Eclipse padded up to a hole in the ground and slipped into it. "It's perfectly safe. Trust me."

Autumn leapt in first. The dirt brushed against her fur as she crawled through the tunnel. Her belly fur was soon covered in dirt, but she was too excited to care.

A proper home. A proper family.

She emerged at the bottom of the crack in the land and she gasped in wonder. On the right side of the cliff was a den shaped hole. Autumn spotted a brown tabby tom sleeping in it and a yellow tom resting just outside it. Beside it was another den shaped hole. There was a dusty red she-cat in this one as well as a white she-cat.

On the left side of the cliff there was another den. In this one, there were only two nests. A pale yellow she-cat rested in one of them. On the ground, there was a den built out of leaves, twigs and vines. A light brown she-cat with green eyes stood over a sleek brown kit as he played with some pebbles.

"Wow." Wild Wind breathed, having emerged from the tunnel.

"Eclipse!" A ginger tom bounded over to her, his yellow eyes surveying the kits. "I didn't know you had kits!"

"I-uh," Eclipse stammered. "They're not mine. But I'm adopting them."

"Alright. They will need a test, considering they're not yours." The tom mewed gravely.

"I was aware of that," Eclipse snapped. "Go on, test them!"

Autumn backed away from the ginger tom, worried he'd fight them. He let out a purr.

"Hello, kits. My name is Sun. I'm the leader of the group of cats that live here. You're just going to have to take a test, ok? Then you can join us and have fun before you have to start working." The tom mewed gently.

"Okay. I'll ace anything you throw my way." Emberstorm puffed out his chest.

Wild Wind rolled his eyes before nodding.

Autumn glared at the tom before dipping her head.

"Come with me, kits. We will go to my den." Sun led them to the den with two nests. "This is my den. I share it with my deputy and mate, Sand."

The pale yellow she-cat waved her tail before stepping out of the nest, stretching gracefully. "I'll take care of the Dynasty."

Sand left them alone and Sun stared at the three kits. "Who'd like to go first?"

"I'll go. I'll pass anyway." Emberstorm mewed arrogantly.

"Alright. Now," Sun peered at him. "What's your name?"

"Emberstorm."

"How old are you?"

"Um, I think it was four and a half moons?"

"How would you describe yourself?"

"Arrogant. Charming. Humorous. Brave."

"Are you better suited for fighting or hunting?"

"I dunno. Never done either."

It went on and on until Sun asked the final question. "Okay, Emberstorm. If staying in the Dynasty is dangerous for some reason, do you stay or you leave?"

"Well, it depends if I'm allowed to leave."

"Very well. Fight me." Sun ordered.

"W-What?" Emberstorm stuttered.

"Fight me."

A little hesitantly, he leapt at Sun. The older tom easily dodged. "Okay. Drop into a hunting crouch."

"What's that?"

"Just try."

Emberstorm dropped onto the moss and tried to crouch but fell over.

"Good. Truth! Look down on this cat. Tell me what to do!" Sun yowled to the sky.

Autumn tilted her head, confused. Suddenly, a white light shone onto Emberstorm. Blinded, the ginger tabby tom flinched.

"Emberstorm, you may stay in the Dynasty. You will be a guard. When you are twelve moons of age, you must guard the Dynasty, even with your life. Who's next?" Sun asked casually.

Wild Wind went next, and he too, was granted permission to stay after being asked to fight Sun and talk about the differences in prey.

"Hmm, Wild Wind. You are very clever. You would be wasting on hunting though. You will be a guard. You must help out at the age of twelve moons and I believe you will be very helpful making tactics to fight foxes, badgers, snakes or eagles." Sun mused. "Autumn!"

"I'm ready." Autumn shivered.

"How are you feeling about your mother disappearing?"

"Betrayed. I didn't think that she'd leave us. But she was always acting weirdly, as if something was talking to her."

"Hmm. Do you know anything about Truth?"

"Nothing other than he can make white light."

About five questions later, Sun finished. "Very well. Fight me."

Autumn knew better than to question the old tom. She swiped a claw to his right. He blocked it.

Desperate to prove herself and become a guard like her littermates, Autumn feinted to his left but attacked to the right.

It was clear Sun hadn't been expecting it as her claws hit its mark and swiped his right flank. They left a thin trail of blood and Autumn leapt backwards, shocked. "I'm so sorry!"

Sun lifted himself up. "Hmm. Hunting crouch?"

I need to be a guard, like my brothers. I can't be separate from them.

Autumn tried her best to drop into an abysmal crouch, yet her legs bended perfectly. Stunned, she stood up.

"Truth! Show me the way!"

A white light shone on Autumn, then a black light. Then, a white light. Then, a black light.

The black light stayed.

"Autumn, you will be a hunter. From the age of twelve moons, you must hunt for the Dynasty or leave." Sun purred.

A hunter?

"Autumn, stay in here. Wild Wind and Emberstorm, come with me. I shall take you on a tour." Sun led her brothers out while she sat there in shock.

Eclipse padded in. "Hey!"

"Hi."

"How was the test, Autumn?" Eclipse purred excitedly. "I heard you became a hunter."

"Yeah. Great."

"What's wrong?" Eclipse mewed.

"I want to be with my brothers!" The words burst out of her.

"Hey, shh. You're only a kit. You'll see your brothers all the time! You'll be sleeping together; you'll be likely training together half the time..." Eclipse trailed off. "But at the age of twelve moons, that's when you're not a kit anymore. You become a full-grown cat. Then, you'll sleep in the hunters' den."

"What's that?"

"Hasn't Sun told you anything?" Eclipse hissed. "Fine! I'll show you!"

Autumn followed Eclipse out of Sun's den and into the bright sunlight of the crack in the ground.

"That den is Sun and Sand's den. Its for the deputy and leader, although they're mates." Eclipse flicked her tail at it.

"The only proper den is the nursery. You'll be staying there. It's a place for queens and kits." She explained. "The two dens on the right wall are the hunters and guards' dens."

"Don't forget my den!" a blue-gray tom with a white-tipped tail purred from where he had been sitting.

"Right! That's Storm, our healer. He sleeps in the den next to Sun's. See? It's a bit hidden because it's always in the shadows."

Now that Autumn looked, she could see a hole beside Sun and Sand's den. "Okay. So, how does things work here?"

"Well, we worship Truth. He's a god. He sends us signs and messages." Eclipse began. "If a cat wishes to join, they must take the test. If they fail, they can't stay. Otherwise, they can stay one moon before having to take a test. If you lie here, you are exiled."

"Deputies can oversee tests, although the medicine cat can as well. We take the protection of our kits very seriously. There are always at least two guards guarding the entrance of the nursery. They usually switch the night and day shifts."

"Why two?" Autumn questioned.

"In the Dynasty, we do everything in partners. When hunting, I usually hunt with a partner. And you're not allowed to guard without a partner." She padded back to Sun's den, having finished the tour. "Anything else?"

"No, thanks, Eclipse." Autumn sighed, curling up into a ball.