Chapter 1:

Brackenfur settled beside his sister with a mouse shared between them. His paws ached from a long patrol outing, and he was tired from staying up and guarding the camp the night before. He was thankful for the opportunity to finally rest.

Cinderpelt purred softly beside him and tucked into the prey first, before nudging it over to him. They sat in a comfortable silence, watching the cats around them as they ate. It was just past sunhigh, and the camp was fairly busy.

The last hunting patrol was returning to allow another border patrol to go out, and a couple of apprentices were returning with their mentors, fur bristling with energy and leaping into the air with excitement at their newly learned battle moves. Brackenfur's whiskers twitched as he watched Thornpaw and Swiftpaw launch into a wrestling match and accidentally kicked dust all over Longtail, who in turn yowled at them. The elders were out of their den too, taking advantage of the last warm day of the year. Bramblekit and Tawnykit eagerly listened as they were told a story.

Brackenfur heard a tiny wail, and he whipped his head around to see Snowkit. The small white kit had pricked one of his paws on a thorn beside the warriors' den, and his mother, Speckletail, had already swooped in to help pull it out. The kit did not mew any words, and the piercing wail was one of the only sounds that Brackenfur had heard him make.

Cinderpelt sighed beside him, but made no effort to go over and check the kit. Speckletail was already licking her son's paw rigorously, and sending him back off to play with his favorite moss ball. Cinderpelt only watched, her worried eyes trailing the kit. "I spoke with Speckletail and Fireheart about him yesterday."

"What did you find?" Brackenfur took another bite of the mouse, though his eyes never left the white kit either. Several other warriors around the camp had turned to watch Snowkit play as well, but the young tom was far too immersed in his game to notice. Speckletail confronted some of the closest warriors with a withering glare and some sharp words.

"It seems that he is deaf," Cinderpelt told him, and facial expression gave away her sadness. "Bluestar said that he would never become a warrior."

Brackenfur turned to her, "Do you believe that?"

Her ears flattened as she looked back to the half-eaten mouse between them. "I believe he is challenged. But no cat is useless to their Clan."

He nodded in consideration at this, and turned to watch the kit once more. Speckletail was beside him again, this time crouched low in what Brackenfur recognized as the hunting crouch. The queen stalked forward a few paces, before looking behind her and flicking her tail as if to tell Snowkit to do the same. Snowkit however, crouched down only to spring forward. He let out a playful half-growl, and caught his mother's tail between his paws. He bit it and leaped for it again as Speckletail gently pulled away from him. Brackenfur could see the disappointment in her gaze.

"Is she trying to train him?" Cinderpelt asked, sounding doubtful. "I tried to explain to her that he wouldn't understand what training is."

"I'll go talk to her," Brackenfur touched his nose briefly to his sister's ear. He stood up and padded over to the queen and kit. Speckletail turned to look at him as he approached, and shot him the same dangerous glare that she had sent the previous warriors.

"Did you come to tell me that it won't work?" She demanded angrily, her flicking tail being pounced on once more. "Well don't say it, Brackenfur. I'm not letting my kit move into the elder's den at the age of six moons! If I can just show Bluestar that Snowkit is worth the time, then maybe she'd give him a chance."

"I wasn't going to tell you to stop. I think you are doing the right thing," Brackenfur watched her expression soften at his words. She turned around and pulled her tail away from Snowkit again.

"Well," She hummed, but was caught off guard and had no other words to say. She crouched down in again and stalked forward slowly and deliberately, before turning around to see if Snowkit was watching. This time however, the kit wasn't watching her at all. He had wandered off in search of a moss ball, and Speckletail had to flick his shoulder to get him to pay attention again.

Brackenfur looked up from the pair as he saw Fireheart heading in the direction of the leader's den. In a sudden decision, he bounded over to the deputy, "Fireheart, may I have a word?" He wondered if this was the best time to talk, if Fireheart was about to report something to Bluestar.

Fireheart seemed to hesitate, "If it's quick. I have to speak to Bluestar."

