“Mommy! I’m hungry!” Tigerkit wailed, his voice echoing into the empty, frost covered clearing as he nudged his mother’s soft belly with his nose, his small paws stamping the ground as he threw a small tantrum.

Silentstar watched with tired, dull golden eyes from Tallrock as Lilyfang licked her son between the ears and then on the nose.
“I know, my love, but we have to wait for the hunting patrol to return...”

Three sunrises had passed since they moved the Elders into the nursery. The nursery was protected, warm, and cozy now,  but it also turns out that Rosethroat had come down with serious bount greencough. All of Frozensight’s catmint had wilted and had little to no effect on the WindClan warrior.
Rosethroat’s nose and eyes were streaming with pus and she could hardly open her eyes. Birchback had been lagging on his deputy duties, depressed by the knowledge his mate might pass away, and well he was just a normal warrior and Clayfur had taken his place.

Silentstar watched the clearing, a soft breeze whirled throughout camp and even though she was trembling, her ears and nose stinging because of the wind, she still sat outside. Looking at the sky for a glimmer of stars, but the sky was cloudy and empty looking. Silentstar suddenly felt very distant from her ancestors, leaving a sinking feeling deep in her belly.

The gathering was tonight but she wasn’t sure WindClan would attend. They were all skinnier than twigs, all starving. Some of the warriors could barely haul themselves out of their nests to get up in the morning.
Hayface, one of WindClan’s cherished elders, walked out into the snowy clearing staring at the fresh-kill pile. Her fur was dirty and matted, smelling odd. Clayfur looked over at the elderly yellow she-cat and shook his head no, the she-cat sighed before lumbering back into the nursery.
Silentstar felt the sinking feelings being overpowered by guilt and sorrow.

Silentstar leaped off of Tallrock, stumbling a bit before trotting over to her new deputy, Clayfur looked up at her.

“Silentstar.”
“Clayfur.”
They both greeted each other.
“Where’s the hunting party? Shouldn’t they have returned by now?”
Clayfur shrugged, looking at the entrance to camp, twitching his ear. “I don’t know and I don’t like how I feel about it.”
Silentstar shook her head, “stay here, i’ll go check it out.” she mewed, padding past the strong clay-brown tom. Clayfur dipped his head as he watched her leave.

Silentstar broke into a run, it hurt her legs to do so, but where were her clanmates? Over a knoll she saw the tiny outlines of Twigheart, Boulderclaw, and Lightsong standing near the ThunderClan border, four clearly fit ThunderClan warriors standing in front of them, there's muscles rippling under their neat coats despite the freezing weather and lack of prey.

Silentstar slowed to a trot as she approached, blinking slowly. Stalkpelt was with them when they left, where was he?
Silentstar padded slowly over, flicking her tail in a silent greeting. Owltalon, ThunderClan’s deputy, looked over at her, his violet-blue eyes widening as he watched her approach.

She raised her chin, her lip curling. No rival clans warrior would pity her. “What seems to be the matter, where’s Stalkpelt?” she hissed. Twigheart bristled, glaring at a black-eared tom, her claws unsheathed.
“He went to go attack him!” the black-eared tom growled, “He tried to cross the border to catch a small mouse, is WindClan that desperate that they’d break the warrior code?” Silentstar, in one powerful leap, landed in front of Twigheart, her ears pulled back and lips pulled into a snarl. The ThunderClan tom flinched back. “WindClan is not desperate, you filthy rat.” she hissed, her back arching. “We are just having a difficult time during this leaf-bare.” she finished with a lash of her tail.
“We’re trying to catch all the prey we can, StarClan will guide our paws.”

Silentstar spoke strongly about StarClan but secretly, she doubted her words.

If StarClan was really watching over them, why weren’t they helping? Did they no longer find WindClan important? The thought made Silentstar shake her head, her eyes narrowing. “Whitemouse, don’t.” Owltalon growled, padding over. “Here.” Owltalon nudged a sparrow and two mice towards the WindClan patrol. “You need this more than us.”
“Owltalon what are you doing?!” A bracken-colored she-cat hissed, walking over about to grab the sparrow with her claws. The ThunderClan deputy pushed the she-cat’s paw down, shaking his head ‘no.’
“Do you not see them? They’re all practically starving. Pure fur and bone. We have enough prey here to help ourselves, I know you saw that family of voles by the ShadowClan border.”
Boulderclaw bristled about to mew a snappish retort but Silentstar quieted him with a flick of her tail. “Thank you, Owltalon. How can I ever repay you?” she mewed, nosing towards the prey. It smelt warm, freshly caught. Scenting of the forest.

Boulderclaw and Lightsong grabbed the prey, Twigheart watched with a questioning glare, looking past the rival-clans patrol a thick clump of greenery.

“Maybe keeping your warriors across the border would be a start.” A dark brown tabby growled, walking out with Stalkpelt limping beside him. Twigheart gasped racing over to meet her kithood friend and the ThunderClan warrior. Stalkpelt and Twigheart pressed their muzzles together, “You scared me, you hare-brain.” the stone-grey she-cat meowed, Stalkpelt flicked his tail. “I just wanted to catch that mouse for you. I know it’s your favorite.”
The dark tabby snorted, shaking his head as he padded back to his patrol.

“Pinegaze.” Owltalon mewed, “where's your catch?”
“I lost the squirrel. It was scared away when this badger-footed, hare-face pounded into the area I was stalking in. I was barely two pawsteps away when the ground quaked under my paws. Ever teach your warriors to be light-footed?” the warrior hissed, glaring at Silentstar.

Silentstar’s tail bristled. Her claws sliding out and digging into the ground.

“My warriors are perfectly fine as is.” she growled snappishly, her ear -the one which wasn’t torn- twitching.  Pinegaze huffed as Owltalon flicked his tail at the patrol. “May StarClan be with you.” the ThunderClan deputy mewed, leading his patrol into the undergrowth.
Silentstar dipped her head, “You as well.” she called padding back towards camp with the patrol trailing behind.