Quick overview. (I don't mention all the inhabitants, only the new/significant ones.)

BLOODCLAN

Leader- Scorn- tall black tom with eerie yellow eyes, called "Master of Flames"

Deputy- Sulfur- scraggly dark gray tom with a white muzzle and paws

Healer- Ashes- pale gray she-cat with crooked whiskers

WARRIORS

Viper- black tom with long front fangs and green eyes

Raven- sleek white she-cat with white eye spot

Panther- sleek black tom, new warrior

Chalk-dusty-looking brown tom, new warrior

Hunter- calico tom, new warrior

Sleet- sleek white she-cat (originally named Mist, had to rename because of a repeated use)

APPRENTICES

Cement- gray tom

Jay- black she-cat with white chest and belly and blue eyes

Asphalt- black tom with amber eyes

Cliff- reddish tom

Rill- tortoiseshell she-cat

Blood- dark ginger tom

QUEENS

Scrap- white-and-black she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Snook's kits- Ember, a white she-cat with fire-colored eyes, Mist, a gray-and-gold tortoiseshell, and Night, a black-and-white she-cat)

Willow- fluffy pale-gray she-cat with yellow eyes (mother to Mud's kits- Cardinal, a brownish-red tom, and Sear, a gray she-cat with one black ear)

Overview is over.

CHAPTER SEVEN
Leader of the Kits

Ember stared at the box above her. She had been staring at it for a long while now. It was damp with age and had a thin film of gray mildew growing on the edges, but she knew it had a great significance. She had never been allowed up there; it was off limits to lower-ranked cats, especially kits like herself. She hadn't seen kits there for moons now, but still it sat there, a reserved spot for whoever would inhabit it next. She knew it belonged to the leader's kits, Scorn, but they were apprentices now. Sometimes she would see a sleek black she-cat slink through the door and pad up there, removing stale bedding and replacing it with fresh moss and leaves. It seemed to close to her outstretched paw, and yet it was many tail-lengths away. She bet that if she was a fully-grown warrior she would be able to leap up there easily and see what went on up there in such a high place, but for now, she was stuck down here- in her box. Scrap's box.

Ember turned around to face her mother. Her mother wasn't necessarily a pretty creature- much as it pained her to think it- and while she was dozing, she looked especially ragged. A coarse piece of meat was pasted to her jaw, and every so often Scrap would subconciously flick her tongue at it in a weak attempt to scrape it off, failing every time. Ember winced. She had looked in a puddle before, and she didn't look like her mother, which was sort of a relief. Her white fur just didn't match Scrap's faded grayish-white one, splattered with its ebony splotches. Even Night, Ember's sister, who shared Scrap's coat color, didn't quite resemble the unsightly queen. Ember wondered where Mist got her dappled tortoiseshell coat. Her father Snook certainly didn't have one.

Thinking about her reflection, Ember sniffed and rubbed at her nose. Her nose had always puzzled her. While other cats had theirs straight and triangular, hers tilted deftly sideways, and was a little bit misshapen so it didn't look much like a triangle at all. It was a rosy pink, signifying health, but that was about the only good thing about it. At least her sisters shared similiar problems- Mist had slightly crooked limbs that stimulated a barely noticeable limp when she walked, and Night had a stiff paw that didn't work, so she dragged it everywhere. Night had gotten used to it, though, and now she walked decently.

In the midst of her thoughts, Ember felt a tail brush her shoulder. Turning abruptly to see who it was, she faced Night's black-and-white fur. Her sister's eyes were shining brightly, a comical glint in her blue irises. Ember knew that whenever her sister wore this expression, she was about to get into mischief.

"Ember!" Night mewed, her whiskers shining silver in the daylight pouring into the nursery. "Have you seen Willow's newborn kits yet? They look completely gross!"

Ember half smiled. Night said this as if it were the most exciting thing in the world. Gross, nearly furless, newborn kits...such a topic of conversation! "What are their names?"

