Well, you might as well just expect me to roll out chapters whenever I feel like it. Clearly, it's too much for me to follow a schedule. :T

Enjoy!

Even a light nap was impossible for Morningkit. The mere idea of numerous foxes lurking out in ThunderClan territory was alarming. What if they just invaded the camp in the middle of the night, filling the hollow with their stench, conquering den after den?

Morningkit finally realized she'd never drift off a little before dawn, and slipped away from her nest with Dovewing and Beekit, easing her way into the clearing, bathed in shadow. The ThunderClan camp was certainly eerie at this time; Poppyfrost was standing guard, and she almost appeared to be trembling in fear. If the foxes bombarded the stone hollow, she would be the first one trampled by their nifty, nimble little paws.

Then again, Morningkit had never seen a fox herself. From what she had been told about the cunning creatures, they were a size between a cat and dog. They had thick orange pelts, white underbellies, and tiny black paws. They had large, bat-like ears and beady eyes, along with a bushy tail and pointed, triangular muzzle. One fox sounded fearsome enough, let alone over thirty.

The silver she-kit floated away into a hazy half-dream when she became aware of two shapes stalking across the clearing. Obviously cats, their ears were flat and their paws inaudible on the ground.

Her immediate reaction was caused by the meager amount of relation she had to Beekit: go and investigate! Luckily, Morningkit realized all the risks she would be taking before she even moved a claw. No… but they wouldn't get Poppyfrost anyway, if they're sneaking out. Because there's no alternate exit—

Right away Morningkit was proved wrong. The two cats, warrior-size, hesitated at the edge of the dirtplace. They want to go in there for something other than the usual. Their apparently uncertain pause gave Morningkit just enough time to then plaster on a tired-looking mask, lowering her eyelids halfway and repeatedly gaping her jaws in a yawn.

She then strolled right over to them and recognized, to her mild bewilderment, Dewclaw and Snowtail. In her short time knowing these cats, they had seemed respectful and responsible. The sons of Firestar's nephew sneaking out? What for?

They both took one look at her; Dewclaw mumbled, "I knew we'd get caught."

Snowtail shuffled his paws, which were quickly stained non-white in the dark. With his glowing pale coat, he looked like a bashful, younger version of Cloudtail. How did he expect not to be seen?

"I won't tell," Morningkit mewed, admittedly a bit pleased how the new warriors were under her paw so they wouldn't get in deep dirt. "if you tell me where you were going—"

"We—" Snowtail started.

"—and you promise you still won't try to go there anyway."

Both of the brothers appeared somewhat incredulous; how could a kit be ordering them around like this? But if even a kit knew the rules, and spotted older cats disobeying them, she might as well…

"We- we wanted to see if what Tigerheart's patrol said about the foxes was true!" Snowtail, being the less shy one, spilled out.

"No," Dewclaw corrected sharply. "We were honestly wondering if we could take on the fox group ourselves. If we could drive them away, and get on the first dawn patrol, we could report back to Bramblestar that the foxes are gone. Depending on his reaction, we'd either tell him we did it the night before, or not say anything about it being us."

It was the most Morningkit had ever heard him say. Her whiskers twitched as she ran over the warrior code, which she had already memorized after begging Dovewing, Bumblestripe, and any cat who would to recite it to her.

"Remember our warrior ceremony?" Snowtail pressed. "We agreed to protect and defend our Clan."

"Even at the cost of our lives," Dewclaw finished, suddenly looking uneasy as he turned to face his littermate. "Maybe we should rethink this… were we really willing to lose our lives tonight? Imagine if one of our parents or one of our sisters were on patrol tomorrow morning and found our bloodied bodies, abandoned at the edge of the foxes' turf. They would be angry as they grieve. Don't you want to be remembered for bravely dying rescuing your Clan, or living a long life after many moons of serving your Clan, instead of just venturing out without telling anyone?"

Morningkit couldn't even have come up with anything like that. She was only a kit, after all.

"S'pose not," grunted Snowtail. His puffed fur, which wasn't nearly as fluffy as his father's, gradually flattened again and he glanced at Morningkit with only a little huff. "Thanks. Guess you saved us, huh?"

Dewclaw dipped his head to her and led his brother back to the warriors' den as Morningkit stood speechless, watching them.

I have power? All I asked was for them to tell me what they were doing, and they promptly complied. She beamed as she sat next to the nursery entrance, watching the sun begin to blaze over Bramblestar's den. Maybe there's one thing I have talent at.

OoOoO

The past few days, Blossomfall and Mousewhisker's quarter-moon-old kits had been the morning wake-up call with their constant, shrill mewing. They certainly were today, and Morningkit groaned, rolling over on top of Beekit as their cries rang in her ears.

Buzzardkit and Shrewkit were technically Morningkit's kin, as they were the offspring of Bumblestripe's sister. But it was almost embarrassing to be related to them, with all the racket they made. Now everyone in the nursery was murmuring in irritation while Blossomfall snored loudly; clearly, her ears had developed an immunity to the noise already.

"Blossomfall! Your kits!" Icecloud yelled, dark circles protruding through the thin white fur under her eyes. The queen's readiness to graduate from the nursery was palpable. Puddlekit, Oakkit, and Bloodkit were a little past six moons now, and everyone was waiting for their ceremony to take place, and for some more room in the packed milk-den.

