Wolfkit turned and stalked up to him. "Don't tell anyone." He ordered.

"You aren't in charge of me, you know." Brackenstar mewed, calmly.

"I've been in Starclan, so technically, I am." He hissed back.

The golden tom just rolled his eyes.

"Please, you have to promise me, Brackenstar." He continued.

"Why have you come back?" The leader asked.

"Because, it's my destiny." His yellow eyes pierced into the other cat's eyes. "Now, promise me, promise me that you'll tell no other living soul about this."

"I promise." Brackenstar responded, his honest, kind gaze having returned.

"Thank you." Wolfkit dipped his head, padding back to the exit of the den and slipping through.

He heaved a sigh of relief and then spotted Flarekit racing up to him.

"What was that all about?" The flame-colored kit asked.

"It doesn't matter." He replied, cuffing his brother's ear. "You know what does?" He asked, with sparkling eyes.

"What?" Flarekit asked.

"Exploring." Wolfkit purred.

"We're going out?"

"Yeah, now shut up and follow me."

"Okay." The orange kit replied.

They slipped through the entrance to the dirtplace tunnel, glad to find no other cats inside. They raced across and pushed through the other opening. They were in the forest!

Wolfkit paused to breath in the forest scents and glanced at his brother, who had a look of complete awe on his face.

"Come on, we gotta find cover." The wolf-like kit hissed to the other one.

They darted other the nearest bush, making sure that their tails weren't poking out. Slowly, they moved from bush to bush, towards the right of the camp.

"What if we get lost?" Flarekit whispered into his ear.

"We won't." Wolfkit assured him.

He knew where he was taking him. They were going towards the Thunderclan border, where a river split up the two clans. Really glad that Brightstar left my memories with me! By sunhigh, they'd reached the river. Peeking out of the bushes to look around, Wolfkit stepped onto the stone surrounding it, beckoning his brother with his tail.

"Whoa." Flarekit breathed. "Where are we?"

"I think at a border." He responded, trying to sound uncertain.

"With which clan, do you think?"

"I don't know." Wolfkit lied. "Thunderclan, maybe."

He padded up to the river, enjoying the sound of rushing water, yet it brought a familiar, horrifying memory back to mind. He shoved the memory away, not wanting to remember the sadness that had followed it.

"The sound of the water is...calming." Flarekit mewed.

Wolfkit dipped his head, half agreeing. "Just don't fall in." He half teased, half warned him.

"Right." His brother responded. Then his tone grew more serious. "What do we do if we get caught?"

"We won't get caught." He assured him. "I promise."

"Good." The flame-colored kit flicked his tail, a playful look filling his golden eyes.

Wolfkit let out a purr as he began to feel energized. He leapt onto his brother's back, attacking him with sheathed claws. Flarekit pushed him off and jumped onto him in return. They tumbled across the stone in a flash of fur. Eventually, the wolf-like tom gained an advantage and pinned his brother down.

"I win." He meowed cockily.

"I'm not done yet." His brother's eyes glinted mischievously.

He felt Flarekit's hind paws kick into his stomach and launch him into the air. The sound of rushing water roared through his ears and Wolfkit found himself clinging to the blank with one unsheathed paw as the rest of his legs dangled in the water, getting pulled on.

"Flarekit!" He yowled, fighting back panic. Not again! I'll definitely die this time. "Help me!"

His brother's orange face appeared just a tail length and a half in front of him, fear alighting his eyes. He reached out his front right paw. "Grab my paw!"

Wolfkit reached out with his free forepaw, but the distance between them was too far. He managed to latch his paw into the stone beside his other one as he struggled to pull himself onto the bank.

Suddenly he heard a yowl and looked to see a patrol racing from behind his brother. Flarekit spun around, seeming shocked and relieved.

"Oh, great Starclan!" Rainnose exclaimed.

"No! Wolfkit!" Shadowheart yowled in shock and distress.

At the same heartbeat, pain burst through his front paws and he felt the current pulling him downstream. The last thing he saw of his clanmates was the look of grief on their faces, but on Flarekit's face, he also saw guilt.

Wolfkit reached out his forpaw towards them as they vanished from sight.

"No!" He yowled, mostly angry. How could this have happened again?

*X*

Wolfkit's eyes flickered open and he let out a cough as he vomited up water. When he finally stopped, he glanced at his aching paws to see blood staining them. He unsheathed his claws, only to flinch at another burst of pain. With a jolt, he realized that he was missing some claws.

He sheathed his remaining ones and got to his paws, shaking water from his dripping pelt. He glanced around. Where am I? This isn't Stealthclan territory.

"Great." The lost kit hissed. "Just great."

A cool blast of wind plastered his pelt to his sides again and made him shiver. He glanced at the sky, seeing dark gray clouds gathering nearby.

"As if things couldn't get worse." He heard himself meow.

Flattening his ears against his head, he began trekking back upstream, alongside the river.