Sorry for the wait! XP

Also, sorry this chappie is long. Chapter Three's are hard for me to write. XP again.

Enjoy,

pEaRla

PS: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! (bows) REALLY! THANKS!

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"So, um, when will you be an apprentice?" Silverpaw asked as she bit into her prey, warmth filling her belly.

The two she-cats were seated near a patch of juniper bushes, sharing a magpie that Goldkit had caught herself. The dry earth crumbled beneath their weight, and somewhere nearby a blackbird let out a low call. The sapphie sky was beginning to turn a dark shade of indigo.

Silverpaw would never admit it out loud-but Goldkit's hunting skills were much sharper than her own. She had stalked the magpie with careful movements-slow and cautious- and leaped when least expected. She had caught a mouse, too, but had devoured that instantly on her own.

"Selfish," thought Silverpaw, but she held a respect for Goldkit that she had felt before for her mentor, her mother, and all the other warriors and elders.

Darkness was already beginning to ebb across the sapphire sky, and an owl hooted in a nearby tree. He clouds were beginning to slink away, to be replaced by the faint images of twinkling stars.

Goldkit flicked her tail across her ear. "My apprentice ceremony? About two moons or so. My brother Spruceleaf thinks Dawnstar should just give me my warrior name and be done with it!" The yellow-eyed kit purred, one of the only signs of friendliness she could show. "I suppose he may be right."

"Well, I think you deserve to be made leader someday," Silverpaw mewed swallowing her last mouthful. "Honestly, you need to teach me all your moves."

"Well, you would have learned from the best," Goldkit mewled, short whiskers twitching in amusement.

The gray apprentice swiped her tail over her muzzle and gave a satisfied sigh. "Well. That quenched my hunger."

"You couldn't have done it without me," reminded Goldkit, showing no signs of modesty whatsoever.

"I guess not. Thanks."

Silverpaw arched her back in a graceful stretch, and her companion did the same, her tiny paws scoring up the earth beneath her. She was pretty, Silverpaw thought, as well as skilled and powerful. One day, the toms would be fighting themselves to win her! She mentioned this to her friend, only to find her give a snort.

"Toms are just a waste of time," she muttered. "They cheat on their mates all the time. That's what my father did."

"Really?" this took Silverpaw by surprise as the two settled back down.

"Yea. He found another mate-Brighteye-and left me and my mother. I hate them both for abandoning us like that!" she sighed and curled her tail over her nose.

"My father's…well, mother never really mentions him. I think he died."

"Just as well if he cheated on her," hissed Goldkit, yellow eyes glaring.

"He wasn't like that."

"Then how come your mother never talks about him?"

Silverpaw opened her mouth, and then closed it again. The creamy-colored apprentice had a point.

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"How come a patrol hasn't come looking for you?" Silverpaw's mew echoed throughout the darkness. "You would think they might be worried."

The two she-cats were padding through the pine forest, scouting for more prey, as well as going back to ThunderClan camp. Silverpaw wondered whether she should be embarrassed or grateful that a kit was showing her the way.

Goldkit gave her left shoulder a swift lick, pride in her eyes. "Well, I've wandered off at least a hundred times up till now. Dawnstar knows I always come back. But it drives my mother insane. I'm her last kit, you see," she heaved a heavy and slightly overdramatic sigh, (in Silver paw's opinion) "so she gets overprotective. I'll bet you my tail she thinks hungry foxes are devouring me as we speak."

Silverpaw nodded. "My mother's Clan leader. I'm her only kit so far…all my brothers died. But I don't get special treatment or anything: it may make the other apprentices jealous."

Goldkit seemed unfazed at the fact she was the daughter of Clan leader. "Cool. If Dawnstar were my mother, I'll bet I could travel all the way to the HighRocks and she wouldn't be worried. But I haven't got any littermates. You say all your brothers died? How's that?"

"Um…well, Greencough killed Duskkit and Brownkit-but my favorite littermate, Wheatkit…was found dead. He was killed."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Silverpaw began to nervously lick her tail. But when she looked at Goldkit she only found sympathy in her eyes. "Dying in battle is honorable," she murmured. "He must have been hailed as a hero."

"Not really. It didn't look like he gave much of a fight. He was just found-cut in the throat. Even peaceful. I saw him when I sat vigil."

"Must have really been hard."

"Yea. I almost-" Silverpaw suddenly stopped short as she stared at the blackening sky. "Great StarClan!" she abruptly shrieked. "I'm so terribly late! Rosepetal will be worried out of her pelt! We have to hurry!"

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Silverpaw's paws ached terribly by the time she was nearing camp. Goldkit padded ahead confidently, head held high, tail waving airily. "Almost there."

"That much I know."

Silverpaw began to feel uneasy. "What will you do when you get back to camp?" she mewed worriedly, cuffing her new friend's ear lightly with her paw, claws carefully sheathed.

"My Clanmates are used to me wandering around. I'll make up an excuse."

Silver paw felt a bit jealous of the kit's selfless acts, her daring deeds of bravery and courage, and the risks she faced when going into danger. She wasn't like that.

"Goldkit, how come you aren't afraid of other cat's judgment?" Silverpaw inquired, pressing for an answer. She met only silence, and tried again to ask the question. "Goldkit?"

No answer. She realized that her friend had stopped. When she turned to look at Goldkit, the kit's claws were unsheathed, and her eyes glinting with anger. "Don't move," she whispered, barely moving her mouth.

"But-"

"Shhh! Something died here."

'W-what?" Silverpaw then smelt it-the terrible scent of death and loss. Her eyes widened in horror. "I know that smell."

She bunched up her muscles and sprang into the bush of reeds from where the smell came. She ignored Goldkit's cry of warning. She was focused on getting to her goal.

She kept right on going, even though the trail was leading her farther away from camp. She was familiar with the fear she felt. But she had never felt fear like this. "A cat died here…"

The apprentice halted to a stop when she saw what she was looking for. She felt her limbs go weak with shock.

"Oh no," she whimpered. "No, no, NO!" She began to yowl in pain and fear and most of all-grief. She felt Goldkit beside her and whipped around to meet her friend's narrowed gaze. "Why, Goldkit?" she cried. 'Why'd did it have to be her?!"

The cat lying in front of them, still and lifeless, was Rosepetal.