Allegiances

Thunderclan

LEADER- LEAFSTAR - Skinny, dark grey-pelted she-cat with orange splotches and

fiery orange eyes.

DEPUTY-SANDFUR - Light sand-colored tomcat with a thick pelt, and narrow

brown eyes.

MEDICINE CAT- MINTLEAF - Light grey colored she-cat with a skinny frame, long tail,

and minty green eyes.

WARRIORS(toms and she-cats without kits)

COPPERBLAZE - Red tom with light green eyes

APPRENTICE, QUAILPAW

CROWFLIGHT- Huge, muscular black tom with light hazel eyes.

GORSEWHISKER - Light orange she-cat with green eyes.

APPRENTICE, EMBERPAW

FOXTAIL - Orange tabby tom with dark blue eyes.

APPRENTICE, BLOSSOMPAW

HAZELBREATH - Speckled, brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and amber eyes.

DAISYCLAW - Cream-colored she-cat with light blue eyes

APPRENTICE, COTTONPAW

SUNSTRIPE - Marble-pelted black and white tom with dark green eyes.

APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

QUAILPAW - Light brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and amber

eyes.

EMBERPAW - Light tortoiseshell she-cat with light green eyes. BLOSSOMPAW - long-haired, cream-colored she-cat with dark blue eyes

COTTONPAW - white tom with a fluffy tail, and light blue eyes.

QUEENS(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

SLIVERBROOK - Gray tabby pelt with hazel eyes. Mother to Sandfur's

kits: Harekit(grey she-kit with hazel eyes), and Sunkit(sand-colored she-kit with yellow and green eyes).

RIVERSONG - Gray tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and light blue eyes.

ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)

BLUECREEK - Blue-gray tomcat with blue

Riverclan

LEADER- SILVERSTAR - Light gray tom with emerald eyes

DEPUTY- WOLFCLAW - Brown tabby tom with blue eyes

MEDICINE CAT- FLAMEPOOL - Pretty, blind tortoiseshell she-cat with ginger patches APPRENTICE, MUDSPOT

Windclan

LEADER-WILLOWSTAR - Longhaired, white and black she-cat with dark green eyes.

DEPUTY- BRAMBLEPELT - Brown tabby tom with sharp ears and piercing yellow eyes.

MEDICINE CAT- SODDENCLOUD - Silver and white tomcat with blue eyes and a fluffy, striped tail.

Shadowclan

LEADER- ASHSTAR - Black she-cat with yellow eyes.

DEPUTY- MOONBLAZE - Big white tom with green eyes.

MEDICINE CAT- TIGERFANG - Brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Skyclan

LEADER- FLAMESTAR - Big orange tom with yellow eyes.

DEPUTY- CROWFROST - Black and white tom with golden yellow eyes.

MEDICINE CAT- MISTWING - Blue tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes.

CHAPTER 1

"Sunkit?" "Sunkit, wake up!"

Sunkit opened her eyes to see a grey face with bright yellow eyes staring back at her. "I'm up Harekit, I'm up," Sunkit grumbled, climbing out of the mossy nest. She slowly stretched her muscles and yawned. She wasn't like her sister. Harekit was always energetic, ready to go and leap into battle at any moment. Sunkit was the opposite. She liked to take things slow and observe her surroundings.

"How can you sleep when today is so exciting?" Harekit exclaimed while jumping up and down in the nursery. "Today is the day we finally get to start our training!" She looked as if she could explode at any moment.

"Harekit! Settle down please."

Sunkit whipped around to see their mother, Silverbrook, climbing out of the nest to sit beside her sister.

"Honestly Harekit, do you really think I'm going to let you leave the nursery with your pelt looking like you went through the thorn barrier backward?" Silverbrook sighed. "I want you two to look presentable when you get your mentors." She leaned down and tried to groom her daughter, but Harekit was stubborn and pulled away before her mother could reach her.

"It shouldn't matter how I look. As long as can fight and hunt well, I should be fine." Harekit protested. "Just you wait! I'm going to be the best warrior Thunderclan has ever seen!"

"Alright then, settle down my little warrior. Now sit still so I can tidy you up." purred her mother. Much to her sister's dismay, she was groomed until her fur practically shined. Once they both had been properly groomed, her mother led them outside then den, and into the outside world.

"It's beautiful!" exclaimed Harekit, her tail twitching in excitement. Sunkit blinked her eyes. The sun was blinding. It didn't matter how many times she had stepped outside the den. It was a huge difference compared to the darkness of the nursery. She could see how the Greenleaf sun shone upon the high rock in front of her. Beside it was a shaded den, hidden by vines. The camp was massive. There were several different dens built along the edges of the camp walls. In the middle of it all was the fresh-kill pile. Several mice and squirrels, as well as a couple of birds, laid there, ready to be consumed by the hungry thunderclan warriors. "We see this everyday Harekit, it's not that exciting." Sunkit rolled her eyes and looked to see her sister gazing around the camp in awe.

"I know that!" Harekit stuck her tongue out at her. "When do you think Sandfur will be back from patrol?" She questioned their mother, clearly wanting to change the subject to something that wasn't about her.

