My apologies for such a late update! Honors and AP courses have been royal pains and real life keeps throwing problems my way. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out much sooner since a break is coming up soon. Until then, enjoy the long chapter!

Disclaimer: The Warriors franchise belongs to four individual authors who can't seem to make up their mind on when the complete series will finally end. First they promised to stop at three arcs, then four, and now they're at five. Were this series mine, I would finally wrap up the plot and leave the rest for fanfiction. 'Cause this entire story will eventually be debunked by the fifth series when it comes out to fill in all of the original Clan stuff left out in the current books.

Crouched and hidden in plain sight on the ledge leading up to Firestar's den, Hollykit was virtually invisible to her Clanmates bustling busily about in the camp below. The sun that sailed high overhead sent long shadows into the stone hollow, providing dark shade that was ample camouflage for her dark pelt. Coupled with her natural ability to fade from sight, it seemed unlikely Hollykit's hiding place would be discovered unless a cat was traveling up or down the path she was on.

Ears swiveled in the direction of Firestar's den, the young she-cat listened intently to the conversation going on inside. She may not have had Jaykit's incredibly sensitive hearing, but she could still eavesdrop perfectly well. You didn't need to have extra keen senses for every small matter.

Finally, after long days of sneaking up here and having her littermates cover her absence from Squirrelflight and the other curious queens, she was close to reaching her goal. After moons of maturing the nursery, Firestar was finally getting around to choosing her and her brothers' mentors. Who was he discussing his decisions with? No cat other than Sandstorm, his beloved mate and trusted confidant. As Clan leader, Firestar was sometimes woefully out of touch with situations amongst his warriors, despite his best efforts to prevent such division. He relied on Sandstorm and his nephew, Cloudtail, for glimpses into the life of the common ThunderClanner.

"So, you've picked Brightheart to be Jaykit's mentor?" Sandstorm echoed thoughtfully. "I guess I can see why. Brightheart has to live with a vision impairment and Jaykit is blind. She can teach him how to work that to his advantage."

"I also kind of already promised Jaykit to her. I've been meaning to give Brightheart an apprentice for a while, but it always keeps slipping my mind," the flame-colored tom admitted sheepishly. "I originally planned to give her a kit from Ferncloud's last litter but after all that death in the old forest... Birchfall was the only one left and I had already intended for Ashfur to mentor him. After that everything was just chaos."

"They will make a nice pair," his mate answered with a sigh. "Still, even I still entertain doubts of Jaykit's capabilities as a warrior. If only he agreed to be the medicine cat apprentice. Leafpool seemed honestly excited to have him. His gifts make him a far better healer than a fighter."

"Try telling Jaykit that. He inherited his mother's stubbornness and unyielding determination and his father's ambition," Firestar commented dryly. "Besides, all of ThunderClan knows our grandson isn't cut out to be a medicine cat. He hasn't the patience or the disposition for it. I fear for our Clanmates if such a snappish tom succeeded Leafpool."

"Indeed," Sandstorm meowed jokingly. "Brackenfur's receiving Lionkit, correct? He is brimming with such potential I can think of no other available cat capable of taking him on."

Hollykit felt her heart sink slightly in dismay when Firestar gave his assent. She had always thought Brackenfur a loyal and great warrior, always so faithful to the warrior code. She had been hopeful to be the lucky sibling selected as his apprentice. Had all of those hints she had so carefully dropped to her leader and Brambleclaw been a waste?

No, Brackenfur was the only choice as Lionkit's teacher. Her older brother had developed obnoxious pride issues and the tendency to defy authority figures as of late. Talented as the golden tabby may have been, all of that incredible potential would have gone to waste if he maintained poor discipline and a bad attitude. Brackenfur could lick that stubborn furball into shape.

"I presume you chose Sorreltail as Hollykit's mentor?" Sandstorm mewed. "She has been out of the nursery for several moons now and has grown accustomed again to the warrior lifestyle."

Green eyes widening in dread, it took all of Hollykit's impressive self-restraint to refrain from following the tempting impulse to charge into the den and yowl for a mentor change. Sorreltail was nice and everything, but she had also been a queen up until recently. She had nursed Hollykit when Squirrelflight had been unable to produce milk and had scolded her misbehavior and praised her accomplishments. Sorreltail was practically Hollykit's second mother. Having such a cat as a mentor would be unbearably awkward.

