Heavy, dark clouds were hanging in the sky. The smell of rain intensified gradually over time. It had been a while since the cats stepped onto RoseClan land. Back then, the weather was nice and warm. Now, however, it seems like a storm was rising.

Since it was Greenleaf, the forest was lush and green, with various new scents of plants and animals all around. Moss covered tree stumps and roots, all kinds of shrubs grew around the broad trunks, while the trees stretched their spreading leaves high up.

Larkkit wished she could stop every now and then to check out an interesting spot, but the other cats continued their journey without showing any consideration for the young she-kit's curiosity. Here's so much more than in MoonClan territory, she realised. How am I supposed to not get lost every day? Imagining a scenario like this, she purred.

Every now and then, Larkkit looked around for Amberkit. Unlike herself, the golden-red she-kit hadn't made a sound yet, just trotted along with a fixed gaze.

Larkkit jumped next to her. "Is everything alright?" she whispered.

All she got in reply was a prone snort.

"It's hard for me to understand, too," Larkkit continued, hoping to show Amberkit that she wasn't alone. "But we just have to accept that we're not MoonClan cats."

Amberkit stopped abruptly and whirled around. "I don't care if I'm MoonClan or RoseClan, or any other Clan. I just want Swallowfern back," she hissed before running on.

Larkkit had trouble following her. Her littermate moved between the trees much easier than she did. Do I want to go back to Swallowfern? She was surprised at herself when she caught herself thinking this dubious thought. After all, she was lying to us. But then again, she was also nursing us. We would've died without her.

Filled with heavy frustration, Larkkit expelled the air between her teeth. Why did her life have to be so complicated all of a sudden?

Finally, she caught up with Amberkit and the RoseClan cats again. The terrain was getting flatter by now and a loud rushing sound came from the distance.

"Make sure you don't fall back," Gooseleap commented as Larkkit pulled herself up the last slope, panting. This was the longest distance she had ever walked in her short life, and it seemed like it would be even longer, for far and wide she could neither see a camp nor smell its cats.

"It looks like rain," Honeyclaw said, twitching his nose. "We'd best take a short break here to hunt."

Larkkit dropped to the ground. Her legs felt as heavy as stones.

The patrol found shelter next to a fallen tree, new branches sprouting from its bark. While Honeyclaw, Patternleaf and Gooseleap went hunting, Palestar and Heatherwing stayed with Larkkit and Amberkit.

There was an awkward silence for a while. Larkkit wondered if she should say anything or if that would be considered rude. In any case, she didn't want to leave a bad impression.

"You have quite extraordinary eyes," Heatherwing remarked out of nowhere. The dark grey she-cat leaned forward and kept firm eye contact with Larkkit.

The small she-cat's breathing slowed as she tried not to look away in intimidation.

"Really?" Palestar slid to Heatherwing's side. "Do you still remember Nightsun?"

"How could I ever forget her?" Heatherwing replied. There was a slight wistfulness in her voice. "Even if I only knew her for a few moons, she will be in my heart forever."

Confused by the unfamiliar name, Larkkit blurted out, "Who is that?"

Palestar turned her ice-blue gaze on her. Larkkit ducked their heads in fear. Maybe she shouldn't have asked after all. But how was she supposed to know anyway?

"Nightsun was an elder at the time when I was a kit and an apprentice," Palestar explained after all, and Larkkit was glad that she wouldn't get into trouble for a simple question. "She had exactly the same condition as you, Larkkit. She had different coloured eyes, just like you. Her left one was dark blue like the sky just before nightfall and the right one was as golden as the sky at sunrise. That was the most extraordinary thing I've ever seen."

So there has been a cat like me before? A tiny glimmer of hope grew in Larkkit. Nevertheless, there were still some doubts.

"But Swallowfern told us there was no cat before with... with something like that," she interjected.

"Swallowfern wasn't born until after Nightsun died," Palestar explained. "I wonder how she didn't know about her, though. Because Nightsun was a she-cat who was known far beyond the Clan borders, and believe me, that's rare."

A drop splashed on Larkkit's neck and she crawled deeper under the branches. Hopefully the others would come back soon. "What did she do to be so well known?"

"It's going to be a long story," Heatherwing warned sternly. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Larkkit jumped up and bumped her head against the branches. Embarrassed, she sat down again. "Of course I do!" She almost felt a little insulted that Heatherwing didn't think she had the energy to listen to an exciting story.

"Me too," Amberkit spoke up curtly.

You see? Larkkit stuck out her chest. We both want to hear it.

"Very well." Palestar shifted her paws under her body. "Nightsun - she wasn't born with that name. Her first name was Marigoldkit, and she was eager to become a medicine cat."

Disappointment spread through Larkkit. "Just a medicine cat?"

"Only?" Palestar repeated. "Medicine cats can also be important, don't forget that. Besides, you haven't heard the whole story yet. Well, during the last few moons before her appointment as a full medicine cat, Marigoldpaw thought a lot about her name. As you already know, she had different eye colours. At first she hated it and that it brought her a lot of unpleasant attention. But over time, she began to appreciate this unusual feature and accept that it made her special. That's why she made the decision to rename herself, to have a name that could best describe her. You might have guessed it already, but her decision did not go down well with many cats. Her parents in particular were quite upset that Marigoldpaw wanted to change the name they had given her."

