Marrowfrost is back! Well...Marrowfrost won't be updating as fast because she starts school tomorrow. But she's try to update as soon as she can, don't worry! There will just be a longer delay for chapters. Marrowfrost finally got to write in Firegaze's PoV again, but before we begin chapter 17...

Reviews:

Whitespirit - 1) Wasppaw is very popular! Yes, she is really sweet and can be feisty when she feels like it! 2) Yeah, I like Beewhisker's description and name too. She'll eventually be apprenticed to Wasppaw, so...that's ironic. I'll have Beewhisker in the allegiances for the next book in the Flames of Fury series. (I updated the allegiances for this story today)

Firegaze padded over to Twyla, who was laying down in her nest. It's so hard to see her this upset… Forestkit and Funnelkit were over by their mother, trying to comfort her. But Twyla seemed to brush off any comfort they were giving. Poor Twyla… I've never seen her so sad…

"Twyla?" Firegaze whispered. "Are you alright?"

"No!" Twyla hissed at her apprentice. Firegaze jumped back a little. "S-Sorry…it's because of Quickkit…" The queen forced her fur to flatten. "Could you check on him for me? Holly banned me from the medicine den because I was being a 'distraction'."

"Well, I can do that before I go hunt with Dylan." Firegaze nodded briskly. She quickly turned to the nursery exit.

"You and Dylan have gotten very close these past few months…" Twyla suspiciously meowed. "Makes me wonder when I'll be the one bringing fresh-kill to you." Firegaze felt her pelt grow hot. I would never have kits with Dylan! We're just friends!

"M-Me and Dylan are just friends." Firegaze muttered underneath her breath. Twyla rolled her light green eyes. "S-Stop!" Firegaze walked out of the nursery with her fur still bristling. How could anyone think that? She noticed Dylan eating on a squirrel along with Silverfire. Firegaze sat down next to them.

"What's up, Firegaze?" Dylan asked, his voice bubbling with concern. "Was Twyla being a right ol' badger?"

Silverfire noticed Dylan's commentary. "You should not speak about your Clanmate like that!" Dylan rolled his eyes and looked back at Firegaze.

Dylan smiled at her. "So, we're still going hunting together, right?" Firegaze nodded.

"Hey, um…are you still eating on that squirrel?" Silverfire asked. "Because I want to have a snack while it's my turn to stand guard."

"That's…not exactly the best idea, Dad…" Firegaze murmured. Dylan gave him a tiny nod.

Silverfire shrugged his shoulders. "It'll keep me from falling asleep." Dylan just sighed and pushed the squirrel over to Silverfire. "Yay! Thank you!" Silverfire grabbed the squirrel and bounded over to the camp entrance.

"Firegaze, no offence, but your father is really…" Dylan cautiously whispered.

"Airheaded? Naive? Foolish?" Firegaze interrupted him. He nodded. "Yeah, don't sweat it. I've heard it all by now." She got up and stretched her muscles, and turned to the medicine den. "Wait just a second. I promised Twyla I'd check on Quickkit before we go."

Dylan walked over by her side. "Well in that case, I'll go with you too." Firegaze bit back a retort and just let the white tabby tom follow her. Soon the two apprentices were in the medicine den, where the smell of herbs got even stronger. Yuck! I hate that smell! Dylan didn't seem to mind the smell of it, though. How can he stand this stench? It's disgusting!

"Great, more visitors." An annoyed voice grumbled. Oh. that's Holly. "What do you want?"

"Mom, we just came to check on Quickkit." Dylan explained. And how is he able to stand up to Holly like that? That's incredible! Firegaze shook the thought out of her head. No, I can't think like that.

Holly muttered something else under her breath. "I bet Twyla put you up to this." She sighed. "Look, Quickkit is asleep and I don't want to hear him complaining even more. Now shoo, because Violet will be here soon."

"Erm…you mean Violetstar." Firegaze corrected her.

"No, I mean Violet. StarClan doesn't punish cats for not calling their leader by their whole name, do they? Nope. So technically, I can call her whatever I like." Holly hissed. "Now get out of here unless you're bleeding to death or have green-cough."