"Not Sorreltail," Firestar answered. "Queens the nursery at the same time of the kits already have a bias. I want a mentor with no prior closeness to Hollykit." The black she-cat's heart soared with joy as her grandfather unwittingly agreed with her logical point of view. "Maybe Birchfall instead. He is experienced enough now that I can trust him to handle an apprentice."

Thankfully for all of her stubbornness, Sandstorm also seemed to see this sense. Satisfied she had heard enough, Hollykit rose quietly from her hiding place and began to descend down the path with her usual stealthy grace. Her paws moved so carefully not a single pebble was kicked off to the camp below. Lionkit may have already been a superb fighter and Jaykit had his extraordinary perception, but she had her unbeatable stealth. In hunting she would be unmatched.

At last having reached the safety of the camp, Hollykit ventured forth from the shadows to happily bounce over to the nursery. She finally had received the news her siblings had been dying to hear, and she was eager to report Firestar's most likely final choices for their mentors.

Jaykit nodded at the news Hollykit had relayed to him, musing over it thoughtfully. True, he hadn't received one of the Clan legends as his instructor, but he hadn't been stuck with an incabable idiot either.

Brightheart wasn't an astounding fighter like Brambleclaw or Brackenfur. She didn't have Thornclaw's or Sandstorm's talent with hunting. Nor was she renowned as a great tracker like her mate Cloudtail was. Yet she was a respectable warrior that had defied the odds and her crippling injuries. She'd won battles and had kits when most had previously expected her to retire early and live out the rest of her days in uselessness. Perhaps a cat that understood being constantly underestimated like Brightheart did would treat him fairly and not with pity.

Or she would think me inept at completing even the smallest tasks and forever confine me to the elders' den to forever clean the ticks from Longtail's pelt- No! Don't even go there, Jaykit. Think positively for once in your negative life...

"Brackenfur?" Lionkit echoed in satisfaction. Jaykit was sure his brother's tabby tail was curled in arrogant delight. "Yes! I knew Brambleclaw would put in a good word with Firestar about who my mentor should be!"

Jaykit decided to let his brother have his moment of boasting. He knew that Brackenfur was a fair and nice tom, but accepted no nonsense from his apprentices. Lionkit would be in for a big surprise when he discovered his brand new mentor treated him like the spoiled kit he actually was instead of the valiant and noble warrior he believed himself to be.

The premature joy of having discovered their future mentors early was interrupted by the sound of several cats entering camp. Jaykit's ears twitched as he recognized the same patrol that had departed earler that morning. It was not an ordinary patrol or a hunting party, but a group specially organized by Firestar himself to scour the entire territory for a den of dangerous fox cubs. Their mother had been found dead several days earlier, carrying the scent of milk suggesting her offspring were still dependent upon her. It was vital that the cubs be discovered and driven out before they grew into formidable threats for all of ThunderClan.

"Any luck on tracking down the fox cubs?" Hollykit asked the passing cats.

"Not even a whiff," Cloudtail grumbled in frustration. "The last rainstorm completely washed away any lingering fox scents."

"They probably already left the territory though," Dustpelt assured them confidently. Jaykit's nose twitched in aggravation at this. As if he and his littermates were scared of a few mangy foxes! "It's late enough in the season that the cubs are near maturity. Once they realize their mother is gone they'll go off in search of territories of their own. Far away from us."

Peering closer, it dawned on Jaykit that Dustpelt didn't believe a word of what was coming out of his mouth. However, Daisy was listening in, and had heaved a sigh of relief at this positive prediction. She was recently pregnant with her second litter and much of her free time was spent worrying over the well-being of her unborn kits. Of course Dustpelt was trying to soothe her. He was the father of the most cats in the Clan!

"Come on," Jaykit muttered to his siblings when the warriors had padded on. "They won't tell us the truth. Let's go ask the only cat on that patrol that will give us a straight answer."

Molepaw was still the cat in all of ThunderClan Jaykit wanted to go to for answers, but even he could swallow his considerable pride. Besides, Ashfur had gotten around to cramming some sense into the massive brown tabby's head. He was more polite and no longer openly hostile. Naturally, Molepaw still harbored ill feelings for Lionkit and Jaykit, but had wrested his temper under control. (Sadly, the same temperance could not yet be said for Lionkit.)

