CHAPTER 30

Yellowstar put one paw after the other as Downtail's fluffy tailtip guided her through Thunder forest. Fallensnow walked in between them, seeming unsure whether she could walk next to Yellowstar in view of her former mate. For some reason, Paletuft had mysteriously disappeared as soon as they left camp… And Fallensnow had taken her place—looking shocked to find Downtail leading the patrol.

Paletuft. Yellowstar sighed inwardly. She's a clever cat. She winced at the uncomfortable looks Fallensnow was giving her. Or at least she thinks she is.

"There." Downtail pricked his ears. Four starlings pecked at seeds in the grass around the beech copse, all their attention on foraging. "Let's if we can all catch one before they scatter." Downtail, at least, was all business.

Yellowstar crept low to the ground. She had her gaze on the bird furthest on the group. Fallensnow's whiskers twitched at one in the middle, and Downtail's eyes were fixed on one to the left. The senior warrior snuck around to the other side, out of sight. Yellowstar bunched her muscles. A beech nut shifted to the left; the birds spooked and took flight, but only for a moment. Downtail flicked his tailtip from his hiding spot and the three cats pounced. Yellowstar yowled in triumph when her claws slammed down on the starling--spooking the others. The starlings called raucously and flew away.

Yellowstar's ears flattened back. Woops. The birds terror cries probably spooked any other prey nearby.

Downtail turned, empty-pawed, and gave Fallensnow a helpless, bewildered look.

" This is who you left me for?" he hissed, shaking his head. Yellowstar's eyes widened to pools. Her ears flattened. She wished, Ageless Ones above, that she could sink into the bushes and disappear.

"Downtail," Fallensnow said softly, "you knew this was a long time coming—"

"I didn't know anything," he snapped. He flicked his bushy tail and looked away. "Why don't we split up. So she doesn't spook any more prey."

"Actually, with the borders like they are, I don't think it's safe," Yellowstar began, but Downtail was already padding away toward the TallClan boundary.

"He's not taking it well," Yellowstar said to Fallensnow, "is he?"

"Honestly, Yellowstar, this was a long time coming. Our kits look up to him, they love him, but I think that's because they don't know better. They don't understand that—" She sighed, seeming lost for words. "That both parents take care of their kits, not just the mother." She lowered her voice. "Seeing Thrushflight and Redpoppy together with their kits… It makes me realize what mates are supposed to look like." She purred and rubbed up against Yellowstar. "And it reminds me of what we were like. What we still can be like." She sighed. "He's a good tom. He'll find another mate. If he's honest with himself, he knows we were never in love. We both settled."

"Hey!" Downtail came crashing through the trees toward them, sending beech nuts flying. Yellowstar's stomach dropped. Mouse dung, she thought. His fur bristled along his spine. He heard us.

"I found Frecklefang's scent at the TallClan border," he panted. "Didn't Jaggedclaw and Paletuft escort her out the back of the territory?"

"Take me to it." She followed him through the trees to the TallClan border, her necklace of prey bones swaying. She immediately forgot about their argument when she crested a short ridge and came to the river separating this part of their territory. She opened her mouth to take in the scent. The river was low here. It seemed to be coming from TallClan's side. She put a pawstep into the cold water, trying to find where the scent was coming from—

" Trespassers!"

Greenpod, Goldenstripe, and Runninghare bristled on the other side of the river, their pelts bushed and claws unsheathed.

"Settle down," said Yellowstar. "We haven't crossed the border."

"Don't think we can't smell FireClan on this side," Greenpod snapped. "It's all over the place!"

Yellowstar stepped back. "That's no warrior of mine," she said evenly. "You're smelling Frecklefang."

"A FireClan cat," said Goldenstripe, "on our side of the border."

"You are misunderstanding me. Let me explain—"

"We exiled her," Fallensnow said helpfully.

Yellowstar clenched her teeth and sighed. "Let me explain—"

"Foxhearts!" Greenpod snarled. "Trespasssers!"

" Attack!" Goldenstripe yowled.

Yellowstar only had a moment to gape at the absolute nerve of TallClan attacking a Clan leader on her side of the border before the three skinny, long-legged cats came splashing through the river toward them. Yellowstar dropped her haunches and checked that Downtail and Fallensnow were doing the same.

"Lead them into the trees," she whispered hastily. "TallClan doesn't know how to fight in cover."

Downtail nodded grimly. Fallensnow's blue eyes were wide, but she nodded, too.

Goldenstripe pelted straight for Yellowstar. Yellowstar stepped backward toward the trees; the TallClan cat caught up and swiped at Yellowstar's face. She batted Goldenstripe's claws away, snarled, and took another small step toward the forest.

"Coward," Goldenstripe hissed.

Yellowstar took yet another step back. The trees were only a tail-length away. Goldenstripe followed slowly, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. She's wondering what I'm planning.

"You look skinny, Goldenstripe. Rabbits getting to fast for TallClan?"

Goldenstripe hissed and launched at Yellowstar. Thank the Ageless Ones, Yellowstar thought, for TallClan's quick temper. She flipped on her side as Goldenstripe barreled into her; with her back legs, she shoved the cat into the treeline. She glanced at Downtail and Fallensnow to find them leading the other TallClan cats into the underbrush just as easily as Yellowstar had.

