Smallkit twisted his head to look at his littermates. Wolfkit and Runningkit were right behind him. Smallkit was the leader of the three and despite his small size his siblings rarely challenged his ideas.

"Come on." Smallkit whispered, "I think we should go to the gorge."

Runningkit's eyes widened, "Really?" Smallkit nodded moving his black and white head up and down.

"Careful." Wolfkit whispered as several small grass seeds fell on her grey fur. The three kits were hiding in the tall moor grass outside of the WindClan camp. Runningkit flatten himself down, since the brown tabby was the tallest. Smallkit signaled with his black and white tail and the three kits set off towards the gorge.

Wolfkit flopped over, "I'm tired." Smallkit wasn't going to admit it but so was he. Runningkit sat down next to their sister. He curled his brown striped tail around his paws and watched Smallkit. Smallkit lay down beside Wolfkit.

"I didn't know it was so far from camp." He meowed.

"Isn't the gorge by RiverClan territory?" Runningkit asked. Wolfkit groaned softly as Smallkit nodded.

Smallkit shoved her, "But think, when we're apprentices we'll have already seen it."

Wolfkit looked at her brother, "But, I thought apprentices weren't supposed to go to the gorge. Maybe we shouldn't either."

"Come on It's an adventure." Smallkit exclaimed jumping to his paws. Runningkit stood up right away but, Wolfkit shoved herself to her paws slowly.

The three kits stopped yet again. This was their third break since leaving camp. Even Runningkit who had the most energy of the three littermates was tired. Smallkit nibbled on a piece of grass hoping it would ease his thirst. Wolfkit curled up in a ball.

Runningkit yawned, "Why don't we take a nap?"

Smallkit nodded, "Sure! Then we'll be energized." He curled up next to his two siblings and glanced at the sky. The sky was blue without any trace of clouds. Smallkit closed his eyes and fell asleep.

"Wake up, Smallkit!" Runningkit's voice awoken his brother. Smallkit blinked sleepily at him.

"What?" Runningkit used his tail to point up at the sky, "It is past sun-high! We've been sleeping the day away!" Smallkit jumped to his paws as Wolfkit stirred next to him.

"What's wrong?" She murmured her voice soft. Runningkit explained to her what he'd told their brother. Smallkit was staring at the sun, it had moved to the other side of the sky since they'd fallen asleep. His stomach rumbled and his mouth watered at the thought of rabbits.

"I'm hungry." Runningkit commented, "Maybe we should go back."

Wolfkit now that she'd taken a nap, was full of energy and objected, "No! Let's try and catch a rabbit!"

Smallkit nodded his blue eyes wide with excitement, "Then maybe Fallowstar will make us apprentices."

"Yeah!" Runningkit jumped up and down.

Wolfkit seemed thoughtful, "The apprentices showed us how. Maybe we should split up."

Smallkit agreed, "We'll stand a better chance. I think." He headed left while Runningkit and Wolfkit went other ways.

Smallkit was having no luck at hunting. He could find any prey scent r a plover's nest which could have eggs. He was about to give up when he smell a familiar scent. It was rabbit, he remembered from the fresh kill pile. He looked around, where was it? He was having trouble in the tall grass. He reared up on his hind paws and made several blades rustle. He tensed and heard the rabbit take off to his right. He chased after it, stumbling a few times until he lost the scent of the rabbit and the sound. Then he realized, he didn't know where he was either.

"Runningkit!" He yowled, "Wolfkit!" Neither of his siblings replied.

Smallkit heard loud paw steps approaching him and he turned and ran. Fear made him run faster than when he was hunting the rabbit, but he still tripped over his paws.

"Smallkit!" It was Lightfoot the WindClan deputy. She padded forward with Sootfur, Thistletail and Gorsepelt.

Lightfoot's eyes blazed with anger, "The whole Clan has wasted the day looking for you and your siblings!" Smallkit flattened himself down to the ground.

"Sorry." He squeaked softly. Lightfoot sighed and glanced around.

"Where are Runningkit and Wolfkit?" She asked.

"I've found them." Smallkit flinched. Fallowstar sounded furious. He and his apprentice Graypaw joined them, Wolfkit and Runningkit being herded in front of them.

"What were you thinking?" Lightfoot growled, glaring at the three kits.

Smallkit swallowed, "W-we we wanted to explore?" He made the statement sound more like a question then anything else.

Lightfoot snarled, "Then why in the name of StarClan couldn't you wait until you were apprentices?"

Fallowstar touched his deputy with his tail, "enough Lightfoot. These kits should be scolded not, frightened out of their fur." He glanced at them, "However, you're right they should have waited."