When the three kits came begging to him for honest information, two of his rivals amongst them, Molepaw's first impulse was to feed them a fantastic lie about how a pack of foxes was combining to unleash their wrath upon ThunderClan. Yet after much prodding by Jaykit, who definitely knew a lie when he heard one, the apprentice grudgingly coughed up the truth.

"Cloudtail believes the cubs are still sheltering in their hidden den," Molepaw revealed at last. "They're still waiting for their mother to return but they won't linger for much longer. The cubs are hungry and it's pretty much agreed they're old enough to eat freshkill and will starting hunting us soon. We're just waiting around for the stupid foxes to reveal themselves so we can drive them off as a whole powerful Clan."

"Thanks," Hollykit mewed brightly. Beneath that grateful exterior was a genuine worry the tomcats would fight if she didn't separate them soon enough. "That's all we needed to hear."

Molepaw padded off without further incident. Jaykit thought he heard Lionkit sigh softly in disappointment at being denied another confrontation with his favorite rival, but the gray tabby ignored it. His clever mind was working, processing this information and trying to make it work to his advantage. Lionkit beat him to it.

"We can go after the foxes!" he whispered excitedly to his littermates. "Once we do and go back to camp to tell Firestar he'll be so impressed by our skills he will make us apprentices early!"

Unable to believe the foolish crowfood that had just spewed forth from his brother's mouth, Jaykit lashed his tail in aggravation. "Are you moronic?" he hissed back. "We're kits that are still quite a while away from apprenticeship! Do you want to join your warrior ancestors without ever have receiving even a mentor!"

Youngest of the litter, Jaykit was still the reliable source of advice amongst the siblings. Usually his approval upon a matter meant it was a good idea. Or his rejection of it meant it was a fool's errand. He had been proven correct enough times for Lionkit to trust his word as infallible. Today, however, even that wise exclamation only hardened Lionkit's resolve. The tom had officially become too sure of himself to listen to his own littermates.

"You're the one always trying to prove yourself to the Clan," he retorted. "What better way to show them wrong about their misconceptions than become a hero that potentially saved the lives of many good warriors?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Hollykit whispered angrily and resolutely. "Sneaking out of camp under any circumstances is against the warrior code! Our ceremony will only be delayed for rule breaking. Does that seem like such a smart idea to you, Jaykit?"

Jaykit was beginning to respond when Lionkit cut over him beseechingly, "Oh, come on, guys! I need you both for this! You're the only one who can creep up on those fox cubs without alerting them to our presence, Hollykit! And Jaykit, you're the only cat in the forest with the nose sharp enough to track them down even after a rainstorm. ThunderClan is depending on you."

Jaykit knew his brother was trying to play upon his weakness of self-consciousness. His compliments were just to persuade him into following him on this fool's journey. Still, the attention was flattering, and Lionkit did have a point.

Finding an entire litter of dangerous cubs while still only kits ourselves? How can Firestar not make us apprentices right after that? A smug grin unconsciously spread across his face as he contemplated the ramifications of that act. How will my doubters react when they witness the blind defenseless little kit rewarded for his bravery? Renowned as a hero before even six moons old! There's a way to go down in history.

"Fine," he meowed simply. "I'll come. For the good of the Clan."

Lionkit nodded as he too played along. "For the good of the Clan." Both brothers turned their gazes to their conflicted sister. "Well, Hollykit? Are you going to be brave like a warrior or cower in the nursery like a mouse hiding from a predator? 'Cause we can't do this without you."

Hollykit sighed, releasing a puff of air as she reluctantly relinquished her most greatest inhibitions. This was a reckless decision she would surely soon regret. "All right," she whispered in resignation. "I'll come with you mousebrains. Someone has to stop you from getting mauled by vicious foxes."

"How are we going to leave camp?" Jaykit asked sensibly. "Cats are gonna notice if three kits just prance out the entrance and into the dangerous forest."

Hollykit scoffed dismissively. "We'll take the secret exit out by the dirt place. The hole there is just large enough for us to squeeze through."

Both of her brothers gaped in surprise and wondered simultaneously, "There's a secret passage out of camp?"

Jaykit didn't need to see the proud grin spreading across his sister's face. He could feel her pride. "Mousebrains, I like dark and isolated places, remember? It's my sacred duty to find out all the deepest and darkest secrets of ThunderClan for the good of everyone."

