"Nettlekit! Wake up!" Dawnkit impatiently poked her brother with her paw. 2 moons old, and he STILL slept ALL THE TIME. "Wha...?" Nettlekit mewed sleepily. " Mother says if we want to go outside, we have to take you." Just as she told him that, Leafheart poked her head in the nursery. "Why aren't you two playing outside?"

Dawnkit rolled her eyes behind her mother's back. "YOU said we had to take Nettlekit if we wanted to play outside." She mewed impatiently. "Oh don't worry about him, I'll stay with him while you play." Leafheart meowed kindly. "Thank you Mother!" Dawnkit squeaked happily as she raced after Barkkit. "Catch me if you can Dawnkit!" Barkkit squealed, racing into the clearing. "Barkkit, wait! Watch ou--" 

Dawnkit ground to a halt, but her warning had come too late. Four unfamiliar cats had just emerged from the gorse tunnel, and Barkkit had run right into the lead cat! "Oof!" Barkkit hit something hard. He looked up at the strange cat he'd ran into, a weird scent filling his nostrils. "O-oh." He stuttered. "I-I'm sorry." He backed away for the large  bracken-colored tom, fearful he'd get punished. To his surprise, the tom purred. "It's okay, little one. Go back to your mother now." He meowed gently. Barkkit took a fearful step back, and Dawnkit raced up to nudge him away. 

However, the black she-cat standing beside the strange tom hissed, and snarled "Yes, go and hide behind your mother! This is warrior business, you stupid little kit!" Barkkit crouched on the ground, terrified. Dawnkit, who had skidded to a halt when the she-cat had hissed, raced up to her brother to face the group. The lead tom only had time to glance warningly at the black she-cat before Dawnkit stalked up to them. "How dare you?! My brother is not a 'stupid little kit'! If anyone here is stupid, it's you, dungface! This is our home, and you don't get to walk in here and insult us!" Dawnkit puffed up to twice her normal size with her hackles raised, positively spitting the words out. The black she-cat snarled again, unsheathing her claws. 

Before she could spring, however, Lilytail padded up to them and stood in front of the two kits. "Do you come to speak with our leader? If so, come with me. Oakstar is in her den." She meowed coolly. The lead tom nodded curtly, and herded the she-cat toward the den at the base of the rocks, the rest of the group following. Some glanced curiously at the little she-kit, others had admiration in their gaze. But one, a small black tom, glared at her accusingly. Dawnkit stood tall and stared back expressionlessly at the hostile black tom as he walked past. 

Barkkit had to look up to look at Dawnkit, she was stretched to her fullest height. "Come on, Dawnkit, let's go play in the nursery." Barkkit mewed, relieved. He started to nudge her back to the den, until she seemed to understand and padded along with him. "That was really brave, Dawnkit! I hope we don't get in trouble though." Barkkit meowed, nervousness flashing across his face, as he thought of Leafheart and Lilytail scolding them. "Well, I don't care if I get punished! They had no right to act like that, and I'm allowed to defend my family!" She said hotly. "I agree with you, Dawnkit, but you, a kit, just insulted a bunch of rival warriors!" Barkkit shook his head. "Let's just go to the nursery."