The young tortoiseshell's eyes snapped open, and, sapphire eyes blinking disconcertedly, tended to her kits. All this involved was twisting a bit so they could suckle.

The kits were admittedly adorable. Buzzardkit, the tom, was a bit of an oddball among his parents and sister with his pale ginger pelt. Shrewkit was a gray she-kit with pure white paws that seemed to always be kneading something, as newborns do.

Just when everyone was getting to sleep again (and Beekit had thrown Morningkit off her) Bramblestar's yowl sounded from outside, jerking all the exhausted queens up again. For once, the oldest ones were out the exit in an instant, chirping excitedly. Morningkit stumbled out of her nest, nearly tripping on a stray piece of bracken. Beekit floated past her, but not before muttering in her littermate's ear, "I call the spot where Icecloud's nest is."

Morningkit hissed in frustration and bounded after her. She emerged into the early morning light, shocked at the sudden refreshment coursing through her pelt in the welcoming breeze.

Bramblestar was teetering on the edge of the Highledge, already speaking and gazing down intently.

"… I can only pray I haven't hesitated too long with the foxes. I've sent out Toadstep, Whitewing, Mousewhisker, and Foxleap to investigate- mainly to see if… 'FoxClan' has expanded their territory. However, instead of waiting around and letting anxiety wear us thin, it's time to announce three new apprentices who will only make ThunderClan stronger in these troubling times."

Icecloud and Tigerheart's eyes were watery as the white she-cat swiftly licked down their kits and sent them off, one by one. Puddlekit footslogged up first through the aisle made by the parted crowd. Bramblestar patiently waited until Oakkit and Bloodkit were standing next to him in the shadow of the Highledge.

"Puddlekit, Oakkit, and… Bloodkit have reached the age of six moons. It is time for them to be apprenticed. Puddlekit, from this moment on you will be known as Puddlepaw."

Morningkit parted her jaws and yelled, "Puddlepaw!" Others soon followed, until everyone was chorusing the young tom's new name. Puddlepaw still looked as much a meek kit as his siblings until the cheers died down.

"Your mentor will be Birchfall," Bramblestar announced. The light brown tabby, looking very pleased, hopped up from his place between Hazeltail and Seedspeck and touched noses with Puddlepaw. "Birchfall," the leader went on, addressing the warrior- who was Morningkit's kin- "you have been serving the Clan for moons and have had yet to train an apprentice… until now. I know Ashfur passed on all he knew to you," Bramblestar said with a slight scathing tone when he mewed Ashfur's name, while Squirrelflight groaned. "so I hope you do the same for Puddlepaw," he finished.

"Thank you so much," Birchfall purred. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to take on an apprentice!" He beamed at Puddlepaw and whispered something encouraging in the tabby-and-white cat's ear, making him smile.

"Oakkit," Bramblestar boomed to the small but robust she-kit who was a carbon copy of her father. "You are now Oakpaw until you earn your warrior name." There was a brief cheering period, just like with Puddlepaw. "Poppyfrost, you will mentor her. You, too, deserve an apprentice finally. Thornclaw taught you well, as I know you will teach Oakpaw well."

The tortoiseshell, appearing a bit tired from her night watch but excited all the same, tapped her nose against Oakpaw's and led the dark brown tabby over to the side of the clearing to sit with Birchfall and Puddlepaw.

Just before Bramblestar could open his mouth to address Bloodkit, Toadstep's patrol exploded into camp. "Oh! The ceremony!" gasped the black-and-white tom. The others were too out of breath to speak for him, so he went on, "I'm sorry for interrupting. Er…"

"Go on. Tell us quick. Luckily, the cat I plan to choose as mentor for Bloodkit has returned just in time," Bramblestar meowed.

Whitewing and Mousewhisker, the only cats who didn't have apprentices recently, exchanged intrigued glances.

"The foxes have stretched their territory approximately ten mouse-lengths deeper into our land," Toadstep reported with a solemn frown.

Bramblestar shut his eyes for a moment, and then said, "Thanks for letting me know. Something will be done against FoxClan immediately after the ceremony."

"FoxClan? Clever." Foxleap smirked as he nuzzled Hazeltail, his mate, and planted himself beside her. "FoxClan's going down!"

"Bloodkit? Are you ready?" Bramblestar continued, staring down at the white-furred tom.

"Yes," Bloodkit answered with zero timidity in his tone.

"From this moment on, you are Bloodpaw, and your mentor shall be Whitewing. Whitewing, you trained this young feline's mother. I have no doubt you learned to understand Icecloud in the moons you spent with her. Hopefully you will connect just as much with your second apprentice."

Whitewing dipped her head and met her soot-colored nose with Bloodpaw, warm green eyes meeting aloof red. "He'll learn all the tricks of the trade to hunting in the dark with a white pelt," she added with a chuckle. She and Bloodpaw trotted over to the other new mentors and apprentices, and was pleasantly surprised to see her mate training the other brother.

Morningkit was glad for the new apprentices, and playfully shoved Beekit. Even though things were definitely going to be tough with "FoxClan", ThunderClan's advancements always shone through in the bleak times.

See you next time~