Wonderingwind rested beside the slender stream as the sun set between the tree's eating only half of his can of tuna. Stormthistle had chosen to go hunting instead of eating the canned foods he had stored in his backpack. So in the case she didn't find prey she could have the rest of his half.

The district eleven tom was so eager to show Stormthistle kindness that she had never gotten. Then maybe she'd understand why he didn't want to kill or bring harm to the other tributes. That warriors could bring good back to the world if they only tried.

In the distance Wonderingwind heard pawsteps on the leaves, he remained relaxed by the stream Stormthistle and him had found. If it wasn't Stormthistle he'd simply sit in his defenselessness and ask what the purpose of killing him was. Just to be thrown back into another game to fight to their death.

Stormthistle approached Wonderingwind basking in the sunset's warmth with no tension in his whole body. She set down the mouse that was hanging in her jaws in disappointment at the tom. She laid near the opposite side of the stream from Wonderingwind and began eating her mouse. The toms eyes remained closed as he breathed in with relaxation.

"What's with you tom? We're in an arena full of killers and you have showed no defensive tactics and acted like a a carefree kit?" Stormthistle blurted out.

"No killer started out as a killer. The capital has changed us into something we're not and I don't believe in conforming under their will." Wonderingwind answered with ease.

Stormthistle shook her head and turned around starting to finish her mouse. Halfway through she stared at the mouse's half eaten body. She tossed the rest back in front of Wonderingwind. He jumped a little and looked to her but she turned around facing the sun. She had noticed the can he left for her but didn't let in.

"I'll take first watch," she meowed.

Silverstorm padded beside Snowfrost with two squirrels in her jaw while Snowfrost carried a jaybird and mouse. They made their way across the sand back towards the Cornicopia as the sun began to set in the distance sparking pink and orange clouds into the sky.

Ahead she saw Badgerstrike and Owleye laid under the left side of the Cornicopia. She picked up her pace trotting ahead of Snowfrost until they made their way to Badgerstrike and Owleye.

"Thats all?" Owleye sneered as the two she cats dropped their prey in front of them.

"You can go out and hunt yourself if you're not satisfied." Badgerstrike snapped at the tom.

Silverstorm brought a mouse to Badgerstrike and dropped it in front of the tom. She then plopped down in front of Badgerstrike.

"Was your mom really Stonepelt?" She asked.

"Yes and I'm going to avenge her." Badgerstrike responded scooting away from Silverstorm.

She remembered the tom hadn't liked being close to other cats. She sighed and padded back to Snowfrost to share the other mouse.

Lilytoad curled up under one of the large lush green bushes as the sun set in the distance. Her belly full from two squirrels. She rolled over and watched the sky burst with colors until a sick feeling penetrated her stomach. In the sky pictures of the dead began to appear. Lilytoads idea of paradise began to fade and she closed her eyes and curled in on herself wishing she were home.

Biohazard and Sagebramble had trekked far into the forest and made their camp in the center of a large thorn bush. Sagebramble had pushed a can of food into Biohazards paw before curling up to sleep with no food for herself. Biohazard reached out and was about to thank the younger she-cat but let her sleep.

The sky suddenly begin to flicker with images of the cats who had passed that day. Biohazard sighed and looked to her paws and began washing herself. She suddenly thought it'd be best for her to gather some wet moss for Sagebramble when she woke her for the second watch. Besides she was thirsty herself and they hadn't encountered another cat since sunhigh.

Slowly Biohazard slipped under the thorn bushes and padded off towards the stream which had only been several foxlengths away.

Shadowfur had caught herself a squirrel and was biting off the fat when she saw the sky illuminate with the images of the cats who had passed that day. A sick feeling dropped in her stomach like a rock remembering how the last games were. The images of Ravenpaw and Shadestripe flashed in her mind. Dead.

The black she-cat could feel tears forming in her eyes, but she pushed them back. She had unfinished business to handle before she passed and the images of her dead friends could haunt her for the rest of her time in the Dark Forest.

Ripplenewt padded up behind Barbwire her missing tail stuck out like a sore paw. It was only a stub the size of an apprentices paw.

"Though you could use a little help for the first watch. You know since I originally volunteered to have first watch," Ripplenewt meowed behind the she-cat.

"Oh I didn't think you'd be able to handle first watch," Barbwire had sneered back at the tom without turning around to look at him.

Ripplenewt grinned at the challenge and began to wiggle his haunches behind. The tom quickly pounced on the she-cat disarming her of her machete with his hind paw and nailing her to the ground with his massive body weight.

