Jayfeather felt Lionblaze’s pelt brushing warmly against his side, jerking him out of the memory. “Stay close to me,” his brother murmured. “The ground is rough here, and there are brambles.”

Jayfeather doubted that Lionblaze was just trying to guide him across difficult terrain. He must have the same misgivings, the same memories. There was comfort for both of them in the touch of a littermate’s pelt. But Jayfeather stopped himself from spying on his brother’s memories. He didn’t want to relive that terrible moment over and over again.

Once was enough. And I don’t think I’ll ever be free of it.

“We’re passing the old entrance,” Lionblaze mewed after a few moments. “At least, I think this is the place. It’s covered over with brambles now; no cat will ever get into the tunnels that way again.”

For several fox-lengths the two cats went on climbing; Jayfeather felt the ground grow smoother beneath his paws, and he picked up the pace until he was almost running.

“Watch out!” Lionblaze yowled, pushing him aside just as Jayfeather’s whiskers touched the outermost sticks of the temporary barrier that had been piled up around the hole.

“Watch it yourself,” Jayfeather retorted, ruffling up his fur as he regained his balance. He stretched out one paw and felt the sticks shift. “I thought Dustpelt and Brackenfur were building a proper cover.”

“They’ve started,” Lionblaze meowed. “But they haven’t had time to get all the way around. We can still get through.”

“Good.”

“I’ll go in first,” Lionblaze continued. “You wait here until I’ve checked it out.”

Jayfeather opened his jaws for a stinging retort. I’m not a kit! You don’t need to take care of me! But he bit back the words; Lionblaze sounded tense and angry, and Jayfeather guessed that he was struggling with his memories of Hollyleaf, rather than worrying about a blind littermate. He heard the rattle of sticks as Lionblaze pushed his way through the temporary barrier. He followed, whiskers quivering as he tried to sense the edges of the hole.

“Careful!” Lionblaze warned him.

“I’m being careful,” Jayfeather insisted as he skirted the hole, getting an idea of how big it was. He stretched out his head and let out a loud meow, listening for the echo as it came up from below. “Deep,” he muttered. “I’m not surprised Icecloud couldn’t climb out.” His ears flicked forward as he listened for the roar of the underground river, but he couldn’t hear anything today. The water must be lower.

“I have to get down there, into the tunnel,” Jayfeather announced.

He heard his brother’s sigh of resignation. “I think you’re completely mouse-brained.” There was anger in Lionblaze’s voice, but fear, too: fear of what they might find if they looked too hard.

“Don’t you want to know the truth?” Jayfeather asked.

“What truth?” Lionblaze challenged him. “It’s been hidden for this long; it can stay hidden forever. Hollyleaf has gone, and we both know that’s for the best. What’s the point in stirring it all up again?”