HavenClan

Leader: Gullstar-white she-cat with black markings

Deputy: Bamboostep-slender grey tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Seedthorn-pale brown tabby tom

Warriors: Minnowfin-large dark grey mottled tom

Swallowheart-gray and white tabby tom

Apprentice, Acornpaw

Sparrowfeather-brown tabby she-cat

Foxwatcher-russet tom

Oakwish-brown she-cat

Stonedust-thick-furred grey tom

Iceflank-pale gray tom

Apprentice, Softpaw

Goldenfoot-large golden tabby tom

Frostflurry-white she-cat

Apprentice, Brookpaw

Apprentices: Softpaw-small white she-cat

Brookpaw-gray tabby she-cat

Acornpaw-brown mottled tom

Queens: Quietweed-pale ginger she-cat

Eveningfern-black she-cat

Kits: Fishkit-mottled grey tom-kit

Fruitkit-ginger tabby she-kit

Smokekit-dark grey tom-kit

Moonkit-pale silver tabby she-kit with bright blue eyes

Elders: Rubbleflight-large gray mottled tom

Softbranch-dark brown tabby she-cat

Chapter 1

Bamboostep couldn't find a reason to bring himself to hunt for his Clan. The loss of his recent mate was simply too much for him. He looked up at the dark sky, mourning for the loss of innocence. His mate, sweet, sweet, Littleheart. Her heart was born weak, and with her kits, they all died.

He looked down the cliffs, seeing the tourmaline waters of the ocean lap at spiked rocks. He swallowed hard. As deputy, what else was there for him? Wait to watch as his leader, Gullstar withered away to eventually die? He shook his head. Bamboostep was sick and tired of watching cats die. To stop this pain, he'd have to die himself.

The waters looked so tempting, like a gentle and tame call from Littleheart. It was almost like she was in there, waiting for him. He took another step, looking down as a small pebble kicked off the ledge into the waters.

He shut his eyes, ready to leap. But just before he could jump off, he heard a soft mew. He opened his eyes. Bamboostep realized that he was hearing a kitten's mew. He turned around and let his ears guide him. He walked through the small patch of bamboo, the weak mewling growing louder until it thundered in his ears.

The forest was almost completely silent. He pricked his ears and gazed ahead with his green eyes to see a large bamboo stalk cut down to his chin-length. He cautiously stepped forward. Carefully, he peered into the hollow stalk to see a tiny, silvery white tabby kitten with shut eyes, mewling.

His heart soared. A kitten? Who would leave such a tiny kitten in a stalk all alone? Perhaps one of the kittypets in the fishing twolegplace? No, that place was crawling with cats, no reason to abandon their kits. And if so, why only one?

But he batted away those questions. He could only stare down. At last, he brought a grey paw to enter the stalk and gently prod at the kitten, eliciting another meow from her. She finally looked up and weakly opened her eyes, her bright, pale blue eyes. It shone with the same brilliance as the moon sailing high above.

She was beautiful.

Suddenly, Bamboostep felt as though life was worth living again. Gullstar couldn't say no to a kitten. With Littleheart and her kits' death, Bamboostep's leader would be a mouse-brained fool to deny it. There's always Quietweed, who was still nursing Fishkit, Fruitkit, and Smokekit, she must have plenty of milk to spare.

He gently poked at the kitten again, this time she didn't meow. She only stared up at Bamboostep with large, unblinking blue eyes. Her fur was so soft, soft as a chick's down feathers. His instincts came over him. With a swift movement, Bamboostep lurched down and gently grasped the kitten's scruff. He looked around and began to trot through the forest back to HavenClan.

He entered through the fern tunnel, seeds sticking to his pelt. Bamboostep looked up to see the Clan staring at him as well as the tiny kitten in his jaws. He suddenly felt his fur grow hot. He didn't think about how well received the kit would be.

A large white and black she-cat stepped through her den made of bamboo and reed stalks. She blinked her glittering blue eyes at the tiny scrap of silver fur. "What is it?" Gullstar asked her deputy calmly.

Bamboostep sat down and set the kit between his paws, curling it behind his tail to prevent her from wandering off. He glanced down at her. "I… It's a kit. I found it while taking a walk outside."

"A kit, hm?" Asked one of the senior warriors suspiciously. Iceflank sniffed the kit and growled. "I smell brine of it. You found her near the cliffs or the sea, very likely." He glared up at the deputy with cold eyes. "How strange was it that you find a kit smelling of brine so close to MortalClan's border. And that she's come out of nowhere?"

"What are you implying, Iceflank?" Asked Gullstar curiously.

Iceflank hissed and flicked back his ears. "I'm just wondering what if your so-trusted deputy had an affair?"

Bamboostep fought hard to keep his hackles flattened. He couldn't resist the urge to lash his tail against the ground, however. He twitched an ear in annoyance. "I would never betray my Clan, Iceflank. I found a kit in a half-cut, hollowed out bamboo stalk near the cliffs. Does she look anything like me or anyone in MortalClan for that matter?"

Iceflank huffed and looked away. Bamboostep was correct. The kit wasn't as lean and scrawny as the deputy was. Her fur was not the same shade of grey either, rather it was a glinting silver caught in the waxing moonlight.

The nursery walls shuddered and came out Quietweed, her kits tumbling after her. She hushed them and sent them crawling back into the den. The ginger queen stepped forward and sniffed the bundle of fur. She twitched the tip of her tail. "Perhaps I could take her in."

Minnowfin, her mate, stood up. "You already have three kits, love! You can't possibly take care of one more. You don't have enough milk."

She glanced at her mate. "I'm sure that Seedthorn can give me a few herbs to help with that." The queen looked back down at the kit. She was about to lick the kitten, but then she stopped herself. Quietweed looked up at Bamboostep. "May I?"

"Of course." The tom replied.

Quietweed proceeded to lick the kitten to warm her up from the newleaf chill.

Gullstar examined this with a patient gaze. "We cannot turn away this kit. I can accept her into the Clan, but she needs a name."

Quietweed turned to Bamboostep. "You found her, after all." She mewed. "Finder names the kit."

Bamboostep's ears pricked. He crouched low, staring at the kitten's fur that glinted a glittering silver in the soft moonlight. He couldn't think of anything more fitting. He sat up and purred. "Moonkit."

"That's a lovely name." purred another queen from the nursery. A black she-cat with a large, bulging belly, ready to burst with kits at any moment.

Gullstar stood tall, moonlight reflecting white off of her whiskers. "Then it is settled. Moonkit shall join HavenClan as one of us. Bamboostep, you are to take responsibility for her."

The tom dipped his head. "I understand, Gullstar."

Bamboostep felt his paws tingle with anticipation. After StarClan had taken away his mate and fresh kits, he was gifted with a new life. Moonkit was the most beautiful gift from StarClan any cat could have ever known, and Bamboostep was blessed enough to find her first. I swear to be a good father to you, Moonkit.