Mousewhisker jumped back, alarmed by the old tabby’s fierce protest.

“But he was seen—” Cinderheart began.

“Sol would never hurt another cat,” Purdy insisted, looming over the younger cats. “Have you all got fluff in your heads?”

“Look, Purdy,” Lionblaze began, trying to think of how he could convince the old cat.

Sandstorm interrupted him. “It’s okay, Purdy. No cat will harm Sol if he’s innocent. Come on, let me show you the fresh-kill pile.”

Mumbling something under his breath, Purdy glared at the younger warriors before allowing the ginger she-cat to lead him away.

“Phew!” Lionblaze glanced at Hollyleaf. “I thought he was going to knock me out with his dog-breath.”

Hollyleaf was more sympathetic. “Well, he’s the only one defending Sol just now. Every other cat has already decided that he’s guilty.”

Lionblaze opened his mouth to ask, What do you think? But Hollyleaf was already padding away, and the question remained unspoken. Thinking it over, Lionblaze wasn’t sure that he wanted to know the answer.

He was heading back to the warriors’ den to rest when he heard a call from Firestar, and spotted the Clan leader at the foot of the tumbled rocks, beckoning with his tail to gather his remaining warriors around him. As he padded up to the Highledge, Lionblaze thought that Firestar looked edgy; he was flexing his claws as if he wanted action but wasn’t sure what it should be.

“Leafpool,” the Clan leader began, spotting the medicine cat at the edge of the group, “do you know of any way we can be sure whether Sol killed Ashfur?”

The medicine cat shook her head.

“What about the bitemarks?” Sorreltail suggested. “Could we get Sol to bite on a leaf, and then measure his teethmarks against Ashfur’s wound?”

“Brilliant!” Firestar meowed, giving the tortoiseshell she-cat a warm look of approval. “I’ll—”

“It won’t work,” Leafpool interrupted. “Ashfur has been buried for too long.”

“There’s something else we need to think about,” Graystripe added. “Remember when ThunderClan kept Brokentail prisoner, back in the old forest? He ended up befriending Tigerclaw and attacking ThunderClan from within. We can’t trust Sol while he’s inside our camp!”

“Then we’ve got to punish him.” Birchfall lashed his tail. “We can’t let him cause any more trouble.”

“Let’s make him collect mouse bile!” Poppyfrost’s eyes gleamed; clearly she was remembering the tasks she had to do when she was an apprentice.

“We could make him hunt prey for the Clan,” Brackenfur suggested.

“But then he might escape,” Lionblaze pointed out.

“We can’t punish him until we’re sure he’s guilty,” Firestar meowed. “All we can do is wait. Leafpool, will you watch for any signs from StarClan? Surely our warrior ancestors know the truth.” He raked his claws across the ground, leaving deep marks in the wet earth. “Why haven’t they shown us something already?”

Leafpool’s expression was guarded. “StarClan will tell us what it wants us to know in its own good time.”

Firestar dipped his head, accepting what his medicine cat told him. “Then Sol will stay here under guard until we have more evidence,” he decided. With another glance at Leafpool, he added, “Until StarClan decides to help us.”