Lily spent a long time searching for the forest. Few cats even knew of its existence, and those who did were hesitant to point her in the right direction. It was hard to get food when she was on the run, and it was dangerous to sleep out in the open. But one day, her efforts finally paid off. She met an elderly tom that knew where the forest was, and told her exactly where to go.

It was everything she had expected, and more. Thick trees in some areas sheltered the forest, while it was clear moorland in others, dark and swampy in some parts, and there was even a river. Not that Lily got much chance to see any of this. Any cat that spotted her chased her away, driving her from the wooded areas to the swampy places and then back again.

Lily found that it was easiest to hide where there were the most trees, for the undergrowth helped her to hide herself. There was plenty of prey there as well, more than the rabbits on the moor. Even when she saw a cat in the sheltered areas, she could sometimes escape notice.

But it was very dangerous to keep going on like this. There was nowhere to spend the night safely, and each time she was chased away, the cats came closer and closer to catching her. She needed to try to join a Clan, and quite fast. Otherwise she'd need to find another place to live.

One day, in the area with the most trees, she paused to hunt. She'd been on the run for a while, and she needed to rest and eat. But as she was eating the mouse that she had caught, someone else began to chase her.

The tom had red fur and bright blue eyes, and the resemblance between him and Cedar was incredible. He was strong and handsome, just like Cedar had been. And although he didn't look at her with the same loving gaze as her father had, Lily couldn't bring herself to run from him.

The tom froze as well, surprised by the look in her eyes. Instead of running, Lily was frozen in place. Although his pelt was bristling, he didn't seem to scare her at all. He was puzzled by this, but at the same time, he was beginning to see how beautiful the mysterious cat was.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked, trying to make the loner understand him. He was still a young warrior, and he wondered if he would have any chance of beating her. He could see the muscles rippling beneath her pelt, although she looked horribly hungry.

Lily stared at him for a moment longer, trying to decide what to do. Finally, she meowed, "What is your name?"

The Clan cat paused, uncertain. Would letting this cat know his name really make much of a difference? "It's Redtail," he finally said. "And yours?"

"Lily," Lily replied. "You… You look a lot like a cat I know."

Redtail nodded, still puzzled. "What are you doing here?" he repeated, trying to make himself look fierce. "This is ThunderClan territory. You shouldn't be here."

"ThunderClan," Lily murmured, the word feeling strange on her lips. "I come from the twolegplace," she explained. "I… My mother died, and I didn't have anywhere to live. So I came here, and I wanted to see if there would be somewhere I could live."

"All the forest is controlled by the Clans," Redtail told her. "I'm afraid there's nowhere for you to go here. You might be able to find a home somewhere else, but not here. I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave."

"I know," Lily said, nodding a bit sadly. "But… Well, I was actually going to try to try to join a Clan," she admitted.

Redtail couldn't help but smile. Obviously Lily had been telling the truth; she wasn't from around here. "Clans don't accept outsiders," he told her. "I'm sorry but, it doesn't look like you'd be able to."

Lily sighed, shaking her head. "Back to square one," she muttered.

Redtail paused, considering his idea. Then, finally, he looked at her. "I think that I could find you somewhere to stay for a few nights. Only to rest and eat, of course…"

Lily smiled. "Thank you."