CHAPTER ONE

A silver-gray she-cat poked her head into the cave that was the warrior den, her blue eyes cautious. "Okay, all clear," she whispered behind her, where her two denmates, Brownkit and Velvetkit were perched on their toes, as far away from the precipice as possible. Bluekit edge her way in, keeping to the shadows where she could blend in more easily.

"Now what?" Velvetkit whispered back, accidently bumping headfirst into Bluekit's tail. "Ow!"

"Shh!" hissed Bluekit, annoyed. "You'll wake him!"

"Wake who?" Another voice joined the trio, speaking in the same soft tones. It was Bouncefire, his eyes glimmering with amusement.

Bluekit glared at him, trying to decide which side he was on. "What do you want?"

"Don't worry. Billystorm's still asleep - over-gorged himself on prey last night." Bouncefire gave an exaggerated sigh. "Now, Brownkit, could you move a bit more or will I have to do that for you?"

In his hurry to move for the warrior, Brownkit tripped over his own tail and stumbled into a nest.

"Brownkit!" Bluekit struggled to keep her voice down. Her whole plan was getting ruined.

"See you three later!" Bouncefire purred, waving his tail and disappearing outside.

Bluekit sighed in relief. "Okay, let us continue."

The three kits marched forward, weaving around the various nests. Velvetkit stopped for a moment, straightening a piece of moss. When she stopped, Brownkit accidently ran into her. "Now what?" he asked impatiently.

"I had to fix it," Velvetkit told him.

"It isn't even yours! Great StarClan!"

"So?" huffed Velvetkit, looking offended. "I just - "

"Not the time guys," Bluekit interrupted.

"Oh right," they said simultaneously, and followed the she-cat to her father's nest.

Bluekit bent over him so that her breathing nearly ruffled his ear fur. She inhaled, getting ready to yowl….

"Bwaah!"

All three kits yowled and squealed in shock, backing away so fast that they tripped over one another and fell over the nests, sending moss and bracken flying across and out of the cave. Somewhere outside they heard a clatter of rocks and an indignant yowl as a piece hit a cat in the head.

Billystorm looked at the kits, laughing so hard that Bluekit was afraid he would choke. "I got you!" he exclaimed once he had his breath.

Bluekit didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh, so she compensated for stalking, stiff-legged, to the entrance of the den and yowling, "Bouncefire, you're a dead mouse!" as loud as she could.

Down below, Bouncefire was chewing on a particularly tough piece of vole. Out of the norner of his eye he saw a very irritated-looking Sagestripe glaring up at the warriors den, then at him.

Bouncefire hastily looked up at the den too, avoiding the young warriors accusing gaze.

"Bouncefire, you're a dead mouse!"

The ginger tom choked on the vole. Frecklenose, who was opposite him, finishing up her finch, fixed a stern gaze at him. "What did you do now?" she asked serenely.

He swallowed, then began laughing - hard. "I probably just made an enemy out of a very, very nice kit," he replied, trying to keep a straight face as he answered the medicine cat.

"Why am I surprised?" she sighed. "I should have learned not to ask."

"You're right," Bouncefire agreed. "You should have."

So, how do you like it? The Allegiances and the Prologue will be coming soon enough, but for now I am supplying you with the first chapter. Please review! ~charmchild