Hollypaw stared at Sol, suddenly aware of how untidy she and her littermates looked. Their pelts were ruffled, with crumbs of leaf and scraps of moss sticking out, and she and Lionpaw were bloodstained around their claws. Sol gazed at them, his elegant tricolored head tilted, the white patches on his pelt tinged pink by the late-afternoon sun. His eyes shone, amber as sunlit sap.

Would he be angry they’d tracked him down?

He didn’t look angry.

He didn’t even look surprised, just blinked calmly at them and dipped his head in greeting.

“I thought you would come.” His mew was as rich and smooth as high-season honey. He was looking at Jaypaw. “I knew you’d be curious after the great darkness came.”

Jaypaw padded forward. “How did you know it was coming?”

Sol’s whiskers twitched. “Did it frighten you?”

“Of course!”

“Even though I told you it would happen?”

His gaze was unwavering, and so intense that Hollypaw found her sight glazing until the forest blurred around her and all she could see was Sol’s eyes.

She blinked, shivering. She was just tired.

Jaypaw lifted his chin challengingly toward Sol. “Is that why you came to ThunderClan? To warn us?”

The tip of Sol’s tail twitched. “It’s not my business to give warnings.” He padded onto the unkempt grass at the side of the pebbly path, flattening a patch with his paws before sitting down. He swept his thick brown-and-white tail over the grass and rested it in front of him.

“Come.” He tipped his head to one side, indicating that they should sit down too. “If we are going to talk, we may as well be comfortable.”

Jaypaw padded forward, feeling for the grass. Hollypaw followed a little self-consciously. Sol was watching them closely. The grass was long but soft, and she flattened a spot to sit on, as Sol had done.

Lionpaw hung back in the doorway, his fur bristling.

“Come on,” Hollypaw called, smoothing a space next to her with her tail.

Lionpaw padded forward with his eyes fixed on the stranger and sat down beside her.

“Your brother looks as if he doesn’t trust me,” Sol observed.

“You’re not a Clan cat,” Lionpaw answered.

Sol blinked. “Do you trust every Clan cat?”

“Of course not!” Lionpaw snapped. “But I can make a pretty good guess at what they’re thinking.”

“You came looking for me, don’t forget,” Sol chided. “Is it fair to disturb me, then reproach me because you can’t read my thoughts?”

Lionpaw narrowed his eyes. “I guess not.”

Hollypaw felt Jaypaw fidgeting beside her, running his forepaws over the grass.

Sol must have noticed too. “You have something you want to ask me, yes?” he prompted.

“Do you know about the prophecy?” Jaypaw burst out.