Pride warmed Bristlefrost’s pelt. StarClan would be pleased to see ThunderClan working so hard. She wondered if they were watching.
“Bristlefrost!” Finleap called to her. He nodded to a thick bramble snaking past him. Stormcloud was already tugging it with his teeth. “Help us with this one.”
Bristlefrost hurried to join them and grasped the stem carefully between her teeth.
“Pull!” Finleap grabbed it farther along, and together they tugged until, with a jerk, it came away from its root.
As it snapped, pain pierced Bristlefrost’s lip. As Stormcloud dragged the stem to the pile, she sat up, licking blood where a thorn had spiked her. Finleap glanced up at the Highledge.
“Every cat’s working except our leader,” he muttered.
Bristlefrost glanced sharply at the brown tom. Was he criticizing Bramblestar?
Outside the elders’ den, Jayfeather pricked his ears. The blind medicine cat was rubbing goldenrod pulp into Cloudtail’s hind leg to ease an ache. “Perhaps he forgot he was a warrior when he died,” he mewed sourly.
Cloudtail’s eyes glittered nervously. “Careful what you say.” He glanced toward Finleap. “Bramblestar hasn’t been in the best of moods since he lost a life.”
Across the clearing, Lionblaze snorted. “That’s an understatement. I’ve never seen him act like this before. I hope he’s okay.”
“Of course he’s okay.” Stormcloud dropped the bramble stem onto the pile. “Losing a life must be hard, that’s all. We can’t imagine what it’s like.”
Bristlefrost blinked gratefully at the gray tabby. “He just wants us to be the best warriors we can be.” She looked at Finleap. “So StarClan will come back.”
Finleap shrugged. “Bramblestar’s always wanted us to be the best warriors we can be. He’s just going about it in a funny way these days.” He turned and began to tug another bramble stem.
Bristlefrost’s pelt prickled uneasily. Surely Finleap shouldn’t question his leader. StarClan had given Bramblestar nine lives. Wasn’t arguing with him like arguing with StarClan? And since StarClan was still silent, shouldn’t they listen to Bramblestar even more?
On the Highledge, ginger fur rippled at the entrance to Bramblestar’s den. Lionblaze turned quickly back to his work as Squirrelflight padded out and leaped down the rock tumble. She stopped in the clearing and looked around the camp. “Good work, every cat.” As her Clanmates turned to listen, she glanced at the empty fresh-kill pile. “I want two more patrols to go hunting, and another to check the SkyClan border.”
“I’ll go.” Stormcloud hurried toward her.
“Me too.” Ivypool padded from the warriors’ den, Fernsong at her heels.
“I’d be happy to go,” the yellow tom mewed eagerly.
Bristlefrost was pleased to see ThunderClan so keen to support Squirrelflight.
“Happy to go where?” Bramblestar slid out of his den. Fernsong stiffened as the ThunderClan leader leaped from the Highledge and crossed to Squirrelflight’s side.
“Hunting,” Fernsong told him.
“Checking the border,” Ivypool chimed. “Squirrelflight wants to send three more patrols out.”
Bramblestar’s eyes rounded as he looked at Squirrelflight. “Are you organizing patrols again?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I thought we were letting Bristlefrost deal with that.”
Bristlefrost looked up, surprised. Did Bramblestar want her to organize all the patrols? She could if he wanted. As she padded forward to offer, Squirrelflight swished her tail. “Bristlefrost already has enough to do,” she told Bramblestar.
“Then let some cat else organize it,” Bramblestar mewed.
“It’s my responsibility,” Squirrelflight insisted.
“The Clan doesn’t need you to fuss over it like a mother bird,” Bramblestar told her. “A well-run Clan runs itself. Your duty is to support me, your leader.” He gazed into her eyes. “And your mate.”
Squirrelflight’s pelt ruffled along her spine. “I can’t spend every moment cooped up in our den like an elder.”
“What’s the point in being leader and deputy if we have to spend every moment organizing patrols?” Bramblestar’s ears twitched.
Squirrelflight’s gaze hardened. “Our Clan is part of us,” she snapped. “And we’re part of it. Organizing patrols is the least we should do.”
Bristlefrost’s chest tightened as she saw fury flash in Bramblestar’s eyes. It was not so long ago that he and Squirrelflight had had serious disagreements over how to deal with the Sisters, a group of she-cats who’d settled in unclaimed territory that she was scouting as a possible new home for SkyClan. The whole Clan had been worried that their leader and deputy would never recover.
But now Bramblestar’s fury vanished as quickly as it had come, and he dipped his head politely. “I know you worry about our Clanmates,” he mewed smoothly. “But you should have more faith in them. And you really shouldn’t wear yourself out unnecessarily. You went out on two patrols yesterday, and one the day before that. From now on, I want you to stay in camp with me. Leave patrolling to your Clanmates.”
Squirrelflight bristled. “But I like going on patrol. Being a warrior isn’t a chore; it’s an honor. I enjoy it.” She looked at him as though for a moment she didn’t recognize him. “You used to feel the same way.”
“I haven’t changed,” he told her. “But I know now that there are more important things in life than patrolling.”
“The less we do,” Squirrelflight told him, “the more our Clanmates have to do.”
“So?” Bramblestar looked puzzled. “If being a warrior is an honor, let them enjoy it. From now on, spend more time in camp with me.”
Squirrelflight stared at him wordlessly, her tail twitching.
Bramblestar shrugged. “You’d better get used to it.”
As Bramblestar turned away, the camp entrance rattled. Berrynose and Poppyfrost led Cinderheart, Finchpaw, and Rosepetal into camp. Each warrior held prey in their jaws. They carried it to the empty fresh-kill pile and laid it down.
Cloudtail’s eyes lit up eagerly. “At last,” he mewed. “I’m starving.” He began to get to his paws.
Bramblestar narrowed his eyes. “Wait.” He nodded toward the elder.
Bristlefrost pricked her ears. Bramblestar was looking thoughtful. Did he have an idea?
“Elders must wait for their prey.” Bramblestar swung his gaze around the Clan.
Lionblaze frowned, looking puzzled. Thornclaw, who had just dropped a fat thrush on the pile, looked up, his fur prickling uneasily. Around the clearing, the Clan cats exchanged glances.
“Why should the elders wait?” Blossomfall stepped forward, looking from Bramblestar to Cloudtail and back. “The code says that queens and elders must eat before warriors, as a show of respect.”
“Before warriors, maybe.” Bramblestar gazed steadily at the she-cat. “But it says nothing about leaders.”
Bristlefrost saw Lionblaze’s claws curl into the ground.
“Are you saying that you should eat before elders and queens?” The golden warrior looked directly at Bramblestar, a challenge in his eyes.
Bramblestar stared back. “Not just me,” he mewed. “The deputy too.” He moved closer to Squirrelflight, who seemed to flinch.
Her gaze flitted uncertainly around her Clanmates. “Bramblestar. I don’t—”
Bramblestar didn’t let her finish. “What good is it to give the best prey to our weakest Clanmates?” His gaze was still fixed on Lionblaze. “If we’re under attack, will our elders protect the Clan?”
Thornclaw stared at the ThunderClan leader as though he couldn’t believe his ears. Lionblaze’s eyes narrowed ominously as Bramblestar went on.
“They will be the ones who need help, and who will help them? Warriors. And who will lead them against whatever hardship or enemy we might face?” He looked around, as though challenging his Clanmates to answer.