As Poolpaw scrambled into the darkness, cold earth pressed against her flank.

She could hear rabbit paws scrabbling ahead.
Blind in blackness, she followed her nose, feeling the sides of the tunnel with her whiskers.
The scent of rabbit was so strong, her mouth watered.
It drew her on, even though the burrow sloped downward into the dark, airless earth.

I have to catch that rabbit. Losing the squirrel still pricked her conscience. She pushed away the fear growing in her belly.

"We should go back," Featherpaw whispered behind her, "before we get lost."
"We can't get lost," Poolpaw hissed. "There's only one tunnel."

She padded onward, relieved when the burrow began to slope upward and the fresh scents of snow-filled forest and the frosty and icy scents. She could also taste stone and lichen. They were near Snakerocks.

Daylight filtered into the tunnel ahead, and she quickened her pace. Once out in the open the rabbit could head anywhere, and its scent would be hard to follow in such windy weather.
Poolpaw burst from the burrow and paused to taste the air as Featherpaw popped out behind her.
Snow crunched softly beneath their paws.

"Can you see it?" Poolpaw whispered, concentrating on the flavors bathing her tongue. Her pelt pricked. She could smell rabbit.
She could also smell blood.
And the stench of fox.

"StarClan help us!" Featherpaw's terrified gasp sounded behind her.

Across the small frosty clearing in front of them Poolpaw saw the fox. It stood with its bony shoulders squared, the rabbit dangling dead in its jaws.
A fierce gust of wind shook the trees and the forest flashed with lightning. It lip up the fox, throwing his shadow against the dark wall of Snakerocks. Thunder cracked. The fox snarled and dropped the rabbit, turning its hungry gaze toward them.

"Run!" Featherpaw's shriek sent Poolpaw pelting up the snowy bank, with Featherpaw's pale white pelt flashing a tail-length behind. There was no way Poolpaw was letting the fox pursue them underground, in its own territory.
They hurtled through the snowy trees, ducking through snow-filled brambles and swerving around frozen bracken.

"It's following us!" Featherpaw's mew was a terrified whimper.
Poolpaw could hear the fox thundering after them, its paws shaking the ground. She didn't dare look back. She could hear it slither on the snow, only tail-lengths behind, never pausing for a moment.

The snowy forest was lit up again as lightning flashed and thunder exploded overhead. Poolpaw shrieked as she felt hot breath on her heels and pushed on faster. The stench of fox breath bathed her, and she heard it jaws snap a whisker from her tail.

Up ahead, Featherpaw plunged over the ravine.
It would never follow them down there!
Poolpaw hurtled after her, relief flashing as she sent stones rattling down the rocks. A thump sound sounded behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder.
The fox had jumped down after them! It was racing along the trail, a tail-length behind.

"StarClan save us!" Poolpaw wailed, praying her Clanmates would hear and come to their rescue. Slithering down a boulder she crashed after Featherpaw, who ducked out of her way and pelted the last length down the tumble of stones.
"Come on!" She screeched.

But Poolpaw was already half-sliding, half falling down behind her.
Nearly there!
The camp entrance was within sight. They would be safe beyond the tunnel.

Panic shot afresh through Poolpaw.
What if it follows us through?
Thornpaw and Amberpaw would be playing the clearing. They would be easy prey for a fox.
She had led it there. She must stop it.

As Featherpaw pelted through the tunnel, shrieking a warning, Poolpaw skidded to a halt and turned.
The fox leaped at her and she reared on her hind legs, ready to swipe at its snarling jaws. She didn't think about being brave or risking her life. She just knew the fox could not reach the camp.

The sky flashed and a great crack sounded tail-lengths above. Poolpaw looked up.
Lightning!

A splintered snowy branch fell between her and the fox and crashed onto the snowy floor, alive with licking orange flames. The fox yelped in surprise as the branch barely missed it. It whirled around in panic and scrambled back up the ravine.
Her heart pounding, Poolpaw stared at the branch. It cracked in front of her nose, the heat searing her whiskers and scalding her muzzle.