If I had kits one day and they weren't happy with their names, would I react the same way? Larkkit began to get lost in her thoughts when it suddenly started to rain. She thought of the RoseClan cats who had gone hunting half an eternity ago and hadn't returned yet. I wonder what's taking them so long.

Just as she was about to tell the older she-cats of her concern, they suddenly appeared as shadowy outlines in the grey, dull surroundings. Larkkit sighed with relief. I thought they would never come back!

Honeyclaw, Patternleaf and Gooseleap had captured two dormice and a squirrel. They dropped it on the driest spot and settled down next to their Clanmates.

"Catching prey in this weather is difficult enough," Honeyclaw meowed. "There's next to nothing out there. We had to go all the way to the caves to find anything at all. Do you think we can make it to camp unharmed in this storm?"

"Let's wait and see," Patternleaf suggested more optimistically. "If we're lucky, it'll be over as quickly as it came."

"Patternleaf is right," Palestar agreed. "It would be better if we hurried, but it's just too dangerous at the moment."

Larkkit scrutinised the squirrel with wide, round eyes. They weren't hunted in MoonClan, but she had heard stories about them. It was almost as big as her, was red and had an unusually bushy tail. Larkkit knew that they were tree prey and were therefore abundant in the forest, so perhaps RoseClan often caught squirrels.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Patternleaf asked. "You've come a long way and it'll be a while before we get to camp."

Larkkit bowed her head. "Yes, of course," she replied hastily. She bent down and pulled one of the two dormice towards her. Turning to Amberkit, she meowed, "Shall we share it?" It wouldn't be enough to satisfy her aching hunger, but at least it would be something, and besides, it wasn't enough prey for such a large patrol. I want to make sure everyone gets some.

She twitched her whiskers in amusement. She was already thinking like a real warrior. I will always make sure that the fresh-kill area is full at all times. This is my duty.

Larkkit took her first bite and chewed mindlessly. "What happened with Nightsun now?"

"Nightsun?" Honeyclaw tilted his head.

"Did you notice Larkkit's eyes?" Heatherwing meowed a little overzealously. She rushed forward and nudged Larkkit so hard with her muzzle that she almost fell onto her side. "That's exactly how it was with Nightsun!"

Larkkit's ears flattened disapprovingly. "Stop staring at me like that!" she demanded angrily. "I don't know why it's like this myself and I'd prefer it if you'd stop pretending it's the most important thing in the world."

It was never a good idea to be so rough with older cats, but Larkkit had just had enough. I hate that I look different! Why can't my eyes just look blue or just green? Larkkit gritted her teeth until it hurt. Everyone only saw her eyes and it would get worse when the colours had finished developing. Then I'll never look at my reflection in the streams, she swore seriously. And I'll make it clear to all cats who dare to say a word about it what I think of it!

Suddenly Larkkit realised that it was uncomfortably quiet. "I'm sorry!" she whispered quickly. "That wasn't right. I..."

"Larkkit." Palestar flicked her tail. "Calm down. We know how difficult this is for you. Excuse our foolish behaviour."

A leader apologising to me? For a heartbeat, Larkkit was too astonished to say something. She had only spent half a day with her RoseClan-mates and already realised the differences between them and MoonClan. Palestar doesn't seem like a leader. She doesn't have the same authority as Hailstar. Even Honeyclaw and the Warriors' Council don't seem like high-ranking cats.

"Well, let us just forget this, alright?" Palestar blinked. "And instead continue the story of Nightsun."

Slowly, Larkkit relaxed again. There was no need to worry - not yet, though. She was young and she was having a hard time. Surely no one would take offence at her feelings.

"So during the ceremony on StarClan's Peninsula, Marigoldpaw received the name Nightsun. As you can expect, no cat was happy with her choice. They ignored her and even refused to let her treat their injuries."

Larkkit dug her claws deep into the soft mud. "But she was the medicine cat!"

"Of course." Palestar nodded. "However, there were some cats that were furious about Nightsun's name change. They developed such a deep, burning hate for her that they planned to... well, kill her."

"Kill her?" Larkkit whispered. Her fur bristled at the thought of it. "Why would they do such a horrible thing? Killing a medicine cat is the worst a cat can do."

She felt Amberkit's soft and warm fur as her sister snuggled up to her. "Did they get punished?" Her voice was high and shaking.

"Hold on," Gooseleap suddenly meowed. "Do you think it's a good idea to tell them that part? They're still kits."

Palestar contemplated for a while, before she shook her head slightly. "No. It's part of the story. It would be an insult to Nightsun if her life isn't remembered correctly," she replied.

"Please continue," Larkkit meowed, although she was scared now. She would have never thought it would have turned out like this.

