into distant memories

[Dawn]

Her steps felt heavy, as though her paws had been switched with weights. The trek through PeakClan territory back to the camp seemed to take much loner than usual, but Lynxstar could hardly digest any of it, too lost in her own thoughts. The loss of such a young cat without reason, the pain that would spread through all cats.

When she finally reached the camp, Lynxstar lifted her head and paused. Her eyes immediately fell on the body of Firekit, obviously placed by Ashfang at the center of the camp, before the rock formation in which their Clan resided. She could see the bent heads of several Clanmates near the little kitten, including her brothers, Owlspots and Bramblepelt. She felt a rush of warmth for the both of them, even Bramblepelt. She could see Cedarstone, Willownose's brother, a little ways away from her brothers, his eyes closed with grief.

As she padded closer to the small group, little Birdpaw and her siblings came into view, crouched together in silence, their eyes filled with sadness and fear. She paused as she passed them, touching her tail to each of their flanks in turn. Her eyes met Birdpaw's and she felt the strength of her connection with the apprentice she had worried the most about. They were all connected more strongly now she supposed, bound by their mutual grief for one of their own.

She padded on, leaping up on the rock with the ease of a practiced PeakClan cat. She halted on Dwarf Rock, where meetings were held. "Cats of PeakClan, gather here beneath Dwarf Rock."

[/color] She called, lifting her head to a strong, proud position she hoped her Clan would be able to take comfort from. She watched as those already gathered lifted their heads, and she could feel their combined sadness.

She looked around for Petalkit, but didn't see her, though she could have easily been hidden amongst the crowd. She hoped she too was being cared for, as Firekit was not Blackheart's only victim today. She made a mental note to find the kit, though perhaps a little later when she would hopefully be more calm than the terrified whirl of fur she had seen earlier. She sent a silent prayer to StarClan to watch over Petalkit as well as Firekit, for they should know how much she would need it.

She paused before speaking, the silence around her seeming to pulse and tighten. "As many of you have seen or heard, Firekit is dead."[/color] She paused a moment, swallowing her sadness in order to continue. "Any life lost is a tragedy, but the loss of one so young, with so much left to experience is especially horrible. Firekit was a bright, energetic young cat, who would have made a valuable warrior to PeakClan. StarClan will shine brighter with her influence now, but that does not lessen our grief."[/color]

Lynxstar could feel a sudden urge for more information of Firekit's fate from those surrounding her, for it was obvious that Firekit had not died in the medicine cats den or been attacked by a fox. "But she did not die of natural causes, Firekit was murdered by a BrookClan tom. BrookClan refuses to hand over this cat, and assures us that they will handle this cat."[/color] She could hear faint growls, and her eye caught on Bramblepelt, who looked as fierce as she. It was strange, feeling as though they were at last on the same side.

"Egretstar seems to think that Blackheart will be controlled by her Clan, but she was wrong. I doubt very much that she will punish him to the extent she should, but we will give her the chance."[/color] Even before she spoke, she knew there would be a negative reaction, but she did not falter to the angry sounds that spilled from her Clan. "Don't misunderstand, I have given Egretstar an opportunity to show that she is honorable, but if she does not live up to this, PeakClan will take action into our own paws."[/color] She cast a look down towards Ashfang, hoping he understood that she would not let the murder of his daughter be slid back under the brush. "Cats like Blackheart are dangerous if not stopped. For now, I want everyone to use extreme caution by the BrookClan border, but for now, do not launch any sort of attack without an order. Everything will come in good time, but I want to make sure we have the sure upper paw so no more PeakClan blood is shed and we get our paws on the culprit."[/color] She paused, giving her Clan a hard look. She wanted to vigilante justice now, not without plan.

"Also, no cat is to go alone to the BrookClan border. Not even warriors. I don't trust that Clan, and nor should any of you for now, as you have seen what they are capable of."[/color] Her eyes fell again onto Firekit, and her eyes closed for a moment, her head bent as fresh sadness washed over her.

