The Smallest of the Pack

by Blazing Blizzardstorm

A litter of four kits are born to respected warriors of their Clan. All four kits are healthy and strong, yet one is so small. Her brothers tease and exclude her because she's "too small" for them. Older warriors hold her back from doing too much because they think she is too fragile. All she wants to do is to prove herself, but how can she if she's the smallest of the pack?

Hello everyone! I'm writing a new fic, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! This is one of my favorite ideas that I've came up with and I hope to become a better writer in the process of writing this. Read and enjoy!

~Blizzard

Prologue: Smallest of the Pack

A dappled gray tabby she-cat with herbs in her jaws walked into a bramble-covered den. The scent of the den was milky, sweet, and warm. Two queens lay in mossy, feathery nests with kits at their bellies. One queen was a gently snoring blue-gray cat with three kits sleeping soundly in the soft nest. The other queen was a pale gray she cat who was barely awake.

The dappled gray she-cat put the herbs by the drowsy queen. She had four newborns, three toms and a she-kit. "You did quite well for your first kitting," mewed the dappled gray cat.

The queen then licked up the bitter herbs and then purred softly, "you're quite the medicine cat, Raindust! Too bad Thrushleaf couldn't see what you did here tonight. I would have been crowfood without you!"

"Well, you should thank Streamfeather for getting me. I wish Thrushleaf wasn't sick though," Raindust sighed. "But, are you going to name your kits tonight?"

The queen replied sleepily, "I wish Cedarstep was here. I know he told me to name the kits while he was on his journey, yet I wanted him to have some say in the kits' names. I know he wanted to name a kit after his mother or father. I think I'm going to wait."

"Grayfern, you can't wait. You know Cedarstep wouldn't be back soon. Him and Foxwing are in the twolegplace gathering catmint for Thrushleaf. It takes longer than a sunrise to return." Raindust mewed flatly.

About a quarter moon ago, Raindust's mentor, Thrushleaf, had caught an unknown disease that was similar to greencough. Raindust had used catmint to help cure her mentor, which proved to efficiently fight the disease. Volestar had ordered Foxwing and Cedarstep to replenish the catmint supplies to cure Thrushleaf and prepare if there would be an outbreak of the disease. Thrushleaf was getting better, but was not well enough to leave her den.

"I guess if you say so, sis." Grayfern sighed.

Raindust could clearly tell that she needed to have her sister quickly name the kits so she could get some much needed sleep. "Let's start then," Raindust purred.

She looked down at her sister's soft gray belly. The four newborns laid there snoozing. Grayfern looked down at the first kit who was closest to her head. He was a large, healthy, mottled reddish brown tabby tom with long fur. He looked like he would be quite the fighter when he became a full-grown warrior. "How about Rockkit for him?" Grayfern yawned.

"I think it fits him well. He looks a lot like Cedarstep's brother, Brindletalon," Raindust commented.

They looked down at the next kit. He looked like another powerful tom, but he had long legs. He looked like he would make a good hunter. The odd thing was about the kit was that he had a sleek white pelt. Raindust and Grayfern's mother was a white cat, but it was surprising since he looked nothing like his parents. "Why don't you name him, Raindust?" Grayfern mewed.

Raindust did not bother to argue not to, but she decided to make the most of it. Maybe I could convince the kit to be my apprentice, she shrugged.

"How about Icekit for his white pelt?" Raindust suggested.

Grayfern purred. "It's perfect. Onto the last tom. What about Featherkit? His fur is slightly longer than the others."

Raindust nodded. The tom looked nearly identical to his mother with his long, pale silvery gray fur. Like Icekit, his long legs could make him an excellent runner.

She looked at the last kit, the smoky dark gray she-kit. The kit was runt of the litter, but seemed healthy and strong like the other toms. Raindust had not expressed her worries about the tiny kit to her sister. Raindust was frightened that the kit would not last if Thrushleaf's sickness spread through camp. The kit was smaller and had less of a chance of survival than her brothers. She would notify her sister that the she-kit would need to be watched until her kit was big enough.

