Chapter 1

Reedpelt, river clan's medicine cat rushed around as Birchwing began kitting. "What I need," he thought, "is an apprentice." He turned back to Birchwing with a mouth full of herbs. A powerful ripple passed through her body and a small kit came out. He broke the sack around it as three more powerful ripples passed and another kit slid out. He broke the sack around the second kit and helped Birchwing bring the two kits to her stomach where they immediately began suckling. The first kit was a small she cat and its pelt was all white except the tips of her ears and her paws which were brown. The second kit, a tom, was all brown. The only thing the two kits had in common was their icy blue eyes.

"You've done a wonderful job," Reedpelt mewed to Birchwing, "have you thought of names for them?" he asked the queen curiously.

"Whitekit and Mudkit." She replied, turning to the white kit, then to the brown.

A few days later Whitekit woke to the sounds of cats yowling. She opened her eyes, which were a light brown, and looked out of the nursery to where she saw a group of warriors arguing with Silverstar, leader of the clan and her father. She got up and started walking towards them when a voice behind her said, "And where do you think you're going?" Whitekit turned and saw her mother laying in the nest, her brother still sleeping beside her.

"I want to go see," She mewed.

"Come back, this doesn't concern you," Her mother replied.

Whitekit, being a clever and mischievous kit said to her mother, "But mama, what if it's cats from another clan coming to attack?" she paused and then continued, "Or a fox that some cat smelled?"

"Well if it involves any of those things it concerns the warriors, not you." Whitekit walked over to her mom and suckled, her hunger ebbing and her curiosity growing. "You will have a chance to help the clan when you are a warrior," her mother mewed after a long moment of silence.

"But mama, I don't think I can wait that long," Whitekit cried. She wanted to help her clan, and she wanted to do it now. She wanted to go out, but she wasn't allowed to unless she went with her brother, so Whitekit poked Mudkit until he woke up. "Come on Mudkit!" She mewed excitedly, "Let's go play!"

"I'm hungry," He wailed. But Whitekit wasn't listening; she was already standing at the mouth of the nursery, looking out at the camp. She turned to look at her brother and found him coming up beside her. They ran out of the nursery, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Let's practice hunting," Whitekit said, turning towards her brother, "I'll be the hunter and you can be the prey." She lowered herself to the ground so she was in a hunting crouch then sprang at her brother. Before she could land on him she felt teeth dig into her pelt and reacted instantly, spinning so that she could pin her attacker.

"Okay, okay I surrender," her father mewed, swiping playfully at Whitekit's ear. "I can tell you'll make a fine Warrior when you are ready."

"But I'm ready now!" Whitekit replied, "See I've already pinned you, what else is there that I need to know?"

"Well first you need to be bigger and older, and then you need to learn how to hunt and take care of the other cats. Then you need to know how to fight properly."

"Well maybe I can help with that," one of the Warriors said as he walked up to them. It was a tom with silver hair and he was the deputy, ready to become leader if Silverstar died. "I don't think it would be too much trouble and I was about to head out with Dapplepaw anyway."

"Really?" Asked Whitekit with excitement, then looked at her father, "Can I go? Please?"

"Well I think you should ask your mother, but I do think it would be a good experience for you. Although your brother should stay, he looks a little tired." Whitekit looked over to where her brother was laying down on the grass having a nap in a pool of sun.

Whitekit ran over to her mother in anticipation and before she was even in the nursery called out, "Can I go watch Dapplepaw practice? Silverstar said it was okay!"

"Well if your father and Greypelt say it's okay then I guess you can, but be very careful."

"Thank you!" And with that Whitekit ran out of the nursery and over to where Greypelt and Dapplepaw were waiting. "She said I can come," Whitekit told the two other cats with excitement.

"Well considering how you ran over I'd already guessed," Greypelt told her with a smile.

Greypelt was one of the youngest warriors and he'd only been a Warrior for a little over three moons, but he'd helped the clan in a battle against Thunderclan and that's how he became deputy. The cat who'd been deputy previously had been killed even though many of the cats had tried to save him. Dapplepaw had been made an apprentice and given to Greypelt the same day Whitekit and her brother had been born.

The three left the camp and went to around the territory, making sure there were no enemy cats. They were almost done when they heard movement in the reeds near the border they shared with Windclan. Greypelt and Dapplepaw both lowered into crouches and Greypelt hissed, "Whitekit go back," But seeing that she didn't move he turned around and pushed her behind him with his head.

"Where is all the food?" a voice asked. Whitekit didn't recognize the voice but she knew it belonged to a tom, but she also knew she recognized the scent of a Riverclan cat on the breeze, but did not recognize the other.

"You'll get your food soon enough, but be quiet will you. I don't think the clan would like sharing their food with yours."

"No they absolutely wouldn't." Greypelt said, straightening from his crouch. "I thought the food seemed to be getting scarce. I just thought it was because the snow was coming. I never thought one of our own cats would be stealing food and-" He was caught off as the cat from the other territory pounced on him and slashed his neck. Without even thinking Whitekit attacked him and was swiftly pulled off, but not before she felt claws rake down the side of her face.

Whitekit felt herself being pulled away but grabbed onto Greypelt and the weight made the cat pulling her stop. "I'm not leaving him here!" Whitekit yowled as she draped herself over Greypelt's unmoving body. She heard a hiss and looked up into the face of the cat she'd jumped on. Other than a small scratch near his eye he was fine, but he looked very angry.

"Isn't this precious. Now I can get three of you out of the way, which means there will be more food for my clan."

"Darkstar, don't hurt her. Her father is the leader; you shouldn't start problems with him. Plus she's not even a moon old yet." The Riverclan cat mewed soothingly. Whitekit wasn't sure why it mattered that her father was leader; she didn't even know who the other cat was, but he backed away and the two retreated back into the reeds.

"Come on Whitekit, let's bring him back to camp," Dapplepaw said, she sounded like she was trying to soothe Whitekit, but it wasn't working very well. Together the two she-cats half carried, half dragged the warrior back to camp. They hadn't gone far, but the walk made Whitekit exhausted.

"Whitekit!" A voice yelled. She recognized it as her mother's and turned to face her. "Oh Whitekit," the queen mewed sadly, "You're beautiful face."

"It hurts!" Whitekit shouted. The whole way back she hadn't realised it because she was carrying Greypelt, but now that she wasn't holding him anymore she found that her whole face felt as if it were on fire.

"Greypelt!" Came a cry. It was Moonshadow, Greypelt's mate. She ran over to him and pressed her face into his fur. "Who did this?" she demanded to no one in particular.

"It was Darkstar. He and Blackpelt were helping themselves to Riverclan prey." Dapplepaw said sadly.