar. 

The pale gray leader spotted her and made some space beside her as they went. "Something bothering you?" She asked. 

Sunhawk shook her head. "No, not really." She said. "I just prefer walking with you. I get to see if I know anyone when I get to the gathering." 

Lakestar chuckled. "That is true." She said thoughtfully, before nodding. "Owlpounce made a good choice when he chose you as his mate." 

Flustered, Sunhawk looked at her ginger paws. "I'm lucky he did." She said with a smile. "I was surprised." 

Lakestar's tail twitched. "I think that there are a few new warriors tonight." She said, eyes narrowing slightly in concentration. "Run ahead and get our clan a spot." 

Sunhawk grinned. "Okay!" She chirped, her green eyes lighting up as she sprinted ahead. As she bolted across the slowly-frosting ground, she spotted a pair of familiar cats, at last. 

Racing over, she bumped her shoulder with her black-furred friend. "Hey Stormpuddle!" She greeted. 

The she-cat yelped. "Oh goodness!" She staggered into her clanmate. 

Grasspool steadies her gently. "Careful." He warned, before greeting Sunhawk. "It's good to see you." 

The Snowclan cat purred softly. "Sorry I startled you." She apologized. "It is good to see you both, yes." 

Stormpuddle sighed. "Oh, don't worry." She shook herself off as they walked. 

As Sunhawk followed her two friends, she thought she got a glimpse of bright red ahead of her. Shaking the feeling, she hurried ahead with a quick 'see you later!' to Stormpuddle and Grasspool, and pushed her way into the clearing. Springing over to where her clan would normally sit, she scanned the area for people she knew. Seeing the approaching group of Tundraclan warriors, she got to her paws and hurried over.