The day was warm, the sun shown high in the sky with fluffy white clouds speckling over the blue. Nightfall held her kits close, she looked at the entrance of her burrow for intruders, then back at her kits that were mewing from hunger and nuzzling close to her stomach. "Now now little ones. Mommy must go hunt for food so I can give you milk." she said soothingly to the kits. Dapplekit pounced on her brother ShadeKit and he squeaked. "Kits, now be quiet. I have to leave but I will be right back. Don't make a sound and stay here." Nightfall watched her kits play quietly, they understood and Nightfall got up from laying down in her nest. She poked her head out of the entrance to look around, then head out into the forest to hunt for prey. She had to be careful of predators and other cats. She was a rouge anyway, no clan wants a rouge in their territory, but she had to protect her kits and clan territory is safe because the cats protect it. The tall oak trees swayed gently in the breeze and bushes rustled full of prey. It didn't take long for Nightfall to scent mouse, and a big one, she set of following the scent trail until she spotted it a few tail lengths away nibbling on something it found. She crouched, crept forward and watched. The breeze blew towards her, so the mouse couldn't smell her, and she stayed quiet so the mouse didn't hear her. Then adjusting herself she leaped, right onto the mouse. She killed it quickly by breaking it's neck, she didn't want to leave any blood for cats or predators to follow her to her kits. Nightfall picked up the mouse and carried it back to her burrow, when she went in it was empty. She dropped the mouse and started searching the burrow frantically, "Kits?!" she said panicked before she picked up a scent. She followed it to the entrance, her kits had left, it was their scent. Nightfall raced through the trees and bushes and weeds until the scent stopped at a bush. She crept under the bush and found her kits huddled together, "Dapplekit! Shadekit!" she whisper yelled. "Mommy!" they squeaked in unison. "Shhh!" She quickly shushed her kits because she heard something. "I could have sworn I heard a kit. What do you think Snowwing?" A deep voice meowed. Just a second later someone stuck their muzzle in the bush and pulled out Nightfall's tom kit. She hissed and Dapplekit raced out of the bush to protect her brother while Nightfall watched paralyzed with fear. "You give me back my br....." Dapplekit's demanding new was cut of with a thud, Nightfall got herself together and jumped out of the bush to confront the enemies. She saw Dapplekit pinned to the ground by a big tom, he was a brown tabby with yellow eyes,white specks, his left ear was white and he had a very light pink nose. He was pinning her kit to the ground with one paw, while another who was solid dark gray and had bright green eyes was holding Shadekit by the scruff. Nightfall hissed and looked at her kits giving the message to the unknown cats that they were her's. There were three unknown cats altogether and Nightfall was out numbered greatly. A pure white she-cat stepped forward and faced Nightfall who was now crouching down ready to spring at the other cats. The white she-cat had icy blue eyes, she looked down at Nightfall with a calm look. "Are these your kits?" She asked, Nightfall nodded a hissed again, the white cat looked at the other two and nodded towards Nightfall. The one pinning Dapplekit lifted it's paw and the one holding Shadekit set him down gently, they both scampered over to their mother and muzzled each other. Nightfall rubbed against her kits, "Who are you? And why are you here?" The white she-cat stated. "I am Nightfall. These are my kits Dapplekit and Shadekit. We live around here. Now who are you?!" Nightfall added the last part in with a growl, "I am Snowwing. This is Palenose and Hawkwing. We apologize for hurting your kits if we did. But you can't live around here, you aren't a clan cat." Snowwing pointed her tail to the pink nose cat and the dark gray tom when introducing them. "But there is no safer place to live! We mean you no harm, we just need protection!" Nightfall protested, Snowwing was not please but not angry. She kept a calm look, "Are you a clan cat?" she simply asked Nightfall, "I was." she replied to Snowwing's question. "Why aren't you anymore?" the white cat asked another question, "I left because it wasn't a good clan to raise my kits in." Nightfall didn't like this cat asking so many questions. "You will leave our territory now. Or come join the clan." Is all the white cat said before turning around and walking away with the others following. Nightwing had no choice, so she grabbed Dapplekit by her scruff and led Shadekit as they followed the clan cats to what she assumed to be their camp. A big wall of brambles circled the camp, but a small entrance was big enough for cats to enter through. They walked into the camp and Snowwing led them to a small den entrance draped with lichen. "Copperstar?  I have some things to report." Snowwing called into the den, "Come in." called a voice from inside. Hawkwing and Palenose stood guard at the entrance while Snowwing, Nightfall and the kits went inside. "Who are these cats Snowwing? Why are they here?" a muscular orange tabby tom with blue eyes asked Snowwing. Snowwing dipped her head, it must be their leader, "Copperstar. This is Nightfall, Dapplekit, and Shadekit. We found them hiding in a bush in our territory. They lived in a clan once but left because it wasn't safe. I hoped they could join our clan. Nothing else to report." Snowwing finished and Copperstar looked thoughtful before he looked at the cats again. "You may join my clan. How old are your kits?" Copperstar asked Nightfall the last part, "Five moons. And thank you." Nightfall meowed to the big tom. "I must announce your arrival to the clan before you can head to the nursery." Copperstar sat up and started to groom his ruffled fur.