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Grayfire slipped out of camp and breathed in the fresh new-leaf air. The sun had started to poke out from it's hiding place behind the horizon. It sparkled rays once again on Grayfire's pelt. He looked back at Dreamflight and smiled. "Where to?" He asked

Dreamflight shuffled her paws and stole a quick glance at Grayfire before sniffing the air and looking around. She couldn't scent her brother, that was a good sign. "Well..." She began, murmuring shyly. Dreamflight had thought that Grayfire would lead the way but had left it up to her. She flicked her tail closer to her, "I always liked to hunt where the pines are thickest."

Grayfire's ears perked up and he nodded. "Okay." He said and looked around. "This way. I think maybe other cats went this way, too." He said and noticed the fresh paw prints. "Maybe a patrol came through here.l" he shrugged an walked on.

Dreamflight stared at the pawprints in horror, recognizing her brother's. "Okay..." She mewed softly, trying to sound normal. However she thought it was too late to go to a different part of the forest now, and the small cat knew she wouldn't be able to come up with a good enough excuse anyway. Dreamflight padded slowly after Grayfire, keeping her senses ready and preparing what she would say if they did happen across Redtalon.

Grayfire sniffed low to the ground and flicked his ears in every direction, trying to catch a scent. He noticed Dreamflight a but uneasy as she followed his. He stood back up and looked at her. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Dreamflight froze, eyes widening for a moment as she was caught by surprise. "Y-yes!" She stammered, trying to regain her composure. "I'm all right." She stepped around him and ended up in the lead, she sniffed the air again. When she didn't smell her brother she relaxed a bit and flicked her tail.

Grayfire nodded and padded up to her. Now they were side to side, trotting along. "Okay. Just asking." He said. Then his ears perked up as he caught the scent of rabbit.

Dreamflight scented the rabbit too and froze. It was always rare to have such delicious prey on their territory. She opened her mouth partly to drink in the scent and flicked her tail, "Over there!" She whispered.

Grayfire nodded and crouched low to the ground. He 'slithered' a way to a tree and pounced on the rabbit. He killed it and looked back at Dreamflight.

"Nice work!" Dreamflight purred in delight. She thought they would have to chase it a ways, but then again, ShadowClan cats were best at stalking since they had no undergrowth to hide in. She sniffed around the air again and scented a familiar scent. Her eyes widened, and her legs stiffened.

Grayfire smiled and padded back to her. He noticed her difference but wouldn't mention it this time. He set the rabbit down and looked around the forest.

Dreamflight turned to him with wide eyes, "We should go somewhere else to hunt." She flicked her tail at the rabbit instructing him to pick it back up and darted away. She had smelt her brother nearby, and Dreamflight didn't want to cause a fight between him, her, and Grayfire. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Grayfire was coming with her and stopped many, many fox-lengths away. Giving the air another quick sniff she nodded in satisfaction. She could smell plenty of prey and nothing of Redtalon.

Grayfire nodded but when he bent down to pick the rabbit up, he caught another scent. Thrush. He flicked his ears back at Dreamflight. "I smell something over here." He said an pointed his tail in the opposite direction.

Dreamflight shook her head, what was Grayfire doing all the way back there. She sighed and plodded back, "There's a lot of prey over where I was." She mewed tilting her head. "Why didn't you come with me?"

Redtalon trotted around the forest, the patrol carrying several pieces of prey in their mouths. His patrol had hunted well, catching several birds and mice. He had fought a large rat and won. It dangled from his jaws and the tail dragged on the ground. A small bite wound oozed a little blood on his shoulder but he bore the injury with pride.

Grayfire sniffed the air. "I can smell some thrush. Maybe a nest!" He said. Then he sniffed again. "Oh, and here comes out patrol." He turned around to see many cats heading back to camp.

Dreamflight shrank to the ground, hoping her brother wouldn't see her with Grayfire. Her hopes were dashed when she saw Redtalon signal to his patrol to keep going and he padded over to them

Redtalon dipped his head to Grayfire and set the rat down. "Out hunting?" He eyed the rabbit curiously and spotted his sister crouching in the dirt. His eyes narrowed, "What are you doing down there?" He barked at Dreamflight.

Dreamflight rose to her feet and padded closer, "Just hunting..." She murmured sadly.

Grayfire smiled a bit and nodded. His tail waved back and forth behind him. "Yep. Hunting." He said.

Redtalon shot Grayfire a hostile look, disapproving that he had taken his sister out alone. He grunted and turned to stare down at his small sister, "We'll discuss this later Dreamflight. Come back to camp." He bent to pick up his rat but froze when she piped up.

"No! I haven't been able to catch anything yet!" Dreamflight's voice sounded small and wispy compared to her brother's gruff voice.

Grayfire shuffled a paw through the grass as the two sibling fought. He wanted to protest against Redtalon but how?

Redtalon growled, "You're coming back to camp with me, now." He shot Grayfire another hostile look and picked up his rat. Redtalon padded up to his sister, his large bulk dwarfing her tiny frame.