Night shrugged, her tail twirling back and forth distractingly. "Dunno. But we can go find out...Willow probably won't care." Her sister didn't wait for an answer, whipping around and climbing out of the box like a squirrel exploring for nuts. The good thing was, her sister had found a way to occupy herself happily- the bad thing was, Willow probably would care. The grouchy, defensive queen would growl at an ant that came within five tail-lengths of her kits.

Nonetheless, Ember followed in hot pursuit. There wasn't anything interesting to do in Scrap's box anyway, and if Night was going to get in trouble, she was going to get in trouble with her.

Willow's box laid neatly at the bottom platform, since she was the newest queen in the nursery. As Ember followed Night's quick, mincing pawsteps, she caught a glimpse of two plump objects tucked into Willow's belly. They weren't very appealing, and Ember wondered why new kit life was such a big deal. New kits were a pain, always squealing! Ember couldn't imagine ever having been that ugly and small. But she was still interested in them, how they suckled so much milk when they were so puny. She was already eating soft meats, and she would be an apprentice in about two moons or so. She always marveled at how quickly BloodClan apprentices gained skill. She had just seen them battling full-grown warriors the other day, and one tom had even won the battle!

Just at the edge of the middle platform, Night had skewed to the side to avoid Willow's keen eyes. Ember saw where she was headed- a rocky space clamped to the wall hovering above Willow's nest, but was off to the side so they got a hind view. Looking up at the concrete balcony, she saw Mist's tortoiseshell fur. Mist wasn't as daring as Night was, but she was also timid, calm, and collective. She was probably the most sensible of the three, but even she liked to have a little bit of fun every once in a while. She bared her teeth at Ember from her height, her amber eyes twinkling with glee. Ember focused on Night, who was scrabbling at the wall furiously with her claws. (Night sometimes took time to realize certain things). A few moments later, she took a few steps back, waggled her rear, and leapt up to the rock platform, bounding on the wall once. The rocky clamp was the perfect height, just low enough for a small kit to leap up and make it.

Ember joined them above the ground, her paw pads grating on the wall. Night nudged her playfully, almost knocking her off. "It's great up here, isn't it? I discovered it yesterday. It's great for spying on cats. I was up here when everybody was eating and I saw Cement bossing Asphalt around."

Mist blinked in surprise. "Weird. Doesn't Cement know Asphalt is Scorn's kit?"

Night nodded vigorously. "He does, but he doesn't care. Asphalt's kind of cowardly, don't you think? Definitely more cowardly than...Jay." The black-and-white she-kit shuddered.

Ember growled softly. Jay was Scorn's daughter, and she might as well be Scorn himself. She was his copy, in young she-cat form. Pretty much everybody stayed out of her way, including the warriors. She was, as everyone knew, slowly tearing her way to leadership. For some reason, the sleek black kit seemed to especially despise Ember and her sisters, forever glaring at them and threatening to get rid of them. Ember was rightfully scared of her- the apprentice could easily kill her. From somewhere, Jay had collected small dog's teeth to reinforce her claws with.

Ember tried to look into the High-Platform box. That's where Asphalt and Jay had once stayed as kits. Now, it was filled with bedding that had no cats to hold. Ember was disappointed...she had expected some great treasure or stash to be stored in the box, and yet it appeared normal. But she could feel, deep inside her, that the box had great importance.

"Anyway," Night mewed, interrupting her thoughts, "I can't really see the kits from here. Willow is curled around them so tightly, all I can see is their tails!"

Mist sighed. "Well, that's it, then. Going up to Willow isn't a choice; she'd claw us to shreds. Now, let's go find something else to do." There was an edge to Mist's voice, as she knew that Night would protest.

Night licked her stiff paw curtly, pressing her flank against Mist's. "Don't worry, Mist, I'll avoid Willow's claws," she mewed humorously. "I have an idea. From this distance, I'll be able to land right next to the nest so I can get a good look at the kits before Willow slashes me. Even if she does get me, it won't hurt to have a few big scars, would it?" Her blue eyes glowed with an invincible optimistic aura.

