---Chapter Fourteen---

Flamepaw bounded in front of his mentor as he pushed his way through the camp entrance. The cats of ThunderClan who were not aware of the fire on WindClan's territory were carrying about their duties as usual. Flamepaw spotted his father talking with Leafpool and Cloudtail in front of his den. The dark ginger apprentice bounded over with Brambleclaw and the others right on his paws.

They had left Sorreltail, Brackenfur, and Foxpaw behind with WindClan as they went back to camp to make sure Firestar was aware of the moorland fire. Flamepaw pounced playfully on Firestar's tail as he waited for Brambleclaw to catch up.

"There's been a moorland fire." The muscular tabby tom said when he finally stopped in front of the ThunderClan leader. "WindClan got smoked out, but they came to the stream. They're on our territory now, but they all made it, I think."

Firestar's ears pricked up and Leafpool and Cloudtail exchanged half-worried half-curious glances. Flamepaw got up from rolling on the ground like a kit and proudly held his tail up high.

"I saved a WindClan kit, Daddy." He boasted. His older sister, Leafpool, looked at him curiously.

"Was it okay?" She meowed quietly.

"Yeah, I think. It was a dark grey kit, almost black. He seemed alright to me after Barkface took a look at him. But he nearly drowned!" Flamepaw piped up. Leafpool made no movement or sound but nearly stared back at her younger brother in silence.

"Barkface could use some help." Brambleclaw meowed looking up at his leader.

"Right," Firestar spoke up at last, "Windclan can't stay on the edge of our territory where they are open to attack from foxes and badgers. Moonpaw, go back and tell Onestar to brin his cats here. We will allow them to stay at camp until it is safe for them to return."

Flamepaw glanced sideways at the cream-colored apprentice, who bowed his head respectively even though he seemed very reluctant to obey as he slowly made his way back out of camp. Firestar watched his grandson go, before turning to face Leafpool.

"Go tell Cinderpelt so she can get ready if any cats need serious attention. I'll go announce it to the rest of the clan. Brambleclaw, I want you to help. And Flamepaw—" Firestar looked at his son, who pelt was clinging to him, still damp from the swim. "I want you to rest after saving that kit."

"But I don't wanna! I'm not tired!" Flamepaw protested. Hearing the two StarClan warrior's voices, and knowing that they were watching over him, had filled him with new energy. He felt like he could go back to the stream and save a whole clan all over again.

"That's an order." Firestar meowed. "You too, Rollingpaw." Rollingpaw let out a cry of protest but obeyed anyway. The great ThunderClan leader licked both sons over the ear before they pounded over to the apprentice's den. Rollingpaw tripped Flamepaw over with one forepaw, causing him to come crashing to the ground.

"Beat you again!" Rollingpaw meowed as he squeezed through the apprentice's den with his flame-colored brother still lying on the ground. Flamepaw got up and looked behind him. His father was sharing some words with Brambleclaw before both cats leapt up onto the High Ledge and Firestar called all the cats to start gathering beneath him. Flamepaw's clanmates began padding out of their dens and finding places to sit under the High Ledge. Cinderpelt, however, was heading in the opposite direction, on her way out of the camp.

"I'll need more herbs if WindClan is really in trouble." She meowed simply as she brushed passed Flamepaw. "Was there any cats that looked really bad?"

Flamepaw shrugged. "I don't know." He admitted, he had only been focusing on the WindClan queen, Mosspelt, and her four kits at the time. "I don't think any of them were in really bad shape."

The medicine-cat gave a nod of her head before going back to work and padding out of camp. Flamepaw turned back around and was about to follow Rollingpaw through the entrance to the apprentice's den when he suddenly bashed heads with a golden brown tabby tom.

"WATCH IT!" Thistlepaw hissed as he crawled out of the den. "What's wrong with you? Are you half-blind, kittypet?"

"No, and I'm not a kittypet." Flamepaw said, trying not to wince at the pain on the top of his head that was now throbbing.

"Right sorry," Thistlepaw mewed, not sounding sorry at all, "You're only half kittypet."

"You'll have to excuse him, Thistlepaw." Sunpaw's mew came from behind the golden brown apprentice. "He can't help his own stupidity."

The two older apprentice's snickered silently together. Flamepaw didn't understand them. Their parents, Brackenfur and Sorreltail were perfectly well-behaved, so why weren't they? Sunpaw swatted at the dark ginger tom with one forepaw.

"Hey, kitty, you're going the wrong way. The HighLedge is over there." She meowed in a mock voice that made it sound as if she was explaining something obvious to a new-born kit. Flamepaw's nose twitched.

"Why thank you, most intelligent one, but it is my job to serve this clan by taking a nap. Firestar said so." He padded passed the two misbehaved apprentices and kicked up grass and moss at them, like he would if he was burying his own dirt, before rushing through the entrance and into the apprentice's den. He thought he heard Sunpaw complaining about the grass clinging to her pelt but he didn't care. Rollingpaw had made a nest in the moss for himself and was now gibing his fur a good wash before taking a nap.

"Guess what Sorreltail told me today!" He meowed excitedly.

"What?" Flamepaw asked as he kneaded the moss with his paws, trying to make it comfortable enough to lie down on.

"She's having kits! Her and Brackenfur's second litter. She said she wanted to keep it a surprise." He meowed, settling down in his nest of moss at last. "At least there's some good news for us today."

"That's excellent!" Flamepaw purred. "We only have to pray to StarClan that their not as bad as their first litter." He added, thinking about Sunpaw and Thistlepaw. Rollingpaw nodded in agreement and spent the rest of his time bragging to Flamepaw of how one of them was bound to be his apprentice once he was made warrior. Flamepaw rolled his eyes at his brother, knowing it would still be a long time before he ever got his apprentice. He curled up in his own den when he found it was soft enough and in no time found himself lost in his own dreams.

yep, Sorreltail's having kits! This should be the last pregnant queen for a while so don't worry. WOW this is a fricken long chapter. didn't even notice til just now It would've been longer too if I didn't decide to break it up into chapter 15 ..