With Finpaw at her side, she crossed the border and headed in the familiar direction of the stone hollow, feeling awkward under Sparkpelt’s suspicious gaze. She was trying hard to ignore the growing heaviness in her belly, but Sparkpelt’s hostility had come as a nasty shock.

It’ll be fine once we get to the camp, she reassured herself. Bramblestar will understand. He has to!

The sun had gone down by the time the cats reached the thorn barrier that stretched across the entrance to the hollow, and twilight brought the chill of early leaf-fall. Sparkpelt pushed past the apprentices to lead the way down the tunnel.

“Follow me,” she mewed curtly.

When Twigpaw emerged into the stone hollow, the whole of ThunderClan seemed to be there. Her heart warmed as she saw so many familiar faces: Cherryfall and Molewhisker sharing a piece of prey beside the fresh-kill pile; Blossomfall sitting with Cinderheart at the entrance to the nursery while their kits frisked and play wrestled around their paws; Graystripe and Millie stretched out drowsily side by side in front of the hazel bush where they slept; Leafpool and Jayfeather earnestly discussing something beside the bramble screen that shielded their den.

With a swish of her tail Sparkpelt beckoned the two apprentices a few paces farther into the camp, then signaled for them to halt. “Wait here,” she ordered.

Twigpaw watched her as she bounded across the hollow and scrambled up the tumbled rocks to the Highledge, where she disappeared into Bramblestar’s den.

“I hope everything’s going to be okay,” Twigpaw murmured.

“Of course it will.” Finpaw nuzzled her shoulder briefly. “Bramblestar would have to have bees in his brain not to want you in his Clan.”

Before Twigpaw could reply, Sorrelstripe slid out of the warriors’ den and headed toward the thorn tunnel, only to come to an abrupt stop as she spotted Twigpaw and Finpaw.

“Hey!” she exclaimed. “Twigpaw’s here!”

Her surprised yowl alerted every cat in the camp. Cats in the open sprang to their paws, while more pushed their way out of the warriors’ den. All of them crowded around Twigpaw and Finpaw, until Twigpaw felt that she could hardly breathe in the midst of so many bright, questioning eyes and twitching whiskers.

“I thought I caught a familiar scent.” Brackenfur gave Twigpaw a friendly nod. “It’s good to see you, Twigpaw.”

“Why are you here?” Fernsong asked.

“Is there trouble in SkyClan?” Lionblaze slid out his claws. “Do you need our help?”

Twigpaw swallowed hard, her pelt prickling with nervousness. Every cat was looking at her expectantly. “No, SkyClan is fine,” Twigpaw replied. “But I’ve left them. I’ve come home to live in ThunderClan.”

Utter silence greeted her announcement for a couple of heartbeats, followed by an outbreak of astonished yowling.

“Coming home? Your home is in SkyClan now.”

“What about your kin?”

“Who is this SkyClan cat with you?”