“Hush.” Rootpaw whispered under his breath. He stiffened as Macgyver glanced at him, and hurriedly turned his gaze back to Frecklewish.
The medicine cat’s eyes glittered uneasily. “StarClan didn’t say how we could fix this. Or how much we must suffer.”
Harrybrook looked at Leafstar. “If Bramblestar’s right, we have to make sure we respect the warrior code.”
Plumwillow glared at him. “But we do!”
Sparrowpelt nodded beside her. “That’s why we haven’t been named.”
“The codebreakers must apologize and make amends,” Harrybrook insisted. “So StarClan can come back.”
Bramblestar’s ghost bristled. “He sounds just like the impostor.” He stared at Rootpaw, his eyes glittering with alarm. “Why is every cat listening to that liar?”
Rootpaw ignored him.
Hawkwing narrowed his eyes. “What does StarClan want from us?” he mewed. “We can’t do more than we’re already doing.”
Leafstar shrugged. “I guess we have to wait and see what the other Clans do.”
Tree stepped forward. “What about Bramblestar?” he meowed grimly.
“He must deal with his codebreakers as he thinks fit,” Leafstar answered.
“But you’ve seen him at the Gatherings,” Tree pressed. “He’s been accusing any cat who speaks out against him of being a codebreaker. I don’t trust him. He’s using StarClan to turn the Clans against one another.”
The ghost pricked his ears. “Tree understands!” He blinked gratefully at the yellow tom. “The impostor is trying to divide the Clans by making them accuse one another. Why is he the only cat who can see that?”
Rootpaw tried to keep his fur from ruffling. Tree and the ghost were seeing problems that might never happen. The message from StarClan had made it clear that the codebreakers were the problem.
Leafstar blinked at Tree. “Bramblestar has been aggressive in calling out codebreakers,” she conceded. “But now that he knows which ones StarClan is concerned about, he might relax.”
“Does she really believe that?” The ghost stared in disbelief.
Leafstar gazed at her warriors. “This will be a difficult time for the other Clans,” she told them. “Our home is beside the lake now, and even if StarClan’s message doesn’t include us, we must support every Clan in whatever they decide.”
“Support them by standing up to that impostor!” The ghost’s pelt bristled as Leafstar followed Frecklewish and Fidgetflake to the medicine den and SkyClan’s warriors returned to their duties.
Rootpaw headed back to the warriors’ den, beckoning the ghost to follow with a flick of his tail. “Perhaps StarClan will let you go back to your body when the codebreakers have been dealt with,” he whispered as soon as they were clear of his Clanmates.
The ghost stared at him in amazement. “Do you think StarClan let an impostor take my place on purpose?”
“Not exactly.” Rootpaw dropped his gaze. “But Squirrelflight was named as a codebreaker,” he pointed out. “Maybe StarClan thought it would be easier for some other cat to deal with them.”
The ghost flexed its claws. “No. The impostor is the one using StarClan. We have to stop him before it’s too late.”
“How can he use StarClan?” Rootpaw met his gaze, puzzled. “They’re more powerful than any cat.”
The ghost stared at him, his gaze shimmering with frustration. “Something is very wrong,” he murmured darkly. He turned away, his tail quivering.
“Rootpaw.” Violetshine was heading toward him, her gaze sharp with worry. “You must promise not to see Bristlefrost again,” she mewed urgently.
He blinked at her. “I wasn’t planning to.”
“I know,” she mewed, only half listening. “But if StarClan is worried about codebreakers, you have to behave. No more sneaking away to ThunderClan. No SkyClan cat has been named yet, and I don’t want you to be the first.” She looked scared. “And I don’t want you mixed up with a ThunderClan cat. Bramblestar’s going to use this to cause trouble, whatever Leafstar says.” Her ears twitched nervously. “I just hope Twigbranch is okay. She switched Clans before you were born.” Violetshine looked worried. “Does that count as codebreaking?”
Rootpaw shrugged. “Frecklewish didn’t mention her.”
Violetshine looked at him anxiously. “Do you promise you won’t try to see Bristlefrost?”
“I promise.” He touched his nose to her cheek. It wasn’t a lie, but he wasn’t sure it was a promise he could keep. If this news was going to bring trouble to ThunderClan, Bristlefrost might need help.
Rootpaw fluffed out his fur. The night was cold and a sharp breeze was blowing across the island. Bramblestar had called an emergency Gathering the day after the medicine cats had shared the news of Shadowsight’s vision. Rootpaw nosed his way among his Clanmates and settled between Violetshine and Tree. Over the heads of the other cats he could see that Bramblestar was already on the lowest branch of the Great Oak.
The ThunderClan leader lifted his muzzle. “Let’s begin!”
Tigerstar and Mistystar were still hurrying toward the tree as their Clanmates gathered in its shadow. As the two leaders scrambled up the trunk, Harestar and Leafstar shifted to let them take their places on the branch.
Bramblestar’s ghost was watching from the edge of the clearing. Rootpaw could hardly see it from where he was at the center of the throng. The ghost had been restless since Frecklewish had announced the vision, pestering Rootpaw for reassurance that he’d do something to stop the living Bramblestar from using the vision to harm the Clans. Rootpaw had tried to keep an open mind. ThunderClan’s current leader hadn’t actually harmed any cat yet. Rootpaw wanted StarClan to stop being angry and come back, and if that meant putting up with an impostor for a while, maybe that was okay.
“You’ve all heard about Shadowsight’s vision by now.” Bramblestar’s gaze burned in the starlight. The gathered cats glanced warily at each other. “What I’ve been saying all along is true. StarClan is angry that so many warriors have broken the code. They’ve even given us a list of the worst offenders.” His gaze flashed from Dovewing to Crowfeather, flickered angrily over Mothwing and Jayfeather. Rootpaw wondered if he was angry with Squirrelflight too. She was on the list, and yet the ThunderClan leader didn’t look at his mate as she sat stiffly among the other deputies. Instead he pressed on. “I have a plan.” As he narrowed his eyes, the Clans seemed to lean closer, pricking their ears. “The codebreakers must publicly take responsibility for their wrongdoings. They must atone!”
Tigerstar bristled beside the ThunderClan leader. “‘Atone’?” he snapped. “What does that mean, exactly?”
Below, Dovewing sat unmoving while her Clanmates shifted nervously around her. Rootpaw noticed Tigerstar’s gaze flick nervously toward his mate before snapping back to Bramblestar.
Bramblestar swung his muzzle toward the ShadowClan leader. “They must be punished, of course.”
“How?” Tigerstar demanded.
Bramblestar held his gaze. “That’s what this Gathering is for,” he mewed smoothly. “StarClan won’t return until the codebreakers have suffered for their crimes.”
Squirrelflight glanced up at him, her eyes dark. “Are you sure StarClan wants them to suffer?” she mewed nervously. “They only said that every Clan must pay a price. Perhaps we must all suffer together rather than target individual cats.”
Bramblestar’s gaze flashed toward her. “They named the codebreakers!” he snapped. “They clearly want them punished.”
Squirrelflight looked at her paws, seeming to shrink beneath her pelt. Rootpaw frowned. Was she going to back down so easily? As she stared at her paws, the ThunderClan leader looked around at the gathered cats once more.