Sunlight peeked in through the cracks in the nursery and Elmkit blinked awake. She shook her head when she remembered what she had overheard her mother and father talking about last night. "Well I guess they're not really my mother and father are they." She growled as she left the nursery, ignoring her mother's call as she went to the fresh kill pile. Grabbing a small mouse, she sat down in the shade of a fern patch. Applekit and Dawnkit were playing on the other side of the clearing, not even noticing she was there. "No wonder I feel so left out in their games. They aren't even my real brother and sister!" She mewed, a little too loudly. Boulderheart's head snapped around and he glared at her. "What do you mean they aren't your real brother and sister?" He growled. "I-its just in our game!" Elmkit replied looking away. Boulderheart snorted and turned away to the camp entrance. She tilted her head, wondering where he was going this early in the morning. The dawn patrol had already gone out and come back...don't be silly! He's an important warrior, he can do what he wants. She thought as she watched his tail disappear between the gorse. Elmkit jumped as something touched her shoulder. She turned her head and saw her mother standing behind her.

"Hello dear." Blueleap meowed

"Hi." Elmkit mewed back curtly.

"Whats the matter?" Blueleap replied

"You- nevermind." Elmkit stopped herself from blurting out all her thoughts on her "parents" lying to her. Blueleap looked concerned but Elmkit turned away and walked over to the other kits.

"Hey Elmkit!" Applekit mewed as he saw her coming towards them.

"Hey. What are you guys playing?" Elmkit asked, trotting up.

"We're going to sneak out of camp!" Dawnkit replied excitedly.

"Really? But isn't that against the rules?" Elmkit asked

"Yeah, but we'll be apprentices in a few moons and we want to see the territory! And the senior warriors have been talking about a badger so we want to go see it!" Dawnkit meowed.

"We can sneak out the dirtplace tunnel. One at a time so they don't suspect anything." Applekit mewed quietly.

Elmkit trotted over to the dirtplace tunnel and slipped through it quietly, checking to see if any other warrior was in there. No cat was there. She waited as the other kits entered one by one. Elmkit pointed with her tail at the small hole in the wall at the bottom of one wall. The other kits nodded and followed her as she slipped out first. The green light was so different from the browns and dark greens they saw in camp. Birds called softly in the trees and the sunlight dappled the forest floor.

"Well....what now?" Dawnkit mewed.

"Lets just explore! The lake is that way, I can smell the water." Elmkit replied as she walked into the bushes. The other kits shrugged and followed her. They're following me! Applekit isn't taking over and I feel like I'm one of them! Elmkit thought happily. As they got closer to the lake, they saw the shimmering water through the tree trunks.

"There's the lake!" Elmkit called as she ran to it, the other kits right on her heels.

"Wait! Where's Dawnkit?!" Fogkit called out.

Elmkit stopped in her tracks, looking around for her sister. Or not her sister.

"She was with us just a few heartbeats ago!" Applekit mewed.

Elmkit tasted the air and walked back into the bushes where they just were. She heard something a little way away and ran to it. As she burst into a small clearing, she gasped. A huge badger, even bigger than Boulderheart, was circling in front of Dawnkit, who was crouched up against a tall oak tree.

"Dawnkit! Don't move!" Elmkit screeched as she ran over to the badger. Just as she did so, the badger flung out its paw and slashed the small silver form of Dawnkit and sent her flying across the clearing. Dawnkit hit the dirt hard, blood pouring from a wound on her flank. Elmkit started at her, not able to move.

"Elmkit look out!" Screamed Applekit just as Elmkit caught a movement in the corner of her eye. She jumped back, but she was not quick enough. The badger's claws caught her leg and she collapsed. Her gaze went blurry and she heard the faint voices of cats calling her and Dawnkit's names as blackness covered her eyes.