"How about Wolfkit for her? She'll grow up strong like Wolfpelt, Cedarstep's father." Grayfern's drowsy mew interrupted Raindust's thoughts.

"I like the name. She'll grow up to be a strong warrior like all of your other kits," Raindust replied. "You probably should get some sleep. It's not good for you and the kits if you have no sleep!"

"Cedarstep will be more than happy to see his family when he gets back." Grayfern let out a big yawn.

Raindust decided that she should leave the mother and kits. Grayfern closed her pale green orbs and went into a deep slumber. Raindust waited until Grayfern was fully asleep before she left.

As Raindust left the nursery, she stared back at the four kits, particularly the small dark gray she-kit. May StarClan guide their paws onto the right path, she thought as she ran back into her cavern den to check on Thrushleaf.

---

Allegiances

RushClan

Leader- Volestar- large, muscular, sleek dusky brown tom with pale amber eyes

Apprentice, Sandpaw

Deputy- Creekwillow- huge, tall, muscular, long-haired, blue-gray tabby tom with white paws and pale blue eyes

Medicine cat- Thrushleaf- small, slender, sleek pale gray-brown tabby she-cat with dusty pale green eyes

Apprentice, Raindust

Warriors

Silverstorm- average-sized, broad-shouldered, well-muscled, silver and black tabby tom with a white chest and dark blue eyes

Apprentice, Heronpaw

Poppyspots- slender, long-furred, sleek pale gray she-cat with black flecks and dark ivy green eyes

Riverfrost- slender, sleek pale brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and amber eyes

Shadehawk- small, muscular, dark smoky gray tabby tom with pale green eyes and a white tipped tail

Cedarstep- tall, lean, brown tabby tom with amber eyes and ragged fur that sticks out in all angles

Apprentice, Splashpaw

Brindletalon- large, muscular, mottled reddish brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes and white paws

Apprentice, Otterpaw

Foxwing- tall dark ginger tom with ragged fur, a white underbelly, and pale green eyes

Blossomnose- slender, long-furred, tortoiseshell and white she-cat with a striking pink nose and icy blue eyes

Petaldapple- sleek white she-cat with cream dapples and dark green eyes

Hawkfang- massive, very muscular, mottled dark brown tabby tom with pale amber eyes

Apprentices

Raindust- slender, dappled gray tabby she-cat with pale amber eyes

Otterpaw- small, broad-shouldered, sleek dusky brown tom with pale amber eyes

Splashpaw- slender, long-furred, pale blue-gray she-cat with white splashes and pale green eyes

Heronpaw- tall, blue-gray and white tom with pale blue eyes

Sandpaw- undersized, ragged-furred, pale ginger tabby she-cat with dark green eyes

Queens

Streamfeather- tall, slender, long-furred, pale blue-gray tabby she-cat with a white chest, white paws, and dark blue eyes; mother of Shadehawk's kits: Mintkit, Swallowkit, and Lakekit

Grayfern- slender, long-furred, silvery pale gray she-cat with pale green eyes; mother of Cedarstep's kits: Icekit, Featherkit, Wolfkit, and Rockkit

Elders

Bumblefang- huge, tall, golden brown tabby tom with jet black stripes, a shredded pelt, and dark green eyes

Shellfur- small, sleek silver she-cat with pale amber eyes; oldest cat in RushClan

Kits

Mintkit- sleek black she-kit with dark green eyes and a white-tipped tail

Swallowkit- sleek dark smoky gray tom with green eyes and a white chest

Lakekit- long-furred blue-gray she-kit with a white chest, a white muzzle, and icy blue eyes

Icekit- tall, sleek pure white tom with a pale gray muzzle, pale gray ears, and pale green eyes

Featherkit- unusually long-furred pale silvery gray tom with white ears, white paws, and green eyes