"It shouldn't be long now. He led the dawn patrol." Silverbrook said quietly, almost to herself. Sunkit watched the thorn barrier like it was a mouse that she was hunting, quiet and focused. Meanwhile, Harekit was quivering with excitement. Her tail and whiskers twitching like crazy. Sunkit was excited of course. But also worried. Their father, Sandfur, was the clan deputy. He was a wise, level-headed cat that always thought through a battle, rather than just blindly leaping into it. He was well-respected throughout all the clans. He had visited the nursery a few

times before. But his duties often kept him really busy, so she didn't get to see him much. What would he think of her? Would he like her? Or would he think she was just some silly kit? She was about to become an apprentice. She had to make him proud of her. Her mother always told her to believe in herself, and not to worry about what other cats thought of her. But despite what her mother had said, Sunkit felt like she had to make him proud. There wasn't any questions about it.

Suddenly there was movement by the entrance. Four cats came through each carrying prey. She recognized Gorsewhisker, and her apprentice, Emberpaw, who was covered from head to toe in thorns. She must have fallen into a bramble thicket. Following Emberpaw was one of Thunderclan's best warriors, Crowflight. Sunkit stared at him in awe. He was huge. She could clearly see his muscles rippling through his black pelt in the sunlight. He had to be the biggest cat in all the clans.

"There he is! It's Sandfur!"

Sunkit glanced back to the thorn barrier to see her father padding up to them. She suddenly realized how much they looked alike. They both had sandy pelts, with a small frame and defined facial features. When she looked into his eyes, she could see a warm, comforting look. It was like all her worries melted away when she saw him.

"There you are. I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it." Her mother teased.

"Well I would have been here sooner if Emberpaw hadn't gotten stuck in a bramble patch." sighed Sandfur, while looking back at the small apprentice. Glancing at the fresh-kill pile, she could see Emberpaw hunched over in shame while her mentor explained to Mintleaf

why she was covered in scratches. She looked up at her with curiosity. Sunkit quickly looked away. She didn't want her to think she was nosy.

"Sunkit?"

Sunkit jolted up as her mind came back to the present.

"Sunkit, did you hear your father?"

She started to panic as it finally occurred to her that her father had tried to speak to her.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

Silverbrook sighed. "Sandfur asked you a question. Stop daydreaming and pay attention." Sunkit lowered her head. She didn't mean to drift off like that. She looked up to see her

father's whiskers twitching in amusement.

"It's alright Silverbrook. All kits do this." Sandfur chuckled. "I asked if you were ready

to start your apprenticeship?" Sandfur looked at her expectantly.

"Oh, y-yes. Ofc-course I am." She stammered. She didn't want him to know that she was

absolutely dreading it. If she can't even pay attention now, how will she ever make it to a warrior?

"Well, I for one can't wait to start my apprenticeship! I'm gonna be the best warrior thunderclan has ever seen!" Harekit chimed in.

Silverbrook gave her kit a lick on the head. "Of course you will, my dear." You both will make fine warriors someday." purred her mother.

Sunkit felt conflicted. She knew that her parents, as well as the rest of the clan, were expecting her and her sister to be great warriors in the future. But sunkit just wasn't into it. She didn't get excited about a battle like her clanmates did. She never really saw the appeal of it. She

kept telling herself that once she started her training, she would feel differently. She kept thinking that maybe she will actually be able to join in on her clanmates' conversations with as much enthusiasm as them. But she just felt that she was trying to hide the real truth.

"Sunkit!"

Sunkit jumped as she heard her father's voice. She looked up to see her father staring at her, his tail twitching with annoyance. She looked at him with confusion, until it finally hit her, like a bunch of rocks had fallen from above and buried her underneath them. She had drifted off into her thoughts again. "Sorry, Sandfur! I didn't mean to lose focus."

Sandfur sighed, shaking his head. "I know you didn't do it on purpose. But you will be starting your apprenticeship tomorrow. You need to learn to keep your focus if you're going to be a warrior. I might put up with it. But I'm your father. Your mentor won't be as easy-going as I am."

"I understand." She lowered her head. How would she ever fit in if she couldn't even pay attention?

Silverbrook looked at her with sympathy. "It's alright Sunkit. Once you start your training, everything will be better. You'll see." She gave her a quick lick on the head. "Now, go and play. Enjoy your last care-free day as kits. Because tomorrow, your real-life begins."

Sunkit opened her eyes in a dark, empty clearing, with no hint of life to be seen at all. The trees were tall and dark and had clearly been dead for some time. She has been here before. She would often find herself in this barren clearing. Nothing ever seemed to happen here. It was always the same trees, the same rocks, the same heavy fog surrounding the clearing. But Sunkit could tell this time was different. Something just didn't feel right. She stood up, tasting the air

for any trace of scent. She could smell something. Something that hadn't been here any of the other times. She could smell something in the air. Cat scent. A lot of cats. It was all around her.

Suddenly, cats leaped out into the open. They were everywhere. Surrounding her from all sides. Sunkit whipped her head around in all directions. She was sure this was the end. But they didn't seem to be focused on her. Do they even realize that I'm here? She was confused. Until they all started leaping at each other, their claws out and teeth bared. Sunkit could smell so many different scents. But not just any scents. She could smell cats from all five clans! Windclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan, Skyclan, and even Thunderclan. They were all here. This wasn't just any normal battle. This was a war. And she was right in the middle of it