"WindClan is on fire!" Softpaw yelled as she gazed out across the lake, balancing atop one of the firs around camp. "It's reaching ThunderClan!"
A caterwaul of distress rose in the air.
"What if it reaches us?!"
"We have to get ready!"
Warriors and apprentices darted from their dens, crowding in the clearing.
"Nightkit!"
The black kit jerked up as his name was howled across the horde.
"Nightkit get back here you little flea!" Birdsong's blue glare locked on Nightkit from the nursery.
"Go." Tangletail croaked, nosing Nightkit. "Come back later and I'll tell you how I broke my tail for the third time."
Nightkit forced a small smile for the old tom, and scurried toward the nursery, weaving around the legs of his Clanmates like a snake.
Birdsong was waiting for him and bundled him into the den so forcefully he stumbled down.
"Fox-dung!" He spat.
"Hurry." Birdsong sounded annoyed, but began brushing pine needles off Nightkit's fur.
Outside, the crowd had parted to allow a huge white tom with a gray, battle-scarred muzzle. Stonestar! His deputy, Emberstorm, walked close by him, orange tabby fur smooth with calm.
"Ospreytuft!" The leader's voice surged above the noise. "Set up a watch with your apprentice."
A brown-and-white tom gave a single nod and scrambled up the fir where Softpaw was.
"You too Ryepaw, Ratfang." Emberstorm spoke coolly to the brown she-cat with striped legs and her apprentice. "Take the trees by the north."
"I want a patrol to scout the border with ThunderClan."
As Stonestar continued organizing the Clan, Dogkit's mew caught Nightkit's attention.
"But Willowsong," He said. "I want to guard the camp too!"
"You'll just get in the way." Nightkit scoffed.
"Would not, flea-brain!"
"Would so, dung-face!"
"Stop fighting," Willowsong sounded breathless. "You're littermates."
Nightkit and Dogkit's eyes met with a knowing flash. We're not littermates. Nightkit looked away guiltily. But they can't know that... They can't know I'm not Clan-born.
It had been moons, but Nightkit still remembered the scent, voice and warmth of his own mother. But she was dead, and it if weren't for the ShadowClan queen that came across him that day, he'd have frozen in the snow. Snaketail nursed him along with Dogkit and declared that he was her kit to the Clan, raising him as her own.
"Whatever," Dogkit shrugged. "He spends so much time in the medicine cat den he might as well be one of Tangletail's herbs."
Nightkit growled deep in his throat.
"You're just jealous he never has time to play with you." Bearkit stood up and flicked her white tail-tip.
Nightkit and Dogkit stuck their tongues out at each other.
"Alright that's it." Birdsong said through her teeth. "You're memorizing the Warrior Code again."
The three kits gave a collective groan.
"It's your fault." Nighkit muttered to Dogkit. Birdsong cuffed him over the ears with a hiss.
"Not another squeak from you."
Time stretched slowly in the nursery. The kits weren't allowed outside, and eventually they settled down to share a pigeon as Birdsong and Willowsong stood at the entrance, guarding.
"Are we still friends?" Dogkit turned to Nightkit, eyes swimming with tears. "I'm sorry for calling you a flea-brain."
"And a herb." Bearkit said with an amused twitch of her whiskers.
"And a herb." Dogkit whispered shamefully.
Nightkit sighed, trying to ignore the twinge of guilt he always felt when Dogkit did that. He licked the fluffy black-kit's ear with affection, and a goofy grin spread on Dogkit's muzzle. He sprang up and began pawing and pouncing on the pigeon's feathers.
"Don't ruin them," Nightkit said. "They're for the nest."
"What's the point." Bearkit lay her chin on her paws. "All the nests will burn up in the fire."
"StarClan wouldn't let that happen sweetnose." Willowsong said.
"Yeah right," Nightkit leaned into Dogkit's ear. "Dead cats will save us."
Dogkit stared at him with big, round eyes. "You don't believe in StarClan?" He whispered.
"Do you?" Nightkit frowned. "They're just made up stories to make us behave—"
"They're back!" Ratfang's yowl interrupted them as it the wind carried it down the entrance, and the three kits ran to the entrance, thrilled with excitement. In an instant Nightkit and Dogkit seemed to forget about their conversation.
"Stay in." Birdsong's tail blocked the kit's way, and her stern gaze made Nightkit realize their excitement was misplaced. They sat down, stretching their necks to see over the crowd as Stonestar's patrol slid into camp.
They're hurt! Nightkit couldn't see very well, but the scent of blood and soot soured the air. He narrowed his eyes, and saw Frozenpaw leaning on Emberstorm's shoulder, one side of her face soaked in red. She let out a strangled whimper.
