An icy wind whipped around the forest, making the leafless branches of the forest trees shiver, and the sun was covered by gray clouds. Snow blanketed the forest ground, burying thornbushes and stray roots in a flurry of white frost. Small pawsteps could easily be heard as paws crunched, not at all soundlessly, against the ground, and a small bundle appeared, cowering as snow fell, covering the creature in snow.
The small creature blinked frost from its eyes, which were a brilliant green that shone against the white of the snow. Upon closer look, this was a cat, a she-cat, and her fur was not white, but rather just buried under a blanked of frost. Her legs collapsed under her, and she whimpered, shivering in the cold.
At this time, four cats padded out of the forest. One of them shook out her fur, revealing brown tabby stripes beneath the snow, as another, a tom, lifted his head, opening his jaws to taste the air. His ears pricked, and he turned to the third, whose fur was damp, as though she had just shaken it out.
"Hollyfire, do you scent something? It seems... foreign."
The black she-cat sniffed the air. "I understand what you're saying, but the scent is faint."
There was a snort from the other cat, who lifted her tail to sweep some of the snow off her back, revealing white fur with darker patches, and she lifted her head challengingly to meet the cat called Hollyfire's gaze. "Everything smells faint with this snow around here."
"Whatever it is, it's coming from something small, Cloudpatch," the first cat mewed to the white-and-black, her brown tabby fur bristling as snow coated it. There was a pause, as all four cats dropped down, keeping their tails low as they scented the air repeatedly.
"A kit!" The tom's mew alerted the other three cats as he shook out his gray fur, and he twitched his tail excitedly as they padded over to him. The brown tabby she-cat bounded closer, then picked up the trembling white bundle between her teeth and carefully set the kit on the ground, using her long tail to brush snow off it, revealing a fiery ginger pelt beneath.
The other cats watched intently as the she-cat murmured softly to the kit.
"I'm Runningfire," she explained, licking it fiercely between its ears.
The kit simply shivered, wriggling closer to Runningfire, and finally, she turned her head to face the ThunderClan warrior. Almost immediately, she flinched away, but as Runningfire ran a tail gently along her flank, the kit let out a soft, almost inaudible, purr.
"I suppose we should take her back to camp," Hollyfire conceded, stepping to Runningfire's side.
Cloudpatch, the black-and-white she-cat, pushed gently past Hollyfire, but her blue eyes gleamed with suspicion and uncertainty. "No. Wait, Runningfire. This is a stranger, even if she is a kit, and you want to take her into our camp? I don't think that's a good idea."
"For StarClan's sake, Cloudpatch!" Runningfire turned her head to glare at Cloudpatch through her dark amber eyes. "She's just a kit! She wouldn't do any harm!" She turned and pressed her face close to the kit's. "Would you?"
Blinking brilliant green eyes, the kit shook her head emphatically, her tail swishing from side to side.
"There, Cloudpatch." Runningfire sounded satisfied. "Didn't I tell you?"
Cloudpatch nodded, but her blue gaze still held a slight suspicion, and she pulled back slightly. The gray tom padded over, sniffing the kit closely. "She doesn't smell of any other clan, so I think it should be all right."
"Really, Ashstrike?" Cloudpatch mewed, the slightest hint of a growl in her voice. "What if she turns on us after she becomes a warrior?"
"I think you're all worrying unnecessarily," Hollyfire stated calmly, lifting her dark head so that her green eyes blazed challengingly into the other warriors' gazes. "This is just a kit! When she's a warrior, she won't even remember that she was born outside of the clan!"
Three pairs of eyes landed on her pelt. "That means... we can't tell her?" Runningfire spoke up.
"I think we can tell her," Ashstrike mewed. "She just will have to train extra hard to be accepted by the clan."
"Then, it's settled," Hollyfire mewed firmly, with a glance at Cloudpatch. "She's coming with us, back to ThunderClan. Cloudpatch, you and I will finish the patrol. Runningfire," she added, speaking directly to the brown tabby she-cat, who was now vigorously washing the kit, "you and Ashstrike take the kit back to camp and explain to Lionstar about this."
With a brief nod, her gaze met the kit's, and the black she-cat turned to Cloudpatch, the two padding away through the trees.
"Come with us, little one," Runningfire mewed softly.
The kit pressed its small paws against the ground, looking uncertain. Ashstrike rested his nose on her head. "Come on. It's not far. I'm Ashstrike." The small she-cat nodded, allowing Runningfire to pick her up by the scruff, and she dangled from the brown tabby she-cat's jaws.
"Let's go," Runningfire mumbled, around the she-cat in her jaws, and padded through the trees.
Ashstrike followed, and the three cats headed towards the ThunderClan camp. "So, what's your name, little one?"
The kit shook her head, her green eyes falling onto the ground below. "I don't have one," she murmured softly, her ears pricking as she heard a twig snap, as Ashstrike stumbled over a fallen branch, that was covered in snow.
