"Thornpaw! Finchpaw! Thornpaw! Finchpaw!" The Clan encouraged the two newest apprentices. Nettlekit couldn't help but feel jealous, as he had to wait another two moons before he could be apprenticed as well.

At least I won't have to share a den with them for a while, Nettlekit thought. But Thornpaw will be more arrogant than ever.

Speaking of sharing a den, three new kits had just recently been born to Mistdapple and Birchclaw. Their names were Hailkit, Creekkit, and Cloudkit, and they were already loud enough to keep Nettlekit awake at night. Not getting enough sleep had made him grumpier than usual.

As cats stepped forward to congratulate SummerClan's two newest apprentices, Nettlekit saw his father come to greet him.

"Hey, Nettlekit." He purred. Perhaps seeing his forlorn look, Dustcloud continued. "It'll be your turn soon enough."

Nettlekit sighed. "It feels like forever." Dustcloud's gaze turned sympathetic. "Oh, come on. It'll come before you know it." How would you know? Nettlekit thought bitterly. You were never an apprentice.

Dustcloud licked his ear. "Would you like to go out of camp with me for a little trip?" He offered. Nettlekit perked up at the idea. I've never been out of camp before! But that was immediately replaced by frustration again. "Aren't kits not allowed out of camp until they're apprentices?" He asked.

Dustcloud nodded. "But I'll go with you, so you're fine." Nettlekit nodded, gaining excitement again. I guess it'll be a good distraction from Thornpaw and Finchpaw being made apprentices.

As his father led him out of camp, Nettlekit took in the scenery around him. Most likely he wouldn't see it again until he was apprenticed, so he had to remember this.

As they exited the camp, the rocky earth gave way to seemingly endless hilly land, with scraggly trees dotting the horizon. From there, Nettlekit could see farther than he'd ever seen before. The trees grew thicker in one direction, and in the other the land grew flatter, leading to a rushing river. Wind whipped his pelt and stung his eyes, and the whole feel gave Nettlekit a strong urge to run until he reached the horizon. I never thought the world was this huge!

Dustcloud turned to Nettlekit, whiskers twitching in amusement. "You like it?" Nettlekit nodded. "It makes me feel so alive," he breathed.

His father purred. "I've always preferred the trees near AutumnClan's border, but you're a natural SummerClan cat at heart." Dustcloud's eyed sparked with joy. "Want to check out the forest?"

"Sure," Nettlekit agreed reluctantly. He was half-hoping to be able to explore the endless rolling hills and flat land, but clearly his father was more interested in the woodland. I'll have to know both areas to become a warrior anyways, he decided.

He followed his father for a long ways, feeling the sun grow hotter on his fur as it crept closer and closer to sun-high. Soon, the shade of the forest cooled his pelt, but he felt unnaturally covered by the endless leaves and branches overhead. I can't imagine how AutumnClan lives like this all the time! He mused.

Dustcloud, however, seemed at home. His father walked as comfortably among the roots and undergrowth as Nettlekit had out in the open. He's such a great warrior! Maybe being different makes him better. Nettlekit realized.

His father's eyes flashed mischievously. "Come along, I'm going to teach you to do something most SummerClan warriors can't do." Excitement and curiosity made Nettlekit's paws prickle as Dustcloud led him to a tall, thick-trunked tree with many branches reaching to the sky.

"We're going to climb that," Dustcloud mewed as they arrived at the base of the trunk.

"Climb that?" Nettlekit asked, surprised. As far as he knew, most SummerClan warriors didn't like to climb trees, and avoided it. Leave tree-climbing for AutumnClan, Nettlekit remembered a senior warrior saying. I'd rather chase rabbits in the open hillside any day.

But he'd heard his father right. "Yes, climb it!" Dustcloud purred. "Some cat I used to know taught me how. Now I'll pass it on to you." His eyes gleamed with a distant memory.

Nettlekit was still skeptical. "How far up will we go?" Surely a fall from that height could seriously injure a cat.

Dustcloud flicked his tail dismissively. "Not all the way up. Come on, it's easy. I'll show you." Without any further explanation, Dustcloud gripped the base of the trunk, and began to inch his way up. Nettlekit stifled a laugh; he looked like a squirrel.

"I know it looks silly," his father mewed from a ways up the tree. "But it works! Don't forget to use your claws, and always keep at least three paws on the tree. That way you'll be sure not to fall."

Might as well humor him, Nettlekit decided. Approaching the trunk, he stood on his hind legs and used his forepaws to hook into the trunk. Digging into the bark, he lifted his hind legs off the ground and grasped the tree tightly, almost falling down before catching himself.

Above him, Dustcloud purred. "You'll get the hang of it." His father rested on a sturdy branch, tail twitching below him.