Wolfkit- very small, undersized, ragged-furred, dark gray she-kit with dark amber eyes

Rockkit- large, long-furred, reddish brown tabby tom with pale amber eyes

OakClan

Leader- Featherstar- long-furred, slender, long-legged, tall, white she-cat with dusty brown splashes, dark yellow eyes, and white tufts coming out of each ear

Deputy- Aspenstorm- broad-shouldered, large, light, golden-brown tabby she-cat with muscular build and dark green eyes

Apprentice, Swiftpaw

Medicine cat- Smokecloud- lean, slightly undersized, lithe, long-furred, dark, smoky gray, almost black tom with a white muzzle, paws, and chest and light, frosty blue eyes

Warriors

Marshpelt- large, broad-shouldered, dark brown tabby tom with wild clumps of fur all over his body and green eyes; has a scar running down his right eye and a nipped left ear

Birchtail- lithe, lean, light gray tabby tom with light amber eyes, a white underbelly, and a white tipped tail

Apprentice, Stormpaw

Darksplash- broad-shouldered, heavily scarred, dark gray tom with white splashes of fur and bright blue eyes

Emberwind- sleek, short-furred, bright ginger tabby tom with yellow-green eyes, darker flecks, and a darker tipped tail

Apprentice, Palepaw

Cinderlight- slender, slightly undersized, lighter gray she-cat with darker gray tabby stripes and yellow eyes

Sparrowflight- awkwardly long-legged, tall, light brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and yellow eyes

Barkfur- sleek, slim, long-furred, well-muscled, dark brown tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

Rainpetal- slender, medium-furred, blue-gray she-cat with wisps of white all over her body and light blue eyes

Apprentice, Rosepaw

Lionfang- large, muscular, broad-shouldered, long-furred, dark golden tabby tom with light green eyes, white muzzle, white tipped tail, and white socks

Snowbreeze- long-legged, long-furred, sleek, pure white-she cat with green eyes

Spiderstep- long-legged, tall, black tom with white paws and tail and dark blue eyes

Apprentices

Palepaw- A slim, broad-shouldered, very pale gray, almost white-looking, she-cat with long whiskers and amber eyes

Swiftpaw- A lean, scrawny, black and white tom with bright amber eyes

Stormpaw- A lean, broad-shouldered, well-muscled, dark gray tabby tom with white locket on his chest and dark green eyes

Rosepaw- A slender, dainty-pawed, light ginger tabby she-cat with light green eyes

Queens

Spottedmist- A short-legged, undersized, dark tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes; mother of Emberwind's kits: Dapplekit, Blazekit, and Blackkit

Dawnfire- dark cream-colored tabby she-cat with light green eyes; mother of Sparrowflight's kits: Bramblekit and Berrykit

Iceflower- sleek, fluffy, silver and white she-cat with blue eyes; mother of Lionfang's kit: Whitekit

Willowstrike- large, broad-shouldered, long-furred, powerful pale gray she-cat with a white chest, belly and paws and light blue eyes; expecting Birchtail's kits

Kits

Dapplekit- dark tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and tail tip; has yellowish green eyes

Blazekit- large, broad-shouldered, dark ginger tom with a white chest and yellow eyes

Blackkit- sleek, lithe, long-legged black tom with yellow eyes

Berrykit- tall, long-legged, light cream-colored tabby she-cat with light green eyes

Bramblekit- dark tabby tom with white paw, a white-tipped tail, a cream belly, and yellow eyes

Whitekit- sleek, undersized, long-furred, white she-kit with pale, icy blue eyes

Elders

Crookedfoot- tall, skinny, old, gray tom with pale yellow eyes and a broken foot that never seemed to heal

Jayheart- aging, dark blue-gray she-cat with light amber eyes; oldest cat in the Clans

Mudpool- very elderly, dark, murky brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and blue eyes

I hope you that you enjoyed the prologue, even if it was a little short! Please tell me what you think! Reviews are highly appreciated! The first chapter will be posted soon.