Mosskit opened her eyes.

They were a clear, sapphire blue. Three identical pairs opened right beside her, and they looked like sparkling jewels in the pale moonlight outside. The air was cool, and Mosskit shivered, huddling into her mother's soft black fur.

"They're awake!" The jostling mew sounded across the den. Fur edged around her vision as three rolling balls of light-colored fur bounced over.

"Be gentle, Dawnkit," This meow was warmer, more comforting. "You too, Cloudkit and Moonkit. They are smaller than you, so you might hurt them."

"Okay, Ashblossom." The squeal came back, and the fur disappeared.

A tail soft as silk wrapped around her protectively, and Mosskit couldn't stifle the purr of pleasure that followed.

The faintly dappled kit padded over on unsteady paws. "Hi, Mosskit!" She mewed, staring at her with unblinking eyes. "Wanna play?"

Before Mosskit could respond, the two other kits jumped over. Mosskit looked over the pale sand-colored and white-striped pelts that were pressing around her. Do I look like them? She wondered.

"Pebblekit, Palekit, Birchkit, don't crowd Mosskit." Ashblossom scolded, even though her eyes held a motherly warmth that told Mosskit she wasn't really angry.

"Okay, Ashblossom," Pebblekit mewed, dipping her small head, "are we allowed outside?"

Ashblossom peered through the opening on the side of the dark nursery, "It's a little dark for little newborn kits like you…" she started, and never got to finish. Giggles erupted along her flank, and suddenly Pebblekit, Palekit, and Birchkit all scuttled out into the cool night.

Mosskit didn't want to be left behind. She mewed, "Wait for me!" and dashed out the den opening.

"Wait!" Ashblossom called out from the nursery, trying to keep her voice low in order not to disturb the other sleeping cats. "Come back here, kits! Come back right this instant!"

Mosskit collided into Birchkit who had stopped abruptly in front of her. "Sorry!" she whispered, and shook out her fluffy fur. Birchkit twitched his ear in acknowledgment, attention already floating elsewhere.

Mosskit took in the huge surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The moon was a huge bright circle in the cloudless sky, ringed with twinkling stars. Dark dens lined the wide clearing, rimmed with towering trees and rustling leaves. An enchanting aroma wafted from the center of the grassy hollow, and she saw a pile of small unmoving bodies. Freshkill.

Suddenly heavy pawsteps thumped ahead of them. "Hide!" Pebblekit hissed, diving into a nearby hedge. Mosskit's heart hammered in her little ribcage as she quickly followed. But by the time Birchkit squeezed inside, she could feel the presence of a huge, dangerous cat behind her as its shadow loomed over her small, trembling body. She couldn't breathe.

The cat grunted, as if he or she was confused, and then, to Mosskit's shock, turned and simply padded away.

She crouched there for thirty heartbeats, until she felt like her lungs were going to burst, then exhaled. What was that all about? She wondered, head spinning in confusion, how did they not see me?

Pebblekit, Palekit, and Birchkit all crept out slowly from their hiding place. Their blue eyes shone in the dim darkness, round with fear and awe. "Are you okay, Mosskit?" Palekit squeaked. "Did you see the big warrior?"

She tilted her head to one side. "Warrior?" She mewed.

"They're the powerful cats that protect and defend the Clan from danger," Pebblekit mewed, puffing out his chest, "I'm going to be a warrior, and all the other Clans will be shaking in their flea-bitten skins in front of the mighty StoneClan!"

I wanna be one too! Mosskit thought excitedly. I'll be the best warrior StoneClan and any other Clan has ever seen!

Ashblossom's voice floated out of the nursery again, this time sharp with anxiety. "Pebblekit! Birchkit! Palekit! Mosskit!"

"Come on, let's go back to Ashblossom," Mosskit mewed, starting back to the shadowy den. She already missed the comforting feeling of her mother's warm fur all around her, but the outside world created a bubbly hunger deep in her belly. It made her little legs tremble with excitement. I'm going to be a warrior!