"Wake up, kittypet!"

Thornkit's sneer woke Nettlekit from his dream of chasing a rabbit. He was just about to catch it when his denmate woke him.

"What?" Nettlekit grumbled, rolling over. "I was sleeping!"

Thornkit let out a mrrow of laughter. "It's almost sun-high!"

That caused Nettlekit to wake instantly. "What?" He looked out the nursery, eyes wide. Indeed, the sun was already up and cats were strolling around camp. Thornkit had been exaggerating a bit, but it was later than he normally slept in.

It had been a few moons since Nettlekit had opened his eyes and Thornkit and Finchkit showed him around the camp. Every day, the three had become more rambunctious and closer and closer to being apprentices.

"Well?" Thornkit snapped. "Are you going to come out to camp with us, or what?" Nettlekit nodded, standing up and shaking out his pelt as if to shake off the sleepiness.

Nettlekit followed the two out of the den, squinting in the sudden light. He saw Thornkit and Finchkit ahead of him, and he sprang forward to catch up. It seems every day I get closer and closer to their size! Nettlekit thought triumphantly. I can't wait to be an apprentice.

Lost in thought, Nettlekit found himself in front of a light brown she-cat. He had almost hit her in his rush toward the older kits.

Windpaw hissed at him. "Watch it!" She snapped, putting down the bundle of moss she had been carrying. Her and her brother had just been made apprentices. Windpaw was training as a warrior while her brother Mudpaw had chosen the path of a medicine cat.

"Sorry." He mewed, darting around her more carefully this time. She gave him one more sharp glance before picking her moss up again and heading toward the elder's den.

Nettlekit mumbled another apology and approached the other kits, being much more careful this time. Finchkit was saying something to Thornkit, which made him laugh. Nettlekit couldn't quite hear what Thornkit said next, but he picked up "Maybe kittypets sleep longer!" Nettlekit growled under his breath.

Pretending not to hear, he stopped beside his denmates. "What today? Going to make me walk into the medicine cat den?" He mewed humorously, pushing back his anger.

Finchkit purred. "The elder's den, actually. Brightpetal has the best stories." Nettlekit's mood brightened. Not only did she indeed have great stories, Brightpetal was Sedgefang's mother which made her kin. Nettlekit loved spending time with her.

Thornkit, however, didn't look as pleased. "Elders are grumpy and stinky. I hope I'm never an elder." He puffed out his chest. "I'd rather be a warrior any day."

Finchkit glared at her brother. "Don't be hare-brained. You'd be lucky to be an elder one day, considering how reckless you are." Thornkit shoved her, making her giggle softly.

Nettlekit felt a pang of sadness at this. I've always wished I had littermates, he thought. But I'm almost glad I don't if it would mean having to deal with someone like Thornkit all the time.

Then again, Nettlekit pretty much had to play with Thornkit as much as if he was his own sibling.

Finchkit led the way to the elder's den, tail held high. Thornkit reluctantly followed, and Nettlekit trailed behind him. When they entered the elder's den, Brightpetal was already in a wild story of being chased by a fox. Windpaw, who had just been in there to give the elders new bedding, was now listening intently.

"I ran until I thought I couldn't any longer," Brightpetal was saying. "The fox had chased me all the way to the SpringClan border! Which, as you probably know, is a river. There was no way I could cross it, and I couldn't go onto another Clan's territory!"

"She's making it up as she goes," Wolfpelt mewed, whiskers twitching. "This is going to get wilder and wilder."

Flowerstream, who sat beside him, flicked his muzzle with her tail. "Hush, the story's getting interesting."

Seemingly not hearing them, Brightpetal continued. "I thought, what could I do? I couldn't swim! I was sure I was crow-food when the fox arrived, but then I got an idea. I turned to face the fox, pretending to be giving up. I could see a loose tree root in the bank of the river behind me, and I got an idea. I willed the fox to leap after me, because the plan would only work if it did. Then I leaped off the edge, fox on my tail, but just before I hit the water I grabbed the tree root. The fox wasn't as lucky. We didn't see it in our territory for a long while!" Brightpetal let out a purr of laughter. "Then I used the root to climb to safety."

Wolfpelt sighed. "You did no such thing," Nettlekit heard him mutter. "That day, if I remember right, on a hunting patrol you thought there was a fox behind you when it was only a rabbit. You were scared out of your fur!" He mewed, eyes gleaming.

