"Purdy, never scare us like that again!"

Brambleclaw hissed in exasperation.

The old cat picked himself up, blinking. "What?

There weren't no problem. And there weren't no need to go pushin' me around," he added to Brackenfur in an injured tone.

Brackenfur sighed. "Sorry."

"Always panickin', you young cats," Purdy muttered.

Hol yleaf rol ed her eyes. "This journey is going to be interesting," she whispered to Lionblaze.

Brambleclaw gathered the patrol together with a wave of his tail and set off along the edge of the Thunderpath. Soon Hol yleaf picked up the sound of many Twoleg kits, their voices shril in the crisp morning air. "What's that?" she asked, her paws tingling with suspicion.

"Nothin' to worry about," Purdy reassured her.

"You'l see."

Hol yleaf wasn't sure she could trust the old cat's judgment. Rounding the next corner, she saw a huge Twoleg nest with a wide expanse of stone on the ground al around it. A fence of narrow, shiny trees cut it off from the Thunderpath. Crowds of Twoleg kits-more Twolegs than she had ever seen together at one time-were running and yowling and throwing things at one another.

"What is this place?" she meowed curiously.

Purdy shrugged. "Dunno. They come here most days."

Hol yleaf's bel y clenched with shock as the old cat trotted up to the fence and stuck his nose through a gap. At once several of the Twoleg kits ran up to him, stretching out their hands.

"What's he doing?" Brackenfur muttered. "Purdy!"

Purdy took no notice. The Twoleg kits were reaching through the fence to stroke him; his purr was loud enough to reach the rest of the patrol where they stood a few tail-lengths away.

"Remember, he used to be a kittypet," Birchfal murmured. "It must make him act weird sometimes."

Brambleclaw said nothing, just twitched his tail to guide the patrol past the shiny fence at a safe distance. They waited for Purdy a few fox-lengths down, alongside the Thunderpath. As they padded past, Hol yleaf noticed one of the kits pul something out of its pelt and hold it out to Purdy, who licked it up enthusiastical y.

Has he no sense?

Eventual y a harsh clanging sounded from inside the Twoleg den, and al the kits ran over toward it and stood in a line to go through the entrance. Purdy turned away and came bounding up to the patrol.

"What're you al starin' at?" he demanded, puffing.

"Purdy, was that a good idea?" Brambleclaw asked. Hol yleaf could tel he was trying to keep irritation out of his voice. "What did that kit feed you?"

"Dunno." Purdy's eyes gleamed as he swiped his tongue around his jaws. "It was real tasty, though."

Brambleclaw sighed. "Right, let's go."

A little farther on, the Twoleg dens became more widely spaced; then they stopped altogether as woodland took over on either side of the Thunderpath. Relief flooded through Hol yleaf from ears to tail-tip as Brambleclaw veered away from the Thunderpath to pad under the trees. Before they had ventured more than a couple of tail-lengths into the wood, he halted.

"This would be a good place to check our direction," he meowed. "Who feels like climbing a tree?"

"I wil !" Lionblaze offered instantly.

"No, I wil ," Hazeltail argued. "I'm lighter. I can get up higher."

Brambleclaw nodded. "Okay, Hazeltail."

Lionblaze looked disgruntled while Hazeltail leaped up the trunk of the nearest tree, digging her claws into the bark. Hol yleaf's heart thumped as she watched her friend clambering through the leafless branches, higher and higher, until she reached the top of the tree and clung there, swaying in the breeze. Hol yleaf couldn't stop thinking about how Cinderheart had fal en, back in the forest, and injured her leg.

What do we do if Hazeltail is hurt, when we have so far to go?

But a few heartbeats later, Hazeltail began to scramble down; soon she reached the lowest branch and jumped down beside her Clanmates.

"I could see so far!" she exclaimed.

"Are we on the right track?" Brambleclaw asked.

"Are we on the right track?" Brambleclaw asked.

"Yes!" Hazeltail's fur was fluffed up with excitement. "I couldn't see the lake, but I could tel where it is, behind WindClan's ridge. We need to go this way"-she gestured with her tail into the trees -"and we'l get there without going through any more Twolegplaces."

"That's great news." Brambleclaw gave the younger warrior an approving nod. "Wel done, Hazeltail."

Hazeltail's eyes shone with pride as the patrol set off again. Now that the path was wider, Hol yleaf noticed that Brackenfur and Birchfal were walking one on each side of Sol.