"I'm sure I can handle it," Ripplenewt announced triumphantly.

Barbwire stared into Ripplenewts big brown eyes and perked her ears. She loved a challenge and since she was smaller it didn't mean she was defenseless. Barbwire had plenty of tricks up her sleeve. Quickly Barbwire kicked Ripplenewts kind paw out from under him and rolled away from Ripplenewt grabbing her machete and pointing it Ripplenewt.

"Aha!" The she-cat purred with satisfaction.

Suddenly the machete was chucked from her paw. Barbwire looked up in astonishment as Ripplenewt was spinning on of his throwing knives in a fan like way. She felt anger then interest towards the tom. Maybe she could get him to teach her that once she won the games she could use that technique in the next games.

"Barbwire! If you want to sit watch you can do it all night or take the second watch!" Hailscar yowled in frustration.

Barbwire picked up her machete that laid in the sand and put it back in its sheath. She took another look towards Ripplenewt who looked at her with admiration. Suddenly the she-cats cheeks grew warm as she padded back to the Cornicopia. No tom had ever stared at her that way, they had all either been too scared or calling her mutant because of her tail.

Starlingmask's hazel eyes gleamed in the dark of the night as he stared into the thorn bush. He had seen Biohazard pad out without the bag around her and he could just barely here Sagebrambles easy breathing. Now was his time. He had tracked them the whole way here and now remained waiting for a chance like this.

Slowly the tom slid his way out of his hiding spot, a holly bush, and crept towards the entrance into the thorn bush. Careful to not make a sound, Starlingmask even held his breath. Once inside he saw the two moss beds. One empty and the other cradling Sagebramble. After only a heartbeat of searching the tom spotted the huge bag. It was sitting right by the entrance. What dumb she-cats.

Quickly before Biohazard returned, Starlingmask slipped the bag over his shoulders and began to creep back out. Nearly there Starlingmask heard the crackle of a branch against the bag. He froze. A soft murmur came from behind making Starlingmasks heart skip a beat. Then Sagebrambles soft breathing could be heard again and Starlingmask slipped out of the thorn bushes entrance and raced into the night.

Suntail laid in the branches yawning as the photos of the cats who had died that day were featured in the sky. She hadn't caught her squirrel, but she wasn't in dire need of prey. She had heard a stream below and decided to jump down for a couple of heartbeats to take a couple drinks before rising back into the trees. Tomorrow she'd find a way to catch prey though.

Suddenly something crackled in the trees that made Suntail's gut squeeze. A familiar scent basked over her tongue. Then out of nowhere. CRACK!

Goldenscar leaped out at the gray tabby she-cat, surprising her but not shocking. Suntail immediately darted off through the trees. Goldenscar hissed. His massive weight always gave him away and slowed him down but he wasn't going to let the she-cat get away, he'd been tracking her all day. He followed her stone like pelt bouncing branch from branch getting higher then dipping down to the lower branches. She was fast and swift but only eight moons younger than him. Finally Goldenscar was bouncing from the branches directly above her when he leaped out landing flat on the young she-cat and the two began an angelic dance falling through the air, dodging every branch while Goldenscar tried to stay latched on to the she-cat.

CRASH!

The two hit the forest floor with a hard thump. Goldenscar on top of Suntail with his hind paw pressed on her cheek and his crossbow pulled ready to shoot.

"Just end it please!" Suntail cried out in defeat.

"No! I have much planned for you." Goldenscar chuckled devilishly.

Badgerstrike perked his ears when he heard the sound of pawsteps in the distance. He rose from his mouse and looked off into the distance to see Berrytuft carrying wood in his forepaws. The breeze hit Badgerstrike and he shivered, realizing how cold it was going to get. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Owleye bound up to Berrytuft. The fluffy brown tom took half of Berrytufts wood and both the toms headed back.

The two toms came up to the rest of the Dreaders dropping the firewood to the farthest left of the Cornicopia, two weapon tables away from where the Terrors were talking. Berrytuft leaned down to start a fire when the piece of wood Berrytuft was using to start the fire slid out from under him.

"Thank you!"

Snowfrost instantly pounced to Berrytufts side snarling. Hailscar along with his fellow Terrors stood in front of the wood. Ripplenewt was a few fox lengths away glaring. Hailscar's golden paw was enclosed around the wood he'd snatched from Berrytuft.

Owleye and Badgerstrike joined beside Berrytuft withe Silverstorm hissing from behind.