"But now, we will pay tribute to the innocent life that has been stolen. Firekit was one of the brightest lights within this Clan, and she will be honored as such."[/color] She finished, leaping down from her perch to join her fellows, and share her grief with theirs. She touched her nose lightly to Firekit's cold fur. Go join your ancestors in StarClan. Be free amongst the stars little one, and rest assured that we will get you justice. Lynxstar thought as she pulled away from Firekit and sat down beside Ashfang. She didn't touch the tom, but hoped that her presence would give him some sort of comfort.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Rachel]

Otterpaw had been in the camp when Ashfang arrived, carrying the limp body of Firekit. She had seen the grief in his steps, but she had stood back as he had laid the body down in the center of the camp. Older cats had crowded around, and a mixture of confusion and sadness hung in the air. Otterpaw looked around for her own brother, all of a sudden wanting the closeness of her family. She spotted him quickly, just padding back into camp with a mouse in his mouse.

"Oh Bisonpaw!" she mewed, grief in her voice, "It's so terrible! Little Firekit is dead!" The mouse hit the ground with a thud as Bisonpaw took in the news, "What do you mean? What happened?" Otterpaw got the drift he didn't quite believe her, so she gestured with her head to where the too small body lay. "I don't know. Ashfang just brought her back..."

She was cut off by mumblings of other cats as Lynxstar jumped up onto Dwarf Rock. She was burning with sadness, and with curiosity as her leader began to speak.

"As many of you have seen or heard, Firekit is dead. Any life lost is a tragedy, but the loss of one so young, with so much left to experience is especially horrible. Firekit was a bright, energetic young cat, who would have made a valuable warrior to PeakClan. StarClan will shine brighter with her influence now, but that does not lessen our grief."

She bowed her head, but even more now she burned with curiosity! What had happened? What would have taken little Firekit from them so early?

"But she did not die of natural causes, Firekit was murdered by a BrookClan tom. BrookClan refuses to hand over this cat, and assures us that they will handle this cat." She could hear faint growls, and her eye caught on Bramblepelt, who looked as fierce as she. It was strange, feeling as though they were at last on the same side. Egretstar seems to think that Blackheart will be controlled by her Clan, but she was wrong. I doubt very much that she will punish him to the extent she should, but we will give her the chance."

All of Otterpaw's hair stood on end and she hissed as she received this news. Firekit and Petalkit had been little when she and her brother had been apprenticed, but they had still shared the nursery for a little while. Firekit had been a good kit, and did not deserve the end she had met. "Whaddya mean, let Egretstar handle it? If she had handled it Firekit would still be here!" she yowled, her anger overcoming her common sense. Bisonpaw laid his tail on her shoulder, obviously hoping to quiet her so Lynxstar could finish.

"Don't misunderstand, I have given Egretstar an opportunity to show that she is honorable, but if she does not live up to this, PeakClan will take action into our own paws. Cats like Blackheart are dangerous if not stopped. For now, I want everyone to use extreme caution by the BrookClan border, but for now, do not launch any sort of attack without an order. Everything will come in good time, but I want to make sure we have the sure upper paw so no more PeakClan blood is shed and we get our paws on the culprit. Also, no cat is to go alone to the BrookClan border. Not even warriors. I don't trust that Clan, and nor should any of you for now, as you have seen what they are capable of. But now, we will pay tribute to the innocent life that has been stolen. Firekit was one of the brightest lights within this Clan, and she will be honored as such."

Otterpaw's fury was softened a bit as she realized Lynxstar wasn't just planning on letting this go, but every part of her still ached to go and hunt down this Blackheart who had murdered an innocent kit. Bisonpaw must have seen it in her eyes because he whispered quietly, "No breaking rules, Otterpaw. Lynxstar will handle it."

[Dawn]

Birdpaw felt renewed sadness for little Firekit as the Clan meeting went on. She also felt sadness for little Petalkit, though she had no idea where she was. She and her siblings hadn't spent much time in the nursery with the two younger kits, but she had loved coming back to camp after patrols and playing with them.

