With a wave of his tail, Brambleclaw jumped onto a rocky outcrop and instantly disappeared under the edge of the cliff.

“Where did he go?” Birchfall asked, bewildered.

Lionblaze spotted the deputy’s amber eyes glowing from the shadows at the bottom of the cliff.

“Come on!” Brambleclaw called.

Reluctantly the rest of the patrol followed him beneath the jagged, teethlike rocks and into a low-roofed cave. Lionblaze gazed around at the pale sandy walls and the floor strewn with large, smooth stones. High above them, gray light slanted down from a small hole in the roof.

“Is that where you fell?” Lionblaze guessed, remembering how Brambleclaw had said he first found Midnight.

Brambleclaw nodded. “The cave was full of water, and I nearly drowned. Your mother saved my life.”

A cold pang swept through Lionblaze, harsh as the booming water outside. She’s not my mother. The words almost forced themselves out of his jaws, but he bit them back. If Brambleclaw didn’t know, this wasn’t the place to tell him.

Hollyleaf hadn’t heard the exchange between Lionblaze and Brambleclaw. She was sniffing curiously around the cave, padding over to where the floor sloped upward at the back, turning soft and sandy. Some branches were tucked in it at the top.

“What are those doing there?” Hollyleaf asked.

“This is Midnight’s den,” Brambleclaw explained.

For the first time Lionblaze noticed the scent of badger underlying the smell of the water. His neck fur bristled, but he made himself relax. The scent was stale, and besides, Brambleclaw had told them that Midnight was friendly to cats.

“Will she come and find us?” Hazeltail mewed nervously.

“I hope she does,” Hollyleaf replied. “Jayfeather told us all about her. She knows so much.”

Her green eyes flashed at Lionblaze from the shadows. Is that what she really wants? he wondered. Does she think Midnight can tell us who our parents are?

“Midnight isn’t here.” Brambleclaw sounded disappointed. “And her scent is stale, so there’s no point in waiting for her. She’s been gone for several days. We’d better get back.”

When they emerged from the cave, the water had risen even farther up the shore. A wave crashed onto the rocks and licked over the pebbles; Lionblaze jumped back as water swirled around his paws before retreating with a rattling hiss.

“Back to the gully, quickly,” Brambleclaw ordered.

He took the lead as the patrol scrambled back across the rocks. Lionblaze staggered as water foamed around him as high as his belly fur, but he managed to stay on his paws and drag himself to safety, up the steep slope of the gully where Brambleclaw and Hazeltail had already taken refuge. Hollyleaf dragged herself after him, her black pelt soaked and flattened to her sides from the spray.

“I hate this place!” she spat as she tried to shake herself dry. “Midnight must be mouse-brained to live here.”

A sharp cry of alarm cut through her words. As Birchfall tried to leap up into the gully, a huge wave crashed over him. Hollyleaf stretched out a paw, but before she could grab him, the wave swept him back out of reach. Lionblaze caught a glimpse of him struggling in the gray water, his jaws wide in a yowl of terror, before his head went under.