Nettlekit nestled into his mother's warmth, eyes shut tightly. He was supposed to have opened them already, but he wasn't ready. What if it hurts? What if I don't like what everything looks like? He worried.

"What if he never opens his eyes?" The gentle voice that he'd learned was his mother's spoke. This time, she wasn't speaking to him. She was talking to another queen, worry in her tone.

"Don't fret about it." The she-cat said. "Finchkit took longer than Thornkit. He's just taking his time."

That's Hickoryfall, Nettlekit remembered. She was Thornkit and Finchkit's mother. Sometimes Nettlekit wondered what they looked like, but he was too nervous to open his eyes and check.

"Maybe he'll never open his eyes." He heard Thornkit remark. "Or maybe kittypets just take longer." He felt his mother bristle beside him, but it was Hickoryfall who spoke first.

She hissed. "No kit of mine is that rude! Dustcloud is as much a part of this Clan as you and I, and so is Nettlekit! Having kittypet blood won't change that." Nettlekit let out a tiny sigh. Dustcloud, his father, was once a kittypet called Dusty. He had joined SummerClan a few moons before he was born, and only now was he beginning to be accepted.
Still, Thornkit didn't think of Nettlekit as part of the Clan, clearly.

I'll show him! Nettlekit thought defiantly. I'll open my eyes now! He pushed back his doubts and slowly opened his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by the hugeness of everything. Light made him squint, but he could still see the cats around him.

Woah... Thornkit and Finchkit were huge, at least compared to himself. Their golden-brown pelts shone in the sun.

"Look, he's opened his eyes!" Nettlekit looked up at Hickoryfall. If he thought Thornkit was big, then she was a giant. Of course, all full-grown cats probably were. She was the same shade of brown as her kits, who were sitting beside her in her nest.

"Really?" His mother asked excitedly. As he looked up at her, he saw that her eyes were blue and her pelt was a mix of gray and white. "Oh, they're exactly like his father's." She murmured, gaze warm.

"They're beautiful, Sedgefang." Hickoryfall assured Nettlekit's mother. Nettlekit looked down at his paws, which looked similar to hers. The gray was a bit darker, and he had more of it than white on his pelt, but other than that he was pleased by how much they looked alike.

Hickoryfall turned to her kits. "Why don't you two take Nettlekit out of the den? Now that he's opened his eyes he can explore." Nettlekit tried not to let his tail droop. He was excited to go out of the den, but no doubt Thornkit would be an annoying furball. He thinks he's better than me! I'll show him.

"Okay." Thornkit mewed, turning briefly to Nettlekit, gaze undreadable. "Come on." They turned around to pad out of the den, and Nettlekit was about to follow but he turned back to Sedgefang first.

"Go ahead." His mother assured. "Just be nice." Nettlekit bounded forward to catch up with them, pelt prickling with irritation. She should be telling that to Thornkit!

"Don't wake Brambleflower!" Hickoryfall called from the den. Nettlekit avoided the sleeping queen and exited the den, stepping into camp for the first time. He was in awe at the sheer size of the camp, and how many warriors were strolling around. It must be great to be a full warrior! He thought gleefully. I can't wait until I get my name.

Thornkit turned to Nettlekit, amusement sparking in his yellow depths. "Amazed at what being a Clan cat is like?" Nettlekit nodded. Thornkit snorted. "Don't get used to it. A kittypet can never be a warrior anyways."

Nettlekit bristled. "I'm no kittypet!" He protested. "I was Clanborn, just like you." Thornkit let out an amused mrrow. "So what? You're part kittypet. You'll never be half the warrior I am. My father is deputy!"

Finchkit padded up beside her brother. "Don't be mean." She hissed. "Nettlekit can't help his parentage." But she still looked down at him, seemingly still judging him. Nettlekit couldn't tell if she felt sorry for him, or was thinking about his father. If only I had a warrior for a father like every other cat!

Nettlekit felt guilt wash over his pelt. My father is a warrior. I shouldn't be ashamed of him.

Thornkit rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's show the kit around camp, shall we?" Nettlekit lashed his tail. "I have a name, you know."

