Flower sat crouched in the front of the hollow. The border patrol had just returned and her parents were sharing a rabbit in the middle of the camp.
Do they even care about me? She padded back into the nursery hidden in the grass. Another kit lay there, Ice was his name. A cat found him wandering in the forest, he was only three moons old then.
Enough of that. Flower counted her collection of feathers in the corner. Wait, one was missing. With a quick glance around the small den, she saw her feather poking out under the moss. She pulled at it and realised that the tabby kit was laying on it. Should have had a better plan.
''Huh? Oh, hey.'' Ice purred at her. Flower said nothing but narrowed her eyes at him. The kits stared in silence at each other. Ice dropped his gaze and stared at his paws. ''Why don't you ever talk?'' He questioned quietly.
Fernfeather walked into the nursery.''Play nicely together! What is matter with you Flower?'' She picked her daughter by the scruff and laid her down into the nest, with Flower mewing in objection.
''But he stole..-'' Fernfeather rasped her tongue on her head to calm her. ''Oh Flower, just leave him be.'' Both cats looked in his direction.
Ice was sitting near the exit of the den, looking perplexed, and not knowing what to do.
''My kit, he has no mother or father. Please leave him alone,'' Her mother whispered. ''And speak up, no cat will take you seriously if you squeak like that!'
The camp was beginning to stir, and soon the familiar sound of cats talking to one another filled the air. A distinctive pair of voices stood out.
''I'm going to catch a vole!''
''I'll catch an even bigger one!''
That was her former denmates, Moss and Dew. They were now apprentices. Flower wondered what their names would be when Nettlestar made them into gatherers. She started to groom herself anxiously. How would it feel to be the centre of attention, in front of all those cats?
With a shudder, Flower stood up and stumbled out of the den. A puddle of clear water sat just to the right of her. She peered at the water and saw a small, black cat Look back at her. Their Bright green eyes burned with something, not rage, but something Flower could not imagine.
She blurred the mirrored image by splashing at the water with her paws. Not caring if she got wet. Flower was scared, and she knew it.