Poolstar skidded to a halt at the top of slope; the stench of dogs hit her throat.

Below, the ferns shook as dark shapes swarmed through the gully.

Flarepelt's bright orange pelt flashed like flame through the greenery.
She was keeping a good distance between herself and the pack, but the lead dog was breaking away and closing fast on the IceClan deputy.

Poolstar flung herself down the slope.
Gulping air, muscles burning, she wove around the trees, her paws skidding on the leafy forest floor.
She hurtled through a swath of ferns, running blind as the leaves whipped her face.

The gorge was close by.
She could hear the river crashing between the sheer gray walls.
Would Flarepelt really be able to lure the dog pack over the edge?
What if the pack's leader caught her first?

She erupted from the bracken and scrabbled to a stop in a clearing at the edge of the cliff.
Leaves sprayed into a chasm as her black paws slipped and slid.

No!

Flarepelt was dangling from the glistening jaws of a huge dog.
The IceClan deputy struggled, spitting with fury.
The dog shook her, its eyes shining with triumph, but its clumsy paws were skittering dangerous close to the edge of ghe gorge.

Poolstar couldn't let Flarepelt die, never.
Flarepelt, I will never let you die in a millions of moons.

Poolstar hissed.
She flung herself at Flarepelt's tormentor, slamming headfirst onto their muzzle.
The dog dropped first and spun around in surprise.

She gripped her unsheathed claws onto the dog's muzzle, blood streaking down it's snout, and leaving deep cripped scars along it's muzzle.
Red droplets dripped on the grassy floor below.

Poolstar dug her teeth and claws into the dog's face, closing her eyes as she sunk her teeth deeper.

Poolstar flailed, desperately slicing through the flesh of the dog's shoulder.
Desperate to keep Flarepelt safe.

She heard the dog growl in rage as the dog dug their teeth in Poolstar's flesh, and pain embedded her like fury.

She then felt the dog dig their razor sharp teeth into her shoulder, digging into her flesh.
Poolstar let out a roar of agony.

The dog swung their head around, and Poolstar realized the dog was now at a weak cliff side, dust spilling off it's side.

Poolstar knew what she was about to do.
She knew it would take away her last life.

But she would die millions of times to save her Clan from this monster.

She pushed in her hind legs and kicked them out, the cliff crumbling loudly.
Air whipped around her as the cliff broke apart and walls fell in beside her.

She could hear Flarepelt shout from the cliff edge, "Poolstar, no!"

The dog had fallen.
It's body thumped against the cliff, and there was a moment of quiet before she heard it splash into the roaring water below.

Wind roared around her, blasting her pelt as she fell.

She scrabbled desperately against the cold wet air.

The freezing river knocked the breath from her body.
Blind, she struggled against the current, fighting her way toward the air, her heart gripped by panic.

Flowertail's prophecy burned in her mind: Teeth will destroy you.

Her thick fur, heavy with water, dragged her down.
The blood washed away from her wounds and eased the pain a bit.
The river tumbled all around her; she didn't know which way was up.

Her lungs screamed for air.
Terror scorched through her.
She was going to drown, there in the foaming waters of the gorge.

Don't give up! A meow sounded clear and familiar through the roar of the water.
Goldenfur?

The father of her kit was murmuring in her ear: It's like running through the forest. Let your paws do the work. Raise your chin. Let the water carry you up.

His voice seemed to lift her, calming her panic, and she found that her paws were churning steadily through the water.
Her heart, tight with pain, slowed as she strained to raise her chin, until at last the wind whipped her face.
Coughing and gagging, she snatched a gulp of air.

That's the way, Goldenfur whispered in her ear.

Energy surged through Poolstar, and she began to fought the current.

The treetops blurred overhead as the river swirled her along.
You can do it! Goldenfur urged.
Poolstar churned at the water, but her exhausted legs felt like sodden leaves, flailing uselessly.

Suddenly teeth grasped her scruff.
Was Goldenfur going to drag her to safety?

Poolpelt blinked water from her eyes long enough to glimpse bright orange fur.
Flarepelt!
The IceClan deputy had gotten hold of her.

"Keep your head up!" She growled through clenched jaws.
Poolstar tried to help her, but her pelt was heavy and her black paws was embedding in pain from the blood loss of the fight with the dog.
Flarepelt's teeth tore at her scruff as water dragged her down.

Then another body brushed hers.
More teeth bit her scruff and a paw clutched at her flank, heaving her upward.