"Get Tangletail!" Emberstorm's calm voice cracked as he held up his apprentice.
Nightkit flattened his ears to his head. He didn't like Frozenpaw one bit, but he didn't want to see her suffer like that.
Almost as soon as the old medicine cat shambled out, a soft, keening wail came from his den. "Featherpaw, Featherpaw! He's not waking up! StarClan, wake him up!"
Brokenpaw. Nightkit shuddered at the image of the red tabby she-cat mourning over her littermate. He pressed himself closer to Birdsong, and felt the queen's tail wrap around him sympathetically.
"Looks like the wind changed directions..." Nightkit angled his ears to hear Ospreytuft and Olivenose talking. "We're safe."
At the sound of pawsteps Nightkit looked to see a russet tabby walking toward the nursery, carrying a dirty bundle of fur in her mouth. Stonestar followed close behind. Birdsong and Willowsong's ears perked up with interest.
"What's this, Doeleap?" Willowsong sniffed at the bundle, jumping as it let out a frightened mewl. "A kit!" She gasped.
Doeleap set the kit down and faced the two queens, her pretty fur smeared with dark, acrid ash. "Stonestar has agreed to take care of this kit until we find her kin."
Stonestar brushed up next to his mate, broad shoulders scored with fresh wounds. "We think she belongs to the rogues that attacked us while we were scouting." He rumbled. "They thought they could move into our territory while we were distracted."
"Rogues?" Birdsong echoed warily, gathering the kits closer to her with a sweep of her tail. "We shouldn't let a rogue into the Clan."
"Birdsong, she's just a kit." Willowsong ached for the kit with pitying eyes. "Poor mite."
"It's a rogue's kit." A pale gray tom, Graystep, spoke up from the crowd that had bunched around the nursery. "It doesn't belong in a Clan." He finished, and approval rippled through the crowd.
Nightkit felt uncomfortable, shifting his gaze away from his Clanmates. That could've been me they were talking about.
"It's just until we track down those rogues." Doeleap insisted.
"Then take it to ThunderClan," Toadbelly snorted. "What difference does it make, half of them are all are kittypets, rogues and barn cats."
Willowsong glared at her mate, but said nothing.
"Yeah, they'd take it."
"Leave it by the border."
"Quiet!" Stonestar coughed. "Birdsong," He gazed at the foster queen. "What do you think?"
Birdsong was quiet for a moment, her gaze passing over the three kits sheltering under her. "Willowsong and I chose to raise these kits in honor of our dead Clanmates." She began. "All that's left of Cherryfang is one of her kits." Birdsong touched her nose to Bearkit's head lovingly. "And Snaketail left behind Dogkit and Nightkit. We promised to take care of their kits before they joined StarClan."
The cats in the crowd murmured sympathetically and gazed at each other, sharing memories of the Greencough that took the lives of the queens in the nursery along with Bearkit's littermates. Nightkit had gotten sick then, discovering an admiration and fondness for the elderly medicine cat with a mangled tail that treated him.
"This rogue's kit," Birdsong's voice suddenly lost its warmth. "Is not my responsibility." She turned away, leading the kits back in the nursery.
"Well said." Graystep and Toadbelly declared.
Stonestar narrowed his eyes. "Willowsong?" He rasped.
"I'll take her." Willowsong said softly.
Stonestar nodded "It's decided. Only until we find her kin." He waved for the crowd to disperse, and swallowed back another cough.
"You breathed too much smoke." Doeleap brushed her muzzle to his worriedly. "Lets see Tangletail."
"I'm sorry about your apprentice." Toadbelly said to Graystep. "Featherpaw was a good cat."
Finally their voices faded as they drew away.
"Can I see her?" Dogkit approached the kit like he was walking on quail eggs, neck and whiskers drawn forward, jumping back at every movement she made.
Willowsong had been cleaning her pelt, and Nightkit could now see she was around his and Dogkit's age, with pretty cream and brown fur and big blue eyes.
Bearkit just stomped up to her. "Is it true you rogues have no warrior code?" Bearkit sniffed at the kit. The kit flinched back, eyes wide as an owl's.
"Quit wasting time," Birdsong barked. "We're going to practice some easy battle moves." The queen pointed to a corner of the nursery that had been cleared for play and practice.
"They're still kits." Willowsong sighed.
"No need to wrap them in feathers," Birdsong grunted. "They'll be apprentices soon."
I hate battle training. Nightkit grumbled. I always mess it up.
He paused to look at the rogue's kit with a neutral gaze, feeling a flicker of sympathy for the orphan.