Chapter 1

Shadowkit woke up to the sun shining through the branches of the nursery. She went outside and heard her mother walking towards her, licking her ear affectionately. "Three moons old already! You grow fast!" Her mother hummed. "Three and a half, moons old" Shadowkit corrected. Redstar let out a mroww of laughter. "You just wait, Redstar! I will be the best hunter and fighter in the clan!" Shadowkit yowled. "I'm sure you will." Redstar replied. A heartbeat later Shadowkit was lying on the floor, under the paws of Rosekit. "I don't think you will be better than me!" She mewed proudly. Shadowkit started scratching Rosekit's belly, and when Rosekit jumped away, Shadowkit pounced on her and snorted "Yeah right! And anyways, I am older than you so I will get more experience". "Older than me by a quarter moon, yeah I am soooooo much older than me." Rosekit mewed in response sarcastically. Redstar looked at the two kits. "I am sure you will both be very loyal, and helpful to the clan." She purred, walking over to Shadowkit and Rosekit. "But you have to go back to the nursery, it is Leafbare. The clan wouldn't want you to be sick." Redstar added. "Yes Redstar." Shadowkit said, disappointedly.

When she got back to the nursery she tried to think of ways to help the clan. Finally, she thought that she could help Berrywhisker. As she padded out to the clearing she saw Berrywhisker heading towards her. "What are you doing out in this cold?!" Berrywhisker asked Shadowkit. "I wanted to come help you!" She mewed. "You are only a kit. What you can do is go back to the nursery, and not cause trouble!" Berrywhisker replied sharply. "Please Berrywhisker?" Shadowkit tried her best to get the grumpy cat to say yes. "No, you could catch Whitecough from the sick cats." Berrywhisker replied flatly. "What if I just got the herbs ready for use? Then I would not come close to the sick cats." She mewed. "Maybe, I will have to talk to Redstar. But don't get your hopes up." Berrywhisker said as she padded away towards Redstars den.

Shadowkit trotted back to the nursery. She went inside and curled up on the soft moss. "Hey Shadowkit!" Meowed a voice. "Oh, Rockkit, what do you want?" Groaned Shadowkit. Standing over her was a cream colored cat with a splash of red on his cheek. "Have you seen Rosekit? I've been looking for her.." Rockkit mewed. "Oh I just saw her. I don't know where she went." Shadowkit replied, not looking at the tom. "Oh thanks!" Said Rockkit cheerfully. Shadowkit resumed laying in the moss, waiting for Berrywhisker to tell her if she could help. Shadowkit lay back in the moss lost in her thoughts, imagining what it would be like if she became Berrywhisker's apprentice. A heartbeat later, a familiar scent hit Shadowkit's nose, and she felt Berrywhisker's paw prod at her belly. "You can help." She mumbled as she walked towards her den. Shadowkit was bubbling with excitement. "Are you coming?" Berrywhisker purred. "Yes!" Shadowkit excitedly replied. Shadowkit padded over to the medicine cat's den.

"What should I do?" Shadowkit asked Berrywhisker. "Could you get me some cobwebs? Badgerpelt got a thorn in her paw." Berrywhisker said to Shadowkit. "Ok!" Shadowkit mewed, and went to the herb store. Shadowkit had never seen so many herbs together in her life. Shadowkit was very happy that she could help her clan, even though not as a warrior yet, but to help her clan right now she would have to do what Berrywhisker told her so she got straight to work. Until sundown, Shadowkit was getting herbs ready for use, and fetching supplies for Berrywhisker. It was a bit boring, Shadowkit said to herself after she was done, but it was worth it, she added.

When she got back to the nursery, Leafkit, Rockkit, Rosekit, and all the other cats in the nursery, were shooting at her with questions. "Was it fun?" Cried a voice. "What did you learn?" Said another voice. "Are you going to become Berrywhisker's apprentice?" One of the kits in the crowd asked. "Can I also help tomorrow?" Shadowkit heard her littermate, Leafkit, asking. Finally, Violetwing came and saved Shadowkit, by saying, "Everyone calm down, Shadowkit is tired and she needs to rest. You can talk to her tomorrow, before she goes to help Berrywhisker again." She looked at Shadowkit and added "I mean, you will help her again, am I right?" "Yes" Shadowkit replied flatly, and curled up in her nest, ready for a good night's sleep.

When Shadowkit opened her eyes, she realized that she was not in the nursery anymore. Instead, she was in a forest that she could not recognize. Then she heard the voice of a cat saying, " Hello Shadowkit." Quickly, Shadowkit turned to where the voice was coming from. Standing in front of her, was a golden tom, with stars embedded in his pelt. "You're from Starclan!" Shadowkit exclaimed. "Yes little one." The golden tom said. " I am Goldencloud." Then he looked around to make sure no one was there, and added, "I have an important message for you, 'At break of dawn at five moons time, travel where the water reflects the moon. Listen to the stars, and beware of the pool of fire.' Remember little one, you must not speak of this to anyone, or grave danger will befall the six." "Wait, I do not understand!" Shadowkit yowled as the golden warrior disappeared. The last words Shadowkit heard before Goldencloud vanished were "All will be revealed in time." Who are the six she thought, and how would she leave this forest?