A cloudless sky hung over MoonClan territory. Despite the sun, which sent its warming light to the earth unhindered, there was still an unpleasant coldness.

Larkkit puffed up her fur. Longingly she thought back to the last warm days. Now, however, she felt as if it was leaf-bare again, although the memory of that time was only like a wisp of mist.

In front of her, Dashkit trotted, head held high and paws carefully set. Like Hailstar. Larkkit tried hard not to purr when she noticed the resemblance. She doesn't really think anyone would take her seriously if she walked like she had a stick in her body, does she?

A few paces behind Larkkit, Amberkit and Leafkit shuffled through the dew-covered grass with their tails hanging down. This sunrise, Larkkit had to literally drag them out of their nest. How can a cat sleep so long?, she thought, shaking her head. I don't want to waste sunlight.

The four kits were on their way to Mottleheart, practically forced by Swallowfern. The former medicine cat would be lonely, the black and white she-cat had meowed. The only ones who would come by were Heatherpaw and Willowpaw, and that was just to quickly bring her prey, check her for ticks and change the nest material, then hurriedly disappear again.

It wasn't that Larkkit didn't like Mottleheart. She was aware that the former medicine cat had been in the service of her Clan for many leaf-changes and was also deeply respected by RoseClan, SnowClan and LaurelClan. But she was too old to play with, and she often complained about aching joints and her failing eyesight. Larkkit tried to put herself in her place, but she couldn't help feeling annoyed by it.

The elders' den lay in an elongated thorn bush in a hollow, on the opposite side of the nursery. Clumps of daisies grew all around. Through the deep green foliage, the grey spotted fur of the elder could be seen. Next to her moved two other cats - Heatherpaw and Willowpaw.

Dashkit picked her way through the thorns, while Larkkit waited patiently. Ever since the incident a few days ago, when her sister had slipped into the den a little too boisterously and had received the tear in the tip of her ear from the sharp outgrowths, Larkkit preferred to give everything with thorns a wide berth. But Dashkit didn't seem to be afraid of them.

Once inside the bush, Mottleheart turned to them. "Oh, look who's come crawling in!" Her grey nose twitched. "Dashkit, isn't it?" she said to the silver and white she-cat. "How's your ear?"

"B-better, I think," Dashkit stammered, touching the injury with a paw. "It doesn't hurt at all anymore, either."

Mottleheart nodded in satisfaction. "See? I told you you'd be feeling better sooner than you think."

From the shadows stepped Heatherpaw. In front of her she pushed a large pile of heather, her namesake. "Hello, kits!" the apprentice exclaimed enthusiastically. "Do you see all that heather I just collected? All by myself," she added, not even trying to hide her pride.

How great. You went hunting for nest material. But you can't eat heather.

After Heatherpaw poked him in the flank with her head, Willowpaw looked up, frustrated. "It's about time Hailstar made Junipertail's litter apprentices. I'm tired of doing camp work every day."

Indignantly, Heatherpaw flicked her tail over his ear. "Oh, great StarClan! Don't pretend I'm not here!" She glared at him angrily. "I already do most of the work and you still complain!"

Instead of replying, Willowpaw just turned his head away.

"Listen to her," Mottleheart interjected after a pause. "And when Stormkit and Firkit have become 'paws, you still cannot expect to be excused from camp work." She narrowed her eyes. "Do you seriously think you can just dump your duties on them like that?"

Startled by her brisk tone, Willowpaw winced. "I didn't mean it like that," he grumbled.

Groaning, Mottleheart put her head back and closed her eyes. "These apprentices nowadays."

As if she was any different when she was an apprentice! Swallowfern had told Larkkit that every cat had been naughty every once in a while as an apprentice. There was no reason for Mottleheart to pretend she was better.

Heatherpaw looked at the kits with her round, golden eyes. "How about helping out a little?" she suggested.

"No," Dashkit and Leafkit replied at exactly the same time.

"That's apprentice work, not kit work," Dashkit supported her answer.

Larkkit wasn't keen on it either. Better show me some hunting techniques. I must be better than every other cat when I'm an apprentice.

To the astonishment of those present, Amberkit had timidly stepped forward and sniffed at a tuft of heather. Then she took it in her mouth, but the next moment it broke in two. Dismayed, she jumped back and hurriedly muttered an apology.