Firegaze felt her shoulder fur bristling wildly, but Dylan placed his tail on Firegaze's shoulder. Clearly that was a warning not to say anymore. They both walked out of the medicine den, Firegaze still being annoyed.

"Your mother is a piece of work! How do you put up with her?" Firegaze asked Dylan.

Dylan shrugged his shoulders. "She kitted me. That's reason enough." That's not exactly "reason enough". "Come on, let's go out then." Dylan then walked over to the camp exit.

Firegaze just sighed and followed him out of camp. Why does he have to be so vague like that? It gets on my nerves. She shrugged off the irritation pricking at her head and sat beside Dylan, who was waiting for her underneath a tree not so far from the river.

"Okay, let's try hunting over here for forest prey." Dylan suggested. "You try that way, and I'll go this way."

"You're sure it's a good idea to leave a younger apprentice all on her own?" Firegaze asked, with a teasing note in her voice.

Dylan rolled his eyes. "You're one of the best hunters I know!" He playfully cuffed her ear. "I'm sure you'll be fine!"

Firegaze then pretended to look upset, making the illusion that she was about to cry. Dylan almost burst out in laughter.

"Okay, okay! I'll come with you." Dylan smiled. Firegaze padded alongside Dylan, her fur brushing up against his. "Um…I don't think we need to be this close to hunt."

"Oops! S-Sorry." Firegaze broke away from him, her pelt feeling hot. Is this what Twyla meant when she said that me and Dylan got really close? The two apprentices continued through the forest part of SkyClan's territory.

"It's okay." Dylan assured her. He checked for any scents of prey. "I think I smell some mouse. I'll be right over there if you need me."

Firegaze nodded and bounded for where she had smelled some vole. I might be able to catch this! She ran towards the scent, only to run into something really hard. OW! I think I ran into a tree! Firegaze heard a buzzing sound coming from above her. Please don't tell me that's what I think it is. The buzzing got closer and closer, and soon it felt as if the buzzing was ringing in her ears. With a pang of horror, she realized a beehive had fallen on her.

"AAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEE! DYLAN!" Firegaze screeched. "HELP ME!" Firegaze soon heard quick pawsteps rushing over to her.

"Firegaze, I'll get the beehive off of you!" Dylan yowled. Firegaze twisted wildly, trying to shake it off of her head. The bees kept stinging her, making her flail even more. "Firegaze stop panicking! It's not going to help either of us if you keep moving like that!"

Firegaze tried to stay still but it hurt. I'm sorry Dylan, but it's too hard! She ran back into the tree, breaking the hive. Firegaze then realized that the bees were even more angry.

"Okay, now is a good time to scram!" Dylan yelped. They ran towards camp as fast as they could. Firegaze then realized that Dylan had gotten stung, too. Why am I such a clumsy idiot?

Soon they were back in camp hiding in the apprentice's den. Firegaze was lying beside Dylan, and he had his tail protectively wrapped around Firegaze.

"Okay you two troublemakers, get out here." Firegaze realized that it was Violetstar. Dylan and Firegaze padded awkwardly out of the den. Violetstar sighed. "Want to tell me why I saw a broken beehive on the way back from the Gathering?" No.

"I- I ran into a tree while I was out hunting with Dylan. Then a beehive fell down on my head, and Dylan tried to get it off…" Firegaze murmured while looking down at her paws.

Firegaze felt Dylan's tail touch her shoulder tip. "It's true. She ran into the tree again to get it off, and then it broke. We ran back to camp after that." Thank you for taking over that.

"Well, now we need to find a new way to collect honey." Violetstar grunted. Is she mad? "Why don't you both just head to the medicine den? I need to check on Twyla."

Violetstar walked over to the nursery, leaving Firegaze and Dylan behind. This is an experience that I do not need to repeat.

"Come on, let's go." Dylan sighed. "Hopefully your brother doesn't see us."

"I have never agreed with you more than ever." Firegaze nodded in agreement.

QotD: What is your favorite ship in this series so far, and why?

Marrowfrost's favorite so far would be Firegaze and Dylan! Or perhaps Violetstar and Silverfire. It's hard to decide, I love all my OC pairings too much.