The TallClan cats glanced fearfully up at the trees swaying musically above their heads. Yellowstar, quick as a snake, flicked her tail tip to command Downtail and Fallensnow into battle—while she climbed the back of the nearest tree.

SkyClan may have fizzled out like a summer shower, but not before giving FireClan their blood… And their one special skill. Grinning, she shimmied easily up the tree trunk and onto a thick branch. Or so the legends go.

Fallensnow and Downtail fought two-on-three below her. They were holding their own, even Snow. Yellowstar's stomach twisted to watch her in danger, but the she-cat was strong and thick, and she had the territorial advantage.

Yellowstar leapt from the tree straight for Goldenstripe's back. Goldenstripe screeched in shock and pain. Yellowstar dug her claws in her scruff while she ripped at that golden pelt with her hind legs.

"Now," she hissed in the cat's ear, "will you let me speak?"

"Typical," Goldenstripe panted, "FireClan, thinking their honey-tongues will solve everything."

Yellowstar dug harder into the cat's pelt. TallClan cats were swift, but they were skinny. Goldenstripe could never hope to wriggle her way out from Yellowstar's bulk.

"Fine!" Goldenstripe hissed. "TallClan, stop!"

Greenpod and Runninghare stopped mid paw-swing and stared in shock at their pinned Clanmate.

"Goldenstripe!" Runninghare mewed.

"Just settle down," Yellowstar said evenly, "and let me speak."

Downtail spat out Greenpod's tail from between his teeth and sat back on his haunches, ears pricked.

Yellowstar let Goldenstripe up, knowing full well she'd probably prove her Clan's stereotype true and sprint away the second she could. But the golden tabby surprised her by going over to sit by her Clanmates. Her eyes were murder, but she waited for Yellowstar to speak. She was a seasoned senior warrior, Yellowstar remembered, which only made the attack more bizarre.

"The scent on your side of the border belonged to Frecklefang. Yes, we did exile her. But we had good reason."

"There's never a good reason to abandon a Clanmate," Greenpod hissed.

"She attacked a loyal Clanmate and drove her out of the Clan. Then she lied to use about it. And then she jumped on Highledge and addressed the Clan as leader."

Runninghare yelped in shock at that.

"She was a dangerous, vengeful cat. I gave her every chance. But she was a danger to the Clan."

"So you sent her to us," Goldenstripe hissed. "Very nice."

"No. We escorted her away from Clan territory. I don't know why she would have gone near your border. Goldenstripe. Where exactly was her scent?"

Goldenstripe glanced at her Clanmates, who whispered between themselves, then nodded.

"From your border," she said, "into the moors. We didn't get a chance to track it."

"Goldenstripe…" Yellowstar's tail tip twitched thoughtfully. "We can't afford to be at war with each other. Not with BlackClan how it is."

The golden tabby seemed to shrink back. "We'll leave," she said, "and forget all about this."

"No." Yellowstar straightened her prey bone necklace. "I have a better idea."

"StarClan above. Mousetails. Rabbit innards…" Goldenstripe cursed and huffed under her breath. "Wait until Lightfoot hears I let a FireClan party straight into Wind Moors…"

"We're near the path to Moonpool," Fallensnow said. "We're not really breaking any rules."

"The scent goes off-path," Runninghare said, his brown fur brushed out as he scanned the moors. "We are sort of letting you trespass."

"For the greater good," Yellowstar put in.

"Unless you're lying," Greenpod hissed. "How can we know you really exiled this Frecklefang? Could be you sent her to spy on us. So you could attack. And drive us out."

"Drive you out." Downtail scoffed. "Yeah, sounds like FireClan. Not at all like the legend of BlackClan driving TallClan from its home. No, sounds like FireClan for sure."

The TallClan cats fell silent at that. The scent of fear trickled from their pelts.

"Did Scratchface—" Yellowstar began.

"Don't," Goldenstripe snapped. "It's none of your business."

"You know," Yellowstar said casually, "if we worked together, we could take care of Scratchface right now."

"Maybe if we could find him," Runninghare said—then slammed his mouth shut.

"What do you mean?" meowed Fallensnow.

"Shut it, Hare!" Goldenstripe lashed her tail so hard Yellowstar half expected it to fall off. "Rabbit innards," she said. "I'm putting you on apprentice duties for the next season if you don't shut your jaws."

Runninghare flattened his ear and kept walking.

Interesting.

They followed Frecklefang's scent through Wind Moors. It zigzagged and backtracked over and over, but it was a cool, dry day with no rain, so they didn't lose the trail. Yellowstar was beginning to get a picture of what happened. Frecklefang was headed somewhere in TallClan territory—but she got lost and returned to familiar ground, the FireClan border, to get her bearings. And as Yellowstar, Downtail, Fallensnow, and the three TallClan cats padded across the sweeping, fragrant moors, Yellowstar had a sinking suspicion she knew just where Frecklefang was headed:

The Moonpool.