Larkkit held her breath, waiting in fear for either Mottleheart or Heatherpaw - or both - to completely fly off the handle and chastise Amberkit for her clumsiness. Sometimes she really felt ashamed to have such a littermate. Oh, Amberkit! It's better you do nothing, otherwise you make everything worse.

But Mottleheart merely curled her tail upwards in amusement. "You see, Willowpaw? At least Amberkit doesn't complain about her duties!"

Larkkit was relieved about the calm reaction of the grey she-cat. Nevertheless, a small part of her wished that Amberkit could be told off for once. Maybe then she would stop being so obnoxiously reserved.

Heatherpaw calmly stepped over and pushed the broken heather together. "As an apprentice and a warrior, your first duty will be to care for your Clanmates," she meowed, addressing Amberkit. "That includes not only hunting to provide food and fighting other Clans or animals to protect the Clan but also tasks like this. It's been this way since the Clan founders were still alive."

Amberkit nodded. "I know." She tried not to let on, but Larkkit was good enough at reading her body language that she hadn't missed the fear in Amberkit's eyes at the word 'warrior'.

By now, Dashkit had strolled into the middle of the den and was looking around suspiciously. "I think this is a waste of time," she announced. "There are more important and exciting things than this." At the last words, her nose twitched as if she had detected an unpleasant smell.

"Well," Mottleheart murmured. "Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind if, when the time comes, you're always passed over. The first pieces of prey? Not for you. The softest nest material? Gets some other cat. If that's what you want, I'll see to it."

Of course it was clear to Larkkit that Mottleheart had only been joking to teach Dashkit a lesson for her disrespectful behaviour. Unfortunately, the latter only rolled her eyes snidely. "You wouldn't do that."

"No," Mottleheart finally confirmed meekly. "However, may I hope you realised that there's a reason why apprentices have to look after the elders?" She stood up and faced Dashkit, who returned her gaze impassively. At that moment, Larkkit wanted to sink into the ground in shame. Why couldn't Dashkit just let it go?

Mottleheart continued, "We've lived through more moons than you, and in those moons, we've cared for our Clanmates day in and day out. We hunted for them, fought for them or healed them. The least you can do is honour us for our efforts and look after us, even though we can no longer fulfil our duties."

Now Dashkit turned her gaze to the ground. "Yes, I know," she meowed. The distressed tone in her voice caused Larkkit to feel a strange sense of contentment. That's what you get now!

A short mew sounded outside Larkkit's field of vision. "We'll be off then," Willowpaw announced, the old nest material between his fangs.

Heatherpaw pressed her paws on the heather pad, then followed him outside.

Larkkit looked at them, puzzled. She had totally forgotten that they were still there.

Mottleheart stretched her paws away from her after settling into her nest. "That reminds me: tonight is The Night of Honour and Remembrance," she meowed rather to herself.

A flash of anticipation shot through Larkkit. At this event, which took place every new moon, the cats of MoonClan collected gifts such as pebbles, feathers or flowers to sacrifice in the Moonvalley. In this way, they honoured their deceased Clanmates.

"I don't know if I can make it there and back, though," Mottleheart continued. "Though I'd really like to. Not that StarClan gets upset!"

Leafkit jumped forward and touched her with his nose. "Certainly not!" he assured her. "You can think of them here too, can't you?"

Purring, Mottleheart licked him over the head. "Unfortunately, it's not the same. In the Moonvalley, our ancestors are present, that's for sure. If we want to communicate with them, we either go to StarClan's Peninsula or the Moonvalley."

Does that mean that StarClan lives there? Larkkit narrowed her eyes in perplexity. She had to find out. "Can we go there too?" she asked, beseechingly.

Disappointed, she saw Mottleheart shake her head. "You're not yet four moons old," the grey she-cat reminded her. "Hailstar certainly won't make an exception for a litter of naughty kits just because they look at him with such big, sad eyes you'd think they'd fall out at any moment!"

Guiltily, Larkkit looked at the ground. She had hoped to wrap Mottleheart around the claw like that. But she was adamant.

Now a little friendlier, Mottleheart nudged the kits towards the exit. "Now go play outside," she said, "and leave me alone."

