“Why should there be any trouble?” Hazeltail asked, puzzled. “We’re allowed to walk beside the lake, aren’t we?”

Before Hollyleaf could respond, a gray she-cat appeared at the top of the bank and padded down toward the patrol.

“Ashfoot!” Brambleclaw relaxed. “Greetings.”

“Greetings, Brambleclaw.” The WindClan deputy dipped her head as she reached the group of ThunderClan cats. “I wondered if you would go looking for Sol. That is why you’re here, isn’t it?”

Brambleclaw nodded. “Whether or not he killed Ashfur, he has questions to answer.”

“Then I’ve something to show you,” Ashfoot meowed. “Follow me.”

She led the way along the edge of the lake until they reached the Twoleg fence around the horseplace; the mesh shone like a huge cobweb in the strengthening daylight.

“There.” Ashfur flicked her ears toward a rough place on the mesh where a long, silky strand of reddish fur was caught.

Brambleclaw padded up to it and sniffed it, then turned to the patrol with his amber eyes wide. “Sol.”

Hollyleaf’s heart pounded harder in her chest. The evidence of Sol’s presence brought his memory back to her more strongly than ever. He had seemed to know so much, had prophesied so much…and yet he had turned out to be a traitor.

“Then he went this way!” Brackenfur exclaimed, his eyes gleaming. “We’re on the right track.”

“The scent’s stale,” Brambleclaw warned, “but not that old. Sol certainly passed this place not many sunrises ago.”

Ashfoot took a pace back, toward her own territory. “Good-bye, then, and good luck.”

“Thanks, Ashfoot,” Brambleclaw responded. “You’ve helped us a lot—what made you do it?”

Ashfoot twitched her ears. “I want my own Clan to be safe. Sol must be dealt with before he causes more trouble.” Without waiting for a reply, she padded back up the bank and disappeared over the shoulder of the hill.

“Or else she wants us to stop blaming WindClan,” Birchfall muttered as soon as she was out of earshot.

“That may be,” Brambleclaw mewed. “But we don’t need to bother about that now. All of you, get a good sniff of this fur, and fix the scent in your minds. Then we can be on our way.”

Sliding under the Twoleg fence, he led the way across the field. The ground was hard as stone, and the grass crunched underneath their paws. Their route led them close to the wooden horse nests. Hollyleaf felt her neck fur begin to bristle as she caught the scents of Twoleg and dog, but nothing moved and there was no sound.

She expected Brambleclaw to pass by quickly, but instead he halted at the entrance to the horse nest. “Why are we stopping?” she asked.

“We won’t stay long,” Brambleclaw replied, “but there are some cats here I want Hazeltail to meet. Hello!” he called softly through the opening.

Hazeltail looked up, puzzled, but before she could speak, two cats appeared from the shadows. In the lead was a muscular gray-and-white tom, with a smaller, paler she-cat just behind him.