Here's chapter 12. This one will have…stuff that doesn't need to be seen between Fireheart and Cinderpaw, so I've decided to use the POV of Sandkit.
…CHAPTER 12…
"Take that, you ShadowClan cat!" Sandkit squealed as she batted at Fernkit's ear. The speckled gray she-kit reached out a paw and tripped Sandkit stealthily. The light ginger she-kit let out a startled squeak and jumped to her paws again. Dapplekit was beside her sister, lashing her tail and bearing tiny, pointed white teeth.
"Sandkit, Dapplekit," Frostfur called, dropping a mouse in front of their small paws. "You can share this mouse." Her slightly swollen belly kept her from walking too fast, so she turned slowly and padded to the pile again to get something for her.
"How are Bramblekit and Tawnykit?" Dapplekit asked Frostfur. Goldenflower had two very young kits that were about only half a moon old, not old enough to play. Sandkit twitched her ears as she swallowed a bite of the delicious mouse.
"They're well," Frostfur meowed. "Tawnykit is very feisty. She's tried to escape Goldenflower a few times, but one of us always catches her."
Suddenly, Dapplekit jerked her head up. Her green eyes were glowing slightly, and Sandkit knew that meant she was either having a vision, or someone was approaching.
Sandkit watched as the evening patrol returned to camp. Cinderpaw had a vole in her mouth, while Darkstripe and Runningwind both looked furious. The two toms stalked into Bluestar's den, while Cinderpaw dropped her prey on the fresh-kill pile.
Sandkit jumped up and darted over to the gray apprentice excitedly. "Hi, Cinderpaw!" she mewed, bouncing. "How was your patrol?"
Cinderpaw gave the kit a weak smile. "It was fine." She slumped into the apprentices' den.
Dapplekit padded over to her crestfallen sister and gave her a lick on the ear. "She's just tired." Sandkit nodded and turned back to the queens and the kits.
"Being an apprentice must be fun!" Sandkit beamed as she rolled onto her back. The sun warmed her belly, and she squirmed in pleasure. Dapplekit nodded and swiped a licked paw over her ear.
"Hey, Brackenpaw!" she mewed. The golden-brown tabby tom stopped padding out of the apprentices' den in surprise. The tortoiseshell kit had greeted him even before he had taken a pawstep out of the den.
"Hi, Dapplekit and Sandkit," he meowed slowly. Sandkit flipped over on her belly and rose to her paws. "Are you on the dawn patrol?"
Brackenpaw shook his head. "The dawn patrol already left. I'm going training today, though."
"Cool!" Sandkit squealed. "Can we come and watch?" Brackenpaw looked unsure.
"We'd have to ask Bluestar and one of the queens."
"Can you?" Dapplekit asked. Brackenpaw shook his head. "Go ask one of the queens."
Sandkit jumped to her paws and raced into the nursery. She could smell warm milk and hear the tiny mewling of Tawnykit and Bramblekit. She searched around for Brindleface, and saw the tabby she-cat grooming Ashkit gently.
Sandkit jumped over Speckletail, who hissed and tucked her young kit Snowkit closer to her belly.
"Brindleface, can you take us to the training hollow and let us watch Brackenpaw's training session?" she asked once she had reached the queen.
Fernkit and Ashkit pricked their ears. "Can we go too?" Fernkit asked.
Brindleface gave Fernkit a lick between the ears and glanced up at Sandkit. "I can't. Ashkit is a bit feverish now that leaf-fall has begun. I don't want to leave him." Ashkit let out a tiny mew in protest.
Ashkit was fine. He had played with Sandkit and Dapplekit that morning. Sandkit knew Brindleface just didn't want to go. Her tail dropped and she sadly padded out of the nursery.
"Well, what did she say?" Dapplekit asked. "She says Ashkit is sick and she doesn't want to leave him."
Dapplekit closed her eyes and reopened them. They glowed green. "He's not sick. He's healthier than ever." Sandkit nodded. She was aware that her sister could read other cats' feelings.
"She just doesn't want to take us!" Sandkit hissed, and clawed at the ground. She pricked her ears as she saw Fireheart hurrying into the apprentices' den, looking anxious. Before Sandkit could call out to him, he disappeared inside.
"Hm, I wonder what Fireheart wants in the apprentices' den," Sandkit mewed. Dapplekit's eyes glowed again, but she said nothing this time.
Sandkit let out a yowl and bit down hard on the apprentice's ear. He twisted his body around, trying to snap at the kit's tail, but Sandkit was quicker than that. She let go and extended a paw to trip him, like Fernkit had done to her.
"Take that, you ShadowClan cat!" Sandkit yowled, as her signature battle cry.
"Come now, Sandkit and Dapplekit," Frostfur called. "Leave Thornpaw be."
Sandkit let out a sigh and plopped herself into a sitting position. Thornpaw nodded to the kits before padding after Brackenpaw, Graystripe, and Mousefur.
"Where's Cloudpaw?" Sandkit asked Dapplekit. Dapplekit blinked slowly. "He's on a hunting patrol with…with Tigerclaw and…"
The tortoiseshell seemed to be having trouble reading Cloudpaw's feelings. "That's okay," Sandkit assured her sister. "You don't have to know where he is."
Suddenly, Bluestar let out her famous gathering call. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"
Cats poured into the clearing and below the huge rock, waiting for Bluestar to begin.
"We have a Gathering tonight," the blue-gray she-cat announced. "I'm taking Whitestorm, Longtail, Willowpelt, Graystripe, Fireheart, Swiftstep, Dustpelt, Cinderpaw, Brackenpaw, Halftail, Smallear, and Dappletail."
Cinderpaw and Fireheart slowly crept out of the apprentices' den. Cinderpaw looked in pain, but she beamed. Fireheart looked lost in thoughts.
"I wish we could go to the Gathering," Sandkit mewed, turning to Dapplekit. The tortoiseshell nodded, and looked as if she were in pain as well. "Are you okay?" Sandkit demanded.
"I just have a headache…" Dapplekit meowed, gritting her teeth. "You should go see Yellowfang!" Sandkit advised. Dapplekit turned and hobbled to the medicine cat's den.
"What's wrong with Dapplekit?" Brindleface asked, her eyes wide with worry for her adopted kit. Sandkit shrugged. "She says she has a headache. I hope she's okay."
The Queen of Bad Endings strikes again! What's wrong with poor Dapplekit? Yes, she has powers, but not powers like shooting lightning out of her mouth, or having the power to make ice come out of her eyes. It's a power given to her by StarClan, kind of like how Jaypaw is. Dapplekit is really blind, if you didn't know. I actually didn't know either until a few minutes ago when I made it up. D
Dapplekit has the powers to:
a) Sense when someone is approaching the camp
b) Know what a certain cat is doing at that exact moment and how they're feeling
c) Receive visions from StarClan while awake
So…yeah. Sandkit can hear and see, but she also has one power. She can be in the place of another cat. Say Cinderpaw was on a hunting patrol. Sandkit can feel herself running and sinking her teeth into the prey's throat. Understand?
Once again, I'll try to update soon.
xx-Starfall-xx