<^> IceClan <^> Part 1 <^> A Fresh Start <^>

The silver she-cat took note of where her prey was buried, then followed Silentstar.

Meanwhile, Windfoot kept an eye out for rogues or dogs. Luckily, she couldn't hear or scent any foes, so she stayed docile as they approached the border. Quickly, she rubbed her flank on one side of a tree, and nodded.

Silentstar led the way back to the prey, remembering where her vole and squirrel were. She dug them up quickly and had them in her jaws. She started back to camp.

Windfoot plucked her mouse from the ground and followed Silentstar. She dashed into camp and placed the prey on the fresh-kill pile, then sat down at the edge of camp, letting the sun warm her fur.

Silentstar put her prey on the fresh-kill pile gently, as if not to hurt it.
She yawned as the sunhigh sun warmed her fur.

Sparkpetal copied Silentstar. She yawned quietly and flashed a swift smile before dissapering in the den.

Silentstar watched her go and yawned again. She padded slowly to her den.

Splash-eye looked towards the camp entrance.

"The hunting patrol has returned," she said, and stalked out of her den. She just sat there, absorbing the sunlight as one might say. She realized that she was a bit hungry, but wouldn't eat until the leader said it was alright.

Silentstar noticed Splash-Eye and padded over. " You can eat." Silentstar said, feeling funny giving permission as she remembered her past rouge life.

Splash-eye nodded. "Thank you. I wouldn't want to be stealing from the pile." She padded over and plucked a mouse, returning to the outside of her den to eat. She never checked her prey for maggots, but was sure that this one didn't have any; she would know. She took a bite and swallowed, beginning to eat.

Silentstar nodded swiftly and padded to the pile. She took a small vole, wanting her clanmates to get plumper prey then her, she took a bite.

Sparkpetal sighed and watched Splasheye eat. Her stomach was full quiet often.

Silentstar finished her vole and sighed. She had a flashback..

Silentstar was standing, a large cat looming over her, the cat lunged and..

Silentsa-tar snapped out of it. She sighed again and padded to her den.

Sparkpetal thought she saw a maggot on the mouse Splasheye was eating. She head slowly rised in unison.

Silentstar, you see had very good senses. She was watching Splash-Eye and thought she saw a maggot. She smelled something, odd.. She perked up and padded over to Sparklepetal, to see if she saw it too,

Windfoot turned around and headed for the fresh-kill pile, taking the squirrel that Silentstar had caught. She hadn't eaten since sunhigh the previous day, and so was hungry. Carefully, she nibbled at it, and after a few minutes, she had consumed the whole thing. Where were the others?

Silentstar padded over to Splash-Eye. " I think I saw a maggot in your mouse!" Silentstar meowed.

"Don't be silly. There can't be maggots on fresh prey." Just to be safe, she kicked it away and returned to her den. Why did I have to think about maggots?

Sparkpetal padded up to the prey and turned it over, surly the were a couple maggots. Her sigh was a sign of relief.

Silentstar looked and sure enough, there was a single maggot. She took the prey and buried it deep, nobody would ever eat it.

Sparkpetal watched Silentstar bury the mouse. Her ears were twitching quietly.

There was actually still some meat left on Windfoot's prey. She looked over at the elder's den, where something about maggots was said. Alarmed, she brought her prey to Splash-eye and offered it. "Want the rest of mine? I'm kind of full now."

Silentstar finished and sighed. " How could maggots get in fresh prey?" She murmured to herself.

"I don't really know."

After a moment, Windfoot gasped. "Do you think there might be rogues who switched fresh prey with older prey?"

Sparkpetal got up and padded over to Silentstar. "If that ever happens again," She started, showing some herbs, "Feed any cat that eats maggots these." She offered.

Silentstar nodded and turned to Windfoot. " It," Silentstar then remembered her ruge days, " That is possiable."