Bluestar's Prophecy/Chapter 15

Chapter Summary
Bluepaw's PoV
 * Bluepaw and Snowpaw chase after the rabbit as it disappears into its burrow. Snowpaw, apprehensive, suggests that they turn around before they get lost, but Bluepaw insists that they continue to pursue their prey. The two apprentices eventually emerge from the tunnel at its other opening, near Snakerocks, but find their rabbit hanging from the jaws of a fox, dead. Lightning flashes, illuminating the fox as it drops the piece of fresh-kill and turns its hungry gaze towards Bluepaw and Snowpaw. Terrified, the two young sisters dash away from the fox, but they can hear it following them.


 * The thunderstorm continues to rage overhead as the apprentices reach the ravine of ThunderClan's camp. They leap down into it and race towards the gorse tunnel, the fox still on their tails. Bluepaw knows she cannot lead the fox right into the camp, where Lionpaw and Goldenpaw might be out practicing hunting moves and be easy prey for the hungry predator. Snowpaw darts through the camp entrance, but Bluepaw turns to face her pursuer. The fox leaps at the blue-gray apprentice, but she rears on her hind legs, preparing to swipe at it with her claws.


 * As the two begin to fight, lightning strikes a branch on one of the trees above. It catches on fire and narrowly misses the fox as it falls to the ground. Terrified, the creature flees the ravine in panic. Bluepaw, meanwhile, stares in shock at the burning branch until Sunfall drags her back from it. The other Clan cats fear that the branch's fire will spread to the gorse barrier and to all the dens in the camp. Fortunately, the sky breaks open after a few moments and it begins to rain. The water puts out the blaze until nothing but a charred log remains of the burning branch.


 * Sunfall then coaxes Bluepaw to Goosefeather's den to get her wounds treated – the blue-gray apprentice was burned on her nose and muzzle from the fire. She worries that she will be scarred, but the medicine cat assures her that the fur on her face has just been singed and will grow back in a moon. Suddenly, Goosefeather leans forward and hisses intensely that Bluepaw is fire, and that she will blaze through the forest, but warns that even the strongest fires can be extinguished by water. He further explains that he had realized all of this from the burning branch, which he claims was a sign from StarClan. Bluepaw stares at him in confusion, wondering if the speckled gray tom has gone mad. She thinks that all his talk of an omen from StarClan is nothing but silliness, considering that he was the one who had recommended the ill-fated attack on WindClan's medicine supplies.


 * Snowpaw bursts into the medicine den, asking if her sister is all right. Upon realizing that Bluepaw is not seriously injured, the white she-cat praises her sister on how brave she was to face the fox. She says that the blue-gray apprentice had acted like a real warrior. Goosefeather interrupts Snowpaw, crossly asking her to keep her voice down so that Weedwhisker, who is in the den recovering from a bellyache, can sleep. He orders the two apprentices to leave the medicine den, and as they exit, they run into their father, Stormtail. Stormtail is proud of Bluepaw's courage, but his eyes darken with worry and he reminds her that she is not a warrior yet, so she shouldn’t be doing anymore fox-fighting on her own.


 * Bluepaw can't get out of her mind Goosefeather's odd prophecy, and when Snowpaw asks her if something is wrong, the blue-gray she-cat retells her encounter with the medicine cat. Snowpaw is outraged when she hears about it, saying that Goosefeather's prophecy is worthless, just like the one that resulted in Moonflower's death. She questions how water could destroy Bluepaw, for she is not a RiverClan cat, and declares that the speckled gray tom has no right to scare her sister. The blue-gray she-cat is not scared about the prophecy, however, and thinks that it might mean that she will become a great Clan leader. She feels that Snowpaw is dismissing the idea that she could possibly stand out from the other young cats and could have a special future.


 * Snowpaw moves on from the conversation, bringing up instead the topic of Thistlepaw. The white she-cat asks her sister to try to make an effort to be kinder to their fellow apprentice. Bluepaw refuses to entertain the idea, and snaps that just because Snowpaw likes Thistlepaw, she doesn't have to. She calls the gray-and-white tom an arrogant weasel and claims that he likes himself enough for both of them, adding that Snowpaw also likes him enough for the both of them. Bluepaw stalks away from her sister, furious that Snowpaw wanted to discuss Thistlepaw and not the prophecy. She wonders if Goosefeather's interpretation of the burning branch omen could possibly be true, and that she might be destined to lead ThunderClan.

Prophecies

 * "You are fire, Bluepaw, and you will blaze through the forest… But beware! Even the most powerful flames can be destroyed by water."