Mist flattened her ears. "I don't know, Night- you could hurt yourself. And plus, what if you land on the kits? Willow will maul you!"

Ember flicked Night's flank. "Do whatever you want. But I'm warning you, you'll probably get hurt." A tinge of worry glittered in Ember's colorful eyes.

Night ignored them both. "Shh!" she mewed, crouching low to the ground. "You're disturbing my concentration. I have to make a perfect landing to pull this off!" Swinging her shoulders from side to side, she pounced, her hind legs springing up like coils, launching her across the room straight into the center of Willow's nest.

"I can't look." Mist covered her eyes, but Ember could smell her excitement.

Night landed with all four paws extended, right on Willow's swollen belly. Willow yelped, turning the heads of every cat in the room. The trauma caused Night to roll off Willow's back onto the kits. The chubby, warm bodies writhed under her weight.

"Eew. Look at them," Night mewed, wrinkling her nose. "They're like little grubs."

"Get off!" Willow spat, and batted Night away. The black-splotched she-kit went tumbling, stopping as she rammed into the edge of the middle platform. Ember and Mist gasped in unison, but Night immediately scrambled up and darted away, diving into the safety of Scrap's nest.

"My kits!" Willow exclaimed, licking each furry kitten over and over. She turned to where Night's eyes peeked over the edge of the box, her own eyes full of fury.

"How dare you hurt my kits?" she snarled. "You could have killed them!"

Ember became angered. Did she not realize Night was a kit herself? She leapt down and stood in front of Willow, meeting her furious gaze.

"She didn't kill them, though," Ember mewed, summing up all her courage. "And who says they're hurt? She was only on them for a heartbeat. And it's your fault for yelping so loudly and making Night fall off!"

Mist watched from above. This is what usually happened when anyone that Ember was close to was threatened in any way. She watched Willow's face morph into shock.

"She didn't mean to," Ember went on, her claws unsheathing and sheathing. "She only wanted to see what your kits looked like. You've been curling around them so tightly lately, no one can see them. I doubt they can even breathe!"

Willow blinked, her pale gray fur regaining its flatness. Being confronted by a bumbling kit wasn't something that happened to her every day. Who was this white kit who tried her patience, who dared to speak to her so disrespectfully? "Shut up, kit," Willow growled, caressing her kits with her tail. "You don't know what you're mewing about."

Scrap, who had been napping through the whole thing, woke up as the commotion reached her ears. Her eyes met Night's. The small kit's side had a gash on it that was dripping blood on the moss. Scrap sat up, startled at the sight of her kit injured. "What happened?"

Night shook her head. "Willow!" she squeaked. She pointed her tail feebly towards the queen, who was glowering at Ember. Mist had dropped from the stone balcony, joining her sister's side, and was quivering so that her tail looked like a branch on a windy night.

Willow had unsheathed her claws- the long, overgrown claws that all BloodClan cats possessed. "I'll kill you all by my own paw," Willow snarled. "For damaging my kits, and for being so rude. Then maybe you'll be more careful!" Her paw rose, and Ember knew they wouldn't be able to get away in time to evade the blow.

But instead of the stinging sharpness of claws, she heard a calm voice behind her. "Sheathe your claws, Willow."

It was Scrap.

The pale gray queen scoffed at the sight of Scrap. "Well, good morning," Willow mewed dryly. "I see you've woken from your little nap. I nearly killed your kits. How was your day?"

Scrap laughed, her voice eerily level. She stared into Willow's eyes seriously. "Very well, Willow, but I see you've forgotten that I'm a higher rank than you." She looped her tail around her three kits, drawing them toward her. "I see you've also forgotten that these are the special kits that Scorn is going to train- which was a big mistake." Her voice had clipped into a low growl.

Willow's eyes went wide. She looked at Ember, shaking at the sight of her multicolored eyes. "O-oh no," she stuttered. "I forgot...I didn't know...please forgive me, Scrap!" She bowed her head in shame.

