Chapter One

Koikit opened his eyes to the milky gray dawn light filtering through the nursery's roof. Yawning, he blinked his eyes to clear away the sleep and rolled onto his side.

His mother, Redwillow, was still sleeping, purring subconsciously in her nest. Koikit basked in the contentment he was feeling for a moment, curled up against his mother's warm belly and his sister, Saltkit's, slumbering pelt.

The silence only lasted a moment, though. Koikit, already bored, jumped up and started shaking Saltkit's shoulder.

"Saltkit! Wake up!" he meowed urgently. Still with her eyes closed, the small she-cat mreowed a sound of annoyance, turning away from her brother and covering her face with her paw.

"We have to get up now!" Koikit pushed, trying to keep his voice quiet. "It's sunrise! We can go see the sun in the ocean."

At first, Koikit thought he would have to go out on his own. Just when he was about to leave, Saltkit gave a moan of resignation and stretched her forlegs out. "Okay, I'm up," she meowed, kneading her tiny claws.

Koikit made a small bounce towards her and butted her shoulder with his head. "We have to hurry!" he said eagerly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she meowed. "Just don't wake up Redwillow. She would never let us go to the beach."

Koikit could barely contain his excitement as he bounded for the nursery entrance. He peeked around the edge of the driftwood that formed the framework of the den and checked the camp for any cats that might be awake.

The camp, which was a shallow hollow of sand hidden between the thick grass of the surrounding dunes, was empty. From around the edge of the hollow, he heard the soft snorings and sleep-sounds of his still-dozing clanmates- the warriors den with it's roof of woven grass, and the elder's den right beside it, also made of woven grass but with an adjucent flat rock that was perfect for sunning. On the other side of the camp, close to the nursery, was the medicine den. It was nestled into a dip in the ground, and was covered with a large branch of driftwood, with a roof crafted out of knotted sand-vine.

Koikit crept further out of the den, and looked just behind the hollow. There was the leaders den, a strange building formed out of a curved piece of wood- from the stories he had heard, Koikit knew that twolegs used these contraptions to go out onto water and stay afloat. The den was located behind the main camp, farther from the ocean- and closer to the other clans.

CoveClan really is the greatest clan, Koikit thought with pride. I bet the other clan leaders put plenty of warriors between them and us!

"Ready." Koikit jumped at the voice, and realized with relief it was just Saltkit. She flicked him with her tail in amusement. "Are we just gonna stare all day, or do you want to see the ocean?"

"I was waiting on you!" Koikit chirped back. Taking one last check to make sure the coast was clear, the calico tom skittered quietly across the camp.

He stopped beside the stream that gurgled near the medicine den, which marked the edge of camp. Follow the stream to the ocean. Even though no one had taught him how to get to the ocean, he had heard enough of the warrior's and elder's talk to know that this stream fed out to the sea, and that following it was the easiest way out of camp. Koikit girmaced at the thought of having to traverse through the prickly dune grass that surrounded the camp on all other sides.

When Koitkit looked up, his sister was sniffing at the water a few tail lengths downstream. "I wonder if there are fish in here," Saltkit mused.

"We can find out when we come back," Koikit replied, bouncing over to her. "The sun's almost rising!"

The two followed the stream, looking like shadows in the soft milky light of dawn. Early rising seagulls called over them as they flew overhead, flying the same direction that they were walking. We're almost there! Koikit thought excitedly. He took off into a run, almost tripping over his own paws. Saltkit followed right beside him; Koikit looked over, and saw her eyes were shining.

After only a few moments of running, the stream began to fan out, until it was barely a paw deep. Koikit's heart beat faster as he saw what must be the beach, a huge expanse of white-gray sand that seemed to stretch on forever. He still couldn't see the ocean, though.

"Where's the water?" he asked. The ocean was supposed to be as big as the sky; how could they possibly have missed it?

"It's beyond the sand," Saltkit meowed thoughtfully. "The sand has hills. We'll be able to see it if we get up higher."

Without skipping a beat, the white she-cat bounded up the dune on their side, and Koikit followed. His had to slit his eyes against the grass and the bushes poking his face, and he was depending more on following Saltkit's scent than his own eyesight. After what felt like an eternity, the bushes thinned out until there was only sand grass, fine and soft under his paws. He shook the twigs out of his fur.

When he looked up, he saw that Saltkit was staring out at the beach. Koikit bounded over and gasped.

"It's... huge."

The ocean was undulating with a kind of rhythm and force that Koikit could never have imagined. The waves crashed and lapped at the shore, creating a music that seemed to fill him up from his nose to his tail tip. The sun was moments from cresting the shoreline, and a faint gold light lined the edge of the ocean.