"I gathered that for my Dreaders," Berrytuft spoke with and edge to his voice.

"Our Cornicopia, our wood, our prey." Hailscar grinned devilishly.

"Didn't know the Terrors were more lazy than terrorizing," Owleye snapped.

Suddenly Ripplenewt crashed into Owleye. There was a flurry of brown and ginger fur rolling in the dirt.

"Owleye he spared your life!" Snowfrost hissed and leaped pushing Ripplenewt to the ground.

"Enough of this! Mousesnarl get our prey." Hailscar ordered.

Barbwire cut in front of Ripplenewt hissing at Snowfrost. Snowfrost glared but then turned to face Berrytuft.

"We caught that Berrytuft!" She cried out.

Berrytuft had dug his claws into the ground. Along the floor were cans of food the Terrors had already eaten. Snowfrost wished she could shake Berrytuft.

"It's theirs," Berrytuft grunted out through gritted teeth.

Hailscar chuckled and nodded his head to Owleye and Barbwire. Both cats grabbed the rest of the firewood and all four headed back to their side of camp.

Hailscar perched himself nearest to the fire tearing into the squirrel Mousesnarl laid in front of him.

"They'll be gone by tomorrow if they even make it through tonight," Hailscar announced to his group.

"Why can't we just kill them in their sleep and end it now," Barbwire suggested with irritation.

"Are you questioning me? If so you an go and live in the woods!" Hailscar rose to his paws standing on his hind paws taller than any of the other cats, axe in paw.

Barbwire just glared then looked into the growing fire. Far off behind her, Hailscar spotted Ripplenewt in the dark his brown eyes reflected off the moonlight defensively.

Hailscar shook his head and sat back down finishing his squirrel.

Mousesnarl shared the jay bird with Barbwire then licked her lips and curled close to the fire. She watched Hailscar with confidence. She was glad she'd chosen to be with Hailscar instead of Berrytuft. Berrytuft was too weak. Suddenly Hailscar's eyes met hers and Mousesnarl thought he was going to ask her something but he just rolled over and began to snore, Mousesnarl huffed. She wanted so badly to be his second in command. They all had a short time of living, but Mousesnarl wanted to be in charge just like Hailscar.

Owleye watched as Silverstorm scooted closer and closer to Badgerstrikes snoring body. The cold was so intense Owleye could see why she was trying to huddle for warmth. He then looked to Berrytuft who sat out in the open. Snowfrost had left immediately after the Terrors had taken their prey and Berrytuft sat up staring off into the forest where Snowfrost had vanished. If Owleye could get into Berrytufts mind he could try and get him to act tougher and stand up for the group. He began to step forward when suddenly a figure appeared from the forest line and Berrytuft rose to his paws and padded towards it. Owleye shrunk back and watched.

Berrytuft hadn't blamed Snowfrost for up and leaving, but she was a perfect voice of reason. He thought of small Silverstorm getting tackled and killed under Hailscars order and Hailscar didn't even know how valuable she was, but Berrytuft knew. He had found out listening to Badgerstrike and Silverstorm which gave Berrytuft more of a reason to stand down. Barbwire could kill her in less than a heartbeat and if Hailscar found out he'd catnap her and keep her for the Terrors. More of a reason Berrytuft should find a new camp sooner and take down Hailscar

After awhile Snowfrost appeared from the treelines. her white pelt gleamed in the dark of the night. Berrytuft rose from his resting spot. The cold of the night wrapped around his legs. He turned around to see the Terrors sleeping except for Ripplenewt who was turned away. Berrytuft made his way quickly to Snowfrost and quickly picked up a scent of mouse.

"Snowfrost what-"

"Eat Berrytuft, let me speak." Snowfrost ordered.

Berrytuft wanted to defy her but chose to let her speak and took a nibble from the mouse.

"You can't let Hailscar walk over you like that. He stole our prey and our fire wood. I understand you're reasoning I know about Silverstorm too, but if you let Hailscar walk over you he'll keep treating you like an defenseless elder." Silverstorm reasoned,

"As long as he thinks I'm an elder the longer he'll be fooled when I attack." Berrytuft snapped back at her.

Snowfrost stopped and seemed to be thinking for awhile on his plan and Berrytuft didn't blame her he hadn't explained this to any of his cats and he didn't plan on it. He wanted to test their loyalty, he wasn't going to keep around spies and backstabbers.

"Then we have to find a camp soon," Snowfrost muttered.

Berrytuft laid his tail over the she-cat's white shoulder.

"We will."