Ha, wow I'm bad about waiting to upload. I'm just too impatient to get this story out there, I've been working on it for awhile now already xD

Anyhoo~ I'm going to go ahead and put out TWO more chapters today and then actually make you wait a bit. I don't want to put too much out right away because I am still working on later chapters and don't want to rush myself.

I'm just desperate for feedback. Please give me feedback, I'm begging you haha

I've taken some creative freedom with how the camps/territories are laid out to make things a bit more detailed and whatnot than what we get in the canon series, so if things aren't exactly as they're described in the books, please don't come for me xD

"How much farther do you think?"

Breezekit's ears flattened at her sister's words, her own uncertainty making the question hard to answer. They had been traveling for many days, over a quarter moon by now, and had yet to find any sign of the Clans. They hadn't even seen any other cats other than a grouchy old tom who had snarled and spat at them when they tried asking him for help. Although her optimistic spirit had been severely dampened, paired with her muscles that ached and paws that seemed to drag with every new step, she kept them pushing forward. They had to find WindClan, they just had to.

"We've got to be getting close." They had known that Moonwing had traveled for several days along a large thunderpath before settling down in their forest, so how far could a she-cat that close to kitting really have traveled? The twolegplace they had to cut through was naturally full of twolegs, but also dogs, monsters and all sorts of new and frightening things that made their progress slow and tedious. She just hoped they hadn't gotten turned around in the mazes of smaller thunderpaths and were actually going the right way. "Just a bit farther."

"You've been saying that for days," Snowkit grumbled. "Let's stop to hunt at least, if my belly growls any louder WindClan would be able to hear us coming all the way from their camp."

That was something Breezekit could agree with at least, and she flashed her sister an amused glance. With how focused they had been traveling, they'd rarely stopped to find prey to eat and even when they had they hadn't been very successful. At least earlier that morning they had finally reached an end of the twolegplace and were now surrounded by wide open fields, dotted with smaller twolegs dens and herds of large, strange animals. Hopefully there were mice hiding in the grasses as well because Breezekit felt like her stomach would gnaw away at her insides if she didn't eat soon.

Just ahead of them was another of the twoleg barns, and beyond that the fields stretched on but without any of the fences that encircled the rest. Maybe there they would have a better chance at finding prey, away from the hooves of the beasts the twolegs kept.

"Let's try over there." With a wave of her tail, Breezekit led the way. Her ears twitched nervously at the sound of dogs barking nearby, but she could not see them so she hoped the dogs wouldn't catch on to their scent. They sounded big and there was nowhere to hide here other than the barn itself, and Breezekit didn't fancy taking her chances with whatever was in there either.

Then, as they passed the last of the fences, the tabby caught a familiar scent on the breeze and stiffened. "Is that..?" She knew that smell; it had still clung to Moonwing's fur even after all this time.

Snowkit paused beside her, jaws parting to taste the air before she let out a mrrow of delight. "WindClan! We found them!"

The sisters exchanged an amazed look, eyes shining in excitement, before bounding away from the thunderpath and towards the moors. They paused for a brief moment at a line of clear border markers, but they pushed on determinedly. They'd already come all this way; they belonged in WindClan, nothing here was going to chase them-

"Intruders!"

A sudden yowl made Breezekit freeze, and she spun around just in time to see a grey and white blur shoot from the undergrowth and slam into Snowkit, throwing her to the ground in a flurry of claws and teeth. She stood there, dark pelt fluffed out in shock as the she-cat dug her claws into her sister's flank, snarling.

"This is WindClan territory you're trespassing on!"

Snowkit, to her credit, fought back bravely, screeching in defiance and pummeling her hind paws into the cat's belly in a desperate attempt to knock her off. But she was smaller and much weaker than her foe and this fight wasn't going to work out in her favor without help.

However, just as Breezekit overcame her shock and prepared herself to launch at her sister's attacker, two more cats burst into view.

"Shadepaw, stop!" The huge ginger tom slammed into the she-cat, knocking her off of Snowkit. "We do not attack kits."

"But they're trespassing!" Shadepaw protested with a furious lash of her tail.