Larkkit couldn't help but be offended. "This is so not fair!" she whined when she was sure she was out of earshot. "The other cats are there as well, what's going to happen?"

Dashkit held her nose against the wind. "When I'm leader, I will make a rule that kits can leave camp at any time."

"You? Leader?" Leafkit meowed protestingly. "I'll beat you to it!" With fluffed fur, he leapt around his littermate. "You already run away whining when a leaf falls on your head!"

"Says the one who plays with butterflies," Dashkit commented immediately, pounding on the ginger tabby tom with her small white paws.

Snarling angrily, Leafkit jumped around her. "I don't play with them, I hunt them."

"Oh really?" Dashkit sneered. "Then why haven't you ever caught one?"

Larkkit had seen enough. Rolling her eyes, she joined Amberkit, who was watching the action blankly. "I definitely don't want to be leader," she informed loudly, but Dashkit and Leafkit were too busy with their mock fight to notice her.

Beside her, Amberkit clawed at the grass. "Me neither."

"I'm glad we agree," Larkkit meowed.

Amberkit nodded, barely perceptible, and remained silent.

Boring, Larkkit thought. The Night of Honour and Remembrance came back to her mind. Her paws tingled with excitement as she thought of it. "Can you believe that the other Clans don't honour StarClan like we do?"

"We are StarClan's chosen ones, remember?" Dashkit padded over to her. "It wouldn't be surprising to me if StarClan didn't guard them."

"Especially RoseClan!" Leafkit added eagerly, joining in as well. He opened his eyes wide and theatrically and swivelled his head back and forth.

Larkkit flinched. "Stop that!" she protested. "You know how afraid I am of them."

"Watch out, maybe a RoseClan warrior will sneak into the nursery tonight and kidnap you," Leafkit whispered threateningly, though the humourous gleam in his eye showed that he wasn't serious.

Amberkit squeaked in horror. "They won't find the camp, though, right?" The reddish-golden she-cat was shivering violently as she focussed on the Hilltunnel, as if expecting a RoseClan cat to appear at any moment.

Larkkit bit her flews in annoyance. "You're not seriously that scared because of a few cats from outside the Clan, are you?" she scoffed.

"What are you doing now?" Dashkit intervened indignantly. "You just said you were scared too."

"But I don't want to be as scared as her," Larkkit replied coolly. She understood Amberkit's fear, and she hated this. I don't want to be a whiny kit like her. She's so embarrassing. Directed towards Amberkit, she meowed, "Are you sure you can be a warrior when you're afraid like this? I don't think you can be one. You will never be one."

Amberkit gasped, her eyes began to shimmer. "Y-you're so mean," she mewed. "Why are you always so mean to me?" She turned around and ran back to the nursery.

Shaking her head, Larkkit looked after her. When she turned round again, she froze in shock. Nightblossom!

The she-cat came hurrying across the meadow, her yellow eyes sparkling. "What's going on here?" she growled, her tail lashing. "Petty quarrels are not tolerated in MoonClan. I noticed you always pick on Amberkit."

"Yes, because she is so—" Leafkit began, but he was immediately interrupted by Nightblossom.

"You're not only littermates but Clanmates as well. You are MoonClan cats, and we don't start unnecessary fights."

This involuntarily reminded Larkkit of RoseClan. She was looking forward to getting to know LaurelClan and SnowClan, but she wanted to stay well clear of RoseClan. But we share a border. She breathed out in resignation.

"Have you been paying attention?"

Larkkit flinched. "What is it?" she mewed, confused.

"I asked you what you have against Amberkit," Nightblossom repeated.

Larkkit looked cautiously at Dashkit and Leafkit, but both of them had their mouths shut tightly and made no move to help Larkkit. Well, thank you a lot! "Amberkit is always so anxious," Larkkit explained. "She never wants to do anything with us either. Besides, she thinks that RoseClan would kidnap her." Larkkit ignored the urge to roll her eyes, even though she shuddered again at the thought of such a scene.

"RoseClan? What reason do they have to kidnap you?" Nightblossom twitched her whiskers in amusement. "They're not as dangerous as they used to be. Of course you have to watch out for them, but in the end they're just cats like us."

Larkkit was saddened to realise that she was right. It would be best if she didn't talk to RoseClan cats at all, then there wouldn't be any problems.

