Chapter Two

How To Save a Life

Step. Breathe. Crouch. Step. Breathe. Step. Breathe. Step. Breathe. Pounce!

Claws dug into the plump squirrel as a plume of snow exploded in the forest. "Gotcha!" The tawny warrior exclaimed.

"Thought you'd get away from me, eh?" Lionblaze mewed through a muffled meow. Scents of the squirrel flooded into his nose, begging him to crunch down on the fresh-kill, but the queens and kits needed it more. He could feel the tiny pulse slowly slipping away in his powerful jaws.

That will add to my two mice today, he thought pleasantly.

"Nice catch, Lionblaze!"

The familiar slender tortoiseshell and cream she-cats bounded up to him, a thrush hanging in their jaws.

"Well, Rosepaw! That thrush could feed the whole clan, it's so huge!" He complimented the apprentice.

The she-cat was obviously flattered by his praise. "Thank you!" She mewed.

"Let's get these back to camp. Jayfeather and Brambleclaw will be pleased to have food for Firestar." Poppyfrost mewed. Lionblaze's ears swiveled around. "Yeah. He needs to get better…" The golden tom dug his claws into the snow, clenching his teeth. Firestar had come down with a case of Greencough, and Sandstorm was beginning to show symptoms.

"It's in StarClan's paws." He mewed quietly. He took a few steps forward, coming inbetween the two she-cats, and made his way toward camp. His warm paws crunched the snow beneath him, and he fell down a few times in the deep snow, but trudged forward, trying not to let the squirrel get too cold. Poppyfrost going first, they went through the gorse tunnel and into the bustling camp, where the sun-high patrol was just getting ready to leave.

"Great catches you guys!" Squirrelflight praised them. She looked hopefully at Lionblaze, and he gave her a smile. Jayfeather rushed out of his den and Lionblaze tossed the squirrel towards him. It fell by his feet and the tom gave Lionblaze a warm and friendly smile. He picked up the squirrel and hurried towards Firestar's den, where he disappeared behind some lichen and ivy.

"I don't think he's doing better." Poppyfrost mewed quietly in his ear. Lionblaze looked down at his paws. He nodded.

"What about you?" He asked, bringing a mouse over by the warriors den for them to share.

"Oh, I guess I'm doing alright. The kits are so cute, though. Juniperkit looks just like her.." She trailed off, looking at Lionblaze. Her voice got choked up towards the end, and he guessed she felt like she had a stone in her throat.

"I'm really sorry, Poppyfrost. They'll be fine warriors, though." He lay his tail on her shoulder when she gazed at the nursery.

"Do you want to go visit them?" He asked. She shrugged. "Come on." He nudged her up and together they padded across camp leaving tracks in the snow towards the milky smelling nursery. They barely took two steps in when they were attacked by three little kits. He would expect this from Dovekit and Ivykit, who were taking on Poppyfrost, but when he looked over his shoulder at his tail, he saw Tawnykit hanging on his tail. Giving a hearty laugh, he padded with Tawnykit trying to catch his tail. Poppyfrost smiled and batted away at Dovekit's paws.

"I've got Lionblaze!" Tawnykit mewled. The tom kit was feisty!

Lionblaze looked over at Juniperkit and Rowankit, where the tortoiseshell she-kit was slowly getting up beside her sleeping brother. Her bright indigo eyes were excited as she bounded over and jumped on Lionblaze's paw.

"Kits! Kits! Stop this now! You too, Ivykit!" Whitewing called, looking angrily at the kits she took care of. Although they weren't far from age, Dovekit and Ivykit looked worlds bigger than Sorreltail's kits.

Poppyfrost bent down and looked Tawnykit in the eyes. The tom had bright yellow eyes, and his fur was a light auburn, almost a mix between a dark gold and a bright yellow. Lionblaze's coat was darker than his, but sooner or later they would look like siblings.

Tawnykit bounded over to Whitewing and nestled into her stomach beside Rowankit. Juniperkit was less anxious to, though.

"But I want to go outside!" She begged.

"We could take them outside, Whitewing." Poppyfrost mewed. She winked at the white queen, who gave them a "You-better-be-careful" look.

"You better be careful!" She mewed.

Tawnykit jumped up and ran over to them. "Let's go! I want to see the whole forest!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, no. We're only going to explore camp," Lionblaze looked up to Whitewing, "Promise."

"What about Rowankit? Why don't you get him, Juniperkit?" Poppyfrost cooed to her sister.

"But Rowankit's too tiny! He never wants to play with us!" She protested.

Tawnykit bounded over to his little brother. "I want Rowankit to come with." He mewed angrily. Rousing the tom with his paw, Rowankit blinked his golden eyes and looked around.

"Am I an apprentice, now?" He asked groggily.

"Come on, Rowankit! Lionblaze and Poppyfrost are going to take us around camp!" Tawnykit exclaimed. Rowankit stood up slowly.

"Oh."

"Don't you want to come with? We can go see all the warriors, and Firestar, too!" He yelled. Poppyfrost and Lionblaze just glanced at eachother.

"Okay. I'll come." The auburn kit smiled, and padded over quietly. "Hi, Lionblaze. Hello, Poppyfrost." He mewed to them, smiling up at them.