Frozen with shock, she stared until teeth grasped her scruff and tugged her back.
"You'll get yourself killed!" Icefrost's growl brought her to her senses as she spat out her neck fur.

"The tunnel will catch light!" Dawnstripe's panicked mew sounded from behind.
The Clan cats were screaming from the camp, their eyes wide with horror.
The branch was burning so ferociously, Poolpaw felt her pelt tingle.
If the tunnel caught fire, the flames would sweep through the camp, engulfing every den.

"StarClan help us!" Ravenbird's desperate cry rose above the crackling flames.
Please! Poolpaw begged silently.

The storm crashed overhead and rain pelted down, driving through the snowy canopy, pounding the snow-filled bushes, thundering on the icy floor. The branch crackled and hissed as the rain doused the flames, until nothing but a charred log fizzled in front of the astonished Clan.

"Wow!" Thornpaw's excited mew broke the silence.
"What are you doing out here?" Dawnstripe shooed him inside.
"I wanna see it burn!" he complained.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Slowly Poolpaw realized that Icefrost was talking to her. She dragged her gaze from the branch and stared blankly at her mentor. Her heart slowed as she took a huge gulp of air. It stank of smoke and made her cough.

"Come on," Icefrost meowed. "Let's get you to Flowertail."
"I'm here." The medicine cat was standing at the entrance of the tunnel, her eyes round, the fur bristling along her spine. She seemed mesmerized by the smoke rising from the extinguished branch, and her mew sounded far away. "I'll take her to the medicine den."
Wordlessly she escorted her to her medicine den. Poolpaw nodded and went towards a moss bed her size.

Flowertail padded forward, holding an ointment-soaked leaf in her jaws.
"Will it hurt?" Poolpaw asked.
"It will sooth the pain," she promised softly.
Poolpaw held still as she gently smeared the ointment over her muzzle. Her eyes seemed to be searching hers, but she couldn't figure out what she was trying to see.

"Will I be scarred?" she asked nervously.
Flowertail shook her head. "The fur on your nose is just singed," she reassured her. "It'll grow back in a moon."

Then why were her eyes glittering with worry?
Maybe I'm imagining it.

Suddenly Flowertail leaned closer. "Like the bluest flames, you will be blazing through the ice," she hissed.
"What?" Poolpaw flinched away.
"The burning branch was a sign from StarClan." Her eyes glittered. "You are the blue flame, Poolpaw, and you will blaze through the ice. This is your destiny."
Poolpaw was alarmed. What was she talking about?
"But beware!"
She stiffened.
"Even the most powerful blazes can be destroyed by sun and teeth."

"What do you mean?"
"I'm telling you what the burning branch meant," she growled.
Yeah, right! This was coming from the cat who had told her Clan that daylight on a sparrow meant they should attack DawnClan, and look what had happened!

Featherpaw came bounding in. "Are you all right?" She sniffed at Poolpaw's nose, wrinkling her own. "What did she put on it?"
"Comfrey and honey." Flowertail's voice had returned to normal. "It'll sooth the pain and stop the infection."

"You were so brave," Featherpaw mewed. Her tail was flicking excitedly as she circled Poolpaw. "I couldn't believe it when I ran into the camp and you weren't with me! I thought the fox had gotten you. But when I came out again there you were facing it! And then the branch fell down and you didn't move! You looked like a real warrior!"
"Hush!" Flowertail silenced her. "Stormclaw's in that nest." She tipped her tail towards a moss bed in where Stormclaw, the most grumpiest elder Poolpaw ever knew, was sleeping peacefully. "He's recovering from a bellyache. I don't want him to be disturbed."
Featherpaw dipped her head. "Sorry."

"Out, both of you!" Flowertail ordered briskly.
It was as though she hadn't mentioned a prophecy at all. Poolpaw wondered if she was just playing a joke on her.
She turned and followed Featherpaw from the den. As she padded out, a voice sounded in her ears. "You are the blaze, Poolpaw. Fear sun and teeth."
She whipped around to see if Flowertail was following, but her golden-furred back was only just visible in the shadows of her den.
Spooked, Poolpaw hurried to catch up to Featherpaw.