The two watched in enraptured silence as the sun rose. Koikit had never seen the sun be so many different colors- first it was red, bleeding into the clouds and turning them pink and purple and orange. Then it glowed golden, as the sky mellowed and turned yellowy. And finally yellow, and the sky blue, and it was morning.

"Well," Saltkit finally said, "we should probably go back to camp."

The sea danced. Golden ripples dappled the surface, while seagulls wheeled over the beach.

"Yeah," Koikit meowed back.

They looked at each other, and then threw themselves down the hill, through grass and slippery sand. Koikit tumbled, rolled down the hill a few tail lengths, and then landed still running. He was so blissful he barely even realized he tripped in the first place.

He leapt off the dune and onto the sand. It shifted out from under him, and for a few panicked heartbeats Koikit thought he was going to sink right in and drown. With a yelp, he landed face-first in the sand and tumbled head-over-heels.

He stood up and shook the sand out of his pelt. Thank StarClan the sand didn't suck us in! he thought. Up ahead he could see Saltkit, still running towards the ocean. One last good shake, and he was off again.

Koikit stopped at the edge of the water. It pulsed and washed toward him, lapping at his paws. He stood staring at the water flooding around his paws, completely enraptured. Sand glittered between the foam. It's like the sea is calling me!

Suddenly, something hit hit from the side. He yelped as he was bowled over and his head went under water. For a terrifying moment he thought he would drown, but he regained his footing and stood up.

Saltkit was looking at him smugly, her tail lashing playfully. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she mewed.

"Seriously beautiful," Koikit purred back. He leapt at his sister. With a playful shriek she hopped away, splashing into the surf. Koikit chased her, bounding through the waves. He didn't realize they were getting deeper and deeper every second.

Before he knew it, Koikit was barely able to touch the ground. Panic started growing in his chest. He had been swimming before, but that was only in the sheltered pool that ran beside the camp, and his mother had been watching them while they practiced. This was the ocean, with tides and currents and sharks.

"Hey, Saltkit, we should head back now, I think," Koikit called urgently. She was farther out than he was, paddling furiously but confidently.

"You just can't catch me!" she yelled back.

"Seriously, they whole clan probably knows we're missing-,"

Suddenly Koikit felt the water seemingly reverse. The current pulled at his fur, trying to drag him out to sea. His claws dug into the sand, and a wave washed over his head. He held his place, holding his breath and praying that he wouldn't be washed out into the ocean. Then the water subsided. He coughed and shook his head, the salt stinging his eyes. When he could finally see again, he realized Saltkit was nowhere to be seen.

"Saltkit!," he yowled. Despite his fear, he swam out farther, towards where he'd last seen her. "Saltkit, where are you?"

He saw a small white shape emerge from the water many fox lengths away. Great StarClan, there's no way she can make it back on her own! Koikit's heart was racing as he paddled furiously towards his sister. Even though he had long legs for his age, he was still slow, and he could see his sister drifting farther and farther out, her head bobbing above the water as she tried to paddle against the current.

Koikit was about to give up home when he saw a dark shadow swimming quickly towards Saltkit. It's a shark! he thought in defeat. Even if there was a chance Saltkit would be able to swim back, there was no way she could take on a shark.

Even from a distance, Koikit saw the water around Saltkit explode. He heard her tiny yelp, and he shut his eyes tight so he wouldn't see what happened next. We should have never come out here, he wished.

He finally opened his eyes, and almost thought they were playing tricks on him. Instead of a small bloody spot and a shark fin swimming away, he saw a large gray she cat swimming towards him. After a moment, he realized it was his clan leader, Songstar- and Saltkit was riding on her back!

"Saltkit!" Koikit called as he treaded water. The two made their way towards him. Songstar was an amazing swimmer, Koikit noticed, and she had covered the distance that had seemed so impossible in what seemed like a few heartbeats.

In his joy, Koikit had forgotten that he had snuck out of camp to come see the sea. He realized that they were probably going to be in big trouble- and here was Songstar! His ears laid back as she reached him.

"Grab onto my pelt, Koikit," Songstar said in a surprisingly calm and soothing voice. "You must be tired. You've swam very far."

Feeling as helpless as the day he was born, and realizing how small he still was, Koikit hooked his claws into the older she-cat's silky tortoiseshell pelt. She fought the current with strong, even strokes, even with the weight of two kits on her back.

Koikit look at his sister. She was sitting with her eyes closed, shivering slightly. "Hey, Saltkit?" Koikit said quietly. He prodded her with one paw. She opened her eyes, looked at him, and coughed.

"I'm okay," she answered. "It's just... the current. It was so strong."

They didn't say any more until they reached shore. Songstar emerged onto the sand and allowed the two kits off her back before shaking her pelt dry.

