“Last time we came, we spent the night here,” Squirrelflight meowed with a glance at the sky. “But I think we can go on a bit longer.” She led the way down the slope and into the valley. A few horses were cropping the sparse grass; they were smaller than the ones Dovewing had seen at the horseplace, and their pelts were shaggier. They stood under a tree, their tails swinging as they watched the cats with curious eyes. But to Dovewing’s relief none of them came closer.

Just beyond the horses was a single Twoleg nest, surrounded by a wall of gray stone. As the patrol padded past, a furious hiss came from the top of the wall above their heads. Dovewing looked up to see a fat ginger kittypet, its back arched and its fur bristling.

“Get out of here!” it snarled. “This is my place!”

“Oh really?” Foxleap spun around to face the kittypet, ready to leap up onto the wall. “You want to prove it, kittypet?”

“No!” Squirrelflight thrust herself in front of Foxleap. “Calm down. We’re not looking for trouble.”

“But it’s a kittypet!” Foxleap protested. “I could beat it with one paw!”

“Come up here and try!” the kittypet yowled. “You’ve no business here, flea-pelts!”

“Are you going to let it talk to us like that?” Foxleap asked, outraged.

It was Jayfeather who replied. “Use the sense you were born with, Foxleap. If you get hurt, what am I supposed to do for you out here? Do we know where the nearest cobweb is? Can I find horsetail before you bleed to death?”

“But—” Foxleap was still glaring up at the kittypet.

“Ignore it. We keep moving. Now,” Squirrelflight meowed.

She turned and padded forward. Jayfeather lashed his tail, gesturing to Foxleap to follow. The young warrior obeyed, though not without a last angry hiss at the kittypet. Dove wing brought up the rear.

“Cowards!” the kittypet screeched after them. “Go away and stay away!”

Dovewing was relieved when they hurried out of earshot, but her relief vanished as Jayfeather turned to her.

“I wish you’d given us some warning,” he muttered.

“What?” Dovewing couldn’t believe he was blaming her for the encounter with the kittypet. “I don’t know this area,” she defended herself. “I can’t just listen for things up ahead, because I have to watch where I’m putting my paws!”

The medicine cat let out an annoyed growl and lapsed into sulky silence.

“I can scout ahead if you like,” Foxleap offered.

“Oh, fine.” Squirrelflight’s tone was sarcastic. “And then we arrive to find you’ve got into a fight. No thanks.”

“I won’t, honestly,” Foxleap promised.

“No.” Now Squirrelflight sounded calmer. “I trust you to obey orders, Foxleap, but it’s better if we stay together.”

The patrol walked on. Not much later, the line of a hedge crossed their path, the thorny bushes gray and bare, with grass tangled at their roots.

“We go through here,” Squirrelflight explained, “and cross the field beyond. But stay in the shelter of the hedge. It’s safer.”