Nettlestar's Atonement {BEING UPDATED}

Chapter Two

"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.