Darkcloud was waiting for them in the clearing. His eyes gleamed as Poolpaw joined them. "You faced a fox!" He sounded genuinely pleased, but his expression darkened as he went on. "But you're not a warrior yet, so no more fox-fighting on your own."

Before Poolpaw could respond, Thornpaw raced over with Amberpaw on his heels.
"I wish I'd been outside. I would have fought off that fox." He fluffed up his fur and growled.

Featherpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement, but Poolpaw's mind was on Flowertail's bizarre prophecy. Could it really be true?
You are the blue flame? You will blaze through the ice?
Did that mean she is destined one day to lead IceClan?
And how could sun and teeth destroy her? She wasn't a DawnClan cat.

Darkcloud's mew broke into her thoughts. "Hawkflame's leading a patrol to make sure the fox is gone. Stay in camp until they report back."
Poolpaw nodded as Darkcloud turned and padded away.

"Are you okay?" Featherpaw's concerned mew broke into her thoughts. "Did Flowertail give you anything for the shock?"
Poolpaw shook her head.
"Something's bothering you."

Poolpaw scanned the camp, looking for a quiet corner where they could talk. Perhaps Featherpaw could help her make sense of Flowertail's words.
"Come with me," she led Featherpaw to a nearby snow-filled bush in camp.

"What is it?" Featherpaw sat down. "Why are we hiding?"
"I wanted to ask you something." Poolpaw wondered how she could tell Featherpaw about the prophecy when she wasn't even sure of it herself.
Featherpaw leaned forward, lowering her voice. "What?"

"Do..." Poolpaw searched for the right words. "Do you think..." This is impossible! "Do you think I'm...special?"
Featherpaw broke into a purr. "Well, of course! You're the best sister in the world!

Poolpaw shook her head, frustrated. "That's not what I meant."
"What else could you mean? Is there something wrong with you? Did Flowertail find something when she checked your burns?"

Poolpaw dug her claws in the ground. She would have to be direct. "Flowertail said the burning branch was a sign."
"A sign?" Featherpaw's eyes grew wide as a snow owl's. "From StarClan?"
"What did it mean? What did she tell you? Does Silverstar know?" Featherpaw blasted her with questions.
"She said I would blaze through the ice like the bluest flames."

"She's as mad as a hare!"
"But what if she's right? Do you think it means I...stand out somehow?"

"I don't even know what that means!" Featherpaw backed away, looking alarmed now. "And you know what her prophecies are like. It was her stupid prophecy that killed Whiteclaw and Raindapple! It's her fault!"
Poolpaw's eyes widened when a memory flashed through her.

There were no stars...

Dark grey trees...

"And she was going to be made deputy! Can you imagine what that feels like? To be rejected your entire life? When all you tried to do was love? But don't worry, I made her pay. Let's just say she wasn't able to become deputy if she's a dead corpse!"

"She had supported parents, a loving mate, friends with her entire Clan, I should of had all of that!"

Surely Featherpaw won't become the treacherous cat she broke ties with...

Featherpaw's mew broke into her thoughts. "You don't actually believe her, do you?"

"She also said that sun and teeth would destroy me."
Featherpaw flattened her ears. "She's got no right to scare you like that! How dare she?" The fur rose on her shoulders. "Don't take any notice. Her prophecies are worthless. You won't be destroyed by the sun or any teeth! You're not a DawnClan cat. How could the sun harm you? Don't listen to a word of it!"

Shocked, Poolpaw stared at her sister. Was it really so impossible that she was special? What was wrong with believing she might one day lead the Clan? Featherpaw had seemed eager enough to hear about the prophecy until she found out it involved Poolpaw. "You don't believe it, then?"
Featherpaw tipped her head to one side. "Flowertail's an idiot," she meowed. "Take no notice. Don't let it worry you."

Worry me? Why couldn't she see? If this prophecy is true, it might be the most important thing that has ever happened to me.
Featherpaw turned away.

"Featherpaw!" Poolpaw called after her, but Featherpaw didn't seem to hear.
Couldn't Featherpaw at least try to understand how Poolpaw felt about Flowertail's prophecy?

Am I really destined to lead IceClan?