Brackenfur nodded, and spoke quickly, "It's Speckletail. I'm worried about her. She thinks Snowkit should be an apprentice, and she's trying to mentor him herself. She thinks that if Bluestar sees that he can learn, she'll have to make him into a warrior."

Fireheart's gaze shifted to look past Brackenfur and to the queen. His eyes portrayed his sadness at the sight, and he sighed. "It might be for the best," he said uneasily. "If Speckletail realizes for herself that Snowkit can't learn, it might help her accept that he'll never be a warrior."

"Maybe," Brackenfur agreed, though he wasn't happy with the deputy's words. Surely they could find something for the kit to help with? "I'd like to watch them for a bit, anyway, and see if there's anything I can do to help."

Fireheart seemed to look at him more closely, but his flicking tail gave very little away. Finally, he meowed, "That's fine, provided it doesn't interfere with your warrior duties. If you think of anything, let me know. I'll talk to Cinderpelt again."

"Thanks, Fireheart," Brackenfur meowed, and turned to watch the duo again. He settled himself a respectful distance away, and tucked his paws neatly under his chest as he took in the sight before him. He watched them for a long time, until Speckletail left for the dirtplace. Snowkit, left alone once more, turned to play with his favorite moss ball again.

He let his mind wander as he watched, trying to figure out how Snowkit might be able to get a proper training. Looking at the way Snowkit crouched, leaped, and swatted at the moss, he clearly had the right instincts to become a warrior. His eyes were alight with energy too, just waiting to be spent. If he could hear like a normal cat, he'd be the apprentice that all mentors hope for. But he couldn't hear, and that made things difficult.

Brackenfur refused to believe that he was only destined for a spot in the elders' den though. Surely Cinderpelt was right. Even cats like Snowkit could find a place in ThunderClan, if given enough time and energy. It would be a shame to watch such an excitable young kit lose their chance at becoming a warrior before he could prove whether or not he was capable.

"Brackenfur!" He looked up at the sound of his name and saw that the elders were beckoning him over. He hauled himself to his paws and padded over to where they were lounging outside the elders den. There was a plump rabbit at their paws, and Brackenfur was impressed with the apprentices' catch today.

It was Dappletail who had called him over, and she looked at him with approval as he approached. "It makes me happy to see you taking an interest in young Snowkit. That young tom might get a real chance to become a warrior with you by his side."

"Not many warriors would take interest in a kit like him," Smallear agreed with a slow nod. "I can still remember when Brindleface lost her deaf kit. It was a day of great sadness." Dappletail murmured her agreement softly.

Brackenfur had just begun to thank them when yowls rose around the camp. "Hawk! There's a hawk!"

He whipped around and looked into the sky to see the large bird circling the camp from above. Normally hawks took only kits and prey, but he knew that they would attack a full-grown cat if hungry enough. And with leaf-bare quickly approaching, it might just be that hungry.

Around the camp, cats were disappearing into their dens or hiding in the shadows at the edge of the camp. He saw that Goldenflower and Willowpelt were herding the kits back to the nursery, and Brackenfur quickly turned to help the elders to safety too. Dappletail and Smallear had already gotten to their paws, but One-eye was still laying there, her near deafness making her confused and started by the sudden commotion.

Brackenfur helped the elder to her paws and nudged her in the direction of her denmates. She sent him a startled look but did not protest, and he was thankful for that. Just as he was about to enter the den after them, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one had been left in the clearing. To his alarm however, Snowkit was still playing in the middle of the camp as if nothing was wrong.

The young kit was tumbling around and batting at his moss ball still, and Speckletail had not returned from the dirtplace yet. Brackenfur tore away from the elder's side and raced across the camp, looking upwards to see the hawk dive sharply at the same time.

"Snowkit! No!" Brackenfur launched himself on top of the kit, and braced himself for the oncoming pain. There wasn't even a heartbeat between them before talons ripped into his flesh. He cried out in pain and terror, eyes sealed shut as he was lifted off the ground. Strong wind battered him as the wings flapped powerfully.

