Leopardkit struggled to stay still as the stinging poultice was dabbed on to the scratch on her back. She flinched and gritted her teeth through the hot pain slicing between her fur.

"There," the old medicine cat croaked, finally pulling the herbs away. She turned quickly, nearly whacking Leopardkit with her scruffy, faded ginger tail. She shot the ancient she-cat an amber glare. Oblivious, Firetail gathered another bundle of herbs to torture the young she-kit with.

     Firetail was a very old she-cat, but unquestionably a master in her craft. She had been present through countless battles and had saved many lives. Every cat in ThunderClan spoke highly of her, despite her bluntness and insensitivity. The gray she-cat was well-known and highly respected, even among the other Clans.

    Firetail turned back around to face Leopardkit, her amber eyes narrowed and calculating. "It's just a scratch, so you won't be needing any webs. But hear me now, no more rough play or else you'll open that wound up. And I won't be wasting any more of my herbs on a careless cut," she warned with a hiss, lashing her bright tail.

Leopardkit sighed in relief that her treatment was finally over, but there was something off about Firetail. The she-cat's amber eyes were shadowed with concern. There was something hidden beneath her calm features, an expression of dread.

Leopardkit's tail twitched uneasily. "Are you sure the scratch will be okay?" she pressed, shuffling on her small paws.

Firetail sighed, a deep sound made by the rush of air in her old chest. "It's not the scratch I'm worried about," she muttered, averting her piercing gaze.

Leopardkit felt a flutter of curiosity in her chest. She wasn't sure if she was meant to hear that. She glanced sideways to Mousekit who was sitting patiently near the entrance to the den. The black tom-kit didn't seem to be confused at all. He sat very still, green eyes trained on the medicine cat.

Firetail was back at work, placing back the herbs that she had gotten out to treat Leopardkit. "How often do you eat in a day?" she inquired, her back to the she-kit.

    "Eat?" Leopardkit wondered aloud. That's not what she expected the medicine cat to ask her. The thought made her stomach rumble, reminding her that she had not yet had a meal today. "I don't know . . . Once?"

     Firetail's ears swiveled back at the news, but she didn't give anything else away. "How long ago did you stop drinking Sandstreak's milk?"

Leopardkit closed her eyes as she struggled to remember. Her earliest kit days were already fuzzy in her memory. What she did remember, in clarity, was the sensation of sharp, biting hunger, almost constantly. "After my first moon, I think..."

Firetail furrowed her brow and nodded at Mousekit. "The same goes for you, I assume."

"Yes," the black tom squeaked in confirmation. His voice was flat.

Firetail flared her nostrils angrily, her amber eyes burning. "Sandstreak should've known better than to cut off your supply after one moon! Some kits don't wean until after two. And at the rate you two are growing at four moons, you should be eating at least a full piece of prey a day, maybe more."

    Leopardkit's eyes grew wide as she imagined all the food she had been missing out on. "Sandstreak would kill us if we ate that much!" she exclaimed.

     "She doesn't even let us touch the fresh-kill pile," Mousekit added from the side, giving Firetail a pointed look.

     The rumbling in Leopardkit's stomach grew drastically louder. It was true. Sandstreak had made it clear to the kits that they were forbidden to touch the warm, freshly-caught prey sitting in the center of camp. In the mornings and sometimes in the evening, the thin queen would pick out the meager catches that she felt her kits deserved and bring them back to the nursery. Mousekit and Leopardkit were usually stuck sharing half a morsel. Some days the she-kit would go without eating at all, purely out of defiance. The pain of hunger was sharp, but Leopardkit's anger was stronger.

     Firetail sighed once more, gazing at the kits with clouded eyes. "Never in all my years..." she muttered to herself, beginning to pace back and forth in the den. "Redpaw!" she suddenly snapped, glancing toward the back of the den.

    A fluffy ginger tom lifted his head from the depths of the den, his green eyes wide and nervous. A little leaf hung off his tufted ear.

     "Go fetch Darkstar. Tell him it's urgent," Firetail commanded, still pacing.

    Redpaw cocked his head. "Now?" he squeaked. He seemed to be in the middle of a chore.

    "Now!" Firetail hissed, startling Leopardkit.

     The skittish tomcat immediately dropped the herbs he had been mixing and bounded out of the den, his bright ginger pelt fluffed up in nervousness.

     The old gray she-cat sniffed disdainfully when he was out of sight, her nose scrunched up. "Apprentices . . ." she murmured to herself.

    Leopardkit felt her heart pound and her spotted fur bristle in anticipation. She was finally going to meet Darkstar—ThunderClan's leader! The she-kit had only caught glimpses of the large, fearsome tom when he emerged from his den, and she never had a chance to speak to him. Weedkit and Longkit would be so jealous if they could see her now.

    It was her dream to become like him one day. To fiercely lead her Clanmates into battle, to walk with all admiring stares on her, to speak and be listened to. To hold all the power in the Clan, along with the respect and admiration of her Clanmates. Leopardkit shivered as she thought of it, her amber eyes glowing.

    Moments later, a long shadow fell over the entrance to the den. A monstrous black figure slid gracefully into the cave, his sleek pelt blending with the darkness. His eyes were a striking green, seeming to glow in the dim lighting.