Scrap huffed, blowing air through her nostrils. "I forgive you, but only because you're an idiot," Scrap mewed. Ember looked at her mother. Before, she had seemed lazy and scraggly. Now, she was a leader- a slim, beautiful queen rising above all, her ears pricked, her nose pointed upwards disdainfully. "You're a new mother who knows nothing about the way of kits."

Willow, bewildered, pushed her muzzle into the corner of her box and let her kits nurse in silence. Scrap turned away, herding her three kits into her box, and began licking Night's wound.

Ember had never seen her mother that way before. Now, she saw her in a whole new light. She put her paws on her mother's shoulders, staring at one half of her face.

"Mother," Ember started. "What do you mean, Scorn is going to train us?" Her tail-tip wriggled as she asked. "And what do you mean, 'special kits'?"

Scrap stopped licking and sighed heavily. "It's really nothing, Ember," she mewed, her voice barely audible. Ember sensed sadness in it.

Night, although she was getting a wound licked, squealed stubbornly. "Tell us! Tell us!" she demanded, flapping her front paws like wings. "Tell us, Mother!"

Scrap flicked her ear in annoyance. "Alright, I'll tell you. But don't go on about it." She licked the sides of her mouth decisively. "You were picked as three kits to be trained by Scorn himself. He picked you because of your eyes, Ember."

Ember squirmed. There wasn't a puddle nearby, so she couldn't look at her eyes, as much as she wanted to. Of course she had seen them a billion times, but she thought if she looked at them this very moment they would look different than usual. "My eyes?"

Scrap nodded, and licked Night's wound again. "Yes, your eyes. He thought they looked like fire, and he thought this was a sign that he should train you. Once the time comes, you won't be trained by warriors, but by the leader." She shrugged. "That's the way it is."

Night scowled. "Aww. No fair. How come Ember gets to have the fire eyes?" She twisted in her mother's grasp to look at them. "Your eyes are cool, Ember. I wish I had fire eyes! Mother, why can't I have fire eyes?"

Scrap had to grin at that. "I don't quite know, little one. Maybe you'll find out one day. But you're all equally special, so don't fret about that." Scrap took a bit of clean moss from the box and pressed it onto Night's wound, the moisture squeezing into the cut. "It was just a small cut, Night. The bleeding has stopped, so you three can run along now." She tipped Ember gently off her back. "Don't get into any more trouble, okay?"

Night nodded. "We won't."

It was the truth. Ember had had enough for one morning. Plus, she had a lot on her mind now. Training with the leader? Special kits? Fire eyes? Ember had no idea that Scorn was going to be her mentor! She trembled with excitement on the inside. She wouldn't say it out loud (Night might), but knowing this made her feel extremely essential.

Outside, it was hot and bright. It stank of old meat, garbage, and Twoleg contraptions. But it was a smell that Ember had known her whole life, and it was comforting, even though it was foul. Immediately she spotted a gray-black cat with a twitchy tail, sitting next to a golden she-cat.

She knew who it was, and Night blurted out his name before she could. "Sulfur!"

Sulfur's head turned, his dark amber eyes warm. "Hello, kits," he mewed as they raced towards him. "How are you today?"

Ember pricked her ears. "Fine, thanks," she mewed. "Except we got in a fight with Willow, and Night got her side scratched." She turned her head towards the thin red line on Night's flank. Sulfur twitched his whiskers in half amusement, half concern.

"Yes, you must be careful around Willow," he chuckled heartily. "She's pretty protective of her kits. I would be protective of my kits, but I want them to grow up doing what they want to do...exploring and discovering new things." He touched his tail-tip to the golden she-cat's flank. Flower had been his mate for a while, but it was only recently that she had her kitting.

"Oh, and here's a little treat." Sulfur nosed a hunk of chicken towards them. The kits gasped with delight, then pounced on it and began ripping into its tender meat.

Once they finished, Mist licked the chicken grease off her chops. "Thank you, Sulfur!"

The gray-black tom licked their foreheads. "You're very welcome, Mist." He widened his eyes as if he were about to say something very important. "By the way, kits. I have a surprise for you. Scorn..."

"...is going to be the one to train us?" Night finished.