"Redclaw is right. Harming kits is against the warrior code, intruders or not," the other cat mewed sternly. The ginger she-cat was smaller and darker in color than the tom, with bright white fur covering her chest and forelegs. She padded forward, amber gaze softening in concern as she gently nosed Snowkit to her paws. "Are you all right, little one?"

Spots of blood had appeared along her flank from where she had been clawed, but after giving them a quick lick, Snowkit turned to her with a nod. "Yes, thank you."

Breezekit stepped towards her sister, pressing her nose to her cheek with a purr. She was scolding herself for not jumping in to help quicker, but she was thankful for these two cats for showing up when they did. "Are you WindClan warriors?" She wondered, turning her gaze to them.

The she-cat blinked at the question. "We are," she mewed. "My name is Foxflower, and this is my brother Redclaw and his apprentice Shadepaw."

Redclaw nodded silently, but the apprentice spat hatefully as her name was mentioned.

"Where is your mother?" Foxflower continued. "You look too young to be wondering on your own, and right into Clan territory at that."

"She's dead," Snowkit murmured, causing the warrior's face to soften in sympathy. "Killed by a badger."

"But she told us all about you!" Breezekit exclaimed. "We didn't know where else to go, but she's from WindClan so we thought that maybe we could come stay with you."

Foxflower froze, exchanging a look with Redclaw who looked just as shocked. "A WindClan cat," she breathed. Then, more loudly, "Your mother, what was her name?"

"Moonwing." Breezekit didn't like the way Foxflower's expression hardened, or the way Redclaw winced, tip of his tail twitching. "I-I mean," she stammered, paws shuffling anxiously in the dirt and feeling much less confident now. "I know she left, she said she didn't have a choice, but she never said anything but good things about WIndClan! It was her home and she loved it here and she always seemed so sad about it, like she missed being a warrior." She lowered her gaze, ears flattening. "We just thought that maybe..."

"She was a traitor!" Shadepaw snarled, causing the kit's head to fly up and look at her in shock. "Eaglestar exiled her. I was just a kit, but I remember."

"Shadepaw, hush," Redclaw growled, cuffing her lightly over the ear.

"But- !" The grey and white she-cat began to protest, but a hard look from her mentor silenced her. She huffed once, shooting the sisters a glare, but didn't say another word after that.

Foxflower still looked troubled, but she just sighed and shook her head. "What are your names?"

"I'm Snowkit and this is my sister Breezekit," the pale silver kitten mewed with hesitant pride. "Mama said that all kits in Clans get 'kit in their name until they become apprenticed and start training to get their warrior names. She had started training us to hunt but said we weren't six moons old yet so we were stuck with 'kit for a while longer."

Breezekit glanced at her sister in amusement at the petulant tone in her mew at the end, remembering how Snowkit had whined about not being a 'paw yet, but Moonwing had been firm, saying that was the warrior code and they mustn't upset StarClan.

Redclaw stepped closer to Foxflower, leaning in to murmur something in her ear. The she-cat nodded once, tail twitching as she meowed something back, too quietly for the kits to hear.

"Come," the she-cat suddenly turned, waving her white-tipped tail for the kits to follow. "Let's get you back to camp, you two must be exhausted. You both look like you could use some rest and fresh kill."

"What?" Shadepaw spat, bristling in shock though she seemed to think better than to argue further.

Breezekit had to agree with her though, she had just said Moonwing had been exiled! A traitor. She didn't know what her mother possibly could have done to betray her Clan, but she hadn't thought they would still be welcome if that was the case. "But you said Eaglestar-"

"Eaglestar is dead," Redclaw cut in, flicking an ear. "He lost his last life two moons ago. Larkstar leads WindClan now."

"Larkstar was a close friend of your mother," Foxflower continued, nodding. "I do not think she would turn you away."

Breezekit blinked, hardly daring to believe it. A tentative flare of hope rose up again, and beside her Snowkit was purring loudly.

"We did it," the pale tabby meowed to her, blue eyes bright.

"We really did," Breezekit purred back, moving to follow Foxflower and the others with Snowkit on her heels.

