AN: Yay! First chapter! R&R please!

Whitekit peered through the leaves draping across the nursery entrance. What was all that commotion? She wondered. She looked back at her dosing mother, Briarpelt.

"Briarpelt," she mewed softly, not wanting to disturb her more than necessary. "Can I go out into the cavern for a moment? I won't go far."

Briarpelt stirred slightly, let out a sigh, and meowed, "Yes, go ahead, Whitekit. Don't be long."

Whitekit purred and padded out through the leaf curtain into the hollow. StoneClan's camp was a shallow dip nestled between a rocky hill and a small stream. It was well sheltered against most weather, and during the lazy days of greenleaf, it was almost tranquil.

Stoneclaw and a patrol stood before Clawstripe, the clan deputy. A kit, bigger than Whitekit, crouched beside them.

"Where did this kit come from?" Clawstripe was saying.

"He tumbled into my patrol," Stoneclaw meowed. "He said he was on a raft to a distant place and had just gone down a waterfall. He followed us back to camp."

"We did try to get rid of him," a dark gray tom, Stormcloud, growled. "He wouldn't leave us alone."

"Because," the kit mewed, "I wanted to see what clan life was like."

"Where did you come from, young kit?" Clawstripe demanded. There was a hint of a growl in his voice, but no real threat. He just trying to scare him.

"I was turned out of my nest," the kit replied, appearing unconcerned. "I lived in the abandoned twoleg shelter with my mother and littermates and a bunch of other cats."

"How many?" Stoneclaw asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Not nearly as many as there are here, though." The kit stared around at the other warriors in awe. He caught Whitekit's eye and winked at her. Startled, she looked away.

"That's a relief," Stormcloud muttered, mostly to himself. Then a flicker of movement to Whitekit's left caught her eye. Wolfstar had emerged from her den, doubtless drawn by all the noise. It must be lonely, Whitekit thought, to be a leader and have to sleep alone. Even a medicine cat had more company from wounded cats or an apprentice.

"What's all this?" Wolfstar asked, eyeing the brown kit. Clawstripe explained the situation for her, ending with, "I think we should take him back to where ever he claims he came from."

"Judging from what you've told me, I don't think that's an option," Wolfstar replied. "In my experience, once a kit-mother has turned her kits out, she won't take them back." Turning her attention to the kit, she asked him, "What do you say to joining StoneClan? We'll need all the warriors we can get, but you would have to work hard."

"Yes!" the kit squealed immediately. "Who knows, being a warrior may be fun!"

"Do you have a name, kit?"

"Nope. My mother and the rest of the cats in the twoleg barn place all called me 'the brown one.'"

"Then from this day forward, until you become as apprentice, you will be known to us as Brownkit. You will join Whitekit in the nursery. Although," Wolfstar added, looking him over, "you won't be there for very long."

Brownkit beamed and purred happily. Whitekit purred a little as well and padded over to greet him.

"Hi. I'm Whitekit. Shall I show the nursery?"

Brownkits yellow eyes lit up even brighter. "Sure! But wait!" He dropped into a crouch, tail lashing. "Don't you see that badger over there, at the entrance?"

"Where?" Whitekit spun around, fur bristling. She had never actually seen a badger, but she had heard stories of them when she was a much smaller kit.

"Shh, it'll hear us." Brownkit's voice was serious, but mischief danced in his eyes, so Whitekit couldn't be sure if he was playing or not. She decided it would be best to go along with it.

"Which way is the nursery?"

Whitekit motioned with her tail to the leaf covered entrance of the nursery cave. They began to creep toward it, staying low to the ground. Whitekit followed a little behind, every muscle tense. Only after they had made it safely through the leaves did she realize she had been holding her breath.

"Are we safe now?" she asked tentatively. Brownkit shook his head gravely.

"We were spotted," he meowed. "The badger went to get it's denmates, and they'll soon be back. We must barricade the nursery so they can't get in!" He sniffed around for something to put in front of the entrance.

"We can use the spare moss!" Whitekit suggested. It was leftover from when she used to wet the nest, but since she hadn't for the past moon and a half, she was sure she didn't need it anymore.

"Good!" They bundled the moss up and wedged it into the opening of the cave. "That should hold them," Brownkit decided. "I'll keep the first watch for them. You can make sure we have enough mice."

"But all the mice are out there," Whitekit reminded him. "We can't steal fresh-kill, anyway."

Brownkit thought a moment. "Alright then," he concluded, "we'll just have to beat them back without getting too hungry." He crouched down beside the rolled up moss, the tip of his tail twitching. Pawsteps approached. His hindquarters swayed, getting ready to pounce.

"Briarpelt!" Blacktail's voice drifted into the nursery as the gray warrior approached. It sounded slightly muffled. "I have some fresh-kill for you and Whitekit if you're hu-umph!"

Brownkit pounced on the small warrior as soon as she had pushed her way into the nursery. She toppled over, falling into Briarpelt. The tabby queen jerked awake and jumped to her paws with a yowl of annoyance. Whitekit crouched carefully to the side, not liking to play so roughly.

"What's this kit doing here?" Briarpelt demanded. Whitekit calmed her mother while Brownkit and Blacktail found their paws. Blacktail hurriedly began grooming her ruffled pelt.

"He's joined the clan," Whitekit explained gently. Briarpelt gradually let her fur lie flat, but still didn't take her eyes off Brownkit, who was blinking innocently at the two older she-cats.

"I see," she meowed at last. "but if you're going to play, do it outside. I'm still napping."

Whitekit nodded, and she and Brownkit took their leave. As she padded out of the nursery, she heard her mother meowing to Blacktail, "I can't believe it. Whitekit is so calm and collected, I guess I've forgotten what most kits are like."

She purred at Briarpelt's words.

EDIT: woops! I forgot that Willowstream is in SkyClan! Sorry about that. ^.^