Sulfur blinked. "How did you know?"

Night sighed, digging her stiff paw into the dirt. "Just earlier we found out," she mewed. "Scrap told us."

Sulfur looked confused. Ember broke in. "When we were fighting with Willow, Scrap had to rescue us by reminding her we were the 'special kits'," she explained. "So of course we asked why she called us that. And she just had to tell us...I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if she hadn't!"

Sulfur's eyes sparkled. "You'll be great warriors if you're trained by him," he mewed. "Scorn knows a lot. As soon as your apprentice days are over, you'll be a better fighter than me!"

Mist shook her head. "But you're the best fighter ever!"

Sulfur stood up. "We'll see. Right now, I have to go back to the nursery with Flower...I want to see how my kits are coming along." He waved them goodbye with his tail, then walked off. Flower looked over her shoulder. "Bye, kits. Don't get into any trouble!"

Night hrred. "Why do all mothers say that to us?" she mewed. Ember and Mist laughed.

Pawsteps sounded ahead of them. "I know...so hilarious, right?"

Ember jumped, spinning around instinctively. Merely a shadow in the sunlight, a thin dark cat stood in the alleyway. Stepping out of the light, Ember recognized the she-cat. Jay. She had a reputation for popping up out of nowhere. Ember was frightened. Alone in an alleyway like this, who knew what Jay could do?

Jay slipped over, her paws skimming on the dirt. "Hello, kits," she hissed, her voice more air than tone. "Training been well?" She fixed her eyes on Night's cut. The black-splotched she-kit shrank away, ducking behind Mist.

Ember tried to think of a retort. "Umm, well," she mewed, shuffling her paws. "We're getting trained by Scorn when we're apprentices." Just saying it made her feel more confident.

Jay snickered, a throaty laugh that made Ember cringe. Then, without warning, she leaned in so close to Ember that she could smell the blood on her breath. It didn't smell like the blood of prey.

"You watch yourself, kit," Jay hissed. "Scorn is my father, and don't think you're so great just because he's unlucky enough to have you three on his paws. I'm his daughter, the next leader. I'm already part leader. And once I'm fully leader, you will have to listen to me. And since I'm the leader's daughter, you have to listen to me."

"We're just kits. You don't have the right to order kits around," Night blurted.

Jay's cold gaze burned into Night. "I have every right. You can defy me all you want, but it will only end up with your blood spilling across the ground." She licked her claws, as if the scarlet fluid was actually there. "Everybody- even the warriors- knows what I am capable of. Haven't you noticed?"

Of course they had noticed...every kit in the Clan had noticed! But when Jay said it herself, it sounded even more sinister. Everybody avoided Jay, but would avoiding work forever?

Jay turned tail. "I don't give mercy. I will kill you if I have to. If there's a little blood spillage along the way of my future, then so be it. I will do anything, fighting my way towards leadership..." Her voice trailed off as she melted away, becoming yet another shadow in the garbage-filled darkness.

The three kits were silent for a while. Mist's amber gaze was hard as flint.

"What does she want with us?" she whispered, her mews floating in the pungent breeze. "It's as if she thinks we're a danger to her later leadership. How could any of us possibly be a leader?"

Ember was still intent on the area where Jay had chained herself in with the blackness, becoming one of the shadows. "It's because Scorn is training us. She's afraid he'll make one of us leader."

Night snorted. She padded in front of her sisters, spitting wildly after Jay. "She thinks she's all-powerful! Just wait 'til Scorn trains us. I'll rip her paw from paw!" She scraped at the ground with her paw, her claws making sifty marks in the dirt. "Who does she think she is, anyway? Our leader? She's not leader yet...so why does she act so high and mighty?"

Ember pressed her shoulder to Night's. "You'd better not mess with her, Night," Ember murmured. "She's very strong, much stronger than any of us. She's not joking...she could seriously hurt us. Kill us, even." Ember's eyes darkened. "I heard she killed someone once."

Mist nearly leapt out of her fur. She whirled around, her face tight with fear. "What?" she exclaimed. "Where did you hear that?"