Breezekit gazed ahead in wonder as she exited the gorse tunnel behind Redclaw into WindClan's camp. Cats were lounging about the clearing; dozing, sharing prey and mewing with each other in small groups. She even spotted a litter of tiny kits tumbling around in a game while a tabby queen watched on. As the patrol emerged, the Clan's greetings to the returning cats turned into meows of confusion when they spotted the sisters.

"Who are they?" A brown tom called out, and others echoed the question.

Despite the uneasy feeling at the number of eyes suddenly peering at her, Breezekit held her head and tail high as she faced them, determined to appear more confident than she really felt. They had never been around so many cats before, it had always been just them and their mother in their forest. They'd met the occasional loner passing through, but none had ever stuck around for long.

Snowkit pressed herself against her flank, ears twitching at all the sudden attention and also seeming a bit less sure of herself now.

"Yes, who have you brought into our camp, Redclaw? Foxflower?" A light colored tortoiseshell approached them. Her amber gaze was stern, but not unkind, as she looked them over. "Who are these kits?"

From the corner of her eye, Breezekit saw Shadepaw stalk away to where a couple other young cats were gathered around a half eaten rabbit, muttering something to them before disappearing into a den.

"Larkstar," Foxflower bowed her head to the she-cat respectfully. "We found these kits wandering into our territory by the twoleg barn. They… They told us they were looking for WindClan. Larkstar, they said they are Moonwing's kits."

Something like pain flickered across the leader's face, and the gathered cats began muttering among themselves though they fell silent when Larkstar lashed her tail. Padding closer, she lowered her head, eyes much softer now as she looked at them. "Is this true? Moonwing is your mother?"

Breezekit nodded. "Yes Larkstar," she mewed tentatively. "She told us all about WindClan before…" Her ears flattened and she lowered her gaze, unable to bring herself to say the words in front of this cat who'd apparently been Moonwing's good friend.

"Before," Larkstar echoed slowly, her expression hardening. "Before what? Where is your mother? Why is she not here with you?"

"She's dead," Snowkit meowed quietly, answering for her. "A badger killed her."

The tortoiseshell leader breathed a heavy sigh. "I see," she mewed softly, and Breezekit saw a genuine sorrow in her eyes.

"But that's alright," Snowkit spoke up. "We'll always miss her, but she's watching over us now in StarClan. Right?"

Larkstar gave a small purr at that, nodding. "Of course. She taught you about StarClan?"

"Yes," Breezekit chirped. "She told us all about the clans, and the warrior code." The tabby paused, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "She loved WindClan, and I knew she missed living here but would never really tell us why she left. Shadepaw said she was exiled…"

"Never mind that," the leader's mew was firm. "Eaglestar sent her away, that's true, but few of us actually agreed with his decision. Moonwing was a popular cat, her loyalty to us was unquestioned. It was unbelievable at the time, that she would actually be sent away, but Eaglestar… Well Eaglestar seemed to want to make an example of her. A warning to any other cat who thought of breaking the warrior code."

"She broke the code?" Breezekit's green eyes widened in shock, hardly daring to believe it. Her mother had used the warrior code as the basis of principles to live off even in the solitude of their forest. It seemed so unlike her to have broken it after taking it so seriously and making sure her kits learned and knew its rules to live honorably.

Larkstar shook her head. "She did," she mewed simply. "Cats make mistakes, though not all of them should mean exile." She paused, huffing. "But these moons Eaglestar walks with StarClan, and I make the decisions for WindClan now."

"Does that mean we can stay?" Snowkit asked, hesitating. "We don't have anywhere else to go now that Mama is gone. She did teach us to hunt already so we could take care of ourselves if we have to, but…" she trailed off, white paws shuffling anxiously in the dirt.

"Of course you can stay," the tortoiseshell leader mewed firmly. She looked up, amber gaze sweeping over the assembled cats who were all listening attentively. "Do any of my warriors have complaints?"