Nettlekit found his balance and started creeping up the tree, putting one paw in front of another. He quickly got into a rhythm, and soon arrived at a low branch. Nettlekit heaved himself up onto it, looking up in dismay at his father who was halfway up the tree. Never mind that, he thought, trying to catch his breath. I'll catch up.

"Good, good!" Dustcloud praised him as he began to climb again. "You're doing great for your age. When you're older you'll scamper up trees as easy as a squirrel!" Nettlekit gripped his claws deeper into the bark in frustration. I don't want to be a squirrel. I want to be a warrior!

He saw that Dustcloud was waiting for him in the branch overhead, and he pulled himself up. Nettlekit's claws and limbs ached, and he resisted the urge to look down. He knew that they were over halfway up the tree; any fall now could kill him.

Dustcloud licked Nettlekit's ear reassuringly. "You did great. We won't go any further now, the branches are getting too thin. But look at the view!" Nettlekit dug his claws deeper into the branch, taking a glance out between the leaves. He could see farther than when they had just exited camp, and suddenly he was less bitter at having to climb the tree.

"Dustcloud? Nettlekit? Is that you two up there?" A voice startled him out of his trance. His father's ears perked and he started to climb down the tree in search of the cat who had called to them. Nettlekit half fell, half scrambled down the trunk after Dustcloud.

Oh no... Nettlekit saw the new apprentices standing at the base of the tree, looking up at him. The cat who had called up to him had been Stonesong, Finchpaw's mentor. Beside them, Cloverwing and her apprentice Thornpaw looked up curiously.

Thornpaw sneered. "Look at the kittypet, climbing trees with his father. Where did he learn that, from his soft kittypet friends?"

Cloverwing cuffed him on the ear. "Don't speak to a warrior like that!" She turned to Dustcloud. "I apologize. He'll make a great warrior, if he can only get past his sharp tongue."

Dustcloud dismissed it with a flick of his tail, though Nettlekit's pelt burned with anger and embarrassment. "Actually, I learned it from my own father. Now I'm just passing it on to my son," he said briskly.

Stonesong purred, but his gaze was serious as he looked at Dustcloud. "You know kits usually aren't allowed out of camp, and it's not exactly safe climbing trees. You could have waited until he was an apprentice to take him out."

Dustcloud smiled at Nettlekit. "I know that, but he's safe under my protection." Nettlekit held back a purr. At least some cat cares about me! Stonesong didn't look convinced, but he also didn't argue.

Thornpaw hissed at Nettlekit again. "Just because you think you're so cool climbing your trees, doesn't mean you'll ever be a great warrior like me!" Nettlekit snarled with rage, but this time he interjected before Cloverwing could discipline her apprentice once more.

"You think you can climb it? Go on. If you're such the great warrior you say you are, this should be easy!" He snapped. "Come on!"

Thornpaw growled. "I'm not going to climb a tree to hide like a kittypet."

Nettlekit lashed his tail. "You don't have to hide. Just climb to the first branch." He paused. "Or are you too scared to try?"

He saw Stonesong and Cloverwing exchange a glance, and Dustcloud's gaze made his pelt prickle. He could almost read their minds: well, no cat can get hurt. It'll help solve their dispute. Where's the problem in that?

Thornpaw lashed his tail back and forth, but gave in. "Fine, I'll climb your stupid tree. It'll be easy enough." Nettlekit watched the apprentice strut over to the tree warily, confidence prickling in his pelt. I could barely do it with my father's help. Thornpaw won't get past the first clawhold.

The apprentice sniffed the tree carefully, reaching up with his forepaw to grasp the bark. "This is hare-brained," he muttered.

"If it's that easy, then get on with it." Nettlekit retorted. Thornpaw rolled his eyes. "Fine, I will." But when he placed his other paw on the tree, he didn't sink his claws in deep enough and had to fall back to four paws. Thornpaw grunted and tried again, while Nettlekit's whiskers twitched in pleasure.

The golden tom finally landed four paws on the trunk, but couldn't seem to find his footing. Thornpaw reached up with a paw to try and climb further up, but his hind paw slipped as he did and Thornpaw fell back. Just like Dustcloud taught me! Nettlekit thought, amused. Always keep at least three paws on the tree!

Tail twitching, Thornpaw looked up at Nettlekit. "Give up yet?" Nettlekit asked.

Thornpaw hissed. "Just because you can climb trees doesn't make you a real warrior! I'll always be better than you, kittypet!"

As Nettlekit bristled, Cloverwing stepped in. "We might as well get on with the tour of our territory," she mewed. "We've had enough adventure for one day." As the patrol left, Finchpaw cast Nettlekit an apologetic glance but he ignored it.

I showed him that time, Nettlekit thought, paws tingling with pleasure. Will he ever realize I'll be just as great a warrior as he will, if not better?