Hello! Yes, Yes, I know things are not very interesting right now but I have some things that may have you intrigued later on. I hope you will keep reading! It has been nearly a moon and Sparrowpaw is now 7 moons…

Sparrowpaw got out of her nest and yawned. It was nearly sunrise and the milky dawn light filled the apprentices den. She turned to see Heatherpaw just waking up as well. He stretched his forelimbs out and kicked bedding obnoxiously on top of Rileypaw, who was still sleeping.

Rileypaw instantly shot her head up. "Hey!" she hissed at her brother, "What gives?"

Heatherpaw chuckled. "You were sleeping so deeply, I couldn't tell if you were asleep or dead? So I experimented!" Rileypaw hissed again and got up, shaking lose bits from her sandy pelt. "Yeah, well, thanks" she grunted. Heatherpaw only laughed again in reply.

"I don't know about you guys," Sparrowpaw yawned, "But I want to get some mo-"She was cut off by another yawn, "More time to sleep before training."

The other apprentices nodded their heads in agreement. Oceanfall poked her muzzle in the apprentices den. "Get a move on you little 'paws" She mewed teasingly. Sparrowpaw leapt out into the fresh air. She shivered; it was late leaf-fall and was very cold. Pricklestar and Fuzzwhisker turned up. "We all agreed that you three will be cleaning out bedding and checking elders for ticks today," Fuzzwhisker meowed to the apprentices.

"Aww!" Rileypaw and Heatherpaw both stuck their tongues out, "But why?" Pricklestar gave them a sharp glare and they both shut their mouths. "I want you to do it and not to complain," Pricklestar told them, shooting a short glance at Sparrowpaw, "You three need to know the importance of helping your clanmates, as you will be helped in the future by them."

Sparrowpaw didn't like the sound of cleaning bedding and searching for ticks, but it beat the idea of training more with her demanding mentor. "What are you guys waiting for? Let's go!" Sparrowpaw beamed, smiling. Heatherpaw tilted his head, "How come you are so excited over this?" Heatherpaw grunted, "All I see in it is work to do."

"Oh, no reason. I think we should split the jobs, one empty bedding, one get fresh moss, and one pick ticks off the elders." Sparrowpaw suggested.

"Ok well I'll get clean moss" Heatherpaw meowed. Rileypaw opened her mouth to speak, "And I'll clean out the dirty bedding," She told them, "Sparrowpaw, you clean off ticks."

Sparrowpaw flattened her ears. Taking advantage of me, huh. I guess that is what I get for not speaking first, she thought crossly. There was only one elder, Shiverbody. She seemed like she would be easy to pick ticks of, since she was furless, but it would be disgusting.

Sparrowpaw tottered over to the elder's den. Shiverbody was awake in there, a smug smile on her face. "I see you will be helping me with my ticks" She purred, "Make sure every one of them is clean of, or I will tell Pricklestar you did a bad job."

Sparrowpaw flinched. She knew how bad Pricklestar would react if Shiverbody told him that. Looking on Shiverbody's "pelt" , she saw a few ticks, and dropped mouse bile onto her. Sparrowpaw picked off ticks, crunching them in her mouth and spitting them out with disgust. She inevitably took off each tick.

Shiverbody examined herself, and glanced at Sparrowpaw with approval. "Hmm, I'll have to tell Pricklestar how well you did, and without the slightest complaint or ugly face!" She said. Sparrowpaw's eyes filled with pride. Shiverbody never complimented anyone, especially not apprentices! She felt special.

A little while later…

Sparrowpaw sat in the center of camp, sharing tongues with Lilyfeather. "I had to pick ticks off of Shiverbody today," Sparrowpaw pretended to groan unpleasantly. Lilyfeather lapped at her forepaw, "Oh you poor thing," She teased, "And did Shiverbody even thank you?"

Sparrowpaw shook her head, "But she did say I did a good job."

Lilyfeather stretched her eyes, "Wow, she never compliments anyone!"

"I know, and she is going to tell Pricklestar!"

"Wow really? You must be proud."

"I am!"

Their conversation got cut short as Pricklestar trotted up to the pair. "Sparrowpaw," He mewed calmly, "I hear you did a good job with Shiverbody's ticks, and I have to say I am impressed." Sparrowpaw glowed with pride at her mentors compliment. "Th-thank you!" She stammered.

Sparrowpaw felt hot. What is this? She wondered. Pricklestar went on "There is a gathering tonight, you and your littermates are going." Pricklestar told her, then added to Lilyfeather, "So are you and your brothers."

Yaaaaaaaah! A yowl erupted from the nursery. The cats turned, and Mintwillow came rushing out of the medicine den, "Come on Bubblepaw!" Mintwillow meowed urgently, looking preoccupied, "Heatherstone must be having her kits!"

Kits? Oh, I can't wait to see them! Sparrowpaw noticed Twistedear, anxiously pacing around the nursery. He must be the father, she inferred. Mintwillow and Bubblepaw rushed into the nursery. Sparrowpaw couldn't tell what was going on, but she heard gentle voices from inside the den. A yowl came, then another, then there was a heavy panting noise.

Mintwillow looked outside. "You may come in now" She told Twistedear. He thoughtfully bounded inside the den. Sparrowpaw looked inside the den and saw a small sandy colored she-kit and a black and white tom. "They're beautiful," Twistedear murmured, "Just like you."

Heatherstone purred and looked at her kits. "I will name the sandy she-cat Sandkit, because of her pelt." Then she turned and looked at the black and white kit, "And I will name this young warrior Smudgekit"

"I love those names," Twistedear smiled, "I wouldn't argue at all about that."

Sparrowpaw smiled and looked at her paws. This made her want to have kits of her own someday"

Maybe I will…

Hey! I hoped you enjoyed! Sparrowpaw will be going to the gathering in the next chapter. I wonder what will be going on there. Please review on ways to make this better and more enjoyable!
~Melissa