---Chapter Two---

Flamekit was racing through the forest, the scent of prey flooding his senses, but he wouldn't dare stop to hunt. He felt as if he was following something, but thinking back he couldn't remember what. The lake seemed to be calling to him, pulling him closer, as if it had something to tell the young ginger kit. As soon as he broke through the trees and the lake was in clear view he came to an abrupt stop, making a cloud of dirt shoot up from his paws as he skidded to a halt. Something wasn't right. The water in the lake was red and chunky. It moved slowly and awkwardly as it lapped at the shore and the stench of death was unbearable. With a gasp of terror Flamekit realized what it was. Blood!

He could hear the cries of terrified cats in the distance, their mews of despair growing louder and louder with every heartbeat. Flamekit felt like turning around and running back to camp, where he could be safe in the company of his clanmates and the familiar canopy above his head, but something forced his paws to stay glued to the ground.

As he struggled to move his paralyzed legs, the lake seemed to be flooding. Flamekit thought he was right next to the trees that made up his forest home, well away from the giant pool of blood, but when he looked up the edge of the lake was right at his paws. Waves of blood surrounded him, just barely touching his belly fur. The thick, sticky liquid began churning threateningly around him. A voice screamed inside of his head, its words almost drowned out by the gushing of the blood that was clinging to the tiny kit's fur: "Danger, danger...beware...danger..."

"Danger?" Flamekit called out to the mysterious voice. "What danger?" He could not tell where the voice was coming from or who it belonged to. It didn't sound like a single cat was speaking the words, but a chorus of cats calling out to him together.

"Beware!" The voice boomed. It seemed to be echoing off of every tree at the edge of the forest. "Danger...Beware of Fire and Tiger...together...Beware." It repeated itself over and over until it finally settled down to a whisper and faded away.

Beware of Fire and Tiger? Flamekit thought to himself, confused. He called out to the voice several times more but there was no answer. Even though what it had said was loud and clear, he had trouble understanding it. The rushing blood and the stench of dying cats overwhelmed him until he felt strangely dizzy. Meanwhile, the scarlet liquid was already climbing up his belly fur and nearly reaching his shoulders. He held his head up high so he could breathe, but the smell of the blood engulfed him, making him feel as if he were already drowning.

The flame-colored kit almost let out a wail of terror, but just then the sticky blood surrounding his paws sank into the ground. The lake returned to its normal size and state: full of calm water that was only turned red by the reflection of the setting sun, and not by the spilt blood of hundreds of cats.

Flamekit let out a sigh of relief and forced himself to relax although his whole body was still shaking. He watched the water for a few more heartbeats as if daring it to turn back into blood, but the lake simply stood still, sitting there as if it was any normal day. Suddenly, a sweet scent tingled his nose and he turned his head to see a beautiful dark tortoiseshell she-cat sitting next to him. She gazed down at him with a kind, gentle look in her eye, although Flamekit was not certain they had met before. Not knowing who the strange she-cat was, he almost felt like telling her to get her tail off of ThunderClan territory, but she interrupted him before he could say anything.

"Hello there, young one." She bowed her head in a polite greeting. Confused, Flamekit returned her greeting with a nod and then continued to look at her suspiciously with his head tilted to one side. "I am so glad to finally meet you," The she-cat continued, "StarClan has a special future for you, Flamekit."

Flamekit was taken aback and he gazed into the stranger's eyes with disbelief. "You talk of StarClan--Who are you and what do you know about them? How do you know my name?" He demanded with an edge to his voice, but the tortoiseshell cat only blinked back at him patiently.

"I am Spottedleaf," She introduced herself, "I walk in your father's dreams and in your sistes' and I'm proud to say I will finally share your dreams as well." She finished, gazing at him intently as if trying to read his expression.

Of course! Flamekit said to himself in astonishment, How could I be so mousebrained? The Dark tortoiseshell she-cat fit the exact description that his clanmates had given him many times before when sharing old stories, including ones about ThunderClan's old forest home. It was obvious to him now that she had to be the former ThunderClan medicine-cat.

"So this is just a dream then?" Flamekit mewed, deeply relieved.

"Yes, it is. But that doesn't mean it's not important." Spottedleaf warned. "Soon you will be made an apprentice and even then you'll still have more to learn. Let StarClan guide you through your dreams, as your father did. With their help, imagine all the great things you can accomplish." The ghostly medicine-cat finished, turning her head away as if she could hear some one calling her that Flamekit could not see. "I have to go now," She mewed at last. "Do not fret, young kit. This is not the last time I will see you."

"Farewell!" Flamekit called out. Too late, Spottedleaf's image had already vanished in the wind but her sweet scent still hung in the air, giving him comfort until he finally gave a great shudder and opened his eyes to find himself lying in the familiar, warm den of the nursery with his two littermates curled up beside him, snoring soundly.