    Leopardkit felt the breath leave her lungs. The large black tom seemed to take up half the den. She felt incredibly small, like an ant, sitting in front of the great leader. He moved with an air of respect and dignity, his presence bringing with it a sense of awe and reverence. The black tom calmly approached the medicine cat.

    Leopardkit spotted a flash of fiery fur near the den's entrance, along with a pair of curious green eyes peering in. Redpaw seemed to ponder for a moment whether he should follow the leader. Knowing that Firetail would likely claw his ears if he interrupted an important meeting, the apprentice's fluffy face disappeared.

    A wave of nervous passed through Leopardkit, and she wondered if she should leave as well.

     "Darkstar," Firetail greeted. There was an immediate change in her usual gruff tone. The medicine cat spoke calmly and politely. She dipped her head to the Clan leader, bony shoulders protruding.

    Leopardkit quickly followed Firetail's lead, staring at her tiny paws for a moment. Her breaths came in nervously. When she lifted her head again, Darkstar was staring straight at her. The she-kit felt a jolt of nervousness as his green eyes pierced right through her.

    "Firetail," Darkstar rumbled in return. Then to Leopardkit's surprise, the black tom dipped his head to the medicine cat with a small smirk etched in his wide muzzle. "It's an honor to meet you, truly."

    The gray she-cat rolled her amber eyes at his sarcasm. "You know it's only custom to show respect to the leader," she growled, eyes narrowed. "You're always worried that the young warriors don't show enough appreciation, and this is how I get treated when I do!" Firetail was the size of an apprentice compared to the massive tomcat, but she wasn't afraid to let her prickly personality show through.

    Darkstar smiled charmingly at her, revealing rows of gleaming white teeth. "You're old enough to be exempt from the shows of respect," the tom teased in a deep voice, lowering his haunches to the ground. "Now, what's the matter?" His voice suddenly grew serious.

    Firetail glanced to the kits, her eyes worried. Leopardkit took a couple nervous steps back, looking over her shoulder to Mousekit. Her brother was peering at Darkstar, ears pricked expectantly.

     Firetail lowered her voice, but Leopardkit could still hear her clearly. "They're malnourished. Badly. Probably been hungry for moons. It's even stunted their growth! And you want to know who's starving them?"

    Darkstar pinched his eyes shut and gave a long sigh. "StarClan help us if Sandstreak has done this."

    "Well, she has," Firetail said sharply, her face stony. Silenced ensued for a little while. Darkstar's head was bowed and eyes shut as if he was deeply troubled. Then the medicine cat spoke again, leaning closer to the black tom. "This is unacceptable, Darkstar. Something needs to be done about her, and you know it," she hissed.

    The black tom shook his head slowly. "What can I do? She despises me."

    Firetail curled her lip. "You're ThunderClan's leader, for StarClan's sake! You have the power to make her obey, so use it! She'll hate you for it, but that's not as important," the gray she-cat growled, her face contorted in frustration. "Listen, Darkstar. This is abuse. If she deprives them of food for much longer, we'll have to postpone their apprentice ceremonies. Sandstreak has you wrapped right around her tail. I know you have a history with her, but that's no excu–"

    "Fine!" Darkstar suddenly snapped. "Fine. I'll talk to her." His tone was short and agitated. The black tomcat was not pleased. He looked over his ruffled shoulder toward the kits, still a bit riled. "What are their names?"

     Firetail gestured with her ginger tail toward her brother first. "Mousekit." Then her eyes landed on the she-kit. "And Leopardkit."

    Darkstar's cool green gaze lingered on Leopardkit for a few moments longer, leaving her uneasy. Then his eyes grew soft and he took a deep breath. "Nice to meet you," he meowed gently, nodding toward both the kits.

    Leopardkit was too shocked to reply, so she simply gave a weak smile in return. She inwardly reprimanded herself for her awkwardness.

Firetail addressed the kits next. "To monitor your weight, I'd like for you both to come visit the medicine den daily for a check up."

"And what if Sandstreak doesn't let us?" Mousekit challenged. Leopardkit nodded vigorously in agreement. The stubborn queen wouldn't always allow her kits to roam freely about camp. Quite often, she would punish them by confining them to the nursery for small infractions. Especially when they had disturbed Weedkit and Longkit.

Darkstar's deep voice interrupted the conversation. "Then you tell her that it's an order from her leader," he said, subtly winking at Leopardkit.

The little she-kit suddenly felt very light on her paws. She could feel the power she had over her cruel mother coursing through her veins. And now, Sandstreak could no longer keep her from eating her fill.

Beaming with joy, Leopardkit made eye contact with her brother. Mousekit wasn't as overjoyed as she, but his gaze still shone with triumph.

    "And remember," Darkstar suddenly meowed. He crouched down so that he was eye level with Leopardkit, his gaze wide and watchful. The she-kit could feel his warm breath like a breeze in her face. "If Sandstreak ever does anything to hurt you, you tell me."

     The thought that her mother might actually harm her made Leopardkit's stomach turn with dread, but the fact that the most powerful cat in the Clan was on her side also gave her an overwhelming feeling of confidence.

     Today, her pride had taken a hard blow after so easily losing to Weedkit. But these cats were here to help her grow stronger, strong enough to overcome him. And by StarClan, she would.

     Right now, it felt as if everything was going to be just fine.