Brambleclaw took another step forward. “We promised Firestar we’d speak to Onestar. We only want to talk!”

Harespring streaked from the boulder, hurling himself through the air and skidding to a halt in front of Brambleclaw. “Not another paw step!”

Hollypaw let her claws slide out, her muscles tensing to defend her Clanmates.

“We want to see Onestar,” Brambleclaw repeated evenly. He lifted his paw to take another step forward.

Harespring lunged at him, forepaws slashing.

With one swipe of his paw, Brambleclaw knocked the young warrior to the ground without unsheathing his claws. Pinning him there, Brambleclaw glared up at Ashfoot. “We come in peace,” he growled through clenched teeth.

Ashfoot leaped down, staring in dismay at her fallen Clanmate. “Please let him go!” she begged.

Hollypaw was startled by the desperation in her voice.

Brambleclaw stepped back and let Harespring scramble to his paws. The young warrior hissed at the ThunderClan deputy.

Panic flashing in her eyes, Ashfoot weaved between the two warriors. “You really have to go,” she meowed, half pleading. “Onestar has nothing to say to you.”

Brambleclaw hesitated, then nodded. Turning away, he flicked his tail. At his signal, Hollypaw fell in beside her Clanmates, and the patrol headed back toward the border.

Hollypaw was bristling with indignation. “It’s so unfair,” she snapped at Brackenfur. “We haven’t stolen any prey. We only came to give Onestar a chance to explain himself.”

Brackenfur didn’t respond. “Don’t you think they seemed thin?” he wondered out loud.

“WindClan cats are always thin.” And yet, thinking back, Hollypaw realized he was right: The three WindClan warriors had seemed even skinnier than usual.

Brambleclaw glanced back at Brackenfur. “Could they be in trouble?”

“It would explain why they turned us back,” Sandstorm meowed.

“They didn’t want us to see how weak the Clan was,” Brambleclaw guessed.

Hollypaw remembered the absence of rabbit scent and birds. “But what’s happened to all their prey?” No other Clan was fast enough to steal rabbits from WindClan territory.

Brackenfur tipped his head toward the sheep and dogs mewling and barking on the distant slope. “Perhaps they scared the rabbits and birds away.”

Hollypaw felt her belly tighten. “That doesn’t mean WindClan can steal our prey.” Things couldn’t change. There had to be four Clans around the lake. If WindClan’s territory couldn’t support them, what would happen to the other boundaries?

As soon as they reached camp, Brambleclaw and Sandstorm leaped up to Highledge to report what they’d found.

Hollypaw spotted Lionpaw, tail-down at the edge of the clearing. A large wad of tatty moss hung from his jaws, and scraps clung to his pelt.

“You’re not still cleaning out the elders’ den, are you?” she mewed.

Lionpaw spat out the moss. “I finished that ages ago,” he snapped. “I’m doing the nursery now.”

“Let me help you,” Hollypaw offered.

“I thought you were too busy going on border patrols.”