I know all the signs, Ivypool thought, wincing.

Hazeltail stepped forward to intercept Blossomfall as she headed toward Brambleclaw. “Blossomfall, are you okay?” she asked, concern in her eyes.

Blossomfall halted. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“I don’t think you’re fine at all,” Hazeltail responded sharply. “Hey, Millie!” She waved her tail at Blossomfall’s mother, who was crossing the clearing toward the medicine cat’s den. “I think Blossomfall is sick.”

“What?” Millie glanced at Blossomfall. “Oh, she’s fine. I have to go check on Briarlight.”

Ivypool spotted a flash of anger in Blossomfall’s eyes as her mother spoke, but Millie was clearly unaware of it as she bounded away and disappeared behind the bramble screen.

“Blossomfall, I was going to send you to patrol the WindClan border with Bumblestripe, Sandstorm, and Thornclaw,” Brambleclaw announced, padding up to the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat. “But you don’t look as if you could scare off a dead leaf this morning. Your patrol had better go hunting instead.”

Blossomfall nodded, but Bumblestripe’s tail drooped in disappointment. “I went hunting twice yesterday,” he told Brambleclaw. “I was looking forward to a border patrol.”

Brambleclaw gave the young tom a hard stare. “Last time I looked, it was the deputy’s job to organize patrols.”

Bumblestripe muttered something under his breath, scuffling loose earth with his forepaws. Seizing her chance, Ivypool bounded up to his side. “I’m in a border patrol with Lionblaze and Cinderheart,” she mewed. “I don’t mind swapping—if that’s okay with you, Brambleclaw.”

“Feel free,” the deputy responded dryly. “Maybe I should just go back to my nest and let you sort yourselves out?”

“Thanks, Ivypool!” Bumblestripe brightened up and ran off to join Lionblaze and Cinderheart, who were getting ready to leave. Ivypool watched as the two warriors padded side by side toward the thorn tunnel, envying the easy friendliness between them. Bumblestripe caught up to them, and all three cats vanished into the forest.

“Right.” Sandstorm swished her tail. “Let’s get moving. I thought we’d try around the Twoleg nest. I don’t think a patrol has been there for the last day or two.”

As they emerged into the forest, Sandstorm and Thornclaw took the lead, while Ivypool found herself padding along the old Thunderpath beside Blossomfall. The young tortoiseshell was breathing hard, and still trying not to limp; Ivypool spotted a torn claw on one of her forepaws.

“Was it tough in the Dark Forest last night?” she asked, feeling a little awkward to be questioning a more experienced warrior. “Were you—?”

“Hush!” Blossomfall exclaimed, angling her ears toward the two cats ahead of them. “We can’t talk here.” With an obvious effort she quickened her pace to draw ahead, and Ivypool followed, wondering if there was any way to get Blossomfall alone.

Outside the old Twoleg nest, Sandstorm picked her way through the clumps of herbs Jayfeather had planted, sniffing delicately at the new growth. “The catmint is starting to sprout,” she meowed, “but there’d be a lot more of it if ShadowClan hadn’t forced us to give them some.”