~*Everyone I apologize for not updating for such a long time, I've had some writers block for this story. But nevertheless I will keep writing until my fingers bleed, and will try to update the others as soon as possible. Please review everyone, may help me update sooner! Oh and I updated "Age of Lost Souls" Which is formally Allegiances of the Clans: Forgotten Memories. Please can you all review that story and tell me who I should do next? My goal is 150 one-shots, and i have 14 done. Thank you!*~

~Leo~

CHAPTER 9

Crags grew into smooth sand, as the high ground sloped to flat plains. A Hot breeze ruffled Burningheart's fur, making him feel like an actual fire was being set on his fur.

"Just kill me now" Sunspirit groaned, dragging herself along next to her brother. "I swear StarClan better be up there, because I'm coming to join them soon."

Burningheart rolled his eyes, "Do you always have to be so dramatic? Imagine how the queens and elders feel, let alone the kits!". His sister really was dramatic, not even Jayfeather was complaining this much!

"At least our pelts are brighter" the golden warrior stated, "Poor Hollyleaf, you know black attracts the heat don't you?".

He turned to look at his black furred sister, who seemed not even phased by the intense heat. In fact most of the clans were trying to look strong against each other, mostly because they didn't want to look weak.

Couldn't they just get over it? After all they were practically one clan by now, there were even rumors that Otterheart of RiverClan was pregnant with Redclaw of ShadowClan's kits. But there was no way to prove who the father of her kits was, only if she told.

The sky was now a clear blue shade as the clans exited the basin. The sands were just as golden as he remembered in the visions, and the rocks were just as sharp. Cats were beginning to stop a few fox-lengths ahead of the bright ginger warrior, causing him to halt on the burning hot sand.

"Drink water you must" Midnight's voice boomed across the clan cats, "None for awhile once entering Sands of Chaos."

Burningheart sighed, that wasn't good at all. He knew the cats could go at least a few days without drinking water, but kits no more than two.

"Drink up" a meow came from Lionstar who was standing next to Burningheart, "I'd like you to take a hunting patrol out to search for any kind of food, choose anyone you want."

The golden leader gave a quick nod to the warrior, before walking passed Icestorm who gave him a dirty look. Burningheart titled his head, he wondered what all that was about?

This was the first patrol he'd be leading since becoming a warrior, who should he choose?

"I'll go" Sunspirit meowed, stretching next to her brother with a smile.

He smirked, "I didn't ask you yet, you cant just say your going" his sister always assumed things before asking. T

he golden she-cat sighed, "Oh mighty warrior, may I please go with you on this quest to find food?" her question was tinged with sarcasm.

Narrowing his eyes, Burningheart just flicked his tail, motioning for her to follow. Okay, he already had one sarcastic sister, but who else would come? Searching through the crowds of cats,

Burningheart figured he should get at least one cat from each clan. ShadowClan were to selfish to share, but to proud to have others hunt for them. Padding forward, the ginger warrior saw Tigerstripe sitting next to Olivenose, sharing tongues.

The two ShadowClan cats had become quite close recently, was it possible the two were mates?

"Ahh look at the lovebirds" Sunspirit meowed with a smile, as she approached the two cats. "When are the kits coming?".

Both ShadowClan warriors gasped, as Olivenose stepped forward.

"How did you know?" she asked quietly, casting a nervous glance at Burningheart.

Sunspirit sighed, "Honestly, you could see it from across the desert! First of all I've noticed how close you two have gotten, and I doubt that belly came from a few to many mice."

The tortoiseshell queen blinked with her dark green eyes, smiling at Tigerstripe, who smiled back. Meanwhile Burningheart stood there, wondering how in the world Sunspirit had the time to notice all of that.

"So is there something you came for?" the dark brown tabby deputy asked to Burningheart.

"Lionstar asked me to put together a hunting patrol to search for prey, I was wondering if either of you wanted to come". Hopefully he could get the ShadowClan deputy to come, Tigerstripe was one of the best hunters in the clans, and it would look good if they came back with a lot of prey.

"Sure" the tabby tom finally meowed, "I'll make sure to catch you something fat" he nuzzled his mate, saying goodbye.

"Good luck!" Olivenose called after the three cats, her dark green eyes shining with joy.

It was good that cats of all clans were expecting kits, hopefully they would be born in their new home.

"Well" Tigerstripe meowed, "Who else should we get?"

Sunspirit had already gathered Harespring and his apprentice Petalpaw, they just needed a cat or two from RiverClan. Looking across the sandy terrain, Burningheart noticed Otterheart kneading the ground impatiently.

He could tell the dark brown RiverClan she-cat was distressed, maybe it had something to do with all the rumors about her and Redclaw. Motioning for the four other cats to stop, Burningheart padded silently over to Otterheart, thinking of what to say.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, trying not to scare her.

As she looked up, Otterheart sighed as she realized who it was. The two had made a kind of friendship after the attack against the Tribe so many moons ago, and she seemed to trust him.

"I'm fine Burningheart" she meowed with batting some sand around, "Just thinking about some things."

He nodded, and sat down next to her. Wind blew both of the young warriors fur, sending hot sand underneath Burningheart's pads.

"I just don't know what to do" Otterheart said suddenly, lowering her head. "All my clan mates are looking at me as if I'm some sort of monster. Not to mention Redclaw won't even look me in the eye anymore."

The RiverClan warrior held her head low, tears began to fill in her bright aqua eyes. Feeling his heat wrenching, Burningheart reached out his paw onto hers.

