Birchfall and Berrynose were padding one after the other through the dirtplace tunnel, back into camp.

“I beat off two WindClan warriors single-pawed,” Berrynose boasted.

“They may be fast, but they’re small,” Birchfall meowed. “Once you get hold of them, it’s easy to knock them off their paws.”

“Unlike RiverClan,” Berrynose sneered. “They must do nothing but eat. They’re more like fat, furry fish than cats!”

Jaypaw held his breath as their paw steps passed and disappeared into the warriors’ den.

“How was I meant to know they were coming through the tunnel?” Lionpaw muttered. “I can’t see through thorns.”

“Try using your ears!” Jaypaw snapped.

They squeezed through the dirtplace tunnel, and Jaypaw felt a wave of relief to be safely out in the forest, even though the stench of dirtplace lingered in his nostrils. He led Hollypaw and Lionpaw up the slope toward the lake. There was a patch of brambles they could hide behind while they decided which way to head.

“So?” Hollypaw prompted once they’d halted behind the bush.

Jaypaw sniffed the air. He had a faint hope that he could still pick up some of Sol’s scent. After all, it hadn’t rained since his visit. But the battle had drowned the forest in unfamiliar scents. Four Clans had fought here. No trace of Sol remained.

“Dustpelt took him back to the WindClan border,” Lionpaw reminded him.

“That’s where I saw him,” Hollypaw mewed excitedly. “On the moorland.”

“He won’t be there now then,” Jaypaw mewed.

Lionpaw’s tail swished the leaves. “Why not?”

“Because he’s been there.” Jaypaw felt certain that Sol knew about all four Clans. He’d sought out Firestar on purpose. He’d been on WindClan’s land. It made sense that he would want to make contact with the other Clans as well. Jaypaw just hoped he hadn’t gone looking for RiverClan. That was on the other side of the lake, too far to go and come back before their Clanmates noticed they were missing. “He would have gone to ShadowClan next,” he mewed firmly, though he wasn’t completely certain. He was worried that his littermates wouldn’t follow him if they thought he hadn’t a clue where he was leading them.

“How can you be sure?” Lionpaw asked.

“I just am,” Jaypaw lied.

“But we can’t go onto ShadowClan’s territory!” Hollypaw gasped.

“You did,” Jaypaw reminded her.

“That was an emergency,” Hollypaw argued. “I had to go.”

“This is an emergency too!”

“But we don’t know he’s there. Not for certain.” Hollypaw sat down. “I didn’t see any strangers in the camp when I was there.”

“Maybe he hadn’t arrived by the time the battle started,” Jaypaw mewed.

Lionpaw rubbed a paw through his whiskers. “Hollypaw’s right. We can’t risk crossing into ShadowClan territory. There’s just been a battle. They’d shred us.”