“Brambleclaw, you know the way to the sun-drown-place,” Firestar announced. “You’ll lead the patrol. Brackenfur, Hazeltail, and Birchfall can go with you.”

Lionblaze spotted Birchfall giving Whitewing a regretful look and leaning over to lick her ear. He guessed that Birchfall didn’t want to leave his mate when she was so close to giving birth to her kits.

“This could be dangerous,” Brambleclaw meowed to Firestar. “It might be better to have one or two more cats.”

“True.” The Clan leader glanced around. “Lionblaze and Hollyleaf, then. You can leave at dawn.”

Lionblaze glanced at his sister; Hollyleaf’s neck fur was standing on end and her green eyes glittered, but whether it was from fear or excitement, he couldn’t tell.

Hazeltail leaped to her paws and padded across to Hollyleaf. “Isn’t this great?” she mewed. “We’re really going to do something to help our Clan.”

Hollyleaf flicked her ears; Lionblaze couldn’t hear what she said in reply. The rest of the Clan were crowding around the chosen cats, congratulating them and offering advice. Every other cat seemed fired up to track down and destroy a murderer; he was the only one reluctant to avenge Ashfur’s death.

A few moments before, he had been relieved that suspicion had moved away from ThunderClan. But laying the blame at Sol’s paws was no better. He didn’t want to be reminded of the Clan cats’ instinctive mistrust of outsiders, of cats who weren’t Clanborn.

What if I’m a rogue, too? Will they all turn against me?

CHAPTER 3

Jayfeather sat still while the rest of the Clan swirled around him, buzzing with tension and excitement.

“I’m scared.” Jayfeather recognized Bumblekit’s voice close by. “What if Sol comes into the camp and gets us?”

Jayfeather heard the rasp of a tongue, and pictured Millie giving her son a comforting lick. “Sol is far away, little one,” she murmured.

“And there are big, strong warriors here to guard us,” Daisy added. “Do you think that your father would let any cat lay a claw on you?”

Bumblekit’s tone brightened. “No! Graystripe is the best!”

Jayfeather wished he could be reassured as easily as the kit. He knew bad times were coming. Fear, suspicion, and accusation crashed over him from all sides, as if his Clanmates were hurling rocks at him. He felt sick and dizzy, and the ground under his paws didn’t seem solid anymore.

Beside him, he heard Mousefur heaving herself to her paws with a gusty sigh. “If Ashfur’s killer meant to stir up trouble, mission accomplished. That cat has stuck a nose into a nest of bees by taking one of our warriors.”

And that cat will get stung. But Jayfeather didn’t want to think about what might happen to Ashfur’s murderer.

He picked out Lionblaze from the mingled scents of ThunderClan cats, but his brother didn’t slow down as he padded past.

“So you’re going to find Sol,” Jayfeather called to him.