Nettlestar's Atonement {BEING UPDATED}

Chapter Three

"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.