A warm body brushed against him. Hollypaw had crept into the den and was settling down beside him.

“Not joining in with the honey feast?” Lionpaw whispered.

“Let them enjoy it,” she whispered back.

Suddenly feeling less alone, Lionpaw closed his eyes and slipped into sleep.

Dreaming, Lionpaw felt the forest floor cold beneath his paws, prickly with pine needles. A thin mist cloaked the ground and swirled around the lines of straight, bare trunks that stretched away into darkness.

“It’s about time you came back to us,” Tigerstar’s low growl echoed from the shadows. Lionpaw saw the outline of massive shoulders as the warrior padded out from the trees.

Hawkfrost followed at his heels. “You need all the training we can give you.”

Lionpaw bristled. “But didn’t you see me fight in the mountains?” How much more training did he need? He was already a better fighter than any of his Clanmates. He had proved it!

“We’re not concerned with past battles,” Tigerstar meowed briskly. “Only the battles to come.”

Lionpaw narrowed his eyes. That sounded like an excuse.

They couldn’t see me in the mountains! Even Tigerstar’s powers had their limits.

“Let’s see if you can use your brains as well as your strength.” Tigerstar padded behind Lionpaw and nudged him toward Hawkfrost. “Try attacking Hawkfrost from his weaker side.”

“But don’t you want to hear about the mountain cats?”

Tigerstar lashed his tail. “They’re no concern of mine.”

He’s not interested! Lionpaw stared at his ghostly mentor. Didn’t he think Lionpaw could have learned something from going on the long journey and battling against different cats? Did Tigerstar really believe he knew everything about fighting? Well, he certainly didn’t know everything about Lionpaw. Maybe it was about time he did.

“What are you waiting for?” Tigerstar snapped. “Attack Hawkfrost!”

Anger surged in Lionpaw’s belly. He leaped for Hawkfrost and, unsheathing his claws, raked the striped warrior’s flank so fiercely he felt the skin burst and blood spatter his paw.

Yowling in fury, Hawkfrost jumped away from him, hackles raised.

Lionpaw swung around to face Tigerstar. “Will you listen to me now? I’ve got something important to tell you. There’s a prophecy! About me! That’s why I can fight the way I can.”

Tigerstar’s eyes flashed. “What do you mean, a prophecy?”

“An old cat told Firestar in a dream: ‘There will be three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in their paws.’” Lionpaw recited the words just as Jaypaw had told him. “Don’t you see? It must be about us, because Squirrelflight is Firestar’s kin.”

Tigerstar snorted in disgust. “Firestar!”

“But it’s true!” Lionpaw insisted. “If you’d seen me fight in the mountains you’d know. I defeated every cat who faced me. I felt like I could’ve fought forever and still defeated them all!”