---Chapter Three---

Flamekit felt like he was in a fog all day. He couldn't focus on what he was doing and for the first time he gave up playing with the other kits of the nursery.

"Are you sure?" Foxkit was asking.

"Huh?" Flamekit mumbled, hardly paying attention. His eyes were staring at something far off in the distance. It was as if he was searching for something deep in his thoughts that no one else could see.

"I said are you sure you don't want to play with me, Rollingkit, and Moonkit?" Foxkit repeated, looking worried.

"Oh yes, I'm sure. You go have fun. I'm fine where I am." He nodded, and when his sister continued to look at him with wonder in her eyes he added, "I'm just anxious about our apprentice ceremony that's all." He gave the pale ginger she-cat a quick lick on the ear before padding away.

He was not at all anxious about the ceremony but rather excited. The thing that was disturbing him so much was his dream. Danger! Beware of Fire and Tiger together. ThunderClan had gotten a prophecy before similar to this one. What did it mean this time? And why had Flamekit received it instead of a medicine-cat like Leafpool? He wondered if Leafpool, too, had had the same dream. After all, Spottedleaf had said that she also shared the dreams of both Firestar and Flamekit's sisters as well. Did the Clanleader and medicine-cat know about the prophecy too?

But when Flamekit peered out of the nursery entrance, everything seemed to be normal. The elders were basking in the sun, sharing tongues and telling the apprentices stories as they cleaned their fur of ticks. A little ways away, Cinderpelt was telling something to Squirrelflight as they watched the kits playing and a patrol of warriors was just leaving to check the borders and renew the scent-markers. Firestar sat outside his den, looking calm. Perhaps he didn't get the prophecy after all? Flamekit wondered if he should go over and tell his father about the dream but at last he decided to check with Leafpool instead.

Without waiting to tell Sandstorm where he was going, he scampered off to the medicine-cat's den. Once inside, a large dark cave opened up in front of him. There was a little pool nearby where a sick cat could drink if they needed it. Flamekit crawled further into the den until he found his sister hunched over a tiny sleeping kit. The kit was a little younger than him and curled up in a tight ball in a warm nest made of twigs and brambles. He recognized the light golden bundle of fur as Yellowkit.

Flamekit had hardly seen Yellowkit in the nursery for a while. She was Moonkit's sister and ever since she was born she had been very sickly. She hardly got to go outside and play with the other kits since she spent most of her time sleeping in the medicine-cat's den. Her mother, Squirrelflight, along with Leafpool would often encourage her to eat in order to get stronger but most of the time she was only well enough to swallow a few tiny mouthfuls.

"Good to see you back. I heard you were missing yesterday." Flamekit mewed as he approached them. Leafpool spun around to face him.

"Oh, yes. I was gathering more herbs when I got caught in the storm." She licked one paw feverishly and gave a long sigh. She looked rather exhausted and Flamekit wondered if she had been searching for more herbs for Yellowkit when the storm broke. She must have stayed up all night making sure the tiny, young she-cat was comfortable.

"I just got her to go to sleep," Leafpool said flicking her tail at Yellowkit, "May StarClan let her recover!" Leafpool cried out desperately. She laid her head on her front paws, exhausted. Flamekit looked at her with pity. He wished there was something he could do to make her feel better. But after all, it was the medicine-cat's job to cure, not his.

"So...how are other things?" Flamekit meowed after a long silence, "Have any signs from StarClan lately?" He said, hoping he didn't sound too suspicious.

Leafpool flicked her ears. "No, not lately. Why?" She gazed intently into his deep green eyes. "Have they said anything to you?"

"NO," Flamekit said quickly, "Of course not. I'm just a kit!" He said, trying to convince himself as well as Leafpool, "I was just wondering that's all."

There was a long pause as Leafpool continued to gaze at him for a few more heartbeats before turning back to her patient, who was now mewling awkwardly in her sleep. Flamekit twitched his tail. If Leafpool hadn't received a sign, then Firestar might not have either. Was StarClan relying on him alone to solve the prophecy? Flamekit's mind began to swirl and for a minute he felt like he would be sick. Was there anyone he could go to for help? Spottedleaf told him to listen to his dreams, but how did he know if all that was even real?

A yowl from Firestar woke him from his thoughts. Leafpool heaved herself to her paws. "Come on," She said, "Firestar's calling for a meeting."