Ember felt suddenly uncomfortable. "Well, what did you expect? I always thought she was a cold-blooded killer myself. Anyway, I heard Blood and Cliff talking about it earlier. They said that when she was still a kit, she just plain slaughtered a she-cat out of nowhere. A killer kit. Tasted blood before she was even apprenticed...pure BloodClan blood, that's what she has in her body."

Night's blue eyes were round. "Of course, it's just a rumor," she mewed, for once not trying to exaggerate the matter.

Ember continued. "She covered up her tracks, they said. No one knows the truth, but some cats say they saw it in her eyes- the killer, the satisfaction that she had succeeded."

Mist didn't care if it was a rumor- she was absorbed in it. "Why is it such a big deal? Everyone in BloodClan is a killer. Even we will be."

Ember shook her head. "Mist...no kit has ever killed anyone in BloodClan. The only one that's ever done that before is Scourge."

They were silent at the mention of the legendary leader. Ember expected his spirit to jump out and attack them.

Night turned to Ember. "I've heard that Jay rumor before, but I didn't believe it was true." Her body tensed. "But I might as well tell you the bit I heard that will probably shock you."

The two she-kits huddled closer, eager to hear. "What is it?"

Night's expression was solemn in a way that Ember found ominous. "I heard the kit she killed was Ice."

Ember froze.

Ice.

Ice had been one of Scrap's kits. She was born in the same litter as Cement. Scrap had always grimaced when she told the story, saying she got hit by a monster, but she would say nothing more. Ember thought it was because it was too painful to speak of her deceased kit, but perhaps there was another reason- she was covering up the truth.

"From Scrap's first litter," Ember mewled, her voice rising in pitch a notch. "Our sister."

Silence greeted them once again, only this time the kit's heads were rushing with thoughts.

Mist squeaked. "What if...what if she hates all cats from Scrap's litter? What if we're next?" She yowled in fear.

Night batted her ear. "Mist, calm yourself!" she hissed, her tail fluffing up. "Every cat in BloodClan will hear you. In fact, Jay could be watching us this very moment. The least you could do is be quiet!"

Ember unsheathed her claws. "We have to do something about her, whether the rumor is fake or real," she mewed, her voice raw. "We have to stop taking orders from her, but stay safe at the same time."

Night hissed, glaring at her sister. "And how exactly do we do that?"

The fluffy white kit blinked her fire-colored eyes. "I don't exactly know. All I know is this- she can act like the leader of everybody she wants- the warriors, the apprentices, the queens. But no matter what, she will not be leader of the kits."

R&R.

Yay, I discovered the personalities of our main characters!

Ember- she's pretty much a miniature she-cat version of Reedtail. Go look at his personality description from the last chapter.

Mist- okay, so I ended up not making her serious, haughty, or noble. She's calm and collected and shy, like maybe Leafpool but a little bit more timid. She'll outgrow her timidness, though.

Night- adventurous, quirky, daring, and comical. And a little reckless. Which will probably get she, Mist and Ember into a lot of mischief. She'll outgrow her recklessness, though, and will probably be a little more sensible.

Questions & Answers:

1. So...did they find out that Jay killed Ice?
Not exactly. Some cats are suspicious of it, though.

2. Do the three main kitties know that Scrap isn't their real mother?
Nope. But Ember does have that inner instinct that tells her something isn't right about Scrap.

3. Is Flower a Mary Sue?
No, she just happens to have pretty golden fur. Anything wrong with that? AM I NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE MY CHARACTERS PRETTY?

4. Did Gingerflower die?
.

5. Why's Willow so overprotective of her kits?
Because Mud (her mate) is being ignorant, and all her emotions pour out as screechy, unappealing love for her fat little kits.

6. I see how Scrap is part of the story...but how does Cement fit in? He just seems like a side character.

He'll fit in eventually.

See you next time on Stolen:Kits! I will tell you the other book titles of my series in the next chapter! (Because Stolen is a series. But each story has different characters than the one before it!)