She felt the strong, gentle movement of a cat near her.
Was StarClan carrying her to its hunting grounds?

Barely conscious, she let herself be dragged through the water until pebbles scraped her flank and she felt solid earth beneath her.
Paws and teeth heaved her up the gritty shore and laid her on soft grass.
Her chest felt as if it was screaming in pain, making each breath a struggle.
Her eyes stung, too filled with water and pain to see.

"Poolstar?"
She recognized the mew of Goldenpelt.
"I'm here." A paw pressed against her flank.

Poolstar fought to open her eyes.
Goldenpelt stood, her golden pelt clinging to her frame.

Poolstar felt breath on her cheek.
"Is she okay?" came the voice of her daughter.

Flarepelt was leaning in. "Poolstar, it's Flarepelt. You're all right now. You're safe."
Poolstar hardly heard her.

Poolstar was gazing at Goldenpelt. "You saved me," she murmured.
"Shhh. Don't try to talk," Goldenpelt urged.
But there's so much to say!

Poolstar stretched her muzzle forward. "I want to tell you something... I want to ask you to forgive me for sending you away."

As she coughed, blood and water bubbled at her lips, but she forced herself to keep going. "Goldenfur promised me Flameflight would be a good mother to you."
"She was," Goldenpelt meowed flatly.

Poolstar flinched. "I owe her so much," she wished she had more breath to explain.

"Sunstar, too, for mentoring you so well." Why hadn't she found a way to tell them this before? "I watched you as you grew up, and I saw how much you had to give to the Clan that adopted you. If I had made a different choice, you would have given all your strength to IceClan." She shuddered, struggling for air. "Forgive me."

Goldenpelt bent her head and licked Poolstar's cheek. "I forgive you, Poolstar."

Poolstar purred softly as her daughter began to lap at her drenched and bloodied pelt.
It was the first time she had shared tongues with them since the snowy day she had left her with Goldenfur.

"What can we do?" Flarepelt asked Goldenpelt anxiously. "This is her last life, and she'll never make it back to the IceClan camp. Will you go and fetch your medicine cat?"
"It's too late for that, Flarepelt." Goldenpelt's mew was low and gentle. "She is on her way to StarClan."
"No!" Flarepelt protested.

Flarepelt crouched beside Poolstar and pressed her muzzle against hers. "Poolstar—Poolstar, wake up! We'll get help for you—hold on just a bit longer."

Poolstar...
Poolstar's eyes flickered open and looked at the water past her shoulder.
She could see the faint outline and starry pelt of Goldenfur.
My love... you're here.

Her gaze was filled with peace. "Goldenfur," she murmured. "Have you come me? I'm ready."

"No!" Flarepelt protested again.

"Poolstar, don't leave us," she begged.
"I must," Poolstar whispered. "I have fought my last battle."

She whispered, remembering all the battles IceClan has faced. "When I saw the Clan at Icerocks, the strong helping the weak... and I knew you and the others had gone to confront the pack... I knew my Clan was loyal. I knew StarClan had not turned their backs on us. I knew..."
Her voice frailed and she struggled to continue. "I know that I could not leave you to face the danger alone."

"Poolstar..." Flarepelt's voice shook.

She placed her deep blue eyes onto Flarepelt, and remembered with a smile of Owlpool's prophecy. "The fire will spark in the darkness," she murmured.

"You never understood, did you?" Poolstar went on. "I doubted it myself, when fire raged through our camp. Yet I see the truth now. Flarepelt, you are the fire who will save IceClan."
Flarepelt stared at her leader.

Above her head, wind tore the clouds into shreds, letting a ray of sunshine strike down and touch her bright orange pelt to flame, just as it had in the snowy clearing all those moons ago when she was a kit.

"You will be a great leader," Poolstar's voice was the merest whisper. "One of the greatest the forest had ever known. You will have the warmth of fire to protect your Clan and the fierceness of fire to defend it. You will be Flarestar, the light of IceClan."

Poolstar let out a soft sigh.
There was no need to cling to her last life.

Flarestar would kindle a new flame and blaze through the forest in her place.
IceClan was safe.

She closed her eyes and gave way to dizzying blackness.

And the next thing she knew when she opened her eyes, she felt tears of joy splatter on the soft grass.

She nuzzled them as Thornwing, Raindapple, Whiteclaw, Feathershine, Icestar, Silverstar, Owlpool, Braveheart, Goldenfur and Sunkit surrounded her in happiness.