Birdpaw saw Otterpaw and Bisonpaw join the crowd of cats and felt a rush of affection for the both of them. They had not all shared a den for long, but she felt as connected to them in that moment as to any cat. She felt a nudge on her shoulder and looked around to see Blackpaw, who jerked her head at her to follow. She apparently shared Birdpaw's feelings.

When Lynxstar had leapt down from Dwarf Rock, Birdpaw stood with Blackpaw and Drongopaw, and padded towards her fellow apprentices. She touched her tail to Bisonpaw's shoulder and Blackpaw touched Otterpaw's shoulder. "Mind if we join you?"

[/color] Birdpaw asked quietly, feeling Drongopaw's solid presence behind her, and drawing comfort from his strength.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[frosty]

"Cats of PeakClan, gather here beneath Dwarf Rock."

Dawnfur pricked her ears instantly at the sound of Lynxstar's loud call. Her head felt heavy, and as soon as she stood up she felt lightheaded from standing too quickly. The yellow tabby she-cat's amber eyes were sunken into her face, and her tail drooped when the reality of the situation finally hit her. Waking up first thing would always be the hardest part of her day from now on - those milliseconds where she forgot that Firekit was gone. Those brief moments in her day when grief, pain, sadness, and anger didn't exist. But those moments were always way too short, and the horrible truth always sunk its claws in too soon.

The queen noted that the medicine cat still hadn't arrived back yet; probably still out gathering herbs. Dawnfur bent down and pressed her ear to Petalkit's flank, and heard her steady heartbeat and shallow breaths. She parted her jaws and scented for Ashfang, but the air particles told her that the kitten's father hadn't been around at all. No matter, she decided. Ashfang was dealing with Firekit, and she could handle Petalkit.

Not wanting to stray too far away from the sleeping gray-and-cream tortoiseshell, Dawnfur sat close to the medicine den. She sat quietly, her tail wrapped around her paws, as Lynxstar informed the rest of the Clan about what had happened, and what was going to happen. Of course, like the rest of the Clan, Dawnfur was ready to go to war with BrookClan over this. It was outrageous to think that Egretstar assumed she would handle one of her own warriors killing a PeakClan kit. He would get a light punishment for a few moons, at best. Dawnfur felt her hackles raise at the thought of the black tom getting away with killing her foster daughter. She sunk her claws into the ground in order to steady herself.

Gazing around the camp, Dawnfur watched attentively as Lynxstar leaped down from Dwarf Rock to be with Ashfang and Firekit. Forgive me, little Firekit, but I have to take care of your sister. I'll visit you as soon as she wakes up, the yellow tabby thought. Ashfang didn't move a muscle when Lynxstar touched her tail tip to his shoulder. Dawnfur wasn't even sure the tom knew that his leader was there. He was eerily staring off into nothing, still as stone, and her heart cried out for him. She would leave him alone for now, as there was no way he would utter a word until the initial shock wore off.

She shifted her attention to Otterpaw, Bisonpaw, Birdpaw, Blackpaw, and Drongopaw. The older apprentices had shortly shared a den with herself and the two she-kits. Dawnfur recalled helping Wrenflower and Ravenpelt groom their offspring in preparation for their apprentice ceremonies. Firekit and Petalkit were still too young to leave the nursery back then. The she-cat let out a long sigh, and remained outside the medicine den, sitting silently by herself. The fresh air was nice after sleeping in the heavily scented den for a few hours. She would hear if Petalkit woke up, and at least she could participate in Firekit's vigil.

[pretzel]

Willownose had no idea what was happening within her clan. She had just returned from a quick patrol across PeakClan's northern border, which she had taken on herself in order to give the rest of the warriors a moment to rest. But when she entered the camp, she immediately sensed that things in PeakClan were horribly, terribly wrong.

A small, mass of red fur was lying in the center of camp, warriors huddled around it. Lynxstar was saying something from Dwarf Rock, her words low but strong. "As many of you have seen or heard, Firekit is dead." A hollowness filled the gray deputy, her mind revolting against the news, wanting nothing more than to un-hear what Lynxstar had said. But Lynxstar was continuing, and although most of her words didn't register with Willownose, a few struck out at her, plucking at an internal rage within the she-cat that she didn't even know existed. "But she did not die of natural causes, Firekit was murdered by a BrookClan tom."

