Jayfeather turned to face him. "Leafpool is our mother."

He sensed shock like a bolt of lightning flashing through his brother. "I don't believe it!" Lionblaze gasped. "She's a medicine cat. It's impossible!"

"You'd better start believing it," Jayfeather mewed bleakly. "She told me so herself. And we have to decide what we're going to do about it."

After a long search through the forest, trying to fol ow confusing traces of their sister's scent, they discovered Hol yleaf at the top of the mossy bank that sloped down toward the lake. Jayfeather sensed her tension as soon as he bounded up to her.

"Hol yleaf, we need to talk," he meowed.

"There's nothing to discuss." Hol yleaf's voice was distant. Jayfeather could tel that she hadn't turned to face him and Lionblaze. Instead she was gazing across the water as if the answers were hidden among the waves. "We have to find out who our real father is. And that wil be the end of al the secrets."

"What do you mean?" Lionblaze asked, padding up to join them. "No cat knows yet who kil ed Ashfur, not unless Sol confesses. That's one secret that the Clan won't let rest."

"Too bad." Hol yleaf's voice was dismissive, though Jayfeather detected a new surge of tension within her. "There are more important secrets than that. We must know who our father is."

"You're right," Jayfeather agreed, curiosity prickling in every hair on his pelt. "But it's not going to be that easy figuring it out on our own. Did you ask Leafpool?"

"No, and I don't think she would tel us if we did."

Jayfeather realized she was right. He couldn't imagine that Leafpool would want to tel the truth about their father now, when she had kept the secret for so many moons. Once the rest of the Clan found out what she had done-and they would find out, because Jayfeather couldn't see how the secret could be contained any longer-her life would be ruined. She wouldn't want that to happen to another cat as wel .

"Wait a moment," Lionblaze meowed. "Do we real y want to do this?"

"What do you mean, mouse-brain?" Hol yleaf hissed. "Are you going to live the rest of your life never knowing who fathered you?" Jayfeather heard her claws tearing at the moss. "Because I'm not!"

"Just think about what you're saying." Lionblaze sat down beside Jayfeather. "We never wanted the secret to come out, and now that Ashfur's dead it doesn't have to. Leafpool won't tel any cat the truth."

"I want to know!" Hol yleaf's tail lashed through the dead leaves that covered the ground.

dead leaves that covered the ground.

"But why?" Lionblaze argued. "If we keep quiet, everything wil go back to how it was before."

If you believe that, you'll believe anything, Jayfeather thought, but he said nothing.

"Haven't you realized what this means?" Lionblaze went on, his voice growing excited. "Leafpool's our mother, and Firestar is her father. We're stil part of the prophecy!"

CHAPTER 23.

Lionblaze slid out of the camp through the dirtplace tunnel and skirted the rim of the hol ow until he came to the place where he and his littermates had nearly been burned alive on the night of the storm. The grass was stil blackened, and debris from charred branches was scattered around.

Lionblaze shuddered as he remembered the leaping flames and the mad glare in Ashfur's eyes.

Above his head the moon floated in the indigo sky, waxing toward ful and surrounded by the frosty glitter of stars. No clouds blurred their light. Does that mean you approve of what I'm doing, StarClan? Lionblaze silently addressed his warrior ancestors. He had made this plan as soon as he realized that he and his littermates were stil part of the prophecy, but it had taken him another day to decide to put it into action. Whatever you think, I have to do this.

Looking down into the hol ow, he could see the thornbush where Sol was a prisoner, and Birchfal , crouched on watch just beyond the outer branches.

The thick, criss-crossing growth of the thorn hid Sol from Lionblaze's sight, but Sol's scent drifted up to him as he tasted the air.

"Right," Lionblaze whispered. "Let's go!"

Paw step by paw step, he crept down the cliff face, testing each foothold before he dared put his weight on it. He wasn't just afraid of fal ing; if he dislodged a stone, or slipped and had to scrabble to save himself, he would alert Birchfal . He froze once as he brushed against a straggling bush growing from a crack, and once when a shower of grit spurted up from under his paws and pattered down into the camp. But Birchfal didn't move.

