Remember

Chapter 3

"Well?" Gingerflame questioned them. Velvetkit shifted her paws uncomfortably.

"Why are you so curious, Gingerflame?" Asked Flinttooth.

"Er, I was just wondering." Gingerflame meowed quickly.

Flinttooth shrugged and stretched his legs. "Well you can talk about this all you want, I'm going on a hunting patrol."

Velvetkit's eyes lit up. "Can I come?" She begged, but Flinttooth said not until she was apprenticed. Since Velvetkit knew Gingerflame would make up an excuse for not being able to play mossball, she decided to visit the elders.

Clouddust and Skybranch were mewling about some battle between MarshClan and SnowClan in the olden days.

"Hello!" Velvetkit meowed.

Clouddust purred, "hello, young one."

Skybranch dipped his head.

"Can you tell me a-" Velvetkit's mew was cut off by a howl outside the den. Velvetkit ran outside and joined her horror-stricken littermates.

Flinttooth, Grapevine, Faithcloud, and Hopepaw burst into camp. But they weren't empty pawed, Flintooth carried the the body of a small, black tom, known as Antpaw.

The howl came from his mother, Juniperfur, and Velvetkit realized it was a howl full of grief. Flintooth layed down his apprentice's body on the earth.

Ruststar and Waterdrop padded out of the leader's den, their faces expressionless.

"What happened?" Demanded Ruststar.

Grapevine replied first, "we were attacked by a SunClan patrol. Then Flameeyes killed poor Antpaw." She meowed.

Velvetkit didn't think she was supposed to hear what else Grapevine said to Ruststar. She had whispered, "they want the kits."

Velvetkit panicked. SunClan wanted to steal her and her sisters!

Hopepaw was still trembling at the sight of her denmate's body. The other apprentices all crowded around to say goodbye.

They were pushed aside when Juniperfur and her mate, Twigfall, rushed over to see their son. Juniperfur pressed her nose into his fur and whispered, "he was too young."

Clouddust and Skybranch carried away his body to bury it.

The deputy, Waterdrop, lowered her head in grief. "May StarClan light your path. Always."

************
Velvetkit, Mintkit, and Amberkit scurried across the clearing to talk to the apprentices sharing prey.

"Hi!" Meowed Amberkit.

"Can we join you?" Velvetkit asked.

The two oldest apprentices swapped glances. A white she cat grinned at her gray sister, then replied with a smirk. "Sure, why not?"

"Thanks!" Mintkit meowed excitedly and snatched a mouthful of Hopepaw's vole. "Yum... Vole is my favorite!"

Amberkit and Velvetkit had a look of horror on their faces. "You can't do that!" Velvetkit whined.

Hopepaw was shrinking in her best, obviously embarrassed.

The two eldest apprentices both stood up, their muscles rippling beneath their pelt. Their lean figures towered over the kits.

Mintkit gaped her jaws in astonishment.

Why aren't they warriors yet?

Amberkit seemed to have read her thoughts. "Are you sure you're still apprentices?" Amberkit meowed in disbelief.

The white cat purred. "Our warrior ceremony can't be long from now. Now can it, Violetpaw?"

"Nope. I wouldn't be surprised if it was today even, dear sister." The pretty gray cat meowed.

A fluffy brown she cat shifted her paws. "You don't have to brag."

"No, Fluffpaw, we don't." Violetpaw smirked. "How rude of us."

Fluffpaw shrank back.

Velvetkit felt sorry for that young apprentice. These cats were clearly bullies.

"Oh, my. Did we forget to introduce ourselves?" The white cat acted guilty.

Velvetkit and Amberkit nodded slowly. Mintkit was barely standing with her paws shaking so much.

"I'm Moonpaw and this is my sister, Violetpaw." Violetpaw had a gleam of pure meanness in her eyes.

"You should know a thing or two about us." Moonpaw took a paw step closer. She whispered loud enough for all three kits to hear her.

Velvetkit was shaking in fear.

"We own this part of camp." Moonpaw growled. "Oh yeah, and no one ever dare messes with us."