Birds twittered overhead as Crowkit emerged from the nursery. It was late Greenleaf, probably Crowkit' s favorite season. Minkkit, Otterkit, and Swankit were playing nearby, their happy mewls echoing throughout the camp.

A soft breeze russled the tom's fur as he made his way over to them. "Can I play?" He asked. "Sure!" Minkkit replied, uncharacteristically nice. She batted the mossball at him and he batted it back. Soon, all the kits were racing around, swatting at the ball of moss.

"Hey Crowkit, catch!" Minkkit purred, swatting the ball at him. He leapt up, grasping the ball with his tiny claws. "I caught it!" He exclaimed happily. "Yeah, congratulations!" She smirked.

"Mama, Crowkit's hogging the mossball!" The kit's whine rang through the air, Starlingaster emerging from the nursery. "Crowkit, come here." The other kit's were very quiet as he made his way over to her. "Go inside." She ordered. Hanging his head, Crowkit did as he was told.

Once inside the nursery, Starlingaster whirled around to face him. "What did I tell you about picking on Minkkit!?" She hissed, her eyes flashing. Crowkit swallowed. "Be nice and don't hog the mossball, and don't be rough."

"Exactly." The queen nodded. "Go sit in the corner." Crowkit's tail dragged across the ground as he trudged over to the far side of the nursery. Starlingaster was always hard on him, Moondrop said it was because she loved him, but Starlingaster didn't seem to love him at all.

Eventually, Starlingaster left the nursery and Crowkit was alone. The young tom peered out of the lavender thicket, and spotted Starlingaster sharing fresh-kill with Spidersong.

Crowkit's attention was drawn to the camp entrance as Cherryblaze, Tempestpaw, and Snowwing rushed in. Crowkit noticed that their pelts were covered in scratches.

Snowwing quickly made his way over to Sundrop. The deputy said something to the warrior, the tom giving a quick nod before turning and bounding over to Starlingaster and Spidersong.

Spidersong got to his paws and followed Snowwing over to Asperlight and Rosefeather, who followed them out of camp. "What's going on?" Crowkit called, forgetting he was supposed to stay in the nursery. Laurelkit bounded over to him. "I heard Sundrop and Snowwing talking." She whispered. "Some loners are causing problems on the border."

Crowkit nodded, his pelt prickling with anxiety. What if the loners attacked camp? What if they were as big as badgers? What if they went after the kit's? He gave a shiver and turned back to his littermate.

"What do we do?" He asked. Laurelkit opened her jaws to say something when a shadow loomed over them. "Why aren't you in the nursery?" Starlingaster growled. Crowkit shrank back. "I-I was curious about the patrol." He answered honestly. Starlingaster shook her head and have him a rough nudge. "Go back inside!"

Crowkit turned and swiftly padded back into the nursery, where he collapsed into his nest. "Crowkit?" It was Moondrop. "Want to make yourself useful?" He nodded and bounded out of the thicket after her.

Inside of the medicine den she nudged a bundle of herbs towards him. "Remember this?" She asked. Crowkit have it a small sniff. "Yarrow, feverfew, and parsley." She gave an encouraging nod. "Yarrow makes a cat vomit, feverfew lowers fevers, and parsley helps queens produce milk." Moondrop beamed. "Very good, Crowkit." She purred. "You'll make a good medicine cat someday."

Crowkit whirled around. "What!?" He cried. "I don't want to be a medicine cat, I want to be a warrior." Moondrop looked shocked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Crowkit turned and raced out of the medicine den, stopping in the center of camp. He wasn't sure where to go. He didn't want to be in the medicine den and he didn't want to go back to the nursery.

Suddenly, the bracken barrier quivered and the patrol returned, followed closely by two cat's he didn't recognize. He wrinkled his nose at their stench. Sundrop bounded down from the Rockpile to meet them.

"Crowkit!" Staringaster's sharp new pierced the air. He looked over, expecting her to be angry, but only found concern in her gaze. "Get over here!" She snapped, casting a suspicious glance at the strange cat's. Crowkit raced over to the thicket, Starlingaster pushing him inside.

One cat was a brown tabby tom, the other was a pale gray she-cat. Crowkit watched as they crossed camp. The two cat's spoke to Sundrop for a moment before the white and black she-cat led them to Mintstar's den.

"Move, I can't see!" Mintkit hissed, roughly shoving Crowkit out of the way. "Are you okay?" Spiderkit asked, helping him up. He nodded and the two tom's crept up to the nursery entrance, craning their necks so they could see around Mintkit.

Suddenly Mintstar emerged onto the ClanStone. "All cat's old enough to catch their own prey, gather around the ClanStone for a clan meeting!" He yowled. All the kits bounded out of the nursery with excitement, their mothers following close behind.

The two outsiders appeared, flanking Mintstar. "This is Talon and Spring, they have asked to join AshClan." Starlingaster gave a hiss, her fur bristling. "Are you going to let them stay, they'll kill the kits!" She called. Mintkit eyed the newcomers with distrust, along with Pepperkit, Minkkit, and Swankit.

"In my day, no cat was brave enough to trespass on our territory!" Wolfjaw hissed, glaring at the cats. A few yowls of agreement rose from the crowd. "Hold on!" Blackkit mewled, stepping forwards. "We kept Crowkit!" Murmers rippled through the crowd. "Hush!" Starlingaster hissed, cuffing her kit over the ear.

"What do you mean?" Crowkit asked. Blackkit gave him a shrug. "You weren't always here. I was the first to open my eyes, it was just us, then one day Mintstar entered the nursery with you." Mintkit gave him a disgusted look. "I've been sharing a nest with a rogue!" He shrieked. "Hush, kits!" Starlingaster snapped, a few cat's glancing over.

"Ew,  I can't believe I thought you were my littermate!" The tom ignored his mother, making Crowkit shrink back. The clearing had gone silent. Crowkit turned and raced over to Moondrop, burying his face in her fur. "Please tell me it's not true!" He begged, his voice muffled by the she-cat's gray and black pelt.

Moondrop rested her tail on the kit's shoulder's. "Your origins do not matter, you will always be apart of AshClan." The medicine cat soothed, her eyes glistening with moisture. Crowkit's eyes widened in horror. He gave a small yowl and sprinted into the nursery, where he burrowed into his nest.