Snoozing on watch? Lionblaze wondered.

Moons seemed to have passed before he leaped down the last fox-length to land lightly on the ground beside the bush. His legs trembled. With a swift glance toward the slumbering shape of Birchfal , he crawled underneath the branches of the thornbush.

In the dim light that filtered through the twigs, he saw Sol curled up in a mossy nest, his tail wrapped over his nose and his sides heaving with the rhythmic breathing of sleep. Lionblaze crept over to him and prodded his shoulder. Sol's eyes flew open, and for a heartbeat Lionblaze thought he saw surprise flicker in their amber depths. His jaws opened, but Lionblaze slapped his tail over the loner's muzzle before he could utter a sound.

"Quiet!"

Sol nodded, and Lionblaze took his tail away.

"I'm sorry, Lionblaze. For a moment I thought you were that snake." Sol was composed once more, his hushed voice barely reaching Lionblaze's ears.

"What can I do for you?"

"I...I need to talk to you." Now that Lionblaze had succeeded in coming face-to-face with his Clan's prisoner, it was harder than he had expected to say what he had to say. "I've found out that my mother isn't who I thought she was, and I need to figure out if it affects the prophecy."

"Good," Sol mewed softly. He sat up and began to groom moss out of his fur. "You can start by helping me get out of here."

"I-I can't do that!" Lionblaze only just remembered to keep his voice down.

"Of course you can. You must have climbed down the cliff to get here without Birchfal seeing you. You can show me the way to get back up. I didn't kil Ashfur. You know I didn't."

"As far as ThunderClan is concerned, you're the only cat it could have been," Lionblaze retorted. He wasn't sure what he thought himself. He couldn't forget how Sol had promised to help him fulfil the prophecy-and how much he needed that help now prophecy-and how much he needed that help now -but he also shrank from betraying his Clan by letting the loner escape.

"Why should I help you if you won't help me?" Sol gave Lionblaze a long look from glowing amber eyes, then calmly licked one paw and started to wash his face.

Lionblaze stared at him in frustration. I can't make him talk, but I can't show him the way out, either!

"Okay," he muttered. "I'm leaving. I can't help you escape, it would cause too much trouble."

"For you?" Sol queried.

"For my Clan," Lionblaze hissed. It was too easy to imagine what the other Clan leaders would think when they heard Sol was on the loose. They'd blame ThunderClan, that was for sure. He flattened himself to the ground so he could wriggle out under the thorn branches.

"Wait! Don't you want to know who your father is?"

Lionblaze stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "You know that?"

"Of course." Sol passed his paw over one ear.

"So who is he?" Lionblaze asked, his bel y churning.

Sol's eyes glinted with amusement. "Nothing for nothing, Lionblaze. I'l tel you the truth when you get me out of here."

"And how do I know I can trust you?" The words came out louder than Lionblaze had intended; he froze as a scuffling sound came from outside the den.

"Sol?" Birchfal cal ed. "Are you okay?"

Sol paused, his whiskers twitching. Ants crawled through Lionblaze's pelt and he held his breath as he waited to be discovered. Firestar will strip my pelt off and throw it out for the crows!

"Sol?" Birchfal 's voice came again, sounding more anxious.

"I'm fine, Birchfal ," the loner replied. "Just talking to myself."

"Okay, good night."

Lionblaze relaxed as he heard Birchfal settling down again, though his pelt stil felt hot with tension.

"How do you know you can trust me?" Sol went on.

He sounded amused. "You don't. But knowledge is power, Lionblaze, and right now I have more knowledge than any of the Clan cats."

"Al right," Lionblaze mewed slowly. "I'l show you how to get out. But you must promise to tel me about my father...and advise me about the prophecy."

Sol dipped his head. "You have my word."

Whatever that's worth..."Okay, fol ow me,"

Lionblaze whispered. "Put your paws where I put mine. It's a tricky climb, and it'l be ten times harder because we mustn't be spotted."