"I remember that." Flowerstream mewed, purring with laughter. "That was the most eventful patrol we'd had in moons."

Brightpetal lowered her head, embarrassed. "Well, maybe I did get a little scared." She admitted, casting a glance at Nettlekit. "Hello, kits. What brings you here today?"

Finchkit stepped forward. "We wanted to hear a story!" Beside her, Thornkit rolled his eyes but she ignored him.

Windpaw, about to leave the den, gave them a look. "Don't ask for a story if you don't want to be here until sun-high." She purred. "They are great, though. I hope I have that many exciting stories when I'm an elder."

"StarClan willing." Wolfpelt said quietly. Flowerstream nodded as Windpaw exited the den, while Nettlekit felt unsettled by his grim tone.

Brightpetal was twitching her tail thoughtfully. "A story, you say?" She cast them a warm look. "About what? Anything in particular?"

Nettlekit had an idea, but didn't want to share it. Thornkit already looked on edge, and him sharing it might cause him to make fun of Nettlekit. I wonder if Finchkit has any requests, he thought, but the golden she-kit was looking at him.

"Spit it out," Brightpetal said. "Nettlekit, your mother has the same look when she wants to say something but isn't. You can't fool me," she purred.

Nettlekit shifted. He was glad there was another similarity between him and his mother, but was a bit upset that Brightpetal had called him out on it. "Okay..." he began. "I was wondering if you could tell me what caused my father-Dustcloud-to come to SummerClan. Like, how he was at first and..." he trailed off, realizing that he was beginning to ramble. As if they don't already think I'm a ditzy featherbrain!

But Brightpetal was nodding, looking lost in a memory. "I remember the day that Sedgefang brought your father into camp. None of us quite knew what was going on, but we quickly realized. Your parents were head over paws for each other," she mewed, eyes holding a teasing glint.

Nettlekit licked his chest fur, a bit embarrassed at hearing about his parents. He could hear Thornkit scoff, but the tom seemed to be refusing to make eye contact.

"Featherstar was a younger leader then, and she didn't like Dustcloud, who was called Dusty then, being in our camp. Of course, one former kittypet wasn't a threat, but he was making everyone uneasy, and caused a few arguements." Brightpetal continued.

"What did you think of him?" Finchkit asked, eyes stretched wide in interest.

The elder purred. "I didn't know what Sedgefang was thinking, but I didn't mind. He was lightening the mood in camp, and everyone soon began to trust him. He was just that kind of cat."

Nettlekit did love hearing about his father. When he spoke with him, it was hard to imaging the confident, kind, and amazing hunter had once been a kittypet, but it seemed that was all the Clan saw him as, especially back then.

Brightpetal flicked Nettlekit with her tail, causing him to stumble a bit. "Soon, Featherstar became comfortable around him and allowed him to be made a warrior. Sedgefang was so happy for him." Her eyes were distant again. "No cat could doubt that he was a great addition to our Clan."

Finchkit purred. "I guess so." Thornkit still didn't look convinced. "I still think having a kittypet in our Clan is a weakness." He hissed. "And now his tainted blood will flow through the Clan," he finished with a sharp glance at Nettlekit.

Nettlekit glared at his denmate, but the elders didn't seem to have heard his remark. "Now, I need a break. We've had a lot of young cats here today," Brightpetal purred.

"Yes, it's so tiring telling stories all day." Wolfpelt mewed sarcastically. Brightpetal cast him a fake glare.

"I guess we should be going then." Finchkit said sadly. Nettlekit nodded, and Thornkit gave him a triumphant glance. You got away with it this time, but you won't stay mean to me once we're both warriors and I've proven myself!

As the three left the den, Thornkit and Finchkit began to talk in hushed whispers and soft purrs of laughter again, leaving Nettlekit left out once again. With no other option, he returned to the nursery where his mother was having a conversation with Hickoryfall.

"Hello, Nettlekit." She purred. "Where have you been?" He curled up next to her, knowing he was a bit too old for sleeping next to her but not caring at that point. Thornkit and Finchkit aren't around anyway.

"We went to the elder's den." He mewed, his response muffled in Sedgefang's gray-and-white fur.

He could feel her purring. "Did Brightpetal have a story for you?" She asked, fondness for her own mother in her mew.

"Yeah," Nettlekit replied, not wanting to elaborate. He was thankful for his mother being there, and for a moment he could forget his loneliness at having no siblings. I'll still have her, no matter what.

At that thought, he was able to sleep at his mother's side.