Adderpaw carried her black bird and mouse back to camp with Hawkpaw at her side. Thrushstripe leapt down the ravine and Adderpaw followed. She heard a soft thud as Hawkpaw jumped down. "Let's give this to the elders. And your mouse and black bird can go to the queens." He said squeezing through the gorse tunnel. Adderpaw nodded and padded to the nursery.
"Is that a black bird?" Nightpelt sounded shocked. "I haven't had one in moons!" She mewed gulping it down. "Thank you Adderpaw." Ashwater said taking a bite of the mouse. "I hope Hawkpaw fed the elders by now. "They will be angry if they don't get fed before sunset." A purr of amusement rose in Adderpaw's throat. She dipped her head and padded out of the nursery.
As she backed out she bumped into Hawkpaw and fell onto her back. He tilted his head to one side as he stood over her. "You okay?" He asked, holding back a purr. "Yes." Adderpaw replied stiffly as she stood up and shook her pelt. "I think I got a thorn in my pad from the bramble walls." She mewed turning up her forepaw so her pad was showing. A thick thorn was sticking out of her bright pink pad. Hawkpaw bit it with his teeth and tugged at it softly. "Ow!" Adderpaw wailed as the thorn pulled her skin. It didn't budge. "Let's get you to Fernwhisper." Hawkpaw mewed and let her lean on his muscular shoulder.
"It's stuck really bad..." Fernwhisper mewed. "I can get it out though." She chewed up some leaves and put them on the pad. Adderpaw winced as blood began to drip from the paw. "Eat some poppy seeds to ease the pain." Fernwhisper said pushing black seeds to her. Adderpaw lapped up two seeds and looked away as the medicine cat tugged out the thorn. Blood pooled from the cut. Fernwhisper licked it and called to her apprentice, Featherpaw, who grabbed cobwebs and pressed them on the cut.
"Get some rest." Fernwhisper told her. Adderpaw nodded and limped to her nest. Hawkpaw laid down with her until she fell asleep. My pad will be better after some sleep. And Hawkpaw will be right there hunting beside me. She thought as she drifted away into a deep sleep.
**************
Adderpaw woke up to find Hawkpaw next to her in his nest. She looked around and all the apprentices where there. Dawn already? Adderpaw thought. She padded out of the den and looked up. The moon was high above her head. Moon high? A rustling in the gorse tunnel made her whip around. A black shape slid into the camp. Adderpaw tried to let her eyes adjust to the light but she felt a cat bite her scruff and another cat stuffed leaves in her mouth. She spit them out and was about to yowl but felt sleepy and passed out.
"Ouch!" The cat whispered. The other cat dropped Adderpaw and clawed the cats muzzle. "Shut up Mudpelt!" She hissed. "Don't claw me Gooseface!" Mudpelt growled. "Adderpaw?!" Hawkpaw's meow startled the two cats and they ran out of the tunnel and across the river to the RiverClan camp. Adderpaw woke up and blinked. She looked to her side and saw Hawkpaw wasn't there. Then she realized she wasn't even at camp. She was in a hollow in RiverClan territory.