All around him were the shocked cries of his Clanmates, and the pounding of paws as they raced to help. He opened his eyes just in time to see two cats leap at the bird together, launching themselves onto its wings and bringing it crashing back to the ground.

The talons released him in the bird's panic, and Brackenfur fell back to the ground limply. He hit his head in the fall, and the new burst of pain made the world dizzy around him. Darkness pressed on his vision, and for a moment all he could see was red staining the dust around him.

Speckletail was in front of him now, sobbing loudly. And there was Fireheart too, shouting for a medicine cat. Brackenfur tried to lift his head to search for the kit he had saved, but was unable to find the white pelt among all the chaos. Finally, the darkness took over and Brackenfur was engulfed with the silence.

…

When Brackenfur awoke, he was immediately met with pain. No longer was it a fiery hot pain that gripped him all over. Instead, it was more of a strong ache in both of his flanks. A pounding headache made him grimace, and he had to force open his eyes to see where he was. He recognized the medicine cat den after a few confusing heartbeats, and realized that he was not the only one in the den. Cinderpelt was a few tail-lengths away from him, working quietly with some herbs.

Slowly, he turned in his nest to look at his pelt. The spots where his flanks hurt were covered in a thick slather of cobwebs, moss, and applied herbs. He turned back to the other cat in his den, and swallowed dryly. He tried to speak his sister's name, but it came out hoarsely and more like a groan than any real word.

Cinderpelt turned around with a look of surprise. "You're awake!" She exclaimed, abandoning her work at once. She rushed forward and pressed her nose to his. She was trembling as she said, "I thought you'd be out for two more days at the least."

Brackenfur tried to sit up, but she held out a paw to push him back down gently. "Just lay still. I don't want you to reopen any of your wounds. I'll go fetch you some water."

And with that, Cinderpelt hobbled from the den. He peered out the entrance to the frost-bitten camp outside, and there were only a few heartbeats of silence before Fireheart entered the den next. He looked tired, as though he had just woken up.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Brackenfur," Fireheart told him, though his eyes took in the mess of herbs and cobwebs plastered to his pelt cautiously. "The entire Clan has been worried for you."

"Is Snowkit okay?" Brackenfur ignored Cinderpelt's warning and forced himself to upright. He tried to hide a wince from Fireheart as his body screamed in protest. Maybe he should have listened to Cinderpelt…

"He is fine. He was shaken and refused to leave the nursery for an entire day, but he didn't get hurt because of you." His whiskers twitched with faint amusement and he added, "I'm sure that Speckletail will be in here soon to thank you for saving him."

Brackenfur nodded, preparing himself for the emotional queen. Cinderpelt returned with soaked moss dripping from her jaws. She squeezed between Fireheart and him, then set down the moss and told Brackenfur sternly, "I told you not to sit up."

"I know," Brackenfur admitted. He leaned down, slow and stiff with pain, to lap up the cool water. He whispered his thanks to her, and she turned away with a huff of annoyance.

There was a moment where Fireheart awkwardly settled down beside Brackenfur's nest. He said, voice filled with uncertainty, "Snowkit has reached six moons, and Speckletail is still determined to teach him. I thought about Snowkit's situation a lot since he was diagnosed, and I wanted to talk to you about it. I know you had an interest in mentoring him."

Brackenfur paused from drinking long enough to say, "I still do."

"Well," Fireheart continued. "I don't want to give him a mentor until I am sure he can be trained. If you can prove to me that Snowkit is worth the energy, I will try to convince Bluestar to give him an apprentice ceremony. Until it is decided though, he will stay in the nursery with Speckletail."

Brackenfur leaned back at this. It was better than the alternative, he knew. Snowkit was lucky that Fireheart was such a compassionate deputy, who was willing to give a deaf kit the chance to become a warrior. He knew the struggle would be great, but until proven impossible, Fireheart would refuse to condemn him to life in the elder's den.

Getting no response from Brackenfur, Fireheart stood and turned to leave. He murmured, "Get better soon, Brackenfur. We need all warriors we can get up and on their paws."