Chapter One
New Surroundings
LightClan Territory
During the early morning hours of a wet spring day, a small gray cat is walking through the open moorland territory of LightClan. Now this cat seems small because well he is still a young Kit of no more than maybe three to four weeks of age. His ears are down and his tail doesn't move as he continues padding through the tall wet grass of this unknown area.
The little gray Kit was not born in LightClan nor was he born in a Human's house. He was in fact born on the streets of the Human territory just outside the lake home of the six Clans. He has no memory of his mother; she was killed by a car some time ago and as for his littermates, they were taken in by the store owner whose alleyway they had been born in leaving poor little Gray Owl out in the cold wet night with no warmth, love, or food.
Gray Owl lifts his head upon hearing movement up ahead of his current location. With his ears still back, he draws in the new scent. It doesn't smell like another cat to him nor does it give off a friendly scent. The unknown creature moves quickly in Gray Owl's direction, frightening the poor defenseless kit. He backs away into a tree accidentally trapping himself.
Before the larger animal can even sink its fangs into the gray Kit's scruff, something else knocks it aside. Not wanting to see his own demise, Gray Owl has his blue-gray eyes tightly shut. "We need o chase this fox off!" growled a deep voice located somewhere in front of the Kit. A pure white fluffy she-cat pads over to Gray Owl and looks at the cowering Kit briefly before looking at her Denmate.
"Take Silvermoon and Gorsepaw with you, Pepperclaw," she mewed. "I'll tend to the Kit."
"Will do," replied the tom known as Pepperclaw. Two more cats run past the white she-cat to aide the fluffy brown tabby tom. One is a large silver gray tabby tom and the other is smaller in size with dark gray fur. The she-cat looks back at the frightened Kit with gentle blue eyes.
"Look at me little one," she mewed gently. "I will not harm a strand of fur on your pelt." Gray Owl looks up at the white cat and slowly opens his eyes.
"W-who are you?" he asked in a timid yet small voice.
"My name is Snowdrift and I'm here to help you." Gray Owl looks at the three cats that are giving the fox a good chase from their territory. Silvermoon came bounding over to Snowdrift and Gray Owl quickly causing the Kit to back away in fear.
"Shh, little one, I won't hurt you," the large silver tom mewed in a gentle voice. Gray Owl looks up at Silvermoon with his ears still back. Gorsepaw and Pepperclaw pad over to their Clanmates to look down at their little rescuee.
"Who do we have here?" Pepperclaw asked in general curiosity.
"It looks like a lost HouseCat!" snarled Gorsepaw rudely.
"Come to think of it, this Kit doesn't smell like Humans," Silvermoon put in giving the Kit a goo sniff without knocking him over.
"Nor do we know his name because we never asked for it," Snowdrift put in. "Therefore, you shouldn't jump to conclusions about others, Gorsepaw. You need to learn the difference between a Loner and a HouseCat." Gray Owl looks at each of them in turn, though he doesn't say anything at first clearly still frightened.
"So what are we going to do with it?" Gorsepaw asked a hint of disgust in his voice.
"We are going to bring him to Whiskerstar," Snowdrift said as she places her jaws gently around Gray Owl's scruff. She closes her mouth and lifts her head slowly and carefully bringing the Kit up off the ground.
"I doubt that Whiskerstar would let a Kit this size stay out in the cold nights alone and unprotected, especially if we can't find his mother," Silvermoon said as he nudges the Apprentice from behind to get him to head back towards the camp. Gorsepaw huffs in annoyance, but starts padding ahead of the three Warriors. Pepperclaw, Silvermoon, and Snowdrift fall into step beside each other as they head back home since their hunting patrol ended in a rescue instead. Gray Owl remains silent as he dangles from the white Warrior's jaws as she walks.