“No,” Whitewing argued. “Birchfall told me it was just a hole.”

“Dovepaw didn’t fall in.” Lionblaze was determined to defend his apprentice. “She climbed in to help Icecloud.”

“Wow, that was brave!” Bumblestripe gave Dovepaw an admiring glance.

“Maybe Icecloud’s back is broken, like Briarlight’s!” Berrynose gasped, his eyes wide with horror.

Brightheart flicked his ear with her tail. “Mouse-brain! She was walking into Jayfeather’s den.”

Dovepaw twitched her whiskers. “Do you want to know what really happened, or not?”

“It’s tough that you didn’t get to finish your assessment,” Bumblestripe mewed when Dovepaw had finished.

Dovepaw’s tail drooped, and her eyes grew anxious. “I know. Maybe Firestar won’t give me my warrior name.” Giving herself a shake, she turned to Ivypaw. “How did you do?” she prompted. “Who did the team hunting with you?”

“Hazeltail,” Ivypaw replied. Her eyes shone. “It was really great! We caught two mice.”

“Fantastic!”

Lionblaze could tell that Dovepaw was making an effort to be glad for her sister, but disappointment still weighed on her like snow on a branch. He was about to step in with a word of encouragement when Ivypaw leaned close to her sister and pressed her muzzle against Dovepaw’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” she murmured, so softly that only Dovepaw and Lionblaze could hear. “Firestar knows how important you are to the Clan. You don’t have to prove yourself by catching squirrels.”

Dovepaw shrugged her off. “I want to be judged like a normal cat for once!” she retorted.

Ivypaw stared at her, puzzled. “But you’re not like the rest of us,” she pointed out.

“Quiet!” Lionblaze warned them. He had just noticed Firestar emerging from Jayfeather’s den, where he must have been visiting Icecloud.

The ThunderClan leader darted across the clearing, leaping across the beech boughs in his way, and ran up the tumbled rocks to stand on the Highledge. His flame-colored pelt glowed, a spot of warmth in the cold leaf-bare light.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting,” he announced.

The cats already in the clearing sat down facing the Highledge. Molekit and Cherrykit frisked about at the front of the group until Poppyfrost gathered them with a sweep of her tail and made them sit quietly. Daisy and Ferncloud appeared at the entrance to the nursery and sat with their pelts brushing. Mousefur poked her head out from the beech branches that enclosed the elders’ den, then emerged into the open with Purdy hard on her paws. Foxleap padded out from the medicine cat’s den, while Jayfeather pushed back the bramble screen so Briarlight could watch from the entrance. Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Cloudtail, and Sorreltail all slid out of the warriors’ den and found places at the foot of the cliff; Sorreltail lifted one hind paw and scratched her ear, as if she was chasing a flea.

Firestar raised his tail for silence. “Cats of ThunderClan,” he began, “I think you’ve all heard about Icecloud’s accident. She fell into a hole and dislocated her shoulder, but Jayfeather put it back in place.” Firestar’s tone was firm and reassuring; Lionblaze saw how well he understood his Clan’s fears after what happened to Briarlight. “Jayfeather says she will need to rest,” Firestar continued, “but she should only be off her paws for a quarter moon.”