Cold….. I'm so cold! That's all I can feel. I'm blind and deaf. Wait… I think I can feel my brother next to me. Where are the others. I can smell my mom, but this unknown tom is here too… Is he my dad? Brother is wiggling next to me. He wants down. I think at least. I mean we're both cold and hungry. I mewl in distress when the tom takes me and Brother.
Mother's scent eventually faded, but so did our warmth. Brother was shivering as we hung by our scruffs. Where did Mother go? I felt wet. Really wet. And cold. This was so stressful. Brother agreed with a wiggle, but it was weak. I want to go home!
Our pleas were answered…. Sort of. We ended up in a place full of cats. Should I remind you that I'm still hungry? Not to forget, I could only smell the cats. Well the tom smelled sad, or at least hurt. Brother and me were place next to some other kittens and a new mom. She didn't smell like mom, though. I wouldn't forget that.
What seemed like days passed by and the milk didn't taste that rich. Not like mom's. Yeah… Caretaker was not a new mom! Brother didn't seem to care. Traitor!
Soon the nursery became noisy! Yeah, I'm not deaf after all… Kittens piled all over me! I mewled in distaste. I didn't trust them. Brother was likely the noisiest, but he was okay. Caretaker would purr and lick us. She's not mom, but she's okay. She can be my wet nurse for a little while...
My hearing was sharp and I was observant. I learned that Caretaker's name was Brindleface, Brother was Cloudkit, my foster siblings were Ashkit and Fernkit, and I was Amberkit. There was also another mother in here too! Her name was Frostfur, I think. What a pretty name… She has two older kits. Thornkit and Brightkit to be exact. I also lost two foster siblings. Mistlekit and Elderkit.
Ashkit was so noisy now! It seemed that he wanted me to open my eyes. I want to call him Ashfit so bad! Fernkit was more patient. Cloudkit was murmuring about how Brindleface was gray with darker flecks. Her kits were too! Cloudkit could see! I may have been a bit jealous, I admit.
Cloudkit was whacking my face with his fluffy tail. Annoyed, I opened my eyes to see the handsome white tom with blue eyes. I could see! Cloudkit was right about Brindleface and her kits being so alike.
I attempted to get up, but my legs slid from under me. Ashkit giggled. "You can do it!" Cloudkit purred. I hope he's right. I heard that Cinderpaw is lame now...
I eventually managed to stand steady on my paws. I followed Cloudkit, Ashkit, and Fernkit outside, stumbling every other step. Thornkit and Brightkit were already outside. They seemed to be distracting a young black and white tom. "But, we want to help, Swiftpaw!" Thornkit mewed. "You'd just get in the way," Swiftpaw scoffed. Thornkit wasn't ready to give up. "I can carry that!" Thornpaw squeaked. He went over to a bramble and snatched it up. He squeaked in pain. "Ow!" Thornkit spat the bramble out. He bled a bit in his mouth. I had to hold back a purr of laughter. Brightkit just stared at Thornkit with round eyes. "Yellowfang can help!" she began. "I'm fine," Thornkit growled, blood trickling from the right corner of his mouth. "I'll live." "You will," Brightkit mewed. "But Yellowfang should treat it," she insisted. "You don't want to end up like Mistlekit, Elderkit, or Cinderpaw!" Thornkit went silent for a couple heartbeats. Swiftpaw took the distraction as a chance to walk away, and so he did. Thornkit actually looked afraid. "Seeing Yellowfang now!" Thornkit eventually squeaked. He ran for where I assume the medicine den was with Brightkit following.
Fernkit pushed me in another direction. "This is the High Rock!" she mewed excitedly. I looked up. The High Rock was huge! I was small… "Bluestar's den is right here," she continued. Ashkit walked up and stood next to his sister. "Tigerclaw is the deputy," he mewed. "He sets up patrols and posts the guards to her den." I looked over at Bluestar's den. A pale tabby with a long tail stood guard. "Who's he?" I asked. Ashkit looked happy to answer. "That's Longtail," he answered. "He's one of Tigerclaw's closest friends, along with Darkstripe and Dustpaw." I didn't like the naturally smug look on Longtail's face. I nodded at Ashkit, my tail twitching.