Breezekit glanced towards them as well, pelt prickling uneasily at being looked at so scrutinously by so many new pairs of eyes. But none of the cats seemed openly distrusting or hostile, if anything many were looking at the kits in pity. Larkstar had said Moonwing was popular in WindClan, so many of these cats had probably been her friends. It was so strange to think about now that she was actually here, the memories and bonds that her mother had been forced to leave behind. If things had been different, it was possible that she and Snowkit would have been born right here, and all these new faces would already have been trusted and familiar by now. But that wasn't the path StarClan had laid out for them and despite herself Breezekit still felt on edge.

When none of the cats spoke out in protest, Larkstar nodded, pleased. "Good." And then she gave an amused purr. "Patchnose, if your eyes opened any wider they'd pop right out of your head. Come say hello."

Following the leader's gaze, Breezekit spotted a black and white tom crouched a few fox lengths away, his green eyes huge as he stared at them. He started at Larkstar's words, ears flattening self consciously as the rest of the Clan looked to him as well, but he did as she asked and got to his paws, shaking out his pelt before padding closer.

"Hello," the tom breathed, looking in amazement between the two kits.

"Hi," Snowkit answered. "Are you our father?"

Patchnose blinked, but then shook his head with an amused purr, seeming to relax. "No. Your mother was my littermate."

"Oh," Breezekit looked him over with a new interest. "You're our kin!" She felt a new excitement at the revelation. Of course she would have family here, but that hadn't been something she'd put much thought in.

"I am," the tom purred back. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I didn't think I would ever get the chance."

"It's nice to meet you too Patchnose!" Snowkit chirped happily, stepping closer to touch her nose to his. "I'm Snowkit, and this is my sister Breezekit. If you're Mama's brother you must have known her really well and have lots of stories! Could you tell us about her?"

Patchnose blinked at the request, but nodded. "Of course," he murmured, a brief flicker of pain flashing in his green eyes that suddenly reminded Breezekit so much of her mother's. "But another time, you both look dead on your paws, like you could sleep for a moon."

"I agree," Larkstar cut in gently. "Come, I'll take you to Dawnlight, she's our medicine cat, She can look you over and get nests made for you." The tortoiseshell leader turned, waving her tail for them to follow.

Breezekit took a step forward, but then glanced back at Foxflower and Redclaw. "Thank you!"

"Of course," the tom purred, amber eyes warm. "StarClan brought you back to us for a reason. You'll both grow into strong warriors before you even know it!"

Foxflower leaned closer and gave each kit a gentle lick between the ears. "Welcome to WindClan!"

Tail curling in delight, Breezekit bounded after Larkstar and down into the medicine den. Glancing around, she took in the wide space that appeared to have been carefully dug out beneath the camp walls; densely packed dirt on all sides and a thick roof of brambles overhead, with enough space for several sick cats to stay without getting too cramped.

Towards the back of the den a ginger she-cat was crouched over piles of herbs, sifting through them with soft white paws and murmuring quietly to herself. She looked up as they came in, mossy green eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the kits. "Oh, so you're what that excitement was about then?" She got to her paws and moved closer, sniffing at them before giving Larkstar a curious look. "They don't smell forest born. Where did you find them?"

"I didn't, Foxflower and Redclaw did. By the twoleg barn near the Highstones," the leader nodded to Snowkit. "Shadepaw was with them and seems she may have been a bit too enthusiastic in her greeting."

"Why am I not surprised," Dawnlight gave a little snort as she leaned in to peer at the scratches. "They don't seem too deep, do they hurt badly?"

Snowkit shook her head. "Not really, just stings a little."

"Good," the medicine cat nodded, kinking her tail for the tabby to follow her to the other side of the den where various herbs had been carefully organized into neatly dug holes in the dirt walls. "I will give you something to help anyway, but you should hardly be able to notice them by tomorrow."

Breezekit watched as Dawnlight selected a pawful of bright yellow flowers and chewed them into a pulp, before licking the juices into Snowkit's fur along the scratches. However a rustling behind her drew her attention and she turned as a young tortoiseshell tom slid into the den with them, two mice hanging from his mouth by their tails.

"Foxflower told me to bring you these," he meowed once he set them down in front of her, his amber eyes bright and friendly. "She said you'd be hungry after your journey here."

"Thank you Sunnypaw," Larkstar meowed, and his tail flicked happily at the leader's praise.