Ashstrike and Runningfire exchanged worried glances. "Well, how many moons old are you?" Ashstrike asked, trying to sound friendly.
"I'm almost one moon old," the kit replied brightly, oblivious to the fact that doubt was worming its way into the hearts of both Ashstrike and Runningfire. There was a pause, and as Runningfire's paw slipped on a snow-covered root, Ashstrike bounded to her side, steadying her. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to ThunderClan," Ashstrike mewed calmly, his tail twitching. "That's where we live." The she-kit shot him a confused look. "There are four clans, in all, and ThunderClan is one of them. There's also WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan." The kit nodded, and Ashstrike continued, passion in his voice. "In ThunderClan, after you turn six moons old, you become an apprentice. We have a leader named Lionstar, and he assigns you a mentor, who will teach you all the skills of a warrior. And later on, you'll be given assessments, and then, you'll become a warrior. You'll hunt and fight for ThunderClan."
"But who do you fight?" the she-kit asked, green eyes wide.
Ashstrike's claws unsheathed. "The other clans."
The kit remained silent for a brief moment, then turned back to face Ashstrike. "But I want to be a warrior now!"
Runningfire purred, and Ashstrike bent his head to the little she-cat's height. "One day, you will be, little one, but not now." Turning to Runningfire, he let out a purr. "Great StarClan! Were we really like that once?"
"We were," Runningfire mumbled around the kit in her jaws. "Hard to imagine."
"What's StarClan?" the kit piped up, blinking innocently.
"StarClan is our warrior ancestors," Ashstrike replied honestly. "After you... die... you go to StarClan, and from there, you watch over the clans." The kit nodded, eyes wide and intrigued, as she shook out her bright ginger fur, spattering snow onto Runningfire's pelt.
"Do all cats die?"
Runningfire lowered her head, but didn't slow down. "Yes, little one. All cats die, but not all at the same time. StarClan decides when you join them."
"Even you?" The kit seemed awed that such a thing could happen.
"Yes, even us," Ashstrike mewed, though his fur pricked at the very thought.
"What does it feel like?"
Ashstrike purred in amusement, his chest heaving. "I've never died, little one. I wouldn't know." He might admire the kit's innocence, and even feel pity that this innocence would soon be lost. The kit nodded, lowering her green gaze.
"We're here," Runningfire mumbled. "Ashstrike, are you coming?" The gray tom's gaze had wandered, and he had stopped for less than a heartbeat. He twitched his tail to let her know that he had heard, and padded after the lithe brown tabby. Setting the kit down, she dropped into a crouch. "Are you all right, little one?" Her tail touched the kit's cheek, then pulled away.
"I'm all right," she mewed quietly, then padded after Ashstrike, who had vanished into a den. Inside, a large golden-brown tom sat, his amber eyes gleaming with interest as Ashstrike padded inside, followed by the small she-kit.
"Ashstrike." The tom's voice was deep and calm, and the kit pricked her ears, listening. "Why have you brought this kit into my den?"
Ashstrike seemed at a loss for words, but Runningfire, padding in, replied for him. "We found this kit lying in the snow, and we decided that ThunderClan would be a good home for her. She seems interested..." Runningfire trailed off.
"I am!" The she-kit stepped out from behind Ashstrike, and Lionstar purred in amusement.
"Do you want to join ThunderClan?" he asked, his voice calm. The kit nodded eagerly, her green eyes flashing with enthusiasm as she faced the leader. "Ashstrike, Runningfire, this kit will be your responsibilty. Bluegaze will feed her until she is old enough to eat fresh-kill, but other than that, you will be responsible for her."
Ashstrike nodded. "We won't let you down."
Lionstar flicked his tail, his ear twitching. "How old is she?"
"A moon." Runningfire stepped forward to answer the golden-brown tom.
"What is her name?" At this point, Runningfire and Ashstrike exchanged uncomfortable glances, and the kit remained silent. Lionstar let out a dry cough. "Is there a problem?" The she-kit did not reply, but she lowered her head.
Runningfire studied her paws. "Well... she doesn't have one."
"What do you mean?" Lionstar seemed genuinely confused as his amber gaze landed on the ginger kit.
"She has no name," Ashstrike mewed, more confidently.
Lionstar's expression radiated surprise, but he nodded slowly. "I will hold the ceremony, after you show the kit around the camp. Remember, she is your responsibility." Runningfire nodded, and she and Ashstrike turned to leave the leader's den.
"Let's go," Runningfire murmured, her warm breath stirring the kit's ear.
"Wait!" Lionstar called, causing the three cats to turn. "When she grows to be one of us, she will forget that she was from far away. Never tell her, and make sure you tell the clan so." Runningfire nodded, padding after the kit, who was already outside.
"Oh, and one more thing," Lionstar mewed. A smile spread across his face, and he let out a gentle purr. "Her name will be Firekit."