The loner glanced at each of them, his amber eyes glinting with amusement. "You don't need to put me under guard, you know," he mewed. "I'm not going to run away."

Purdy halted, staring at Sol with a baffled look.

"Under guard? What's al that about?"

Brambleclaw was forced to halt, too; his whiskers twitched with irritation as he glanced back. "It doesn't matter. We have to keep moving."

"ThunderClan thinks I've done something," Sol replied to Purdy, ignoring Brambleclaw. "That's why they want me to go back with them."

"Wha'?" Purdy gaped. "That's fluff-brained!"

Turning to Brambleclaw, he added, "You're wrong, you know. Sol's a decent cat. He wouldn't do nothin'

bad."

Brambleclaw didn't try to explain. He just waved his tail, signaling for the patrol to continue, and almost immediately disturbed a pheasant, which came scrambling out of a clump of bracken with a raucous alarm cal . At the same moment a squirrel, obviously spooked by the pheasant, dashed out of cover and raced for the nearest tree. Springing forward, Hol yleaf intercepted it and brought it down with a swift blow of her paw.

"Neat catch!" Birchfal cal ed.

Al the patrol gathered to share the unexpected prey, and Purdy's awkward questions were pushed to the back of every cat's mind. But Hol yleaf knew he would ask again. And which one of us is going to tell him the truth?

The patrol headed on through the forest, but not long after sunhigh Hol yleaf noticed that Purdy was getting tired, stumbling and blundering into bracken or brambles. She padded beside him, trying to guide him with her tail, but it was clear that he wouldn't be able to keep going until nightfal .

Sprinting ahead, Hol yleaf caught up to Brambleclaw. "It's Purdy," she mewed. "He's so tired. What are we going to do?"

Brambleclaw glanced back. "Mouse dung! We can't just leave him here." Clearly the Clan deputy was regretting that he had asked Purdy to join them.

"Okay, we'l stop soon," he decided. "Do what you can to help him, Hol yleaf."

"Sure." Hol yleaf waited for Purdy to stagger up to her, then padded beside him again. "Do you want to lean on my shoulder?" she offered.

Purdy glared at her. "You think I can't manage on my own? Jumped-up young whippersnapper!"

"Sorry." Hol yleaf guessed he was angry because he knew he needed help, but pride wouldn't let him accept it. She fel back a couple of paw steps so she could keep an eye on him, and was relieved when Brambleclaw cal ed a halt.

"So soon?" Lionblaze asked, gazing up at where the sun stil angled through the trees. "We could go a lot farther before it gets dark."

"I know," Brambleclaw meowed, with a glance at Purdy. "But we al had a tough time in the Twolegplace, and we need to hunt and rest. There should be plenty of prey here."

The place Brambleclaw had chosen to stop was a smal clearing among huge oak trees. Dead leaves covered the ground. At one side, a tiny spring trickled between moss-covered stones into a pool.

Purdy stumbled over to it, took a few laps of water, and flopped down in a rumpled heap. Heartbeats later, loud snores came from him.

Sol padded across to a sunny patch of ground and sat down with his tail curled around his front paws. His amber eyes glowed in the golden light. He clearly had no intention of hunting for himself.

Hol yleaf headed into the undergrowth. The scents were strong, and she soon caught a mouse and a thrush. Maybe it's not a bad idea to stop early, she thought as she kicked earth over her fresh-kil . It's warmer now, so the prey is out and about.

When she had added another mouse to her catch she hurried back to the clearing to find that her Clanmates were already building a fresh-kil pile near the pool.

near the pool.

Birchfal dragged up a huge rabbit, his tail raised proudly. "There are more over there." He gestured with his tail. "We'l eat wel tonight."

Dropping a mouse and the thrush onto the pile, Hol yleaf took the other mouse over to Purdy and prodded him awake.

The old tabby gave a startled snort, looking around wildly. "What is it? Foxes? Let me get at 'em!"

"It's okay, Purdy." Hol yleaf rested her tail on his shoulder. "I brought you a mouse."

Purdy blinked. "That's right good of you." He began devouring the mouse in famished gulps, then stopped and moved back awkwardly. "Here-you have some, too."

"No, it's for you," Hol yleaf mewed. How long has it been since Purdy had a decent meal? "There's plenty more."

