Several moons slipped through Spark's claws since she'd been back here--partly because she scoured the territory searching for Talonstone, a lost favorite of Dawnstar's, and partly because she'd grown too afraid of her former mentor's retaliation if she dared show her pretty blue eyes in camp again. So far there hadn't been consequences...but the apprentice was on her guard. Dawn didn't exactly have a reputation for being forgiving.

Sparkpaw hated- no, loathed the idea of returning after a failed mission with tail between her legs, but over time? She...grappled with various beasts. Not just physical ones, like the rats she killed in the twolegplace, but creatures that lived in her head. Uncertainty. Doubt. Guilt. Every time Spark thought them vanquished, another head popped out from their corpse and the battle resumed.

Alone time also brought with it unwanted clarity. What truly sent her back to ShadowClan was a realization Sparkpaw all but refused to acknowledge: she just didn't want to be alone. She was weak on her own. On top of that, no friends existed for the apprentice to call on, no family who gave a damn...no stupid clan willing to take her, save ShadowClan. (At least. Not yet.)

She had nothing. No one. After Fernpaw left, for the first time in Sparkpaw's life, she felt crushingly, achingly alone, without even the spirit of Talonstone to guide her pawsteps. Only after coming to terms with this did the little bengal decide to don the title of prodigal daughter; Spark's need outweighed the risk of punishment.

Not that she didn't have a plan! Sparkpaw always had a plan, and right now, it was being as useful (and as away from camp) as she could manage. Spark would hit the ground running -- remind them all of why she was an asset. Presently, the she-cat scoured the clearing with sharp eyes, searching for a target.

Found one.

"Cinderblaze, isn't it?" Sparkpaw grinned wide, approaching with a flourish of her tail. With her best soft, innocent tone, she asked - "Would you be willing to take a poor, lonely apprentice hunting?"