Princess dragged her heavy body through the woods. She had been here for nearly a week. A cat used to being pampered couldn't live on seeds and berries alone for much longer. She had come to the tallpines looking for her brother, Firestar, but he had yet to show his face.

At that moment, a white blur came barreling through the trees. It knocked her to the ground, but she was too weak to pull herself up again.

"Who are you?" a rough voice asked. Something prodded her in the side. She looked into the eyes of a male cat, one whom she faintly recognized…but she couldn't place when or where she had ever met him.

"Who are you? A kittypet? A rouge? Answer!" the cat meowed, but his eyes had softened. He knew her, too.

"Kittypet," Princess choked out. "I'm owned by a Twolegs. I live across the road."

"You mean the Thunderpath? However did you get across it?" asked the cat, but at that moment two of his companions burst through the brush.

"What have we here?" spoke the golden brown tabby tom, standing beside the white cat.

"A kittypet, not in very good shape," the cat muttered. "What do you think we should do, Thornclaw?"

Thornclaw pondered this. "I say we bring it to Firestar. He'll know what to do."

Princess shot up, forgetting her injuries. "You know Firestar?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes, he's the leader of our clan, the ThunderClan. I regret bothering him with a nosy kittypet, but what else shall we do?" Thornclaw meowed, turning around. "Cloudtail, Brambleclaw, let's go." The other cats followed behind the white cat, and Princess had no choice but to do the same.

They traipsed back through the underbrush. Twigs, leaves, and bugs got caught in Princess' professionally groomed fur, but she stopped trying to paw them out after a while. Like Thornclaw said, Firestar would know what to do.

They reached a tiny tunnel, so small that Princess was astounded when the three cats slipped through it with ease. "Come on, kittypet!" shouted the dark brown tabby tom, Brambleclaw.

"Yes, we don't have all day," Cloudtail intoned, swiping his tail along the ground so that a dust cloud rose up around the mouth of the tunnel.

Princess swallowed and placed her paws in front of her, inching along through the tunnel. This is a nice way to keep out unwanted visitors, she thought, eyeing the sharp thorns embedded in the walls of the tunnel.

When she had inched herself right in front of Thornclaw and the other cats, they immediately started walking again. She followed quickly, eager not to be left behind.

As they walked, other cats stared. Princess knew she looked terrible, but she wanted to meow, You don't know what I've been through! I'm a kittypet, used to a pampered life, and I've just spent a week in this forest! Don't stare! But of course, she kept her mouth shut.

They reached a large den where several cats were grooming themselves. "Firestar? We must speak with you," Brambleclaw called into the den. Princess' stomach churned.

A ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt emerged, walking slowly. He didn't notice Princess at first, because she was hunched on the ground behind Brambleclaw in defeat.

"What is it?" he meowed.

"We've found a kittypet in the forest, Firestar," Brambleclaw continued. "She is nearly delirious."

"I'm not delirious!" snapped Princess, and that's when Firestar got a good look at her.

"Princess? Is that really you?" The two embraced without hesitation. Thornclaw, Cloudtail, and Brambleclaw stared in shock.

"Yes. After all this time!" Princess mewed. A crowd had gathered now, containing kits, warriors, elders…everyone.

"Meet my sister, Princess," Firestar intoned, gesturing. "And Cloudtail, your mother." Princess now knew where she had seen that white cat before—he was her son, a gift to Firestar, meant to be raised as warrior.

Cloudtail stared at Princess in astonishment. He had known he was kin to Firestar, but he wasn't the offspring of a kittypet. Princess padded over to him and started licking his ear. He let her. It was actually relieving to know you had someone watching out for you.

"I shall stay and become a part of ThunderClan," Princess announced. "And my new name will be Silverpaw."