Chapter One
Each Day's a Gift and Not a Given Right

I watched with light blue eyes as my parents argued. Prince, my father, was shouting at my mother and saying that I was not his kit. She cheated, he said. I wondered briefly what that meant "cheating". Not fair, against the rules, right? That doesn't make any sense. My white fur was fluffed up in fear as my father turned to me, hatred burning in his amber eyes. I cowered in fear, backing into a tree as he came closer. He growled at me, his paw raised a claws unsheathed, before turning to mother.

"Look at her!" He hissed. "She is pure white! My family is of black and brown cats! Not white! And I've seen your parents and brother! Silver and black! She doesn't get her fur from either of us! Nor our eyes! Mine are amber and yours are green! You cheated Luna, I know you did!"

"Prince, listen to me." My mother tried to reason. "I love you, and only you! I would never choose another cat over you! Snow is your child!"

"Prove it!" Father snarled. "Kill her!"

I gasped and looked at Mother with round, scared eyes. Hope quivered in every whisker I had. She would refuse, wouldn't she? My heart plummeted when she glared at me coldly and stalked over to me.

"Because of you" Mother hissed. "Because of you I almost lost my one love! You had to be born white!" She slashed her claws across my face and I wailed at the pain.

I tried to run, but strong paws held me back. I felt claws score across my left side. I felt her release me and I darted into a small bramble bush. She ran after me and I raced away, deeper into the forest. Trees whirled past me and I was soon out of breath. However, the sound of paws behind me made me push myself farther into the forest. I began to feel lightheaded and my body screamed for me to stop. I slowed and looked behind me, to see Mother right behind me. I whimpered and sped up, going as fast as my little body could and thanking that my mother was plump and lazy. As I pushed on, the ground disappeared beneath my feet and I fell through the air. I yowled as my small body churned through the air and finally smashed against the ground. Pain filled my limbs and I wailed in agony. The last thing I saw was a blue-gray she-cat hovering over me.

--

"She seems to be recovering, Bluestar." A soft meow found its way into my ears. "But her leg is hurt."

"Broken?" Another cat, probably this Bluestar, asked with the slightest hint of horror.

"No, not broken." That soft mew came again. "I think it might be cracked though."

"The poor kit, to be hurt liked that. How are her scratches?"

"Healing. I'd say she'll need seven sunrises before she's fit to move around." I love that soft meow. It makes me want to fall asleep again.

"The poor thing...Do you know when she'll wake?"

"No. I'd say by sunrise." That wonderful, soft meow…

I blinked my eyes open slightly to see a blue-gray she-cat and a tortoiseshell she-cat with their backs to me. Where was I? I began to panic and I tried to push myself to my paws, but a screeching pain in my left hind leg forced me down. I whimpered slightly in pain and closed my eyes tightly.

"It seems you're awake." The soft-voice cat mewed quietly.

I looked up to see the tortoiseshell hovering over me. "You shouldn't move, you cracked one of your legs and your scratches need time to heal."

"Who are you?" I growled hoarsely.

"My name is Spottedleaf." She purred. "Can you tell me who hurt you and why you fell into Thunderclan camp?"

"Thunderclan?" I questioned, tilting my head to one side.

"You have fallen from a ravine into a clan of cats. We are known as Thunderclan." The gray she-cat meowed, stepping forward. "My name is Bluestar and I'm their leader. Now, can you tell us who hurt you?"

I looked at my white paws. "I-I don't want to talk about it." I was ashamed to admit that my own parents had turned on me and that Father wasn't my real father.

"We will allow you to stay here." Bluestar meowed. "However, you can either join Thunderclan or not. If you do, you will stay here until you are called to join Starclan. If you don't you must leave as soon as you are healed."

Leave? I didn't want to leave; after all, I had no place to go. But did I want to live with these strange cats? I was saved from having to answer by Spottedleaf.

"She's tired and hurt. Perhaps she can give you her answer after seven sunrises." She suggested kindly.

"Very well," Bluestar agreed. "She must give me her answer in seven sunrises." With that said, Bluestar turned and left the den.

"Get some rest." Spottedleaf murmured softly and left me.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, despite the gnawing pain in my leg.