Fernkit took the lead to the warriors den. "This is where the warriors sleep!" she announced. I could hear snoring inside. I peeked my head in only to find a bright orange tom glaring at me. He looked grumpy and tired. He also smelled familiar. "That's Fireheart!" Ashkit chirped. "He's one of the newest warriors and your uncle, Amberkit!" Cloudkit looked impressed while I backed out of the den to get out of Fireheart's way. Fireheart turned to gaze at me. I think he was observing by brown tabby pelt. Yes, I am a pale brown tabby with white paws and blue eyes. I stared back. Fireheart, after a few heartbeats turned to Fernkit and Ashkit. "Have you seen Graystripe?" he asked. "No!" Ashkit and Fernkit mewed in unison. Fireheart sighed and left the den heading for the fresh-kill pile. "He's really busy," Cloudkit observed. I agreed with my brother. My uncle was really busy.
Cloudkit ran over to another den and turned to Ashkit questioningly. "That's the apprentice's den," he mewed. "We will be there when we are six moons old!" A pale tabby was resting inside with a golden tabby, not unlike Thornkit, on the opposite side. "Brackenpaw and Sandpaw were on the Dawn Patrol," Fernkit mewed. Ashkit's eyes shined. "They're tired after the trek," he mewed. Cloudkit looked excited while I smiled with interest. Our blue eyes blazed with excitement. I saw another den on the other side of camp and I walked towards it.
"That's the elders den," Fernkit told me. Ashkit ran over to me. "They tell, amazing stories," he mewed. A black tom with dark gray stripes padded over to us. "Not to kittypet kits," he growled. I was confused. "What's a kittypet?" I asked. "You are," he answered gruffly. I tilted my head in confusion. "Leave Amberkit alone, Darkstripe," Ashkit hissed. "Fine, whatever," Darkstripe growled. He padded away, ranting under his breath about kittypets and respect. "Don't get under his skin," Ashkit advised me and Cloudkit. I nodded in understanding. "Darkstripe is such a meanie," I growled. "True," Fernkit mewed.
Whitestorm passed by to say hello. I mewed hello back to him. Whitestorm, in my opinion, was a very respectable cat. I was very happy that he acknowledged me. Ashkit and Cloudkit were in a playfight. They sprayed dust everywhere! I looked up and saw the sun dipping in the sky. Glittering pieces of ice began to light up the sky. Fernkit sat next to me. "That's silverpelt," she mewed. "StarClan is up there." I gazed at her. "StarClan?" I asked. She looked at me. "StarClan is our warrior ancestors," she mewed. "I hope that Spottedleaf and Redtail are watching over us. Maybe Lionheart is too." Fernkit's eyes glowed. "Nah," she mewed. "Lionheart would be watching over Brackenpaw, Cinderpaw, Thornkit, and Brightkit." "Why," I asked. Fernkit gazed down at her paws. "Lionheart is their father," she sighed. "He died fighting ShadowClan." My gaze softened. I never knew my dad and my mom was absent. We snuggled together for a while longer.
Eventually, Brindleface dragged us back to the nursery and gave Ashkit and Cloudkit a good cleaning. It was late and I snuggled next to Fernkit. I already had my milk meal and she did too. For the first time in my life, I pondered about myself. Darkstripe called me and Cloudkit "Kittypet kits". He never told me about what they actually were. But I'm one of them. I also breifly wondered who and where my real mom was and what made Fireheart my uncle. "Brindleface," I mewed. She stopped cleaning Ashkit who scrambled out of her grasp. "What is it, dear?" she mewed. "How is Fireheart my uncle and who's my real mom?" I asked. She looked with hurt shock. "I'm surprised you knew," she began. "But, Fireheart is your mother's brother and they were both born in twolegplace." I twitched my ears in surprise. "I'm a kittypet because my mother was?" I asked. Brindleface's gaze was soft. "No," she mewed. "Your mother gave you and Cloudkit up to become warriors a bit after Cinderpaw became lame. Fireheart carried you here." I looked in shock. My uncle Fireheart was the annoying tom who took me away from mama? My ear flopped over as I realized that my real mom likely gave me up because she didn't love me. To me, this was betrayal. I decided from this night on, that Brindleface was my new mom. Fireheart could still be my uncle, though.
I slowly drifted into sleep next to Fernkit, as the night went on. It was lightly snowing outside and I was glad that I was cuddled up to Fernkit. I think I fell asleep, purring.