Free of the familiar confining walls of camp and out in the legendary forest for the very first time in his short life, Jaykit spared a moment to relish in his new-found liberty. Above a soft wind rustled through the leaves. He felt spots of warmth on his pelt, dappled sunlight that had filtered in from the tree branches. Beneath his paws were slightly dampened leaves that had been accumulating in the area moons before his birth. His nostrils twitched as countless faints but recognizable scents found their way to him. Even for a blind cat, the forest was alive and teeming with information.

"Wow," Lionkit murmured aloud in awe. "Makes me wish we had the guts to sneak out of camp sooner."

"I can't believe I'm actually gonna agree with that," Hollykit breathed. "Cinderpaw never came close to accurately describing all of this."

When the moment finally rolled around that proper and loyal Hollykit agreed with her brothers' flagrant disobedience of the warrior code and common sense, Jaykit figured it was high time to shake her out of her stupor. "Come on," he beckoned impatiently. "Standing around like idiots won't find us any foxes. Besides I want to get this over and done with before Firestar sends another patrol out searching for us or the cubs we're supposed to find."

Hollykit hid her flustered response behind an impressive facade of agreement. "Right," she hastily meowed. "Do you have the scent?"

Jaykit breathed in. The stench of fox was barely visible, even fainter than what he had scented upon the pelts of his Clanmates that had inspected the mother fox's corpse. "It's impossible to miss. Not even rain can wash these disgusting creatures clean."

Holder of the scent, he naturally led his littermates on the winding trail that would eventually lead them to the elusive den. But Hollykit and Lionkit remained on other side of him, close enough so their pelts brushed lightly against his own. They silently helped to guide him around obstacles, swerving him around trees and over roots. Jaykit didn't mind the assistance: The forest was unfamiliar territory. Left alone he would ran into every single tree on ThunderClan territory.

This is only a temporary situation though, he reminded himself. Once I go on enough patrols I'll memorize enough of the territory so I won't be completely disorientated.

The mother fox had been crafty, possessing enough cunning to purposefully create winding trails through difficult obstacles. She must have sensed the danger ThunderClan warriors posed to her and her offspring, and had done her best to mislead them. But not even a tricky fox could outwit Jaykit. He obstinately remained on course, winding through complicated paths that encircled what seemed like the entire territory.

After a while, Lionkit grew impatient with the lack of progress and his paws tired from the long walk. Jaykit sensed his brother about to launch off into a stem of complaints at any moment. Only Hollykit's assurance of retribution if he did annoy her kept the golden tabby quiet. But eventually Lionkit could hold his tongue no longer.

"How much longer?" he pressed. "This trail is leading us in circles. We passed that birch tree twice already."

Jaykit had long since grown quiet, locked on a scent he knew was stronger by the moment. His pace quickened, tail shooting up in excitement. Catching on, his siblings also hurried on, their anticipation bleeding over into his. The den was close, he could feel it.

"Wait!" Hollykit called in alarm. She and Lionkit stopped dead in their tracks, simultaneously reaching out to block Jaykit's path. The gray tabby collided with a heap of fur, sending all three kits tumbling down to the ground. It was Jaykit who managed to untangle himself from his siblings first, leaping back to his paws and huffing angrily.

"What was that for?" he demanded in a hiss.

"You were about to run straight on into a patch of thorns and sharp bramble and StarClan knows what else," Lionkit breathed back tartly. "Stupid furball. We couldn't go home to our mom with you all scratched and bleeding. She'd think you got into a fight with a ShadowClan patrol or something equally reckless."

Like what we're doing right now? the gray tabby thought sarcastically.

Tentatively Jaykit ventured forward a few steps. True to Lionkit's claim, his whiskers brushed up against something. Putting a paw before him, the blind young cat swiftly withdrew it with a pained gasp as several small thorns pricked him sharply in reproach. He retreated back to where his siblings sat, settling down by Hollykit's side. The three littermates conversed in soft voices. Instinct told them to keep as quiet as possible.

"Clever thinking," Hollykit breathed in grudging admiration. "The mother fox made her den right in the middle of this clump of prickly bushes. Warriors would never venture in there unless they had a good reason to. Considering how good she was at disguising her scent, she made her den full of kit invisible to even trackers with the sharpest noses by hiding it here."