Dreamflight shook her head and stared up at him stubbornly. "How am I supposed to care for my clan if you won't even let me go hunting with other cats?" She lashed her tail and spotted his hurt shoulder. "You should go get that looked at," She sniffed at it carefully and looked up at him pleadingly, "Please? I want to feel useful, especially after the past few days.."

Grayfire frowned and glared at Redtalon. "You can't boss her around forever." He said. "I know she's your little sister, but she is growing up and so are you." He looked at Redtalon.

Redtalon glared back at Grayfire with a mild growl, but turned back to Dreamflight, "Fine. But we'll talk about this when you get back." His words slightly mumbled due to the rat in his mouth. He lashed his tail hostilely and stepped past his sister and went to catch up to his patrol.

Dreamflight sighed and shrank back down to the ground after he had left. "This is why I wanted to go over there..." She flicked her tail sadly in the direction she had darted off to earlier.

Grayfire widened his eyes and nodded. "Sorry." He said and lowered his head to meet her gaze. "What does he want to talk to you about?"

"It's not your fault my brother is being a mouse-brain." Dreamflight huffed and flicked her tail grumpily. She peered up at Grayfire, "He wants to tell me not to talk to you anymore, not by myself. He doesn't like it when I spend time with anyone alone, especially a tom." She looked back down at her paws nervously. "Sorry." She squeaked quietly.

Grayfire stood back up and frowned. "He doesn't have the right to tell you that!" He protested

Dreamflight shook her head, "I know that!" She pushed away a few leaves. "It's never been too much of a problem before, since I don't really talk much." She mewed sadly and remembered Mossear, "But my sister...well you know how she was always flirting around camp. Redtalon hated it and always picked a fight with every tom." Dreamflight blinked sadly up at Grayfire.

Grayfire backed up. "Yeah, I remember when she used to be do hung up over me." He said. "That was a while ago."

Dreamflight felt a little sad, so even Mossear had liked Grayfire? She shook her head and pushed herself to her paws, "Did Redtalon ever confront you back then?"

Grayfire nodded. "Yes. That's how I learned to handle him." Ue said with a smirk. "Many times."

"Oh." Dreamflight murmured and shuffled her paws. "Did you ever like Mossear?" She looked up curiously.

Grayfire shook his head sadly. "As a friend, yes." He said and clawed at the dirt. "She was sort of a try hard."

"I think she enjoyed frustrating my brother..." Dreamflight murmured sadly, remember her bright and cheerful sister. Sometimes she felt like she was the complete opposite: Quiet and unlikable.

Grayfire laughed. "Now, since I've caught something. It's your turn." He said and sat down.

Dreamflight nodded, glad to be rid of the other subject. She sniffed the air carefully, "Your thrush is still here." Giving him a quick look and nod, she followed the scent to where it grew stronger.

Grayfire smiled and watched her go with grace.

Dreamflight froze when she spotted a thrush scratching through the fallen pine needles that littered the forest floor in ShadowClan's territory. She eyed it hungrily and crept silently up to it. The cat was on top of the bird before it even had a chance to react. Dreamflight killed it with a quick nip and looked up the tree curiously when she heard the noises of other thrush.

Grayfire instantly scurried up the tree and killed two thrush with one blow.

Dreamflight nodded and smiled as she watched Grayfire's quick movements. She hoped the thrush in the tree weren't just babies, which is why she had initially hesitated. She sat down at the base of the tree thanked StarClan for their catches.

Grayfire dropped the large thrush down and hoped they wouldn't hit Dreamflight.

Dreamflight felt relief when she saw how big they were. She carefully collected them and set them next to her thrush. "Good work." She mewed up at Grayfire.

Grayfire smiled and leaped from one branch to another. When he was close enough, he leapt to the ground and landed on his fore legs followed by his hind ones. He collected the rest of the prey and looked at Dreamflight.

Dreamflight flicked her tail, "Do we have to go back to camp now?" She asked plainly, not wanting to deal with her brother.

Grayfire shrugged and sat back down. "Only if you want to." He said with a smile.

Dreamflight shook her head and brushed some pines over their prey. "Redtalon is there." She mumbled as her only explanation. When she was sure her prey was sufficiently hidden and wouldn't attract other predators she turned back to Grayfire and sat down.

Grayfire nodded and buried his prey among some roots of a tall tree.

"What do you think I should do about my brother?" Dreamflight asked after a few minutes of sitting quietly. She had been listening to the sounds of the pines waving in the breeze. There were a few birds around too and their songs made her relax.

"Tell him what you think." Grayfire said simply. "I did that to my father. He listened to me once i expressed my feelings."

"I have!" Dreamflight protested, mildly frustrated. "He won't listen." She flashed a scowl in the direction of camp. Why Redtalon was still acting like she had just become an apprentice was beyond her. She over thirty moons old now! She huffed and pawed at the pine needles on the ground.

Grayfire nodded. "Maybe prove it to him then." He said. "Prove that you can take care of yourself."

Dreamflight tilted her head in confusion, "Haven't I though? I can bring back as much prey as anyone." She shuffled her paws, not liking to make herself sound good. "I'm small, but that means I'm quick when it comes to a fight."