Prologue #3 (ok, last prologue)
She decided that she would go back to camp to put the vole in the fresh-kill pile. Her mouth was watering the whole way there but she new better than to break the warrior code. Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating. As she trotted toward the camp, Cottonpaw saw Amberpaw still training with her mentor. βHey Cottonpaw!β Amberpaw meowed loudly. βHi Amberpaw!β Cottonpaw yowled back with a mouth full of vole. She kept trotting until she reached the fresh-kill pile. Cottonpaw was about to put the vole on it, but then she thought better. The she-cat adjusted the vole in her mouth and walked till she reached the nursery.
She looked for Rainkit, Oceankit, and Foxkitβs mother Featherpool. She saw the tired queen watching over her kits. They were play fighting, Cottonpaw was only about about a half-moon older than them, but she was a bigger than them. βHey Rainkit, Oceankit, Foxkit!β I meowed happily. βHello Cottonpaw!β They chorused together. βWhatcha doing here Cottonpaw?β meowed Rainkit. βIβm just dropping of this to Featherpool.β As she said this, she pawed the vole towards the mother. Featherpool looked grateful. She purred and licked Cottonpawβs head. βHey, what about us?β Foxpaw mewed indignantly. Cottonpaw meowed sternly βYou have the fresh-kill pile, furball.β The she-cat mimicked attacking him. Soon, his sisters were attacking her too. Rainkit had the most energy and was attacking Cottonpaw with ease. βShe has a bright future ahead of her.β Cottonpaw thought to herself.