The two of them raced happily out of the den and crossed over to where Firestar sat on the HighLedge. Cats were already padding over from their dens and gathering below him. Flamekit recognized Cinderpelt, walking lightly on her bad leg, flank-to-flank with Squirrelflight. They must have been discussing Yellowkit, The ginger tom thought to himself. Pushing his worries about Yellowkit out of his mind, he felt his paws tingle with excitement. He and his siblings were about to be made into apprentices! Flamekit rushed over to where Foxkit and Rollingkit were being licked-clean by their mother. The queen picked up her head as her last son bounded over.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." Sandstorm gave him a few fierce licks as well, making his pelt glossy and handsome for the ceremony.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Firestar began, "I called you all here for a very special reason. Rollingkit, Flamekit, and Foxkit have reached their sixth moon and Sandstorm and I both think they are ready to be apprenticed."

The great Thunderclan leader jumped down from the HighLedge and beckoned the three kits two him. Flamekit could feel the excitement surging through his own littermates. Foxkit's eyes were wide and sparkled like two shining stars, and Rollingkit held his tail straight up in the air, his whole body quivering from nose to tail-tip.

"From this day forward," Firestar meowed, staring down at his oldest son, Rollingkit. "until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Rollingpaw." Flamekit saw his brother's green eyes gleam like the shining of sunlight on the surface of the lake.

"Sorreltail," Firestar addressed the tortoiseshell she-cat. "I believe you are ready for an apprentice," Flamekit spotted the funny, hyper she-cat sitting in the crowd next to Brackenfur, her amber eyes blazing with pride and anticipation. "I trust you to pass on everything you were taught and share with him the skills you learned from your mentor, Sandstorm." Firestar finished.

Sorreltail padded up from her place in the crowd to stand beside Rollingpaw, who looked up at her eagerly. The newly made apprentice lifted his head up and touched noses with the older she-cat before moving off to the side of the clearing.

"This apprentice-" Firestar continued, turning his gaze to Flamekit's ginger-and-white sister, "will be known as Foxpaw." The Clan leader once again beckoned another warrior from the crowd. This time it was Brackenfur himself. "Brackenfur, you will train Foxpaw. Graystripe was you're mentor and I trust that his skill and knowledge will be passed through you to your new apprentice."

Flamekit felt his sister shaking with excitement as she brushed passed him and lifted up her head to touch noses with her mentor, just as Rollingpaw had done. There was a burst of pride in her eyes as she stared up at the golden brown tabby warrior.

"And last but not least," Firestar turned finally to Flamekit, who was waving his tail back and forth. Who will his mentor be? He looked at the group of cats gathered around curiously. There were a bunch of warriors he wouldn't mind having as a mentor and his ears twitched impatiently. Who will he get?

"From this day forward until he has won his warrior name this apprentice will be known as Flamepaw." Firestar's eyes were like two bright green moons, and Flamepaw could tell that he wasn't the only one who was overcome by pride.

"Brambleclaw, you are ready for an apprentice," Firestar held the tabby warrior's gaze as he stepped forward to take his place next to Flamepaw.

Not a bad choice, Flamepaw told himself, he did save me after all.

"Brambleclaw, I am counting on you to share with your new apprentice everything I have taught you." Firestar at last finished the apprentice ceremonies and Flamepaw, out of his eagerness, charged up to Brambleclaw bashed his nose into his. The muscular tabby warrior stepped back and tried not to wince. Off to the side, Flamepaw could see Squirrelflight twitching her whiskers in amusement.

"Careful, young kit. You got to calm down." Brambleclaw meowed, twitching his nose, half from the pain and half from his own amusement.

"I'm not a kit anymore! I'm an apprentice!" Flamepaw reminded him before bounding after his brother and sister, who were surrounded by circles of cats all congratulating them. As his two older sisters, Squirrelflight and Leafpool, came over to praise him, the small flame-colored apprentice felt as if he could just take of and fly away. As the crowd of ThunderClan cats was starting to break up, however, another familiar scent, besides those of his clanmates, flooded over him; the scent of the sweet former medicine-cat, Spottedleaf. Was she watching over him? Flamepaw felt a glow of pride from within him, but when he sniffed again in order to take in the she-cat's wonderful scent, it was replaced by a different smell. The stench of death and blood!