"Whatever." The older kit muttered. Finchkit cast one last apologetic glance at Nettlekit, then turned to follow her brother.

I'll show them! Nettlekit thought angrily. I'll show them all! My father is the best warrior in SummerClan, and I will be too one day! He cast a glance at Thornkit. Better than him.

Nettlekit stifled a purr of amusement and followed after the older kits, tail held high. He was meeting his Clan for the first time, so he had to make a good impression! They have probably already judged me anyway because of Dustcloud. He thought with a sigh.

Thornkit led him to a dead tree with a hollowed-out inside. It was filled with faint cat-scent, but lichens and plants covered the entrance so he couldn't see in.

Nettlekit turned to Thornkit. "What's that?" He inquired, taking another glance at the tree-den.

"You'll have to go in to find out." Thornkit said with a sneer. Finchkit flicked him with her tail. "Thornkit!" She mewed sharply, but she too was holding back laughter. Why are they laughing? Nettlekit wondered, unsheathing his claws and sheathing them again. Is it because they think I can't do it?

When Nettlekit didn't respond, Thornkit took a step forward. "Well, are you going to? Or are you too scared?" He hissed.

Nettlekit wasn't going to let that slide. "Of course not!" He turned back toward the den. It's just a den, and an empty one at that. What could go wrong? "I'll go in now!"

He walked into the den without a second thought, pushing aside the plants as he went. There was nothing special about it, just a single moss nest and some scattered prey bones. It looked like a cat had slept there recently, but whoever it was wasn't there then.

"There's no-" he began, turning back toward the kits, but found himself nose to nose with a long-furred and rather intimidating she-cat. A pale ginger tom stood behind her, his gaze seeming to pierce Nettlekit's pelt.

"Nettlekit." The silver she-cat spoke, her stern gaze bearing down on him. "What are you doing in my den?"

It made sense now. The actual den wasn't the thing Nettlekit should have been afraid to enter-it was the cat who lived in it. And the fact that there was only one nest in there, which meant the cat who slept there was important enough to have a den all to herself.

"Featherstar." Nettlekit greeted the leader, his voice shaking. "I..." he trailed off, panicking. That's why Thornkit and Finchkit were laughing! It wasn't because they didn't think I could do it, it was because they knew I would!

"It's alright," the leader purred, surprising Nettlekit. "All kits want to explore, and most kits find their way in here at some point or another. I just want to know what you were doing." Her gaze flashed with amusement. "Snooping around?"

Nettlekit stood a bit taller, finding his voice. "I, uh, was exploring and Thornkit told me to go in here..." he trailed off as Liontooth gave him a cold glare.

"My son would never lead you to somewhere you shouldn't be, surely?" Liontooth challenged. Nettlekit flattened his ears to his head.

Featherstar silenced him with a look. "Liontooth, he's just a kit. Kits do hare-brained things all the time, your son included." Turning back to the three kits, she continued. "Now if you'll excuse us we were going to talk in my den."

Finchkit perked up. "Talk about what?"

Liontooth flicked her ear with his tail. "First of all, none of your business." He purred, his mew warm to his daughter but his eyes cold as he glared at Featherstar. "Second of all, it's only boring Clan things you wouldn't be interested in." Then he turned and followed Featherstar into her den.

Thornkit turned to Nettlekit. "Stupid furball!" He snapped, eyes gleaming. "It was just a joke. You didn't have to rat me out to the leader!"

Nettlekit bristled. "You didn't have to make me walk into the leader's own den!" He lashed his tail. "I'm lucky your father didn't claw my ears off."

Finchkit stepped in. "Neither of you had to be annoying furballs to each other. Let's just go back to the nursery and play like normal kits." She turned to Nettlekit. "Come on, we can team up against Thornkit in moss-ball."

Nettlekit paused. That sounded like fun, but part of him couldn't help but remember how she didn't stop him from going right into the leader's den. But the offer was too good to resist. "Okay," he said with a grin. "Prepare to get beaten, Thornkit."

Thornkit purred with laughter. "I can beat you two any day!" As the three kits bounded off, Nettlekit had to hold back a grin. One day, Thornkit. One day I'll prove myself to you, and you'll never look down on me again!