Northstorm stirred awake from his sleep. The cold air wafted through the den's opening. He paused to look around. Oakpelt, Dawnsky, and Hailstorm were sound asleep, as well as most of the other warriors. Pale golden morning light drifted into the den.
Northstorm walked out of the den and found a thin vole in the fresh-kill pile. He hungrily gulped down the vole and treaded towards the nursery.
Inside, the sleeping bodies of Sparrowsong, Morninglight, Moonsky, Frostpelt and the kits lay bundled closely together to keep warm.
Northstorm lay next to Frostpelt and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her pelt coursing through his body.
A small squeak sounded near him. Bearkit, Sparrowsong's mottled brown kit, and Starkit, Moonsky's white tom, tumbled across the small part of the nursery, squealing with joy. They stopped when the spotted Northstorm and fixed their curious eyes on him.
Starkit's amber eyes followed Northstorm's tail as it bounced up and down, and suddenly he leaped. He missed and rolled away, and squealed sharply with delight. Bearkit joined in, and together, they jumped at the silvery- white tail. Bearkit once grabbed a hold of the tail and giggled when Northstorm's tail fur brushed against his small muzzle.
Suddenly, three other kits jumped on his head, clinging sharply and squealing with delight. Northstorm spotted the pelts of Cougarkit, Yellowkit, and Skykit with his slightly opened eyes.
Eventually, Sunkit and Stormkit, Moonsky's other kits, and Eaglekit and Proudkit, Bearkit's siblings, hopped onto his pelt.
Cougarkit bent his head and peered into Northstorm's eyes. "We've got you now!" he boasted proudly.
"Yes, yes." Sparrowsong muttered with a purr. She and Moonsky, now awake, grabbed each kit by the scruff and placed them next to each other.
Eaglekit shrieked with joy as he was picked up. He wiggled playfully in his mother's grasp and stuck out his arms as if he were a real bird.
Frostpelt, one eye open, muttered dryly, "Can't you give at least some of us sleep, here?"
Northstorm licked her ear. "Sorry." Frostpelt purred contently.
Cougarkit leapt in front of Northstorm and Frostpelt's gaze. "Look," he mewed. "I'm Cougarstar!" He puffed out his chest. Northstorm saw a similarity- his pelt was a pale golden brown and he had green eyes.
Bearkit sighed. "I thought I was Cougarstar!"
"I'm usually Cougarstar, though!" Sunkit muttered.
"But I am Cougarstar." A voice called.
The cats in the nursery whirled around to the doorway to see a pale golden brown tabby tom staring at them with green eyes. Some of the kits gasped. Cougarkit, whom Northstorm had named after Cougarstar, jumped towards Cougarstar. "But I liked being Cougarstar." He said, a crestfallen expression on his face.
Cougarstar purred and batted a paw at the little kit. "Someday, Cougarkit. Someday." Cougarkit's eyes lit up and he raced at the kits and chatted energetically with them.
As Cougarstar walked out of the den, his tail flicked- a signal beckoning Northstorm to his den. Northstorm hadn't realized how long he had played with the kits. It must be sunhigh by now.
Northstorm padded into Cougarstar's den. Cougarstar had his back turned, and his head toward the sky.
"Your kits have potential," Cougarstar said happily. "I am proud they will be warriors in NorthClan."
Northstorm purred and bowed his head.
Cougarstar turned, his green gaze fixed on him.
A tom walked through the opening to the den entrance. He had long, untidy fur and whitish-blue eyes. The cat's tail swished back and forth.
"Windfur," Cougarstar called as he sat in his moss bedding. "Recount what StarClan told you one claw-moon ago."
Windfur nodded and began his tale. "I was gathering coltsfoot on the outskirts of the Snowlands when StarClan sent me a message. They sent me a vision; I was in the middle of our part of the forest, when Reedstar appeared to me. Do you remember Reedstar?"
Northstorm nodded. He was a russet tom with a white dappled coat and shining grey eyes, as well as leader of NorthClan before Cougarstar and had conducted Northstorm's apprentice ceremony. He died of whitefreeze many moons ago.
Windfur licked his paw and continued. "Reedstar uttered a phrase in a panic:
'Enemies roam your forests;
They thieve from you
And they shall thieve from you your forests-
And with it NorthClan.'
"Reedstar placed a paw on my shoulder and said, 'Doom may come to you. Remain firm. StarClan may save.' And then, he…" Windfur paused. "disappeared. When the vision ended I saw another cat- a massive black one with pure black eyes, laughing. 'Clans will fail.' He repeated. 'All of them.'"
Windfur ended. Cougarstar groomed himself hurriedly.
"Cougarstar and I have interpreted that these enemies that roam the forest are rogues. And that they may put an end to NorthClan." Windfur said.
Cougarstar looked up. "And you see why I trusted those dogs. Did you not see that injured dog with that bite on his shoulder?"
Northstorm shook his head. Cougarstar continued. "Make our patrols a little larger. We must hope that StarClan may save."
Northstorm dropped the white rabbit at Frostpelt's side. Cougarkit, Yellowkit, and Skykit were sleeping, their small chests rising and falling slowly. Frostpelt was grooming her front paws.
Her eyes brightened as she spotted the plump rabbit. "How'd you come across this?"
Northstorm purred. "I chased it to the auroras and back for you."
Frostpelt purred as well as she munched on the plump rabbit. "How about we share?"
They both ate the rabbit quickly, savouring the juicy flavour of the meat.
Frostpelt rubbed her muzzle against his pelt. "You should go organize the patrols." She said.
Northstorm nodded.
Hailstorm and Rainsky sat in the clearing grooming each other. Oakpelt and Dawnsky each ate a small bird and talked to each other.
"Snowstorm," he called across the clearing. The white tom padded to him.
"Gather several warriors and an apprentice and go out on a patrol. Keep an eye on the borders and report anything suspicious to me."
Several minutes later Snowstorm, Wingtail, Coldpelt, Frozentail, Loyalheart, and Breezepaw crossed under the Stonearch and headed out to patrol.
After the dawn patrols were situated, Northstorm walked into the nursery and gave Frostpelt and his kits a quick lick. "Goodnight." He muttered. Frostpelt and Yellowkit replied with purrs.
Northstorm padded out of the den.
"Northstorm!" a squeak from behind him caused him to turn around. A whitish-brown kit stared up at him with green eyes.
"Cougarkit, what is it?" Northstorm replied with a purr.
Cougarkit shifted from paw to paw. "Can I sleep in the warrior's den tonight?"
Smiling, Northstorm turned and stared at the leaders den with the words "Someday, Cougarkit. Someday."