Chapter 1:
Two big kits wrestled on the ground while their father, Milkstep watched them. "Keep lower to the groud, Mistkit, and keep your paws under you. It will give more power to your pounce!" He chided to the white and black tabby tom, whose short tail wagged slightly. "I'm going to be the best warrior!" Mistkit exclaimed, leaping at his sleek-furred brother. His brother rolled out of the way and he batted Mistkit's head. "Not if you don't live that long!" he teased. "That was ONE snake! I could have taken it!" Mistkit whined. "Hmph, If it wasn't for Shadowsong, you'd be snakefood!" Milkstep rolled his multi-colored eyes and looked towards the flowers surrounding the entrance to the nursery as his mate Snowstar, formerly Snowfoot, pushed her way past the bright green leaves. "Plasmakit! Mistkit! Go outside. You need fresh air and Rainkit, Icekit, and Hollykit need to sleep." Plasmakit jumped over Mistkit and raced towards the nursery's exit and over to the freshkill pile.
Snowstar shook her silver head as her kits raced out of the den. "Kits will be kits, Snowstar. I'm glad Nettlekit isn't as rambunctious as those two!" A lithle brown and white queen purred from the far corner of the den, where she lay with a brown-and-white tabby kit asleep at her belly. Milkstep smiled, "Just wait until Shadowsong comes back with her kits. At this rate there will be more kits than warriors!" he joked.
Milkstep then slipped out of the nursery and headed over to a small group of cats, leaving the overhanging fronds on the entrance sway. Snowstar dipped her head to the mostly white queen, "It is a shame that Daykit didn't make it. If only we had known where to find plasma bugs or rainbow beetles at the time. Please tell me when Nettlekit is strong enough to leave the nest. I can help keep an eye on him, should he wander outside the den." Brownfoot nodded, her eyes downcast as she gazed at her kit, "Yes, Snowstar. Thank you. I wish Daykit had made it so that Nettlekit could have a littlermate. The shortage of plasmabugs is to be expected. It was leafbare afterall." She then bent her narrow head and licked Nettlekit while Snowstar padded after her deputy. As the tabby she-cat emerged into the center of the camp, a thick-furred black and white tom raced past with a ginger-and-white tabby tom and a dusty brown she-cat. "Icecloud! Where are you heading with Runningfire and Leafpaw?" Snowstar called loudly to catch their attention. The black and white tom raised his tail in greeting as he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, "Milkstep is sending us hunting by the outer hills of our camp. There are plenty of birds and shrews there from what Whitenose told us." Snowstar nodded and flicked her tail in dismissal, "Very well. Steer clear of snakes until we have found and trained a medicine cat. Derift may be able to do many things, but healing venomous snake bites is not one of them."
As the small patrol vanished out of sight, Snowstar padded twoards a tall, twoleg-like being with wings that sparkled and a pelt made of snowy white leaves. The creature bent down and extended a snowy white paw at Snowstar. "Good morning, Drift! How are Shadowsong and her kits?" Snowstar mewed at the snow spirit while sniffing her paw in greeting. In a voice that sounded like a leaf-bare breeze, Drift spoke, "They are well, young leader, and they will return from Moon Falls in two day's time." Snowstar nodded and then questioned, "Who have you chosen to be the first Spirit Cat?" Drift gave Snowstar an annoyed look through ice blue eyes, "The Spirit Cat has yet to be born, but I can feel his presence. He will be born within the next two seasons. Now, I believe your kits need you." Snowstar dipped her head and murmured a farewell as she departed for the nursery where her three youngest kits were mewling for attention. As she entered, a flash of brown and white ran into her side, followed by two more. She staggered and looked at the tiny balls of fur sitting in front of her with large innocent eyes. "Play moss-ball with us!" Icekit demanded, her thick fur fluffed up and her eyes wide with excitement. "I want to go outside!" Rainkit yowled, jumping to his paws. Hollykit sat there, looking at her mother with wide eyes, "Mother? Mistkit and Plasmakit snuck out of camp, again!" the tiny she-kit tattled.
Snowstar's eyes widened, "How long ago was this?" She demanded as Hollykit shuffled her pale blue-brown paws, "Umm, after you talked to Icecloud?" "Can we go outside now?" Rainkit demanded. Snowstar rolled her eyes, "Only if Brownfoot says yes. I am heading out with your father to search for your brothers." The white tabby gritted her teeth and stalked out of the nursery with her kits close behind her, "Milkstep! Lizardstripe! Batglow!" she yowled, "Plasmakit and Mistkit are at it again!" Milkstep lept to his paws, sending dirt flying, "How long have they been gone?" he demanded. "Since the dawn hunting patrol left this dawn," Rainkit squeaked, "They said they wanted to explore near the twolegplace." A tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat pricked her wide ears, "I know twolegplace well. Allow Batglow and I to go searching for the little ones. We can search by the Dog Bark Place and the Cat Place." She mewed, softly. Snowstar nodded, "Thank you, Lizardstripe. I will accompany-" "With all due respect, Snowstar," Batglow, a fluffy gray tabby tom, started, "You are needed here. Your other three kis need you to keep an eye on them." Snowstar opened her mouth to protest when Milkstep cut in, looking at the three kits watching them, "Besides, Plasmakit and Mistkit are almost apprentices and this isn't the first time they have done this. They are probably headed to the Cat Place in twolegplace. They'll be safe until we retrieve them since everyone knows about their expaditions and I doubt The Pack would let any harm come to two young kits." He began herding Snowstar and their kits back to the nursery, "Now, you four will go to sleep while Lizardstripe and Batglow look for our kits."
Snowstar sighed, " I am leader, Milkstep. I will let them look for our kits, but I will take a seperate patrol heading to Moon Falls in case they went that way. Brownfoot can watch these three." Snowstar's tail swept over her playing kits as Brownfoot voiced her agreement. Milkstep hummed in agreement and backed out of the den.
Hollykit looked up at Snowstar, her big, multi-blue eyes staring at her, unblinking. "Will Mistkit and Plasmakit be okay?" She squeaked. "I hope so, sweet one. Their apprentice ceremonies are in three days, along with yours' and Nettlekit's." Rainkit yawned,"Will you punish Mistkit and Plasmakit?" he murmered. "We'll see. Now, do as Brownfoot says and I will be back soon. I must check on Whitenose before I leave." The silver-white tabby leader nudged her kits over to Brownfoot and smiled as Nettlekit jumped to his paws. "Wanna play warriors?" He mewed. The four kits began playfighting and Snowstar padded out of the den.
Snowstar bounded over to the orange-and-white tabby tom with bright yellow eyes. He lifted his striped head and looked up when Snowstar stopped in front of him. "How are you feeling, Whitenose?" The she-cat asked softly. Whitenose grunted softly and batted at a fly on his white paws, "Like I got poisoned by an Assassin Bug... Oh wait! I did!" Snowstar rolled her pale blue eyes at the warrior before murmmering under her breath, "We need a medicine cat." Whitenose just smiled widely, "What about Hollykit? She's shown more interest in plants than hunting and play fighting anyways." Snowstar jumped as she had been unaware that Whitenose had heard her. Regaining her composure, she sighed, "Who would train her though?" "Drift knows plenty about healing. She is SnowClan's territory Spirit. Ask her." The white muzzled warrior suggested. Snowstar nodded and touched her nose to the tom's forehead and murmmered a quick "thank you" before bounding off.