One fateful stormy leaf-fall night, a queen gave birth for the first time. She named one of her tom kits Badgerkit, for he had black and white fur like a badger. Despite her inexperience, the litter was huge, and she did not produce enough milk for all the kits. With leaf-bare imminent, it was even harder to keep all of her kits well fed, and without being able to do anything she understood with bitterness that the strongest of her litter would compete with the others for milk.

Of the initial five kits, only three survived: two plump and strong, the other scrawny and shaky. Leafbare was a nightmare for the queen. While the strongest kits were able to fend themselves against the cold, Badgerkit needed to stay by his mother so he would not freeze.

The scrawny black and white tom did not get away from his mother often, and when he did he was harassed by the other kits and motif of cruel laughter, even by his own siblings. Missing the joy of being a kit and due to his weaker frame, he grew to become a nervous, insecure and overly pessimistic, a shadow of negative traits that covered the rest of the personality he had to offer.

As leaf-bare became fainter and more bearable, the day for Badgerkit to be named an apprentice had come. He had his ceremeony along with his littermates, and received his apprentice named Badgerpaw.

As an apprentice, he had a simple wish: to aid his Clan the best he could while not being an hassle like he had been to his mother.