Lionkit swore under his breath. "How are we supposed to prove that to the rest of the Clan? Others will claim that the fox just made her dirt here or something. We need solid proof before Firestar will agree to send a patrol to investigate."

Frustrated, Jaykit reached out with his mind as if he could grasp at the consciousnesses of the fox cubs. Beyond the thoughts of his siblings, however, he sensed only faint and timid prey lurking on the borders of his reach. Glaring sightlessly ahead at the unbelievable obstacle that impeded their progress, the tom wracked his brains for a solution. Slowly but surely, his cunning mind formulated an idea he deemed workable.

"Do you think you could find us a path through the bushes?" he asked Hollykit seriously. Not needing sight to know she had nodded her head, Jaykit turned to his brother. "Lionkit, you're the strongest of us. Can you guard our rear while Hollykit and I find a route to the den?"

"Of course I can," Lionkit answered indignantly. "Lead the way."

Grumbling under her breath about the pigheadedness of her brothers, Hollykit once again aided their quest. She padded away from her littermates, quietly pacing amongst the borders of the bushes as she searched for an entrance. Finding one she considered suitable, the black she-cat beckoned her brothers to follow. Jaykit was right behind her, depending on the feel of her fluffy tail to remain on course. Lionkit brought up the rear of the line, constantly poised for a fox to come erupting out of the surrounding branches.

Hollykit effortlessly weaved through the thorns and bushes, silent as usual. Her brothers followed far more noisily and clumsily. Jaykit found himself frequently stumbling over obstacles in his path or scraping his face against a rough branch. All siblings didn't dare utter a word now, so the blind tom was forced to rely on his own perception to guide his path. Hollykit no longer needed his sharp nose to lead the way, the putrid odor of fox was so strong now she and Lionkit could scent it for themselves.

The three kits wound their way forward, moving as soundlessly as they could and hardly daring to breathe. Where were the fox cubs? Were the predators hunched somewhere in the surrounding bushes, just waiting for their chance to strike? Did they know that three defenseless kits were at their mercy?

After a long while of walking and praying desperately to StarClan, Jaykit at last felt something rough and jagged on the corners of his mind. He halted abruptly, blocking Lionkit's way and gently tugging on his sister's tail to urge her to do the same. The tang of fox sharp in their nostrils, the three kits stood completely still and listened intently.

Barley a fex fox-lengths away from them, somewhere just through the thorny branches, emanated the booming yips of the cubs. They banged violently against the ground, growling and snapping amongst themselves. It was like kits scuffling, only a far larger and dangerous scale.

"I'm going to sneak closer," Hollykit breathed to Jaykit after a while. "Someone has to report to Firestar about their size and how many cubs there are. Both of you stay here."

Jaykit nodded enthusiastically at this suggestion. His sister was the only one out the three that could creep up on the playing monstrosities without being noticed. Lionkit would probably charge forward and challenge them if allowed to get too close. And Jaykit? Well, knowing his luck he'd somehow stumble right into the fray and get himself ripped to pieces before he could squeal in agony. Now both toms crouched down in the brush, moving carefully so as not to disturb the noisy bushes that surrounded them.

Jaykit tried to breathe as shallowly as possible, not trusting himself when in such close vicinity to dangerous predators. Lionkit's usually laid-back mind was swirling with worry and excitement that made his own pelt bristle. His older brother shifted only once, once, to try and make himself more comfortable as Hollykit ventured forward.

Crack!

Utter silence suddenly reigned over the forest. The fox cubs stopped their playing, ears obviously swiveling as they tried to detect the telltale racket that had sounded so near them. Jaykit turned to sightlessly glare at his mousebrain brother while Hollykit was frantically running through every prayer to StarClan she could think of. Even the singing birds seemed to have quieted down to observe the situation from their safe perches high atop the trees.

One of the foxes inhaled deeply, barking to it siblings as it caught the fresh scent of cat. That first blasted predator charged forward, three other siblings eagerly following suit. Instinct told them they had just stumbled upon prey. Jaykit's instinct told him to run as fast his stubby legs could carry him if he ever wanted to prove ThunderClan how useful blind cats could be.

The three littermates fled with the speed of the winds. Small and swift Hollykit easily passed her two brothers with Lionkit close behind. Jaykit did his best to follow them, desperately swerving to avoid tree trunks that brushed against his whiskers. He had to rely on hearing to estimate when to jump over roots Lionkit had just cleared. Such a feat was not easy when his own heartbeat was hammering frantically in his ears.