"One night, those cats followed Nightsun to the River Ravine. You must know, here in the forest a river runs between two high cliffs. It is the path towards the camp, which is why we have to cross it later, but back then was a stormy night. It has always been forbidden to go into the River Ravine during storms, as it is extremely dangerous. It wasn't clear why Nightsun was hanging around there, especially at this time. But her pursuers took advantage of this opportunity. They crept up, ready to push Nightsun down into the ravine. But then-" Palestar paused, "a flash of lightning lit up the sky. Startled by this, Nightsun stepped away from the gorge, causing her to knock the cat behind her aside and send her tumbling down the gorge."

"No!" Larkkit gasped. "Did she die?"

Palestar took her time to answer. "No cat has ever survived a fall into the gorge," she said, "and this was no exception. At first, the cats were shocked and didn't know how to react. But then, when they realised that Nightsun had killed a Clanmate, so to speak, they attacked her and were about to push her into the river too. Of course, Nightsun didn't stand much of a chance against them, not only because she was a medicine cat, but also because she was hopelessly outmatched. She was lucky that some cats had been worried because so many warriors were missing. When it turned out that they had attacked their own medicine cat, everyone demanded that they be punished, some suggestions worse than others."

Larkkit spread her claws so wide that her paws began to ache. "They deserve it," she growled. "If I ever meet a cat who does something so unforgivable-"

"Shh, Larkkit." Amberkit wiped her mouth with her tail.

Still hot with anger, Larkkit surrendered. I'm all on Nightsun's side, she thought. No matter what happened, I will always defend her.

Palestar continued, "However, when the cats told how Nightsun had pushed her Clanmate down into the River Ravine, the others' opinions changed as quickly as the current. In the end, Nightsun's punishment was to live away from RoseClan territory for a moon, and when she returned, her medicine cat title was stripped from her and she had to carry on as a warrior, a life she had normally hated."

It hurt Larkkit's heart that Nightsun had to suffer like that. She would definitely never forgive it if someone took her dreams away from her.

Honeyclaw stood up and poked his head between the branches. "It's hardly raining any more," the golden tom informed the others. "We should be on our way again."

"All right," Palestar mewed. "I'm sure the Clan is already worried." She shook the leaves from her pelt and then stepped out from under the branches first.

Larkkit lifted herself onto her paws with difficulty. She had been lying down for so long that she had become quite stiff. She was pleased at the prospect of being able to walk on now.

Scattered patches of blue sky stood out between the masses of grey clouds. Water dripped down from the leaves of the bushes and trees and the ground was muddy.

The patrol continued on their way at a fast pace. Larkkit kept freezing in disgust because her white paws were brown and foul-smelling from the mud. I hope we pass a stream, she thought with a curled muzzle. And I hope the camp isn't that far away anymore.

"What happened with Nightsun now?" Larkkit pressed to know as soon as she realised that no one had said anything more about it.

Palestar dropped back and trotted beside her, whereupon Larkkit took great care not to trip over a root and embarrass herself in front of her new leader. "Well, as far as I can remember, Nightsun tried to forget everything that had happened. At one point she went so far as to deny that she had ever been a medicine cat."

Larkkit tilted her head in confusion. "That doesn't make sense, I think," she explained. "Every cat knew about it."

"That's true, but for Nightsun, being a medicine cat was associated with so much suffering that she did everything she could to forget it," Palestar replied with a sigh. "I don't think anyone knew how she really felt. No one could ever have comprehended it."

For the first time, Larkkit noticed that she could hear a rushing sound that grew louder with every step. Her heart began to beat hard. Is that the River Ravine?

To distract herself, she meowed, "And then what happened? You said Nightsun was very famous. Why? What did she do?"

Palestar purred briefly. "It's okay, one question is enough." She jumped over a small puddle, whereupon Larkkit stopped abruptly and ran around it. "She has never belonged to any subranks, although at one point she was so talented as a warrior that she was offered it several times, but she always refused. Nightsun was just a modest she-cat. At the same time, she had a great sense of justice. She was the one who convinced our leader at the time, Redstar, to help SnowClan, who had been struck by an unknown disease one moon. It was also during this time that she came up with the idea for a new subrank. Do you know which one that might be?"

It barely took a heartbeat for Larkkit to come up with an answer. "The herb cats?" she suggested somewhat timidly, although she was very sure she was right.

Fortunately, Palestar confirmed her idea with a nod. "Exactly! Nightsun realised that fighting the disease was too hard for the medicine cats at the time, so she came up with the concept of herb cats. That way, more cats can be available to help in times of illness. At the same time, no valuable warriors are lost."

Larkkit body warmed with pride, even though she had never met Nightsun. I wish I could do something special like that one day. Maybe I'll create a new subrank, too.

Then she twitched her ears. That idea was far too mouse-brained. What reason was there for another subrank? Nevertheless, she couldn't let go of the thought.

"You have to know," Palestar meowed just then, "that there haven't been any new subranks since countless leaf-changes, which is why Nightsun's invention was something special. But there's one thing I don't understand. Nightsun hated her life as a medicine cat, but then she was the one with the idea to introduce herb cats."

That was also a mystery to Larkkit, to which she knew no possible answer. But Nightsun's story had touched her deeply, and she vowed to always remember her.