Lionblaze looked down at the kit, carefully licking his head. They were so small, and so fragile. One misjudged step could hurt them terribly. Lionblaze would have to be careful. But Rowankit was so cute, and so polite, too. He gazed up at the ginger warrior with careful eyes, full of wisdom and innocent-ness. "Hi, Rowankit. Where do you want to go first?" He asked the kit.

"Can we go see Jayfeather?" Juniperkit asked. She poked Poppyfrost's paw with her tail.

"Yeah, we can go visit him." She shrugged, smiling at her.

"Yay!"

"Is Jayfeather there?" Lionblaze peered into the medicine cat den, taking a few steps onto the warm sand. It sunk beneath his paws, and crumpled under him.

"Jayfeather went to see Firestar."

Lionblaze took one look at Graystripe and padded back outside. It smelled in there.

"Maybe we shouldn't go visit him.." Poppyfrost trailed off, and Tawnykit and Juniperkit jumped towards her. "No! You can't! We have to see Jayfeather!"

"And we can see Firestar, too!" Rowankit exclaimed.

"Fine.. But don't do anything we tell you not to do!" Lionblaze hissed, cuffing Tawnykit over the ears. They bounded towards the Highrock, and Lionblaze and Poppyfrost carefully picked them up and over the steep climb. The kit tumbled in, and Lionblaze and Poppyfrost carefully followed in. There was a bundle of herbs on the ground, scampered on, though not by the kits, and Jayfeather was leaning beside Firestar.

"Firestar! Firestar!! Sandstorm, what's going on? Is he…" The tom's voice trailed off. The large ginger tom gave a few shudders and his breath was misty inside, just like it should have been outside.

"Hi, Firestar! Hi, Jayfeather! Hi, Sandstorm!" Rowankit mewed happily. Juniperkit ran right to Jayfeather's side, and prodded Firestar with a paw.

"Juniperkit! Don't you dare!" Jayfeather growled. Her eyes widened and she drew back, surprised the tom could sense her.

"I thought you were blind!" She squeaked.

"Jayfeather, is Firestar losing a life?" Poppyfrost asked quietly. The tom nodded solemnly. Moments went by, and the kits were surprisingly quiet.

"He's back." Sandstorm mewed quietly, shattering the silence. Firestar's breath returned to normal, and he gave a normal pulse.

"Firestar? Can you hear me?" Jayfeather asked, leaning in towards the tom.

"Jayfeather.." He gasped. The tom rolled over and tried to sit up, but Jayfeather pushed him down gently.

"Stay here. Eat some of this.." He pushed a dark green leaf towards Firestar. The tom licked them up and chewed them slowly. "The taste of these are still disgusting, no matter how old you get." He chuckled, and then went into a coughing fit. The kits scooted away from him.

"Firestar, how many lives do you have left?" Rowankit asked, peering at the tom.

He looked unsettled. "Eh… I only have one life left. I must keep this hidden from the clan. When I met to meet StarClan, they said they had removed the sickness from me. I can't catch it again.." He mewed quietly. "You won't tell anyone, will you, Rowankit?" He gave the kit a teasing smile.

"Oh, no, Firestar!" The kit shook his head, and leaned in closer, peering at the warriors. "but I think you should keep an eye on Lionblaze and Poppyfrost!" They all chuckled.

**

Lionblaze folded his paws on top of another, sitting beside his brother and watching the kits play together.

"Rowanstar! Help catch Ivystar! She's too fast!" Tawnystar called to his brother, bounding after his sister, who had the twig in her mouth. "Can't catch me!" She mewed.

Jayfeather gave a loud purr, and set his head on his paws. These kits were so care-free, not a thing in the world that would scare them.

"Jayfeather, have you ever thought about taking on an apprentice?" Lionblaze asked, his head cocked to the side.

Jayfeather was clearly surprised by his question. "An apprentice? Well… No. I've barely been a sole medicine cat, I'm not ready to give up my peaceful den yet." He chuckled. Then he looked over at Lionblaze, blue eyes serious.

"You'll be getting an apprentice soon, you know."

Unlike Jayfeather, Lionblaze had definitely been thinking about getting an apprentice. He was a warrior, and no doubt he'd be the choice for deputy when Brambleclaw became leader. But there was only one thing in his way to becoming deputy. No apprentice. But of course, that would change soon! How could Brambleclaw not choose him? He doesn't think I'm ambitious, does he? I'm not ambitious..!

A stab of pain in Lionblaze's tail caused him to look up.

"Tawnykit!" Lionblaze's fierce glare made the golden kit drop his tail immediately. With a smug look on his face he scampered off, attacking Juniperkit and biting on her ear, making her wail in pain.

"That kit is going to be one troublesome apprentice… But he'll be strong." Jayfeather mewed.

"Yeah." Lionblaze was deep in thought.

Oh, yeah. He'd be a troublesome apprentice. Got that right, he'll be strong! He'll be the best darn warrior the forest has seen. Besides me..

Because he'll be my apprentice, and I'll pass down Tigerstar's mentoring skills to Tawnykit. Ashfur taught me nothing. But this kit would be something else.

Thanks, you guys! =D I like how this story's going.

Next chapter is in the POV of Ivykit and Dovekit! Woot! Sister time. Review and you get a Firestar plushie! Limited edition! :D