Tigerstar flattened his ears. “What if knowing who the codebreakers are causes more suffering?”
“I had to do something,” Shadowsight insisted. “I couldn’t sit by and let anything else happen to my Clanmates.”
Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. “So Jayfeather and Alderheart are going to tell Bramblestar?”
“Yes.” Shadowsight swallowed. “They have to.”
“Why aren’t you named?” Dovewing asked Tigerstar again.
Tigerstar looked at her grimly. “StarClan might accuse more cats. If they don’t, I’m sure Bramblestar will.”
Shadowsight’s heart lurched. Was this just the beginning? Would the Clans tear themselves apart with accusations? The ground seemed to tremble beneath his paws as he realized what he’d started. “I’m sorry,” he blurted. “I wanted to protect our Clan. I had to tell them about my vision.”
Tigerstar scowled at him. “No matter who it hurt?” Rage hardened his mew.
“Be kind.” Dovewing touched Tigerstar’s tail with hers. “We raised him to be honest, didn’t we?” She blinked at Shadowsight. “I told him only a few days ago to tell the truth.” Shadowsight’s heart seemed to break. His mother clearly realized that it had been her words that had encouraged him to betray her to the other medicine cats. He felt ashamed as he saw love glisten in her green gaze. “I’m proud of him,” she mewed. “And I did break the code. If StarClan wants to punish me, then I have to face up to it.” She lifted her chin, her pelt smoothing. “We must obey their word.”
Tigerstar’s pelt spiked with rage. “Look what you’ve done!” he snarled at Shadowsight. “Once the other leaders hear this, who knows where the accusations will end? What will happen to ShadowClan if they accuse me? I won’t be able to protect your mother then.”
Shadowsight straightened. Shame seemed to loosen its grip around his heart. He’d done the right thing. He was sure of it. He met his father’s gaze determinedly. “It is every warrior’s duty to be honest and loyal. You’ve always done your best for your Clan. ShadowClan is only still here because of you. No cat could accuse you”—he glanced at Dovewing—“either of you of being bad warriors.”
Dovewing pressed her flank to Tigerstar’s. “He’s right,” she murmured. “We may have broken the code, but so has nearly every warrior at some point in their lives. We have to trust StarClan to be fair.”
“But why accuse the codebreakers now?” Tigerstar blinked at her. “We’re no worse than all the warriors that have gone before us. Why should we be punished?”
“I don’t know,” Dovewing whispered. “But if I can save ShadowClan by atoning for the things that I have done, then that’s what I will do.”
Foreboding darkened the edges of Shadowsight’s thoughts. He swallowed back fear. He knew he’d been right to tell the other medicine cats, but what would happen now? Was Dovewing going to have to suffer to save her Clan? Tigerstar had a point. Why had StarClan named these cats? Why now? His heart began to quicken. StarClan, have pity. I’ve done what you wanted. He glanced at the watery dawn sky, hoping they could hear. Don’t let Dovewing suffer for my honesty.
Chapter 13
Rootpaw dragged a pile of moss across the den floor and pawed it to the edge of the clearing. Leafstar had put him on nest-cleaning duty since Dewspring and Plumwillow had escorted him from the ThunderClan camp, and he was determined to prove to that he was the best nest cleaner in the Clan. Right now he was the only one. Shaking the dust from his pelt, he headed back into the warriors’ den. Bramblestar’s ghost watched him as he began to pluck stale heather from Sagenose’s nest. He’d been working all morning and the ghost hadn’t left his side.
Rootpaw sat back on his haunches. “If you can’t help, do you have to keep hanging around?”
“What else can I do?” Bramblestar padded to the entrance and peered out. “You’re the only cat who can see me.”
Irritably, Rootpaw rubbed heather sprigs out of his whiskers. His fur was full of leaf dust and it itched. The ghost stuck close nearly all the time now, but at least Rootpaw had persuaded it to stay away while he was training. He’d finally made it understand that he needed Leafstar and Dewspring to trust him again, and the best way to do that was to show them that he was serious about becoming a warrior. The ghost hadn’t been pleased, but it had reluctantly agreed, grateful that Rootpaw had at least tried to pass on its message to Squirrelflight. They could do nothing now but wait and see what happened next.
“Rootpaw!” Bramblestar’s ghost hissed from the entrance.
Rootpaw looked up, his paws full of crushed heather. “What?”
“Leafstar’s calling a Clan meeting!” Bramblestar slid out of the den. “Hurry!”
Rootpaw brushed the leaves from his paws and followed the ghost, wondering what the meeting was about.
His Clanmates were already crowding around the grassy clearing as he reached the edge. Leafstar stood in the middle, her gaze calm as Frecklewish and Fidgetflake padded to her side.
Bramblestar’s ghost paced around Rootpaw as he scanned his Clanmates.
“What’s going on?” Rootpaw whispered to Macgyver, who had stopped beside him.
Macgyver shrugged. “I don’t know.”
The ghost slid between them, eyeing the medicine cats. “Do you think there’s been word from StarClan?”
Last night had been the half-moon meeting. But why would StarClan send a message now, when they’d been silent for so long? Rootpaw shook out his fur. He had three more nests to clean, and training later, and he wished he could have just a few moments without the ghost asking him questions. Being haunted was hard work.
Bramblestar’s ghost blinked eagerly at Frecklewish. “Perhaps Squirrelflight told the medicine cats about my message.”
“Clanmates.” Leafstar’s gaze flashed around the clearing. “Frecklewish has brought me news from the half-moon meeting.” She nodded to the mottled brown tabby cat who stepped forward and addressed the Clan.
“Shadowsight had a vision from StarClan,” Frecklewish began. Surprised murmurs rippled around the Clan. “They told him that the Clans have forgotten the warrior code, and they showed him the codebreakers. Because of them, they said the Clans would suffer.”
Harrybrook pricked his ears. “It’s just like Bramblestar said,” he mewed.
A low growl rumbled in the ghost’s throat. Rootpaw ignored it. He wanted to hear what else the medicine cat had to say. He blinked at Frecklewish expectantly.
Across the clearing, Plumwillow whisked her tail. “Why must we suffer? SkyClan has always respected the warrior code.”
As the warriors exchanged anxious glances, Sparrowpelt looked at Frecklewish. “Who did StarClan say broke the code?” he demanded.
“They named Lionblaze.” Frecklewish began to list warriors. “Crowfeather, Squirrelflight, Jayfeather, Dovewing—”
Macgyver cut her off before she could finish her list. “No cat from SkyClan?”
“Does that mean we don’t have to suffer?” Harrybrook stared hopefully at the medicine cat.
“I don’t know.” Frecklewish shifted her paws. “But it’s true—none of the named cats were from SkyClan.”
Around the clearing, SkyClan seemed to relax. Their pelts smoothed and their tails softened. Rootpaw glanced at the ghost. Several of the named cats were in ThunderClan. The ghost’s tail was twitching angrily. “Why would StarClan agree with that impostor?” he growled. “Don’t they realize he’s just trying to cause trouble in the Clans?”