SHORTY-NESS SHORTY-NESS SHORTY-NESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :( Oh, well, I guess you'll just have to deal with it! You ARE my loyal readers, aren't you?! :) *snickers* In this chapter, Sandkit gets in OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBBBBLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :D Enjoy this chapter and the next one, too, since Chapter 8 won't be posted up for a WHILE! :)

Chapter 6

Sandkit

Sandkit watched Palekit and Foxkit out in the camp, eating freshkill. She was waiting for Swallowkit to wake up and come into the camp to play in their fort above the apprentices' den. Hedgekit and Snowkit might come also, and Bluekit was listening to a story in the elders' den.

Sandkit sighed. How long can those kits take? she thought despairingly.

Just then, Amberleaf was rushing to the nursery, with Windtail following on her heels, a wad of herbs in her jaws.

"Leopardspots is having her kits!" Flamepool screeched, and Sandkit moved to her nest, far enough away to not disturb them but close enough to have a good view.

"Yes.... that's right, Leopardspots, you're doing fine." Amberleaf helped Windtail set out the herbs they might need.

"Here, Leopardspots. Eat this borage. When your kits come, it will help." Windtail gave the kitting queen some leaves, and she swallowed them.

"Bleh! I never want to eat anything like that again. Leaves are horrible!" Leopardspots spat.

"Shh! Be quiet! Your first kit is coming." An all-black tom-kit came sliding out, and Amberleaf pushed the kit to the queen, where it latched on and began to suckle.

"Blackkit," whispered Leopardspots. The next one, a she-kit, a copy of her father except for brown tabby stripes, came and Leopardspots said, "Tigerkit."

Another she-kit, a copy of her mother, slid out and Leopardspots named her Spottedkit. The last kit was a bright ginger tom with a reddish tail, and he was named Firekit.

Flamepool came rushing in. "What are their names?"

"Blackkit, Tigerkit, Spottedkit and Firekit," Leopardspots murmured, tapping each kit lightly with her tail in turn.

Sandkit was fascinated. Doing medicine cat chores like this sounded fun! Maybe she should become a medicine cat.

Leopardspots had to swallow more icky leaves, then the medicine cats left and she got to sleep. Sandkit looked around for her friends, and there they were. Awake and staring at her.

"Hey, guys. Wanna go out and play?" she wondered aloud.

"You bet! Come on, Snowkit, let's go!" Swallowkit exclaimed.

Sandkit raced off to the apprentices' den and Snowkit and Swallowkit raced after her.

When they got to the apprentices' den, Rosepaw was sleeping inside!

"Huh? Whuzzat? Who's there?" she meowed, a muffled sound because she was actually half-asleep.

"Just us!" Sandkit answered cheerfully. "We're playing in the space above the apprentice den!"

"Oh.... yeah, okay," Rosepaw answered sleepily, and soon began snoring softly again.

"She's no fun," Snowkit volunteered.

"All she wants to do is sleep all day!" Swallowkit agreed. "She snores a lot," the other kit added.

"I know," Sandkit mewed, scrunching up her face and mimicking Rosepaw: "I want to sleep! Snore-snore-snore! Waaah I'm tired Mommy! I'm really tired! Oh, Whitewind, can I practice napping? Snore-"

"That's enough, Sandkit." Sandkit's head snapped up. Oops…. Sedgewood was walking by! He continued by saying, "You really shouldn't tease older cats like that."

Redstar walked up behind Sedgewood. "I agree," he rumbled. "Sandkit, you can do some real work for a change…."

Sandkit stared at him in confusion.

"You can care for the elders. You can see to their needs, bring them fresh-kill, and check their pelts for ticks."