Soft footfalls echoed off of the canyon walls as the patrol padded along. The setting sun turned the cliffs around them a vivid orange and the air was just beginning to cool after a day of almost unbearable heat. The patrol stopped by the river that ran through the canyon to hydrate themselves before continuing on their way.

They headed for the south border of their territory, an outcropping from which the rest of the canyon was visible. It provided a good place to admire the sunset, or lookout for intruders. Many of the mentors also brought their apprentices there for battle training, as the walls of the canyon opened up and made it possible to stage practice fights. The sense of danger, with the edge of the cliff so close, added adrenaline and realism to their training.

Sparrowstar, who walked at the head of the patrol, reached the south border first. Sitting down at the edge of the drop, she wrapped her tortoiseshell tail neatly over her paws and gazed out onto the canyon. Her green gaze was joined by the yellow one of Palethorn, who settled beside her.

"See anything in this blasted sunset?" the warrior asked her. Sparrowstar only gave a nod, continuing to survey the landscape before her.

After a couple of moments, she replied, "I see beauty and danger and the hope of new life for us here." The white tom beside her stifled his snort at her words, but the tortoiseshell appeared unbothered.

"Seeing might be hard, but hearing is much easier," came a voice from Sparrowstar's other side. "Listen."

Morningbreeze, the pretty she-cat who spoke, pricked her ears and the other two did the same. Sure enough, something could be heard - the mewling of kits. Surprised, the tortoiseshell leader turned her head towards the sound, trying to figure out what its source was. She spotted it moments later, there, on a little cliff just below the outcropping. Three little bodies - two grey and one black.

"How did you get there?" she wondered aloud before moving to hop down onto the ledge. Morningbreeze, quick on her paws, moved first, careful to avoid stepping on the three kits. Her blue eyes filled with alarm as she sniffed at their bodies.

"They smell so strongly of milk, they can't be older than a moon," she said, looking up at Sparrowstar and Palethorn. "What should we do with them?" The pitiful mewling got louder and Morningbreeze wrapped her tail around the kits, holding them closer to her.

"I say we leave them," Palethorn growled. "We just got here, we don't need more mouths to feed!" Sparrowstar gazed at the white warrior, knowing that his harsh nature would not allow for helpless kits to take precedence over the rest of the Clan. His own kits had hardly ever gotten a visit from him in the nursery, even before his mate, Lichencloud, died. Sighing, she turned back to the grey she-cat on the ledge below her and the three little kits.

"These three kits are proof that cats can survive in this canyon," she mused. "Perhaps it is a sign from StarClan that this really is our new home?" She knew Palethorn would scoff at the suggestion, but Morningbreeze seemed to accept it. Coming closer to the edge of the outcropping, Sparrowstar leaned down so that Morningbreeze could pass her one of the kits. Placing it on the outcropping, away from the drop, she turned back for the next. Once all three kits were safely off of the ledge and the grey she-cat with them, she turned to Palethorn.

"Take your pick. We'll each carry one back to the camp." Growling something that sounded very much like, "blasted she-cats", the white tom did as he was told and grabbed the black kit, leaving the two grey ones to Sparrowstar and Morningbreeze. As the patrol headed back to camp, the soft mewls of the kits resounded around them and the tortoiseshell leader couldn't help but feel that the three little ones had been sent by StarClan. She had to believe it. If the canyon was not to be RockClan's permanent home, what was?