"But… We didn't want to wait that long!" Runningkit meowed. Lightfoot whirled on him but, Fallowstar spoke.

"I know kits get impatient waiting for their apprentice ceremony." The leader meowed, "But you should wait Three moons isn't too long."

"I think we should make them wait four moons." Lightfoot muttered softly, almost to herself. Smallkit allowed himself to be picked up along with his siblings and carried back to camp.

Smallkit and his littermates were determined to see the gorge, so a few days later when no one was paying attention the three snuck out of camp, again. The rain had let up that day before and the air was heavy with water. Their mother had sent them outside to stretch their legs after it had rain for the last few days.

Now outside of camp, Runningkit headed away from it, hurrying before someone saw them leaving.

"Where are you going?" Smallkit hissed. Runningkit froze with one paw still in the air. He turned around to see his siblings still hiding by the entrance to camp.

"That's the way we went last time." Runningkit hissed back.

Smallkit whispered, "We went the wrong way last time. We were heading towards HighStones." Smallkit explained quickly. Runningkit re-joined them and sat down.

"Then where is the gorge?" Wolfkit asked. Smallkit turned around to face the opposite direction of siblings. He drew in a breath of the damp moor air.

"This way. This is the way to the gorge." Smallkit stated, confidently. Wolfkit and Runningkit followed their smaller brother through the grass towards where he was convinced the gorge lay.

Smallkit stifled a yowl of pain as he tread on a stone. Wolfkit saw him flinched and hurried to his side.

"What's wrong?" She asked, always concerned about her siblings. Smallkit showed her his paw with the small scratch on his pad. Wolfkit licked it for him.

Runningkit looked at his brother, "Are you alright?" Concern glittered in his yellow eyes as he met his brother's blue gaze.

Smallkit nodded, "Let's go to the gorge now." The three kits started off at a brisk walk back on track.

Smallkit could hear the water rushing ahead and picked up his pace. Runningkit passed up Wolfkit to run next to Smallkit. With a burst of speed and using his long legs, the tom passed his brother to move into the lead. Smallkit and Wolfkit hurried to catch up with their brother. They heard him exclaim, "Wow!" and skid to a stop. They could see that Runningkit was standing on a ledge overlooking the water. Smallkit and Wolfkit moved forward to stand side by side with their brother. Smallkit gasped at the sight that greeted him. The water churned beneath them in a dark black surge with waves that were tipped with white where they struck rocks and rubble. Wolfkit's eyes were huge and Runningkit's tail was flicking back and forth excitedly. Smallkit felt a rush of thrill go through him; this had been worth the long walk and the sore paws and the trouble they were going to getting into later. This sight was amazing and breath taking.

Wolfkit slowly sank to her haunches, while Runningkit could only stare at the water Smallkit glanced at his littermates. He wouldn't trade them for anything and never wanted to lose them.

"I never imagined it would look like this." Wolfkit whispered.

Smallkit shook his head, "Me either." Runningkit didn't say anything but he nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Runningkit! I bet that I can get closer to the edge then you." Wolfkit challenged.

Runningkit growled playfully, his eyes narrowed, "No you can't." Wolfkit approached the edge and stopped about a mouse-tail from the edge.

Wolfkit glanced at her brother, "Well? Beat that."

Runningkit was already padding towards her, "With pleasure." He stopped so close to the edge that the part of his front paws hung off the edge. Wolfkit opened her mouth when Runningkit slipped. Wolfkit yelled her brother's name and started forward. She was in such a hurry she slipped on the wet grass and just barely grabbed the edge of the cliff.

"Hold on!" Smallkit yowled and lunged forward to grab his sister. But, in his panic he missed and ended up holding onto the ledge next to his brother and sister.

Wolfkit whispered, "My claws are slipping." Smallkit could smell his sister's fear scent.

"Come on, Wolfkit." Runningkit encouraged, but Wolfkit was panicking now. She slid back and let out a terrified yowl. Then she slid back and fell slowly into the water below. Runningkit let out a yowl as the ground under his claws gave out and he plunged into the water as well. Smallkit looked around franticly; he had to save Runningkit and Wolfkit! He saw three cats standing on a bank on the RiverClan side. Surely they would help them! Before he could cry for help he found himself tumbling into the icy black water. He felt himself being shoved and battered at. He tried to get to the surface and realized he could find it. Then he slammed into a rock. Smallkit pushed against the rock. He broke the surface and let out a terrified yowl. He shot up a paw so the cats could see him. But, no help came. Smallkit felt his body sinking as the currents pulled at him, in his last seconds he wished that, for once his littermates had objected to his idea.