When al the cats had eaten-Brambleclaw made sure Sol was given a share of the catch-they settled down to sleep among the trees. By now the sun had gone and twilight was gathering. A cold breeze clattered the bare branches.

Hol yleaf noticed that Purdy was shivering. She beckoned Hazeltail over with a wave of her tail.

"Purdy real y can't look after himself," she murmured into her Clanmate's ear. "Let's sleep beside him and keep him warm."

"Okay," Hazeltail mewed, though she looked doubtful. "I hope he hasn't got fleas."

I'm sure he's got fleas, Hol yleaf thought, as she and Hazeltail clawed together a heap of dry leaves to make a nest. And ticks. We'll have to give him a good going-over with mouse bile before we let him go anywhere near Mousefur!

When Hol yleaf woke, it was stil dark. She could just make out the trace of bare branches against the sky, but stars stil glittered overhead. Purdy was snoring louder than ever, and Hazeltail was curled up beside him with her tail wrapped over her ears.

Hol yleaf knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Very quietly, so as not to disturb any cat, she rose to her paws and peered around, blinking to clear her bleary eyes. Brambleclaw, Brackenfur, and Birchfal had al made nests close together on the other side of the pool. Al three of them were sleeping peaceful y; Birchfal 's tail twitched as if he was dreaming.

Three cats...not four...Sol's gone! Hol yleaf swept her gaze around the clearing, but there was no sign of the distinctive tortoiseshel -and-white pelt.

Tasting the air, she picked up his scent; it was stil fresh, but faint.

Hol yleaf's first impulse was to wake Brambleclaw. But some inner command sent her paws in the other direction, fol owing the wispy thread of Sol's scent. She padded as silently as she could through the trees, flinching as her paws crunched in the brittle leaves. She soon began to hear the sound of running water. It grew louder until she came to a spot where the trees thinned out a little, and the ground fel away to where a stream gurgled along over stones. Sol was sitting at the top of the slope, his back to her, his gaze fixed on the paling stars.

"Do you stil think they hold al the answers, Hol yleaf?" he asked without turning his head.

Every hair on Hol yleaf's pelt rose, until she realized that she was standing upwind of the stream and Sol must have scented her approach. "I...I don't know," she replied. "I don't know anything anymore."

Now Sol turned to her, his amber eyes blinking sympathetical y. "Why is that?"

Hol yleaf sighed. "Everything was so much easier when I could trust what other cats said." Even as she spoke, she couldn't believe she was tel ing this to any cat. She hadn't even shared her doubts with her littermates.

"You must learn to trust yourself, Hol yleaf," Sol meowed, in the deep, rich voice that seemed to inspire confidence. "Only you know what is right."

"I get so confused sometimes." Hol yleaf's voice shook. "I don't want to have to decide everything on my own."

"It gets easier, little one." Sol rose to his paws.

"Come on, let's go back to the others."

Hol yleaf's bel y churned as she fol owed Sol back to the clearing. He almost destroyed ShadowClan!

Every cat thinks he killed Ashfur! So why do I feel that I can trust him with my life?

When they reached the clearing, the rest of the patrol were stirring. Brambleclaw looked up from grooming his pelt, a surprised expression in his amber eyes. But al he said was, "I wondered where you'd got to," as he padded over to check on Purdy.

The old tabby heaved himself out of his nest. "I'm fit as a squirrel," he insisted, shaking dead leaves from his back. "No need for you youngsters to be fussin'."

After they had finished up the previous night's fresh-kil , the cats set out again. Passing the place where she had met Sol, Hol yleaf realized they were coming to the edge of the woods. Soon they stood beneath the forest's outermost trees, gazing across fields dotted with gray-white puffs that Hol yleaf realized were sheep.

"I don't like this," Purdy grumbled as they crossed the fields, giving the sheep a suspicious glance.

"What are them creatures, anyway?"

"Sheep, Purdy," Hol yleaf replied, padding beside him. "Didn't they have any on that farm where we met you last time?"

Purdy sniffed. "Never seen 'em before." He jumped, fur fluffing up, as one of the sheep ambled away from the others and trotted closer to the cats.

"Quick-run!"

"It's okay," Hol yleaf mewed; the sheep halted and began to crop a new patch of grass. "They're not taking any notice of us."

"There's too much...space around here," Purdy complained, flattening himself to the ground. "No trees. No Upwalkers-Twolegs, you cal 'em."