Chapter One: Kits will be Kits

"Starkit! Wake up, sister!" Moonkit prodded his sister with one paw.

"What?" asked Starkit, instantly awake. She gave herself a quick wash as Moonkit bounced excitedly.

"Come on, let's go exploring!" enthused Moonkit.

"Yay, let's!" agreed Starkit. "Maplefeather!"

"Hmm?" murmured Maplefeather drowsily. Nightkit, Leapkit, and Icekit groaned and curled closer to Maplefeather. "Go away," muttered Icekit grumpily.

"Can we go outside and play?"

"Yes, but stay in the camp-"

The kits ran out, batting around a ball of moss and playing warriors. "Rrrr! I'm going to get you!" growled Moonkit playfully.

"You scum! I'll shred you to pieces!"

The kits tumbled playfully about until sunhigh, then grew bored and began to search for other amusements. Starkit pounced on a fat minnow and tossed it into the air, then caught it and flung it again. Moonkit purred with amusement. "Toss it here, Star!"

Starkit flipped the fish across the dusty ground.

"Starkit!" exclaimed Maplefeather. She stepped out of the nursery and stretched luxuriously, followed by Nightkit, Leapkit, and Icekit. "You shouldn't play with your food."

"I'm sorry, Maplefeather." Starkit hung her head in shame.

"You should be an example for the other kits. You're almost four moons old! Since you wasted that good piece of fresh-kill, you need to eat it."

"It's my fault too, Maplefeather. I wanted to play with the minnow," added Moonkit.

"You two must share the fish, then."

Starkit grimaced. She took a tentative bit of the fish. Its scales were gritty and dirt covered. She could hardly swallow it. Even Moonkit, always hungry, barely found it edible. Once Maplefeather was certain they had eaten every scrap of the fish, she let them go free to play. Fernflower also came out of the nursery to enjoy the newleaf sunshine. Her kits Stonekit and Stripekit were already playing with the other kits. They were much older than Starkit and would soon be apprentices. Brightpetal waddled out of the nursery. Her kits would be born soon.

"Starkit, come on! We're going to play ThunderClan and RiverClan!" called Nightkit.

"Hey, I love that game! I call RiverClan," meowed Starkit.

"Me, too!" added Nightkit.

Nightkit was like the sister Starkit never had. They were best friends.

"You dare attack us in our camp, ThunderClan cowards? Feel my claws!" yowled Nightkit.

"Coward? I'll show you coward!" howled Stonekit. Starkit didn't much like Stonekit; he was always vain of his creamy, dark gray coat and dark blue eyes. He thought he was StarClan's gift to she-cats everywhere.

"Come here and fight me like a real warrior, flea-bitten mouse-heart!" growled Starkit playfully. "Feel my claws!" She jumped onto Stonekit with claws sheathed and paws outstretched. Around her, Moonkit was swiping at Icekit and Stripekit was struggling with Leapkit's long legs and huge paws. Nightkit was yowling at the top of her lungs. Even Sunpaw, a recent apprentice, had joined the play fight.

Maplefeather, Fernflower, and Troutfin were watching the mock battle with amusement. Patchwing, a grumpy elder, had come out of the elders' den to complain about the noise and how he couldn't get a wink of sleep around camp any more.

"Lighten up Patchwing, you're always sleeping anyway," remarked Fernflower teasingly.

After a few more minutes, the battle was halted as the warriors on hunting patrol came back to deposit their day's catch and share a meal with friends.

"Daddy!" meowed Starkit as Moonkit mewed "Stormwave!" Starkit launched herself onto her father and he let out a dramatic "Oof!"

"Did you bring us a present, Daddy?" asked Starkit as Moonkit sat respectfully, eyes eager.

"Of course I did my little star. Come here Moonkit, taste this trout with us." Starkit, Moonkit, and Stormwave ate the fish together and shared tongues as dusk fell.