“You want me to go,” Sol concluded. But he made no move to leave. Instead, he sniffed as though tasting the air for more information. “May I meet your Clan first? I have traveled far, and alone, and I would be grateful to brush pelts with other cats for a few moments.”

“Very well.” Firestar padded across the clearing. “This is Brambleclaw, my deputy.” His tail swished the air. “And that is Leafpool, our medicine cat.”

“So you are the medicine cat.” Sol sounded pleased.

“Y-yes,” Leafpool meowed, shifting her paws.

“This is Thornclaw, Graystripe, Sandstorm, and Dustpelt,” Firestar meowed quickly.

“And I’m Icepaw!” The young apprentice bounded forward. “And that’s my brother, Foxpaw.”

“Ah, ’paws,” Sol meowed thoughtfully. “You are learning to be warriors, yes?”

“That’s right,” Brambleclaw answered for her. “In fact, they should be training now.” He addressed the apprentices. “Shouldn’t your mentors have you out in the forest?”

Whitewing darted forward. “Yes, come on, Icepaw, let’s go do some battle training. Foxpaw, you can train with us until Squirrelflight gets back from hunting.”

“Can’t we stay here?” Foxpaw whined. But Whitewing was already shooing them out of the camp.

With a squeak, Rosekit and Toadkit tumbled out of the nursery.

“I thought I told you—” Brambleclaw began, then stopped as Daisy followed them out, scolding.

“I told you, Millie’s kits are too young to play! Even if you were just tickling them with a feather!” The queen’s angry mew trailed off abruptly. She must have spotted Sol.

“Away with you!” she whispered to her babies, her mew brittle with embarrassment. She hurried Rosekit and Toadkit toward the apprentice den. “Play over here, and don’t make any noise. Firestar is busy.”

“She isn’t Clanborn, is she?” Sol commented.

Spiderleg growled. “She’s part of ThunderClan now!”

“Of course,” Sol meowed smoothly.

Spiderleg shuffled his paws. “I meant she’s one of us, that’s all.”

Jaypaw smelled fresh prey as the barrier rustled. Squirrelflight and Sandstorm were returning from their hunt. They slowed when they spotted Sol, surprise pulsing from them.

“More prey?” Sol queried as they dropped their catch self-consciously on the fresh-kill pile. “Do you ever run out?”

Brambleclaw crossed the clearing to join Squirrelflight. Jaypaw didn’t catch what he whispered in his mate’s ear before turning back to Sol. “Prey is scarce in leaf-bare, but we survive,” he meowed.

“I can see,” Sol meowed approvingly.

“Perhaps we can offer you a meal before you continue your journey,” Firestar offered.

Sol sat down. “I catch my own prey.”

“Can’t he take a hint?” Hollypaw whispered.

Jaypaw felt Sol’s gaze hot on his pelt.

“You have blind cats in the Clan?”

Leafpool stepped in front of Jaypaw. “Jaypaw’s my apprentice,” she meowed protectively.

“Two medicine cats,” Sol observed. “Even better. I have something to share that I think a medicine cat will appreciate more than a warrior.”