“Jayfeather, why are you rushing around like that?” Leafpool mewed; she sounded bone-weary. “I want to have a quick nap before sunset. The Clan is sitting vigil for Honeyfern tonight.”

“Sorry,” Jayfeather mumbled. To his relief, Leafpool didn’t ask him what he had been about to say.

“This is the night we should travel to the Moonpool,” she went on. “You’ll have to go by yourself. I can’t leave the vigil.”

Jayfeather nodded. “Okay.” He made himself sound calm, but he wanted to bounce up and down like an excited kit. Without Leafpool, surely he could find out something about the mystery herb from the other medicine cats?

A brisk evening breeze rattled the bare branches as Jayfeather padded through the forest. His earlier excitement had faded; he set his paws down confidently, but inwardly he was full of doubt. What would the other medicine cats say about Sol?

When he reached the top of the ridge, he found Barkface and Kestrelpaw waiting for him beside the stream. Just as he reached them, Littlecloud came bounding up from the direction of ShadowClan. Jayfeather’s ears pricked with surprise as he picked up another cat’s scent along with him. “Flamepaw!” he exclaimed.

“You remember me!” Flamepaw was bubbling over with excitement, like a pool in a rainstorm. “I saw you when Tawnypelt brought me to your camp with Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw. We’re kin,” he added proudly.

No, we’re not. A pang of regret shook Jayfeather. He liked the three eager young apprentices.

“Flamepaw is my apprentice now,” Littlecloud announced. “Tonight I’ll introduce him to StarClan.”

“Congratulations,” Jayfeather meowed, touching the young cat on the shoulder with his tail. He remembered how disappointed Flamepaw had been when he and his littermates came to the ThunderClan camp, because Sol had convinced Blackstar that ShadowClan didn’t need a medicine cat. It was great to hear that he was happy now, following the path StarClan had laid out for him. This wasn’t the right time to tell him that they weren’t kin after all.

There won’t ever be a right time, Jayfeather thought.

By the time the other cats had exchanged greetings, there was still no sign of Mothwing and Willowshine from RiverClan.

“We won’t wait,” Barkface decided. “We’ve a lot to get through tonight.”

“Maybe they’ll catch up,” Littlecloud meowed.

And maybe Mothwing doesn’t feel like trekking all the way to the Moonpool just to catch up on her sleep, Jayfeather thought. She usually sends Willowshine, though.

The medicine cats were beginning the last scramble up the steep slope toward the bushes that surrounded the Moonpool, when they heard a breathless yowl from behind them. “Wait! Wait for us!”

Jayfeather turned and caught the scent of Mothwing and her apprentice, growing rapidly stronger as the two cats raced to catch up.

“Sorry,” Mothwing panted as they reached the bottom of the rocks. “We got held up. Petalkit got a thorn in her eye.”

“Poor little thing,” Barkface murmured. “I hope you got it out.”

“Yes, it just took a good lick,” Mothwing replied. “I left her asleep in the nursery.”