Chapter 1

" Cinderheart, she won't open her eyes!" Blazekit whined to her mother. "Great Starclan, Blazekit, Sunkit has pretty good sense not to open her eyes until you've joined the elders!" Cinderheart said, exasperated. Blazekit pondered that. "Well, it doesn't make sense 'cause she's not gonna have any fun with her eyes shut like that! Besides, I haven't got no one to play with since Trailheart hasn't kitted and Grasskit is in the medicine cat den and Sunkit WON'T OPEN HER EYES!" Blazekit wailed.

"Oh, poor you, you haven't got anyone to play with," said Trailheart, sarcasm thick in her voice. Blazekit reared around and glared at the queen with blazing green eyes. She was plain tired of Trailheart trating her like a piece of flea-ridden dirt." You didn't kit any cat yet! What would you know about it?" "Blazekit!" said Cinderheart with shock in her blue eyes. Blazekit didn't stop, instead she just lashed out more. " You probably never even wanted to play- all you probably wanted to do was –" Blazekit winced. Trailheart's mate, incidentally Clan deputy, Shortear, had just entered the nursery. She clamped her mouth shut and consequently bit her tongue. She stuck it out, crossing her eyes so she could see it, and heard Cinderheart exclaim, " Great Starclan, Blazekit, what has gotten into you today? Crossing your eyes at the deputy? Have you gone mad?"

"Well I'm only a quarter moon so it wouldn't make much sense if I went mad!" Blazekit said, indignant. Then she slapped her tail against her mouth. In front of the Clan deputy, too! Well, at least that was more polite then what she would usually say. Shortear narrowed his eyes at her and bristled. His amber gaze was more than she could bear. " What are you staring at me for? Think it'll make me more respectful?" Blazekit reared to her full height and pushed her nose against Shortear's. "'Cause it WON'T!"

" Huh? Wha? Hey, everybody!" Blazekit, surprised,stared delightedly down at her sister. Her tirade had woken Sunkit!

Blazekit sat crossly right outside the nursery. She wasn't allowed to get out of her den since her nerve to Shortear. She glared at him. He had just returned from hunting patrol with Poppyfrost and Thornclaw. The forest was laden in prey and all three had something to show for it.

Shortear came over to her and dropped the huge crow he had caught. " Any apologies, Blazekit?" "No, Shortear, though I see you managed to catch only one crow while the other members of your patrol caught at least two fat squirrels and four plump mice and now they're going right back onto a border patrol while you are slacking your duty by talking to a kit. A clever kit, but a kit at that." Blazekit smirked when she saw his stricken look. "No, sir, no apologies or respect for the cat Squirrelstar seems to think is so great. This is the only situation where she ever showed bad should be getting back to work." Blazekit lifted her tail and held it high as she turned back into the nursery, pleasantly aware of Shortear's discomfited, disbelieving look.

I'm not afraid of anything, not even the Clan deputy! Blazekit thought as she strode into the den. Grasskit was sleeping curled up in a nest. Her eyes gleamed. Perfect chance to prove he wasn't all the brave warrior he claimed to be. " WindClan's attacking the camp!" she yowled, surprised that at the same time Thornclaw voiced the warning.

The camp was in confusion. WindClan warriors streamed in. A gray she-cat-probably the leader- leaped in front of her warriors. " We come in peace!", she announced.

"Don't you trust 'em, old buddy." Blazekit muttered under her breath. Duh, she was right.

"We, WindClan, have hunted the moor near clean. We are nearly rabbitless and our Clan has grew too big for the little prey we manage to catch." Ashstar said confidentally. "We-"

Why did she break off? Blazekit wondered. Then she saw- Squirrelstar was slowly walking towards Ashstar. "Your Clan is weak, and too useless to catch any prey," she said, slowly drawing out each word,"And you come to us for help? Do you expect us to give up all our territory to a Clan too weak to defend it?"

Go, Squirrelstar! Blazekit cheered silently. Then she stopped.

Ashstar had come right up to Squirrelstar, stuck her nose in her face, and hissed," Yes, we do."

And with that, they swarmed out the clearing.