Thanks for all the reviews, and here's another new chapter.

. . .

When Featherkit next woke, it was to the smell of something milky; something softly pawing her cheek.

Her eyes snapped open at once, and they were pierced by bright yellow orbs.

Her eye-sight was still hazy at best, and she had to blink furiously for it to clear, but when it did, the grey-furred face of a kit greeted her.

Stifling a startled scream of horror, Featherkit instinctively buried her face into her twisted paws.

She stayed that way for a few seconds.

Nothing happened.

Then-

"Mother, what's she doing?"

The high, clear voice of the kit rang forth, and ever so slowly, Featherkit raised her head.

The kit's innocent eyes were set on her, she noticed.

He didn't look to be more than three moons old.

He was young.

Featherkit heard a rustle, and one of the queens murmured, "It's barely dawn, Harekit. Go back to sleep. As for the little one in the corner- well, I heard Darkpaw calling for her a few moment's ago. It seems as if she's going to be taken back to her Clan now."

When Featherkit spoke, her mew was a disappointed rasp, "I'm really going back now?"

The queen in the corner- Larkwing, she thought- fixed her pale-green gaze on her. "Of course you are," she mewed firmly. "Your Mother must be worried sick about you when you didn't return home!"

Casting her amber eyes to her deformed limbs, Featherkit muttered bitterly, "You're wrong, Snowfall doesn't give a fox's dung about me."

Larkwing cast her a sympathetic glance at her, but she didn't say anything.

Featherkit sighed and got to her paws. "Thanks for the hospitality, I guess," she murmured. "I can't say I'll see you around..."

"We might," Ambershine mewed with a secretive smile.

Featherkit shot them a grateful smile. "Really, thank you," she said. "It's the best sleep I've had in moons."

Indeed, the only restful sleep that Featherkit could remember was when she had been a moon old.

It had been during leafbare, a season that Featherkit would remember for the rest of her life- full of snow and terrifying blizzards.

But worst of all, it was cold.

And that had been one of the only nights that Snowfall had let Featherkit curl up with both her and her brother, Cinderkit.

Her Mother's belly had been blissfully warm, and Featherkit had gladly surrendered into sleep.

And now, she only realised that if Snowfall hadn't curled around her, then she would have freezed to death.

"Come back soon," Larkwing's kit, Harekit, squeaked.

Featherkit merely smiled sadly while his Mother gently chided, "You know she can't, little one, she's from an enemy Clan."

Featherkit's smile faded, and she would have flinched had so many eyes been on her.

Enemy Clan.

That's all Featherkit would be, part of an enemy Clan.

Right at that second, Featherkit wished she had been born in WindClan instead of athunderClan, then maybe her deformities would be more easily accepted.

I wish I were in WindClan, Featherkit thought fervently.

And she really did wish it.

No one in ThunderClan would miss her, save for, perhaps, her Father, but other than that, Featherkit knew that she certainly wouldn't miss anyone back at her so called "home".

Featherkit didn't have any friends back in ThunderClan anyway, and if she ever did, they were driven off by Cinderkit and his friend, Rowankit.

But if she were to live in WindClan, then surely Darkpaw would bne her friend?

I wish...

What did she wish for?

A home? A family?

A place to be herself?

A place to be free?

Taking care not to trip, Featherkit padded/limped to the nursery entrance and stepped outside.

It was still dark outside, and that brought a sour taste to her mouth. She had never woken up this early, her Mother being the only one in the nursery to do so.

Suddenly, a voice split through the air: "Featherkit? Are you ready to go home?"

The white and ginger she-cat merely sighed, dryly answering, "As ready as I'll ever be, Darkpaw."

The the grey-furred apprentice appeared at her left shoulder, and Featherkit looked in his direction.

He grinned, showing off his razor-sharp teeth. "That's good, then. And guess what?"

Featherkit grinned back, though it was somewhat timid by her standards. "What, Darkpaw?"

If it were possible, his grin grew even larger as he mewed, "Cloudstorm's letting me come with you guys when he escprts you back to ThunderClan! Though, I only get to go to the border," he finished sadly, his tail drooping.

Featherkit purred, and she briefly pressed her side against his. "At least you'll be coming," she said, and her friend's eyes glittered happily in response.

"Yeah," Darkpaw murmured.

The apprentice straightened up when Cloudstorm appeared.

The WindClan deputy gestured to them curtly with his tail, and her tail drooping low, Featherkit followed with her first and only friend trailing on behind.

It seemed as if only a few minutes passed before they were at the border intersecting WindClan and ThunderClan territory.

"I guess this is goodbye, then," sighed Featherkit sadly.

Darkpaw leaned foreward and swiftly licked her cheek. "You can't get rid of me that easily, mouse-brain," he teased cheekily.

Featherkit made a sound that was in the middle of a sigh and a laugh, but she purred anyway, pressing her face into his shoulder. "You mouse-brain," she mewed fondly. "I'll miss you."

Just when she was about to pull back, Darkpaw suddenly mewed, "Why not just join WindClan, Featherkit? We'd be happy to have you."

Featherkit sighed again, and this one was full of resignation. "Darkpaw," she began. "As much as I'd like to accept your offer, I just can't."

"Why not?" the apprentice protested. "You be happy there... I'd be happy with you there. So why can't you just say yes?"

"You really think that Brightstar will let me leave ThunderClan and join WindClan?" Featherkit questioned sardonically.

"Morningstar would say yes," Cloudstorm put in unexpectedly.

"Just think about it," Darkpaw pleaded, and Featherkit reluctantly nodded.

"Alright," she whispered. "But give me a moon at the very least."

"Hurry up, Featherkit," the WindClan deputy mewed gruffly. "We don't want a patrol coming by..."

"Too late!" a decidedly familiar voice mewed, and Featherkit felt a shiver run down her spine.

She turned around and was pierced by a pair of familiar amber eyes, and they were set in a white-furred face.

"Snowfall," she whispered.

And beside her were the ThunderClan deputy, Oakpelt, and the another decidedly familiar warrior called Gorsetooth.

"Why hello there, Featherkit," her Mother purred. "Where were you all night?"