Willownose's body filled with such a blind rage that she couldn't even move. She was frozen to the spot, staring at her leader in stark horror. Her heart filled with pain and fury, one fueling the other until she was shaking with anger. How could this happen? How could the warrior in question not be standing before them, ready to have his throat torn out, to have justice delivered? Any kit-killer deserved to die, to be punished for their actions, not sheltered by their clan!

The apprentices gathered nearby and Dawnfur sat in the entrance to the nursery. Willownose looked around at the gathered cats, at her clan, and had to tell herself that now was not the time for anger. It was a time to mourn, to help Lynxstar lead their clan to justice and closure. Willownose found her way over to the apprentices - their training was her responsibility and she felt that if anyone should check up on the cats, it should be her.

"I understand how hard this is for all of you, but we need to focus on what's important right now, in this moment. Firekit was a good kit, a member of our clan. Right now we need to honor her memory by sitting vigil for her, by praying for her spirit to find safe passage to StarClan and be welcomed into their ranks. We are all angry with BrookClan and Egretstar, but we need to set that anger aside for the moment. Firekit wouldn't want us to be angry, she would want us to mourn and reflect on her life so we can find some sort of peace with her death." She found herself looking to Cedarstone, where her brother sat a few tail-lengths away. "Anger is easy, but it does nothing for acceptance. Acceptance is hard."

[/font][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Dawn]

Birdpaw looked up as her mentor approached her and the other apprentices, and straightened up slightly, dipping her head in a respectful greeting. She had her suspicions of what Lynxstar and Willownose thought of her, and was determined to prove herself valuable to them. She wasn't prepared to change her personality, but she would show them that she could be a great PeakClan warrior even if she was different.

"I understand how hard this is for all of you, but we need to focus on what's important right now, in this moment. Firekit was a good kit, a member of our Clan. Right now we need to honor her memory by sitting vigil for her, by praying for her spirit to find safe passage to StarClan and be welcomed into their ranks. We are all angry with BrookClan and Egretstar, but we need to set that anger aside for the moment. Firekit wouldn't want us to be angry, she would want us to mourn and reflect on her life so we can find some sort of peace with her death."

She bowed her head, accepting the wisdom of what Willownose was saying. She looked sideways at her sister, who was mirroring her dipped head and saddened eyes. It amazed her slightly how a death could bring so many together in such a strong way. She felt more unity with these cats now than she had even that morning.

"Anger is easy, but it does nothing for acceptance. Acceptance is hard."

Cedarstone heard his sister's last sentence and looked up, finding his eyes meeting hers. It certainly was different, considering she had dedicated most of her life to avoiding and shunning him, despite his best efforts to reconnect. "Acceptance is one thing that is a constant source of strength for the future."

[/color] He meowed quietly, his eyes still on her. He wondered if this tragic event would actually bring them back together. He had stopped hoping for her acceptance a while back, after every attempt was rebuffed. He didn't want to get his hopes up this time, but perhaps... perhaps he would get his sister back.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[frosty]

Petalkit twitched in her nest, her hind leg jerking slightly. After a moment of stillness, her right ear twitched. The little she-kit awoke with a sneeze. Her eyes were sleeping and dreary, and it took her a second to comprehend her surroundings. Petalkit briefly wondered why she was in the medicine den, and for some reason, didn't quite remember how she had gotten there. Dawnfur's scent was all around her, and she scrunched up her nose.

The whole day suddenly hit her like a monster on the Thunderpath. Petalkit blinked her eyes slowly, and rose to her paws. She shook out her messy pelt and headed towards the den exit. She suddenly froze, seeing Dawnfur's yellow tabby pelt sitting just outside. Letting out a faint hiss of annoyance, the tiny tortoiseshell pressed herself to the ground. She didn't want to talk to her stupid foster mother, and StarClan knows where her father was. Not like she cared, anyways. Petalkit wanted nothing to do with her parental figures at the moment.