"Thank you Sunnypaw," Breezekit echoed politely, mouth watering at the sight of fresh kill. "I'm starved!"

"Me too!" Snowkit piped up, her ravenous blue gaze locked on the mice. "Thanks!"

Larkstar gave a soft purr, then turned back to the tom. "Could you and one of the other apprentices gather some moss for a nest while they eat? If Stormcloud could spare you a bit longer."

"Of course!" Sunnypaw waved his tail. "Flamepaw just got back, I'll go get her. We'll get it done before you know it. Welcome to WindClan!" And then the tom was gone, disappearing back into the main clearing, yowling Flamepaw's name as he went.

Dawnlight turned to Larkstar as she finished with Snowkit, narrowing her eyes. "Welcome to WindClan? They're staying with us?"

Breezekit didn't like the disapproving tone in the medicine cat meow, so she took this opportunity to bite into one of the mice, and her sister was at her side in a flash to tear into her own.

"Larkstar, we have enough mouths to feed this coming leaf bare without taking in stray kits who wander into our territory. It's hardly like we have a shortage of young cats-"

"I know," the tortoiseshell cut in. "And I would agree with you if they were not Moonwing's kits." That made Dawnlight pause, and Breezekit glanced over to see her looking at them in shock.

"Moonwing's kits? And is she…?"

"Dead." Larkstar mewed more softly. "Killed by a badger, apparently."

"I see." The ginger she-cat was quiet for a moment, a distant, thoughtful look appearing on her face. "Well of course they must stay, but this changes things..."

Breezekit wasn't quite sure what that was supposed to mean, but she was hardly going to question it now. She was okay with them staying and that's what really mattered, she supposed. The clan's medicine cat didn't seem like some cat she would want to be on the wrong side of.

"Breezekit and Snowkit. She even gave them clan names," Larkstar meowed wistfully. "As if she knew they would end up returning here one day. I just wish Moonwing could have returned with them, I'd have let her back in a heartbeat."

"I know." Dawnlight padded closer and nuzzled the leader's cheek, who purred softly and leaned into the touch. "We all wish that night had gone differently, but that was the path StarClan laid out. And they did guide her kits back to us, it couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't," Snowkit grumbled then as she finished her mouse. "We hardly stopped to sleep or eat for days. I've never been so tired in all my life."

"If my paws ever stop aching, I'll offer myself to StarClan on the spot," Breezekit agreed sagely, causing the she-cat's to snort identically in amusement.

"Well hopefully it won't quite come to that," Larkstar meowed. "Just focus on getting your strength back for now. You are due to become apprentices soon after all."

That had Breezekit perking up excitedly. "Really? We can really be warrior apprentices?"

"Well of course," the tortoiseshell meowed back. "I can hardly have two able-bodied cats sit around my camp and get fat off our fresh-kill without earning their keep."

"We won't let you down Larkstar!" Snowkit chirped, blue eyes shining. "We're going to become the fiercest warriors WindClan has ever seen!"

"I'm sure you will," Larkstar brushed her tail along the pale tabby's flank. "Your mother would be proud of you."

"I hope so," Snowkit mewed more softly, lowering her gaze. "I just wish.."

Breezekit leaned in to touch her nose to her sister's cheek, not missing the fresh grief in her eyes. These cats didn't know the details around Moonwing's death, and perhaps never would, but she didn't want Snowkit blaming herself forever. "I know. Me too. But Mama would be so happy we made it all the way to WindClan, and on our own! Now we can train and become warriors like she always wanted for us."

"I know," the silver she-kit muttered back.

"Have faith," Dawnlight put in gently. "She is watching over you now with the rest of our ancestors. She may not be here anymore, but she is not far; you will see her again when your time to join the ranks of StarClan comes. Her death was tragic, but that set your paws on the path back to us."

That seemed to reassure Snowkit, at least for now, and Breezekit was grateful. She was feeling grateful for quite a few things in that moment actually, and the anxiety clouding the back of her mind finally eased. She knew that life here would be hard, but no more so than the loner lifestyle they'd be forced to live if they hadn't come here.

They really were going to be okay.