"It's going to be alright" he meowed while trying to assure her, "No matter what anyone says, they'll be RiverClan kits. If you ask me your doing your clan a favor".

It was known to almost everyone that RiverClan was the smallest, with only one tom in the whole clan, and Beetlepelt was related to pretty much everyone.

"That's what I was trying to do!" Otterheart burst out with tears, "Mistystar was so sad after Rainstorm's death, and with Hailkit dieing. The clan needs more kits, we only have two that are younger than warriors."

Burningheart nodded, "Well If that's the case, then Mistystar will have no other choice but to accept them" what he wasn't telling Otterheart was that the leader was her mother, he still wasn't sure if she knew or not.

The dark brown warrior nodded and forced a smile, and Burningheart flicked him with his tail.

"Come with us on the Hunting Patrol, It'll take your mind off things." Nodding he helped the she-cat up, and joined the rest of his patrol. And without a single look back at the clans, Burningheart walked off into the desert, or more like the unknown.

"Look what I caught!" a loud squeal came from Petalpaw, who was standing on the sand proudly, a beige scaled lizard dangling from her jaws. Burningheart and Harespring looked up, both were pinning down some weird eight legged creature with a sharp tail.

"That's great Petalpaw" her mentor meowed, while trying not to get stung, "Don't mind helping us."

The brown and white she-cat got the hint, and dropped her prey to help. "What is it?" she asked curiously, hitting it with her paw.

"Don't touch it" Burningheart warned, "It might be poisonous." The creature appeared to be some sort of insect with small black eyes. And its tail was the most peculiar thing, it curved upwards and had a pointed barb at the end.

"I want to try it! It smells good" Petalpaw chimed, unsheathing her claws.

"Don't!" Burningheart hissed, but the young apprentice already was cutting her claw through the insect's barbed tail. It fell off to the side, while the creature writhed under his paws, its two pincers trying to snag flesh.

"Now it can't hurt us" Petalpaw smiled, "Let's kill it so I can see what it tastes like!".

"You can't just eat it" Harespring told the young apprentice, "First of all we don't even know what it is, second of all, all the food has to go to the queens and elders. You can do without a day's meal."

And that was the truth, he was surprised they even found any food at all. Petalpaw had got two lizards, while Otterheart brought back an already dead Buzzard. Luckily it hadn't gone bad, and was still somewhat edible.

Tigerstripe and Sunspirit still hadn't returned, hopefully the ShadowClan deputyand his sister had better luck than them. The day had grown much hotter, although it was already past Sun-High, the temperature was still just as high.

Burningheart knew they needed to return soon, in order to rest. It was Midnight's idea for them to travel at night and rest during the day, even thought the Night's were freezing, it was still better to travel by moonlight.

"Here they come" Otterheart mewed, dragging her Buzzard towards the fresh-kill pile.

In the distance, Burningheart could see the faint outlines of Tigerstripe and Sunspirit walking in the heat. The temperature was so intense, that the air looked like rippling water, it almost burnt the warriors eyes.

"They caught some fresh-kill!" Petalpaw cheered, as the dark brown deputy came towards them, carrying two small rodents by the tails. Sunspirit appeared to have caught one of the same creatures he did, along with yet another lizard.

"It looks like we didn't do to bad" Sunspirit meowed as she set the two pieces of food down, "Though that insect gave me quite a fight" she flicked her tail towards a nick in her ear.

"We need to return to camp" Tigerstripe stated without even greeting the rest of the patrol, "The clans are most likely starving, and its not good to be out for this long in this heat."

Burningheart nodded in agreement, "Let's head back".

Turning to leave, Burningheart grabbed the insect in his mouth, Petalpaw had been glad to kill it quite quickly. As they journeyed back to the clans base under a small tree, Burningheart began to notice Otterheart lagging behind.

Well of course she was, she was expecting kits and was dragging a buzzard twice her size.

"Let me get it" he meowed to the dark brown warrior, "You can carry this".

She smiled in grattitude, as Burningheart took over dragging the large dead Buzzard. As they made their way back to the temporary camp, Burningheart perked his ears as yelling could be heard.

Instantly he looked to see if there were any signs of danger, but there wasn't. The only sound was coming from Icestorm who was yowling her head off, her kits weren't coming were they?

But as he padded closer, Burningheart realized Icestorm wasn't in pain, she was scolding her mate Lionstar.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about" the snow-white queen hissed, casting her icy glare at the golden leader.

"Can we please not do this in front of everyone?" he whispered, casting a nervous glance at numerous cats who were watching with interest.

Icestorm narrowed her eyes, "Oh I'm sorry, am I embarrasing you? I guess I'm not as polite and nice as your true love Poppyfrost" she cast her angered glare onto the tortoiseshell warrior who was smiling a few fox-lengths away.

"Something you wanna say skinny twig?" the queen called to Poppyfrost, as Lionstar sighed.

"For the last time I've told you there's nothing going on" he told his mate quietly, "For StarClan's sake your expecting my kits, our kits!".

Burningheart sighed, this was either one of Poppyfrost's plans to break Lionstar and Icestorm up, or another one of Icestorm's mood swings.

"I don't care anymore Lionstar" she hissed staring at him straight in the eye, "If you want to run off with that thing, then go right ahead. I can raise these kits myself". And with that, a very pissed Icestorm padded away, her fur puffed up in anger.

Burningheart sighed, just another day in ThunderClan.