He pushed his way out through the thorns with Sol hard on his paws and began to haul himself up. The cliff seemed to stretch above his head forever, and Lionblaze couldn't believe that no cat would see them splayed out against the rock in the bright moonlight. But no accusing yowls came from the clearing, and at last he pul ed himself up to the cliff top and turned to wait for Sol to join him.

The loner huffed out a breath as he hauled himself over the rim of the hol ow, then gestured with his tail for Lionblaze to fol ow him away from the edge. He halted a few fox-lengths away.

"Wel ?" Lionblaze demanded. "You're free. What about your part of the bargain?"

"Not here," Sol replied. "It's too dangerous.

Besides, if you stay away too long, some cat might notice you're missing. You should get back to the warriors' den."

"But you promised!"

"And I'l keep that promise." Sol flicked his ears in the direction of ShadowClan territory. "I'l go to that old Twoleg nest beyond the ShadowClan border, and wait for you there. Come with your littermates as soon as you can."

"Okay." Lionblaze's bel y churned with frustration.

"But you'd better be there."

Sol flicked his tail dismissively. "I wil be." Turning, he bounded off toward the ShadowClan border.

Lionblaze watched him until the undergrowth hid his blotched pelt from sight. Then he slipped down to the thorn barrier and back into the camp the same way he had left it. He hoped no cat would ask why it had taken him so long to make his dirt.

I did the right thing, he argued with himself.

Hollyleaf said we have to find out who our father is.

And even more important, Sol is the only cat who can help us fulfill the prophecy!

"Firestar! Firestar!" Birchfal 's yowl dragged Lionblaze from a deep sleep. Al around him in the warriors' den, his Clanmates were rousing.

"Is there an attack?" Brightheart's fur bristled.

"Birchfal sounds terrified!" She scrambled out of her nest and pushed her way out into the open, with Cloudtail just behind her.

"Firestar!" Birchfal 's screech sounded right outside the den.

"What's got into him?" Dustpelt grumbled, rising to his paws and shaking moss out of his fur. "Can't a cat get a decent night's sleep around here?"

More warriors were shouldering their way out, loudly demanding what was going on. Lionblaze knew exactly what was bothering Birchfal , but he realized he had to seem just as concerned as every cat. He sprang up and slid out through the branches into the gray dawn light. Shadows stil lay deep around the edges of the clearing, and the ground was dusted with frost.

Firestar was bounding down the tumbled rocks.

Birchfal raced across the clearing to meet him at the bottom.

"Firestar!" the young warrior gasped. "Sol has escaped!"

Firestar's ears flicked up. With Birchfal panting behind him, he raced over to the thornbush and thrust his head inside. More of the ThunderClan cats fol owed him, and Lionblaze crowded up with them, making sure that he left his fresh scent at the bottom of the cliff where he and Sol had begun their climb.

"He's real y gone?" Brambleclaw asked, rushing up to join his leader as Firestar backed away from the bush.

Firestar nodded.

"Hey, there are marks on the cliff!" Hazeltail stretched up with her paws to point at a spot where a couple of pebbles had been dislodged. "Sol must have escaped this way."

"Good riddance, if you ask me," Cloudtail growled, giving a single lash of his tail. "It's not like we could have kept him here forever."

There was a murmur of agreement; Lionblaze saw relief in the eyes of more than one cat.

"You're not going to track him down, are you, Firestar?" Sandstorm asked. "He's caused us enough trouble, and we could never have punished him enough for kil ing Ashfur."

"He's obviously guilty," Spiderleg put in. "He wouldn't have risked his neck climbing the cliff to escape, otherwise."

"That's true," Thornclaw meowed as Firestar looked thoughtful. "He must have been scared of what we would do to him. We sure taught him a lesson!"

Firestar took a couple of paces away from Sol's den and gazed at the cats who stood around him.

"You're right," he murmured at last. "Let's hope that Sol has learned the Clans can't be messed around with, and doesn't try to cross any more borders.