"Now, kits," she meowed as she sat before them. "Time for the question I'm sure you were expecting. What are you doing out here?"

Koitkit's heart sank. Songstar was going to tell Redwillow they had been to the sea on their own and almost drowned. Redwillow wouldn't let them leave the nursery for days. Songstar wouldn't delay our apprenticeship over this, would she? he wondered with a jolt.

"We wanted to see the sunrise," Saltkit spoke up. "We heard Sharkpaw and Shadowpaw talking about how the whole sky lights on fire, and we wanted to see it."

Songstar flicked her tail in annoyance, but Koikit thought he saw amusement in her eyes. "Well, was seeing the sunrise worth the price you almost paid?" she asked. "Saltkit, you could have drowned, and Koitkit, you would have been sisterless- and that's if you had been able to swim back on your own."

The two kit's dipped their heads. Koikit's face burned with shame. "We're sorry, Songstar," the tom kit murmured.

For a moment, Songstar was silent. Koikit peeked up at her, and he saw a slight smile on her face. The shiny hook on her ear- something that twolegs apparently used to lure fish, silver with a small red stone attached to the end- glittered in the morning sun.

"It's not like I don't know the allure of the sea, though," Songstar meowed. Koikit looked fully up at her, and her eyes were glimmering. "I may have snuck out of camp too, when I was very young."

Saltkit beamed. "No way! You snuck out to the ocean, too?"

"Oh yes," she purred. "Sunspots, my sister, and I snuck out when we were about your age- except, we wanted to see the ocean at night." Songstar's face suddenly became solemn. "Except, we weren't alone. We also had a brother then. We all went swimming, and just like you, Saltkit, he was washed away. Except no one was there to save him." Songstar sighed. "Promise me, kits, that you won't come out here again until you are made apprentices."

"We promise," the two said in unison. Koikit's heart ached for Songstar- he couldn't imagine life without Saltkit.

"Thank you," Songstar meowed. In a flash, her eyes lit up again. "Anyhow, I'm sure your mother is sick with worry for you. Let's go back to camp."

Songstar led the way, with the two kits following. On the treck back up to the dunes, Koikit found a pretty scallop shell, white with a slight pinkish-red tint around the edge. Redwillow would love this for the den, Koikit thought, and picked it up to bring with him. Maybe it'll help her not be so angry.

The three followed the river back the way they had came, but the walk back seemed a lot longer this time. As soon as they were rounding the bend into camp, Koikit heard a yowl. He saw Redwillow sprinting towards them, with their father, Carpwhisker, following her.

"Dear StarClan, I'm so glad you're okay!" the red queen meowed as she nuzzled her kits. Koikit pressed his fur to hers, happy to be home with his family. "Where on earth did you go? Have you got bees in your brain?"

"We're sorry, Redwillow," Saltkit meowed apologetically. "We'll never sneak out of camp again."

"You better not," Carpwhisker meowed. "What if either of you had gotten hurt?"

Saltkit and Koikit exchanged a look. Redwillow seemed to notice is and grew frantic. "What happened?" she meowed. "You two are wet- were you in the ocean?"

Koikit laid the shell down at Redwillow's paws. "I got you something," he meowed apologetically.

Songstar finally interjected. "They've had a rough morning," she meowed. "Saltkit was caught in a current, but luckily I was there to bring them in." Redwillow bristled and looked about to panic, but Songstar kept her even tone. "Trust me, Redwillow," she said quietly. "They've learned their lesson. I don't think any punishment is necessary."

I'm definitely not leaving camp again until I'm an apprentice! Koikit mentally agreed with her.

"Well... alright," Redwillow meowed hesitantly. Carpwhisker dipped his head towards his leader. "Thank you for bringing my kits home," he meowed.

Songstar dipped her head humbly. "Of course. The kits are the future of our clan," she meowed. She took one last look at the kits. "Stay out of trouble, young ones," she mreowed, and walked off towards the medicine den.

Carpwhisker licked the two kits over their ears. "Listen to your leader, kits," he meowed. Then he turned to face Redwillow. "I'm taking a hunting patrol to the tidepools. I'll see you tonight," he purred before leaving.

For the first time, Redwillow looked at the scallop. "Thank you for the shell, Koikit," she meowed. "I'll put it right in the nursery. It's beautiful."

Koikit beamed. "I'm glad you like it!"

"Why don't you two go get some prey?" the queen meowed. "You must be hungry."

"We are!" Koikit purred. The two kits bounded toward the fresh kill pile.

As Saltkit and Koikit shared a minnow and basked in the morning sunlight, a feeling of contentment washed over him. I hope life will always be like this, he dreamed.