Chapter 1

Sunkit was on his way to the Gathering, his Clanmates following him through the undergrowth.
"Hey, Sunstar, where are you going?" Sunkit turned to see his father, Brambleheart, looking at him.
"I'm going to the Gathering." Sunkit replied, confused. It was the night of the full moon, so of course he was taking his Clan to the Gathering.
"But the hollow is that way." Brambleheart pointed with his tail to the right.
Sunkit heard snickers from all of the cats who had gathered around.

"For StarClan's sake, a leader who doesn't even know the way to the Gathering hollow."

"He can't be a leader if he can't even lead his Clan to the Gathering."

"Mallowwhisker should be leader. At least he knows how to find his way around."

Sunkit's Clanmates were looming over him. He backed away, whimpering.

"He shouldn't be leader."

"He's only a kit!"

"I can smell his fear."

"What kind of a leader is afraid of his Clanmates?"

"You shouldn't be our leader, Sunstar!"

"It's Sunkit, not Sunstar."

Sunkit turned and fled, but no matter how far he ran, he could still hear his Clanmates' jeering.

"He's Sunkit, not Sunstar."

"Sunkit, Sunkit!" they chanted.

"Sunkit, Sunkit!" Sunkit felt a paw on his shoulder. "No, stop!" He whimpered.

...
"Sunkit," Sunkit opened his eyes to find himself in his nest. He looked over to see his sister, Snowkit, shaking his shoulder.

Sunkit sat up. "What is it?" He realized that he was shaking, and he could smell his own fear-scent.

"Are you okay?" Snowkit sat back, "You were whimpering. Did you have a bad dream?"

Sunkit described his dream to his sister, who listened quietly until he was finished.

Snowkit looked thoughtful. "I think you should-" she broke off as Petalfall's tail brushed over her mouth.

"Please, kits. Violetfang and I are trying to sleep. It's not even dawn." She said with a yawn.

Suddenly Violetfang moaned, "I think the kits are coming," She said with a gasp.

Petalfall sat up, "Kits, quick! Go get Firepelt!"

Sunkit raced out of the nursery, with Snowkit just behind him.

"Firepelt, Firepelt!" Sunkit yowled as he entered the medicine den.

Firepelt sat up abruptly. "What is it?"

Snowkit stopped beside Sunkit. "Violetfang is having her kits!"

Firepelt blinked, and then stood up, "Sunkit, could you please get the leaf wrap just inside the herb store? And Snowkit, come with me."

Firepelt picked up a small leaf wrap and padded to the nursery, with Snowkit close behind.

Sunkit padded up to the herb store, and the strong smell of herbs almost made him gag. He looked around, and saw a small leaf wrap. He started to pick it up, until he noticed another leaf wrap just beyond that one.

Oh, no! Which one is it? I can't carry them both. Sunkit sniffed the leaf wrap closest to him, and recognized marigold from when we scraped his paw on a rock. "This will stop infection." Firepelt had said. Sunkit went up to the next leaf wrap and sniffed it. He didn't recognize it, so this was probably the right one. He picked it up and raced to the nursery.

"Sunkit, what took you so long?" Firepelt asked when Sunkit entered the nursery.

"There were two leaf wraps, and I didn't know which one you needed." Sunkit replied, panting.

Firepelt sniffed the leaf wrap. "Well, this is the right one." She said, "Now you need to go join you sister in the elders' den. It's much too crowded in here." Sunkit looked around. Violetfang was lying in her nest, her breath coming in gasps, with Petalfall murmuring encouragements in her ear.

"Go on," Firepelt said, looking impatient, "I need you to go away now."

Sunkit obediently backed out of the nursery, and then he nearly bumped into Buzzardstripe, Violetfang's mate, who was pacing just outside the nursery.

"Sorry!" Sunkit squeaked, and then raced to the Elders' den.

"How long before we can go back to the nursery?" Snowkit was asking Beetail as Sunkit padded up. "I don't know." Beetail replied.

"I just hope that Violetfang is okay." Beetlewing said. Sunkit remembered that Violetfang was Beetail and Beetlewing's daughter.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Firepelt is with her." Sunkit told Beetlewing.

"That's good." Beetlewing sighed.

"Are you okay?" Snowkit asked Beetlewing in concern.

"Just tired," Beetlewing grunted, "It's not even dawn!"

"I'm sorry!" Snowkit squeaked, putting her tail in her mouth, muffling her voice. "We'll be quiet!"

...
Sunkit and Snowkit stayed with Beetail and Beetlewing until dawn, when Petalfall padded up to the Elders den. "Is Violetfang okay?" Sunkit asked, noticing how cheerful his mother looked.

"She's fine, and has three healthy kits." Petalfall announced.

"Does that mean we can go back to the nursery? It's kind of smelly in here." Snowkit complained.

Beetail shot her a fake-glare. "Are you calling us stinky?"

Snowkit squeaked and hid behind Petalfall. "Help me! Beetail's trying to eat me!"

"Nonsense," Petalfall stepped out of the way, "But you can get Beetail and Beetlewing some fresh-kill."

"Okay!" Sunkit and Snowkit said together, and raced out of the den, towards the hole in the ground where the fresh-kill was kept.

"What do you think the Elders' favorite fresh-kill is?" Snowkit asked, looking down at the small pile of fresh-kill, "There's not all that much to choose from."

"Let's give them that rabbit." Sunkit stepped into the small ditch and lifted the plump rabbit's head with some effort.

"We can't carry that, it's as big as us!" Snowkit exclaimed, looking the rabbit over.

Sunkit spotted Willowpaw returning from the dirtplace, "Hey, Willowpaw, could you help us take this rabbit to the Elders?"

Willowpaw padded over, and soon the rabbit was right in front of the Elders den. "Thank you, Willowpaw!" Sunkit panted,

"You should be a warrior!" Snowkit exclaimed, shaking out her fur.

Willowpaw liked her chest fur in embarrassment. "I only helped you carry a rabbit," She mewed, "Besides; I haven't even passed my final assessment yet, or gone to the Mooncave! I have at least three moons to go."

Sunkit looked up at Willowpaw. "I want to be a warrior!" He decided, "Why do we have to wait? We're already three moons old!"

"I had to wait until I was six moons old, so why shouldn't you?" Willowpaw asked him curiously,

Sunkit thought about this for a moment, and then shook his head. "I want to play a game. Let's play enemy Clan. Will you play, Willowpaw?"

"Before you play a game, don't you think you should give the Elders their rabbit?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot!" Sunkit mewed, "Will you help us give it to them, WillowBreeze?" Willowpaw looked startled, so Sunkit whispered, "We're playing a game."

"Oh, okay, Sunpaw, let's give this rabbit to the Elders, and then I'll help you and Snowpaw train."