“I spotted a hole in the barrier near the dirtplace tunnel, so I went to fix it,” Lionblaze explained. “Nothing to worry about,” he added. “Just a few loose branches. There’s no sign that any cats had tried to break in.”

Jayfeather nodded. A moon or two ago, the idea of any cats trying to break into the ThunderClan camp, deep inside their territory, would have been unthinkable. Now relations between the Clans were so strained that it was all too possible.

“Have you been talking to Firestar?” Lionblaze asked eagerly. “When do we leave for the mountains?”

“You don’t,” Jayfeather replied, bracing himself for his brother’s disappointment.

“What?”

“I’m sorry, but Firestar says he needs you here. If there’s a battle with the Dark Forest cats, then you’re the strongest warrior we have.”

“But I’m one of the Three!” Jayfeather heard his brother’s claws raking furiously in the earth, and pictured his golden neck fur bristling with anger. “Surely I have to go to the mountains as well?”

“I wish you could, but…well, I think Firestar has a point.” Jayfeather reached out with his tail to touch Lionblaze on his shoulder. “If the Dark Forest cats attack, you’re the best defense ThunderClan has.”

Lionblaze snorted. “Who is going with you, then? Dovewing, I hope.”

“Yes, and Foxleap and Squirrelflight.”

Lionblaze was silent for a moment. Jayfeather knew his brother would understand how reluctant he was to travel with the cat who had pretended to be their mother. But all Lionblaze said was “I’ll give Foxleap some extra training.”

“There’s no time,” Jayfeather told him. “We leave in the morning.”

As he spoke he felt a sudden chill; wind swirled around the hollow, making his eyes water and flattening his fur to his sides. He heard the clatter of branches high above as the blast stirred the trees at the top of the cliffs.

“Clouds across the moon…” Lionblaze murmured.

Could that be an omen? Jayfeather wondered, suppressing a shiver. “Time is running out for all of us.”

Jayfeather padded back to his den. His muscles ached with weariness, but he knew that he couldn’t sleep yet. Checking on Briarlight, who was peacefully curled up in her nest, he headed for the cleft in the rock where he kept his supply of herbs. Since he had received Rock’s message, he had gathered what he could in preparation for the time when he would be away.

“Plenty of juniper berries,” he muttered, identifying each herb by scent and touch. His stores were sparse, but at least he had more than in the previous moon. “Some catmint left…the tansy is a bit low…And lots of yarrow.” He remembered the bunch of yarrow that had been left outside the camp; he had never identified the cat who had found it. Whoever it was, they have a good nose for herbs.

Carefully he selected sorrel, daisy, chamomile, and burnet, the traveling herbs that he and his Clanmates would need for the journey, and made four leaf wraps for the morning. Then he checked on Briarlight once more. She was deeply asleep, worn out by the new exercises he had given her.