"It's better if you put your fear aside. And now go to the nursery and apologise to Amberkit." Nightblossom's tone was stern.

"Alright," Larkkit murmured hastily.

On their way back to the nursery, Larkkit thought of the Night of Honour and Remembrance again, and her fur began to prickle. She wanted to see what it was. It would be impossible for her to wait three moons.

Carefully, Larkkit looked around before she jumped behind a tuft of grass. "Come here!" she hissed softly. "Quick!"

Dashkit and Leafkit crouched down beside her. "What do you want?" Leafkit asked.

Larkkit lowered her voice. "Let's go to the Moonvalley tonight!"

"The moonvalley?" Dashkit repeated sharply.

Quickly, Larkkit moved forwards and pressed her paw against Dashkit's mouth. "Not so loud!" she pleaded. "We mustn't get caught."

To Larkkit's disappointment and frustration, Dashkit shook her head. "No. Nightblossom is already angry with us. Swallowfern probably too if Amberkit has told her everything. I don't want to risk that."

Dashkit's sudden change of behaviour surprised Larkkit. She had never been so obedient before. "We won't get caught if we hide well enough." Testing, she turned her head back and looked at her fur. "I'm mostly black, so it'll be hard to spot me," she meowed proudly.

Dashkit flattened her ears. "Good for you, but my fur is so bright, it glows in the dark," she snapped. "And besides, if they can't see you, they'll smell you. For sure."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." Larkkit was slowly becoming more and more desperate. "But I don't want to go alone either."

She turned round questioningly to Leafkit. Surely he would accompany her. Larkkit looked at him hopefully. Please say yes!

Finally, Leafkit nodded. "Then I'll go with you too."

"Great!" Larkkit couldn't hold back any longer and spun around excitedly. This is going to be the best adventure I've ever had, she thought.

***

The darkness of the tunnel enveloped Larkkit like a thick fog. It ran icy cold down her spine, but at the same moment the thirst for adventure filled her again. I'm leaving the camp, even though I'm not yet an apprentice!

Next to her crept Leafkit, no less expectant than his littermate. His eyes were glowing.

The cats of MoonClan had left a while ago. but Sandblossom, who was supposed to look after the kits, hadn't made it easy for them to sneak away. Finally, in a moment when the she-cat hadn't been paying attention, Larkkit and Leafkit took their chance and raced across the meadow as fast as they had ever done before.

Larkkit opened her mouth to whisper to Leafkit to stay quiet as they stepped out of the tunnel and saw the MoonClan territory for the first time.

It was hard to imagine that this landscape stretching on and on before them was their territory. Countless hills, some so high a cat could almost touch the clouds if it jumped high enough on them, others barely bigger than a full-grown cat. Here and there grew fields of reddish heather and scattered huge gorse bushes.

Larkkit was full of awe. This is my territory! This is where I live, this is where I belong!

On the horizon, the Forest Mountains, home of RoseClan and SnowClan, rose darkly into the star-dappled nightsky with the bright silverpelt across it. Larkkit was filled in awe and fear at the same time as she could hardly take her eyes off the silhouettes of the trees. What must it be like to live there? Do the cats there never see the sky? Is it always dark there?

"Larkkit! Listen to me!" Leafkit stomped towards her, his whiskers twitching disapprovingly. "I've already told you three times that I found their scent."

Still lost in her thoughts, Larkkit looked past Leafkit. "What?"

With frustration, Leafkit hissed and pushed her ahead with his muzzle. "We have a mission," he groaned in annoyance. "So you'd better stay awake! Or do you want to go back to camp and sleep?"

"It's okay, you don't have to hiss at me!" Larkkit flung back at him. She quickened her steps until she was running.

A moment later, she heard Leafkit catching up, but she didn't bother to look around. Serves him right for being ignored.

"Are you offended now?" Leafkit asked. It was impossible to tell if he was actually worried or just wanted to tease Larkkit further.

Larkkit decided not to answer.

They had been walking for quite a while. Gradually, Larkkit's paws began to ache. She had never covered such a long distance before. Where was this Moonvalley?

Finally, after walking through a small field of heather between two elongated hills, the scents of her Clanmates became more intense.

Relieved to have