Chapter 1:

Help

Deceiving my brothers is a speciality of mine. Even if it is in the open clearing where everyone, but my brothers, can see me. Living with two semi-unruly brothers isn't great but you can't pick your kin. I'll always love Dovekit and Cinderkit to the days the Dark Forest takes over. Sometimes even then. I don't hear anything about them trying to find me so I get up and start to pad away when I hear a rustling behind me. Assuming it was them I dropped into a crouch hoping to hide my light brown pelt in the ferns.

The bush rustled some more. I was down-wind from it so, hoping that a breeze wouldn't come by, I moved a little closer to it. If it was Dovekit and Cinderkit they would've jumped out by now. I was only a few tail lengths away from the fern I was hiding in when the scent filled my nose. It wasn't a scent I recognized. Although it did have the scent of milk mixed in with it.

The scent got stronger when the thing popped its snout-like mouth out of a bush a couple tail-lengths away. I then knew I was In trouble. The snout belonged to a fox. A nursing fox by the scent of milk, which is even worse. Fear settled into me when I heard it and felt it moving closer. I try to slither away from it towards the tree next to the edge of the Hollow rim. Stumbling and tripping, the fox snarled.

No way to hide, run, or howl for help without alerting the fox to my exact whereabouts. I was starting to see the bright red fur of the fox as it got closer. Foxes would do anything to get a kit and kill it, according to the elders' stories.

"StarClan help me!" I hissed under my breath as the fox comes leaping out.

Snapping and swiping it stood waiting to rid of the nuisence in its area. It flew at me with it's teeth bared hoping to catch me. It moved too suddenly and fast that when I slid beneath her she slammed into the tree. Blood trickled a little from her underside from my hind claws but that didnt seem to bother her much. As I tried to sidestep away from her she slammed me unto the ground with her paw on my throat. Sliding into unconscious, the fox began to whine and whimper as the air rushed back into my lungs. Getting a hazy glimpse I saw a light brown tabby reared up next to Ravenpaw.

Ravenpaw was prodding my side trying to wake me up.

"Thank StarClan your alright! I was worried I'd have to tell your mother you were killed by a fox. Do you need any help getting up?" He meowed hurriedly noticing I was trying to get up.

"No im alright. Where's the cat that was helping you? How did you know I was here? Does anyone else know! Dovekit or Cinderkit didn't see you did they?"

"Leafpool's right behind you, I could see you from underneath the shade tree in the corner of the clearing. No one else saw me slink away, I think. Dovekit and Cinderkit definitely didn't see me. They're with your mother playing next to the lake." He purred knowing that with all those questions she was okay.

Wait. If Dovekit and Cinderkit were out with Midnightstar then I could've been down there sharing a mouse or a vole with someone? I gotta be more observent!

"We've yet to meet personally, Mousekit," there was a motherly voice coming from behind me. "Oh my! They were right. If we didn't know you were Midnightstar's kit we never would've guessed! Anyway I'm here to warn you." The tabby warrior's surprised expression shocked me. Am I that different than my mother?

"I thought StarClan's meetings were only for a cat at a time," she looked back at the black tom who was listening and hanging onto every word. "No. It's quite rare we give warnings to several cats at once but never is it only for one cat alone to know. Unless your told otherwise. You have a great journey ahead of you Mousekit. You will find trouble no cat has ever dreamed of before. Knowing who you can trust is going to be difficult. We, StarClan and all who run and hunt there, are intrusting you with this," the shimmering tabby she concluded.

"Who are you exactly?" my voice sounded weak with the shock of being attacked by a fox. "Your name sounds like one I've heard... but I'm not sure."

"Leafpool's the daughter of Firestar. She birthed Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather in the Anicent Clans that we once were before the war with the Dark Forest," green eyes met mine with an expression of amusement in them. "Sharpthorn likes telling kits that story all the time which, is why her name sounds so fimliar to you."

"Thank you Ravenpaw. But he is right Mousekit. I'll try to help you along the way as much as I can without having too much say in the matter. Remember you are the key to your Clans future. Ravenpaw is along to help." Leafpool was fading rapidly. "Never lose your faith in us Mousekit, it'll prove to help you in the long run."

Loud paw steps were heading this way. Hunting patrol. Four cats emerged in the clearing across from Ravenpaw and I. The black apprentice locked eyes with me for a quick heartbeat, telling me to let him do the talking.

"What are you doing all this way out of camp with just an apprentice with you, Mousekit?" a gray and golden she stepped up. "You mother has been looking for you everywhere. Well it doesn't matter now, she's at the lake with your brothers." Was I that focused in day dreaming I didn't see my mother leave?

"Risingwater, it doesn't matter now. Besides I told Midnightstar I'd take Mousekit out for alittle bit last night. She must have forgotten." The apprentice sounded as if he was challenging her. "We'll head back to camp."

Ravenpaw and I started to get up to leave when I fell. I couldn't move my hind leg. My body was lifted off the ground and black paws appeared in rythmatic movements under her. "Don't think you two are off the hook that easy! We all can smell fox." The she cats hiss trailed behind them.

I was set gentlely down a couple of trees away from the camp enterance. A cold nose poked around my leg that wouldn't move. "I think its just twisted. I'm not sure though, since I've only just been apprenticed three moons ago. But knowing you, you'd want to walk through those brambles like nothing ever happened right?"

"Um... let me try walking on it..." I could barely spit the words out with him staring at me. Everytime I tried to walk on it I fell, almost hurting another paw trying to catch myself. "I don't think I can walk back. Even if it is a couple of trees away. Do you think you could take me to Brightbreath?" I avoided his gaze knowing that if I looked into them I'd be at a loss for words.

Whispers flew around camp like the wind as they walked through the tunnel enterance, and as if sensing my uneasiness, Ravenpaw moved quickier. The brambles that hide the calico's den hid most of the stares.

Poking and prodding my leg, a soothing purring came floating up to my ears. "You'll have to be more careful next time you venture out of camp, Mousekit. The reason you can't walk on it is because its sprained. Probally from the fox you," she glanced at Ravenpaw. "fought off. I'll give some poppy seed to ease some of the pain but you won't be able to do much for a little while."

The she cat reached her paw into a small hollow area she used to store herbs and pulled out tiny black seeds out. Setting a few in front of me she meowed, "Don't worry I won't tell Midnightstar. But you'll need to rest so eat these and go to the nursery."