“Slow down!” The ghost’s fur shimmered among the stems. Alarm edged its mew.
“I’ve got to get out of here.” Blood roared in Rootpaw’s ears. He could hardly breathe beneath this dusty bush. Why had he agreed to such a dangerous mission? You’ll be okay, he told himself. You’re not trying to hurt any cat. This isn’t your fault. He saw open forest and made for it. As he hauled himself out, relief swept through him. He gulped in fresh air.
“Wait!” The ghost’s cry rang in his ears as sharp, strong ThunderClan scent bathed his tongue.
“What are you doing here?” He heard Molewhisker’s mew, his pelt spiking as he jerked around and found himself facing a ThunderClan patrol. Bristlefrost, Finleap, and Molewhisker were staring at him with wide, round eyes.
Molewhisker flattened his ears. Finleap’s pelt bristled with hostility. As Bristlefrost blinked at him, Rootpaw shrank away, his heart sinking like a stone in his chest. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. He hadn’t even made it to the ThunderClan camp. He stared helplessly at Mousewhisker, feeling Bristlefrost’s gaze burning his pelt. He looked around quickly for Bramblestar’s ghost but saw nothing. Turning back to Molewhisker, he tried to stop himself from shaking. “I’m sorry,” he mewed.
Molewhisker glanced at Bristlefrost, accusation flashing in his eyes. “Did you know he was coming?”
Bristlefrost stiffened. “No! I’d never break the code like that.”
Molewhisker nodded curtly and looked back at Rootpaw. The anger in his gaze made Rootpaw’s pads prick with fear. “We’d better take you to Bramblestar,” the ThunderClan warrior growled. “You can explain to him what you’re doing on our land.” He nudged Rootpaw forward roughly.
Rootpaw padded stiffly ahead, aware of the eyes of the ThunderClan patrol burning into his pelt as they fanned out around him. Dread gripped his belly. Why had he listened to his father and the ghost? They weren’t the ones who’d have to face Bramblestar. He forced himself not to tremble, suddenly aware that he’d made a terrible mistake.
Chapter 11
Bristlefrost followed Molewhisker and Finleap as her Clanmates escorted Rootpaw toward camp. Her pelt rippled uneasily along her spine. She didn’t want to walk too close to the SkyClan apprentice in case they thought she’d had something to do with his sudden appearance on ThunderClan territory. Why in StarClan had he come? It had been uncomfortable enough last time, when Leafstar had allowed him to bring her prey as thanks for saving him from the lake. Bristlefrost had hoped that would be the last time he’d do anything so mouse-brained, but clearly his crush on her was worse than she’d thought. Her ears twitched self-consciously. She liked him, he was nice enough, but they were from different Clans. And he was only an apprentice. She could never have any special feelings for him.
She fluffed out her fur. What would Bramblestar say? He’d been trying to stop the Clans from breaking the warrior code, and Rootpaw had broken one of the most important rules of all. This was ThunderClan land. He shouldn’t be here. She hoped with an anxious shiver that Bramblestar wouldn’t jump to the same conclusion as Molewhisker and assume that she’d asked him to meet her here.
No cat spoke as the patrol neared the camp entrance. Rootpaw’s tail was bushed, and she guessed he was scared. She hoped he had a good reason for being here. As she slid through the shadowy entrance tunnel and emerged into sunshine, Bramblestar got up from where he’d been lying beneath the Highledge. Squirrelflight was beside him, her tail flicking absently until she saw the patrol. Then she leaped to her paws, her gaze brightening with interest. She followed Bramblestar as he crossed the clearing and stopped in front of the patrol.
The ThunderClan leader’s gaze flitted over Rootpaw before settling on Molewhisker. “What is he doing here?” His mew was sharp with anger.
“He won’t say.” Molewhisker told the ThunderClan leader. “Bristlefrost knows him better than I do.” He looked pointedly at Bristlefrost. “Perhaps she can explain.”
This has nothing to do with me! Her heart quickened as Squirrelflight padded closer, narrowing her eyes. Around the camp, ThunderClan warriors turned to watch, their gazes flashing with curiosity. Outside the elders’ den Cloudtail and Brackenfur exchanged glances. Fernsong padded from a patch of long grass, while Spotfur looked up from the mouse she’d been eating beside the rock tumble.
Bristlefrost lifted her chin defensively. “I don’t know why he’s here,” she told Bramblestar. “He was hiding under a bramble near our camp.”
“By trespassing on our territory, he’s broken the code.” Bramblestar’s eyes flashed dangerously. “If we want StarClan to come back, the code must be followed exactly!”
Rootpaw seemed to shrink beneath his pelt.
Say something! She wished Rootpaw would defend himself. He must have a reason for coming here. “He’s just an apprentice,” she mewed, hoping Bramblestar would go easy on him. “He probably just made a mistake.”
Bramblestar’s ears flattened. “It’s a long way to come for a mistake.”
Squirrelflight whisked her tail. “Why don’t we try asking?”
Rootpaw suddenly straightened and turned his head as though he’d just spotted prey beside him. He pricked his ears, his attention focused on the empty air. Had he forgotten where he was? Didn’t he realize Bramblestar was expecting an explanation?
“Well?” Bramblestar glared at the SkyClan apprentice. “What are you doing on my land?”
Rootpaw jerked his muzzle toward the ThunderClan leader, but Bristlefrost couldn’t help noticing that his ears were still turned toward the patch of empty air, as though he were listening for something. He hesitated, staring distractedly at Bramblestar while above the camp a starling’s call rang in the silence.
Bramblestar shifted his paws, his gaze growing darker.
At last, Rootpaw seemed to focus. “I thought I smelled rogues on the edge of our border. I was worried they might cause trouble.” He didn’t take his gaze from Bramblestar. Bristlefrost frowned. What was he going on about? Why did rogues on SkyClan’s border mean he had to visit ThunderClan? Bramblestar was never going to believe such a vague story. Rootpaw pressed on. “It’s not long since you helped chase off that group of she-cats . . .” He hesitated, frowning. “What were they called? I can’t remember the name.”
Bristlefrost’s tail twitched uneasily. The Sisters! How could any cat forget their name? Especially Rootpaw! They’d lived in his camp after the battle.
Rootpaw was staring expectantly at Bramblestar. “Were they called the Queens?” He blinked at the ThunderClan leader. It sounded like he was testing him, Bristlefrost realized. “Was that the name? Their leader was called Moonlight. . . .”
“What in StarClan are you babbling on about?” Bramblestar growled.
Rootpaw’s fur prickled. “I was just trying to remember the name of those cats—”
“What does that have to do with your being on ThunderClan territory?”
“I—I just thought you’d know since . . .” Rootpaw’s mew trailed away as Bramblestar stared at the SkyClan apprentice, his dark gaze glittering with fury.
Squirrelflight blinked at Bramblestar in surprise. “Surely you remember, Bramblestar.”
Bristlefrost shifted her paws. It did seem strange that Bramblestar had forgotten. Squirrelflight’s support of the Sisters had caused such a rift between her and Bramblestar that the whole Clan had felt the strain.
“I can’t remember everything that happens!” Bramblestar snapped. He turned back to Rootpaw. “You’re living on their land. If you can’t remember their name, why should I?”