"They're faster than we are!" Jaykit yowled up to his siblings as one fox's fangs nearly missed his tail for the countless time. "Can one of you do something before we're all crow-food?"

"Split up and swerve through the trees!" Hollykit cried back. "We're smaller and more agile than they are. Then just follow our original scent trail back to camp and warriors should be there to help!"

"Take my tail!" Lionkit gruffly ordered Jaykit. "Jump and turn only when I tell you tell. Let me be your eyes for now!"

Ordinarily resentful of such commands, the gray tabby eagerly obliged on this occasion. Keeping a firm grip on his sibling's golden tail, he braced for whatever plan Hollykit had just made up. At her call, the littermates separated to take different routes back to the stone hollow. Hollykit swerved to the right while her brothers steered to the left. It was a tactic they desperately hoped would make it easier to lose their obstinate pursuers.

Only one of the foxes took the bait and followed Hollykit when they divided. Jaykit still could smell three disgusting cubs doggedly chasing him. Apparently they were smart enough to notice two kits made a larger meal than one, not to mention easier prey. Stamina beginning to wane with the exhausting run, he refused to slow down. Even when his lungs began to burn and become starved for air. Lionkit at least had the option to pant for oxygen. Letting go of his brother's tail for one quick gasp would mean consigning himself to the snapping jaws just behind him.

Desperately, Jaykit reached out like he always did. He was hoping to sense some patrol nearby, or better yet, the entire ThunderClan camp. Instead he only felt the two terrified minds of his siblings, and the ravenous minds of the three foxes that still followed their prey. Two were only hungry for the meat the hunt would provide. The largest cub, the leader of the littermates that had been the first to sense the cats, relished far more in the actual perverse pleasure of chasing down helpless prey.

Run. Catch. Kill. Eat. Run, big gray rat, run! Hungry for gray one, so hungry!

ThunderClan scent suddenly overwhelming his nostrils, Jaykit realized they had made it to camp. Only, they hadn't arrived at the entrance. Wind buffeted at his fur, promising only empty air to break his fall to the bottom of the stone hollow fox-lengths below. Releasing his grip on Lionkit's tail, the brothers struggled only to dig their claws into the ground and avoid flying over the edge. Lionkit managed to leap to the side and clear danger all together.

Gaining a purchase in the earth at the last possible second, for a terrifying moment Jaykit felt himself lurching over the edge before he could right himself. Precariously close to certain doom he sighed in relief, glad he had survived the ordeal. Then came the three ferocious foxes to come charging right at him. The largest cub had the sense to stop before careening over the abyss. Its siblings, immersed in the thrill of the chase, realized their error too late.

Charging over the edge of the stone hollow, two massive shapes collided into Jaykit as he was dragged to his death along with them. With the frightened yelping of terrified fox cubs and the sound of his siblings screaming his name, the gray tabby met solid ground at long last. Head smashing into a hard surface, the poor young cat knew no more.

Next chapter: "Does he remember us?" "He better, or else I'm going to feel very ashamed of myself for scaring an innocent kit out of his fur-" "WIND! RIVER!" "Yep, he does. Congratulations, Wind. You can screech at him now."

1. As you can see, the order of mentors and apprentices have been slightly altered. Molepaw gets a temporary reprieve from death and thus Ashfur is unavailable for mentoring poor Lionkit. Brackenfur is the most experienced warrior (short of Firestar himself) currently not occupied with an apprentice at the moment and Firestar can see how much of a challenge Lionkit will be. Why does Birchfall get an apprentice before Whitewing? 'Cause Firestar is saving her for Icekit. As stated in the books, white fur is a major disadvantage in the middle of a green forest. Also, the next two litters of apprentices (Ferncloud's and the one Daisy is expecting with Spiderleg) are Birchfall's kin. This is last shot at an apprentice for moons.

2. I shall say these tings only once: Jaykit is NOT dead. Owlstar does not take control of his body. The personalities of the Three shall remain intact, for whatever other soul is connected to them.

3. Is the fox that thinks Jaykit is a giant rat important? You won't see her (yes, the she is female) for a while. But whatever random things I stick into a story always becomes important eventually. Just many chapters down the road...