She positioned herself away from Dawnfur and successfully managed to slip past the queen. Smirking with please to herself, the little she-cat slipped into a small crack in the stone and observed the camp. It looked like Firekit's vigil was happening right now. Not a chance she would she be participating. All the apprentices were gathered around one end of Dwarf Rock, and Petalkit watched as Willownose made her way over to them. Ashfang and Lynxstar were closest to Firekit's body, surrounded by their kin.

Petalkit narrowed her eyes with disgust and thrashed her tail angrily. What a stupid day. Now she just had to find a way around the horde of apprentice in order to make it back to the nursery. Maybe then she could have a peaceful sleep by herself.

[Rachel]

Otterpaw and Bisonpaw looked up as Birdpaw, Drongopaw and Blackpaw approached. "Yeah, course you can join." she mumbled, still glaring angrily at into the distance, "But we shouldn't be sitting here. We should be standing up for Firekit. We should be fighting for her." Bisonpaw touched the tip of his tail to her shoulder, trying to calm her radical emotions, but he knew it was for nothing. Otterpaw was like a force of nature, and forces of nature didn't bend.

As Willownose approached Bisonpaw straightened up, and nudged Otterpaw to do the same, however his sister just retained her angry look, although she had enough decency to at least bow her head in respect.

"I understand how hard this is for all of you, but we need to focus on what's important right now, in this moment. Firekit was a good kit, a member of our clan. Right now we need to honor her memory by sitting vigil for her, by praying for her spirit to find safe passage to StarClan and be welcomed into their ranks. We are all angry with BrookClan and Egretstar, but we need to set that anger aside for the moment. Firekit wouldn't want us to be angry, she would want us to mourn and reflect on her life so we can find some sort of peace with her death. Anger is easy, but it does nothing for acceptance. Acceptance is hard."

Otterpaw couldn't believe what she was hearing. She glared upwards, "And why can't we be angry and accept she is gone? I see her body. I accept that she was murdered. Now I want to do something about it. I want to honor her memory by making sure nothing like this ever happens again. She deserves us to honor her memory that way."


ooc: Bad post, but I knew I needed to respond. Sorry about that!

[Dawn]

"Yeah, course you can join."

Birdpaw sat down, nodding a greeting to Bisonpaw as she did so. She didn't miss Otterpaw glaring into the distance, though she couldn't exactly tell what she was thinking. She had a harder time relating to Otterpaw. She was more similar to Blackpaw than Birdpaw. Birdpaw was about to say something, perhaps try to inject some sort of comfort into the proceedings, but she couldn't think of anything to say before Otterpaw spoke again.

"But we shouldn't be sitting here. We should be standing up for Firekit. We should be fighting for her."

Birdpaw saw, out of the corner of her eye, Blackpaw flick her ears. She knew that Blackpaw agreed with Otterpaw, though was more accepting of Lynxstar's ruling than the other apprentice. Discomfort squirmed in Birdpaw's belly, hoping that the more hot headed apprentices, and warriors for that matter, wouldn't go running off to BrookClan territory despite what Lynxstar had said.

"And why can't we be angry and accept she is gone? I see her body. I accept that she was murdered. Now I want to do something about it. I want to honor her memory by making sure nothing like this ever happens again. She deserves us to honor her memory that way."

Birdpaw shuffled her paws uncomfortably, her ears lowering slightly towards her head. She accepted Willownose's wisdom on the matter. Of course, she accepted that it was normal to feel anger, she had always been told that not letting that anger take control was the strongest thing one could do.

She wanted to interject, remind Otterpaw that Lynxstar wouldn't just let Firekit's killer get off, but she didn't want to anger Otterpaw even further. Her eyes flicked to Willownose, wondering how her mentor would respond to Otterpaw's outburst. She would know that it was all in response to Otterpaw's heightened emotions, but she hoped that Willownose wouldn't be too harsh on the young she-cat.