Lionblaze padded after Bramblestar. “How do we ‘atone’?”
“The codebreakers must make things right.”
Bristlefrost’s belly tightened. What was he going to demand of the named cats? She glanced nervously at Twigbranch. The gray she-cat sat up, her ears twitching.
Bramblestar looked at Lionblaze. “The codebreakers must swear an oath.”
Is that all? Relief swamped Bristlefrost’s pelt. Beside her, Thriftear’s shoulders loosened. Twigbranch let out a long breath. Around the clearing, their Clanmates seemed to relax, their pelts smoothing.
“Okay.” Lionblaze lifted his chin. “Whatever you want, if it will get this over with. If StarClan thinks I’m a codebreaker, then I’ll atone.”
Twigbranch got to her paws and padded into the clearing. “So will I.”
Bramblestar lifted his muzzle. “Jayfeather!”
A few moments later, Jayfeather hurried from the medicine den. Flecks of herbs were caught in his pelt. “What is it?” He blinked blindly toward the camp entrance. “Is Sparkpelt back?” His nose twitched suddenly. “Lionblaze!” He hurried to the clearing as he smelled his brother’s scent and, purring, touched his nose to Lionblaze’s cheek. “Are you well? Have you had enough to eat?” He sniffed Lionblaze anxiously.
“I’m fine,” Lionblaze promised.
“I want you to come to the medicine den so I can check you over properly,” Jayfeather told him. “You smell a bit sour.”
“That’s just from sleeping on strange bracken,” Lionblaze told him.
Bramblestar flicked his tail. “You can have your reunion later. First you must swear your oath.”
“Oath?” Jayfeather’s eyes widened.
“He wants us to make amends to StarClan for breaking the code,” Lionblaze explained.
Jayfeather snorted. “If I’ve broken the code then I’m sorry for it, but every cat knows I’m loyal. I don’t need to swear an oath.”
“Just do it,” Lionblaze told him. “Then perhaps we can get back to normal.”
Bramblestar’s pelt twitched. “We can get back to normal when I say so,” he growled. “This oath is just so that your Clanmates can see that you’re sorry and that you are committed to obeying the code from now on.”
“Next time,” Lionblaze muttered, “I’ll check who my parents are before I’m born.”
Bristlefrost’s heart sank in her chest when she saw Bramblestar’s eyes light up with rage. Why was Lionblaze provoking him? The ThunderClan leader looked ready to spit something back at the warrior, but Squirrelflight hurried forward before he could speak.
Her eyes flashed with guilt. “Do I have to take the oath too?”
Bramblestar waved her away with a flick of his tail. “You’ve spent time in StarClan recently. Our ancestors sent you back to us.” Bristlefrost had been told the story of how the deputy, and her medicine-cat sister, Leafpool, both went to StarClan after being injured in a landslide. Squirrelflight returned, but Leafpool did not.
“They have clearly forgiven you,” Bramblestar went on. “There’s no need for you to take the oath.”
Squirrelflight stared at him, surprised.
You see! Bristlefrost felt a rush of happiness. Bramblestar hasn’t changed. He’s still fair. She blinked expectantly at Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Twigbranch. What would the oath be? This would help their ancestors forgive them, she was sure. I hope you’re listening, StarClan.
Bramblestar turned to face Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Twigbranch. “Repeat after me,” he ordered. “‘StarClan, forgive me for breaking your code.’”
Haltingly, the three cats echoed his words. Lionblaze shifted his paws awkwardly as Bramblestar went on.
“‘I promise I will always obey my leader without question.’” The ThunderClan leader paused to let them repeat it. “‘And I will do whatever I’m asked for the good of the Clan.’”
“As if we didn’t before,” Jayfeather mumbled when he’d finished saying the words.
Bramblestar grunted. “Just repeat it,” he growled. “You don’t need to comment. This is for the good of the Clan—to bring StarClan back.” He pressed on. “‘I will hunt only for my Clan. I will protect my Clanmates with my life. . . .’”
As the rules went on, Bristlefrost glanced at the entrance. Sparkpelt still wasn’t back. She wondered if the she-cat had found no catmint at the Twolegplace and had gone farther in search of new growth. She looked back at the clearing. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Twigbranch were repeating the last words of their oath.
“‘If I break the code again, I will be exiled from my Clan to protect them from StarClan’s anger.’”
Exiled? Bristlefrost frowned, noticing her Clanmates glancing at one another questioningly. She knew they were thinking the same thing she was—would this exile be permanent?
Thornclaw padded forward. “Surely a cat must do more than break the code to be exiled.”
Bramblestar eyed the dark warrior accusingly. “If a cat chooses to break the warrior code again, they must be prepared to face the consequences.”
“But—” As Thornclaw began to object, a groan sounded at the entrance. Bristlefrost jerked her muzzle toward the noise, heart lurching as she smelled blood. A moment later Sparkpelt staggered into camp. Blood showed on her pelt. Tufts of fur were missing. Every stumbling paw step seemed to take more strength than she had.
Squirrelflight raced forward, reaching her as she dropped to the ground.
Jayfeather rushed to Sparkpelt’s side. “Alderheart! Bring cobwebs,” he yowled across the clearing.
“What happened?” Squirrelflight pressed her muzzle to Sparkpelt’s ear.
“There were dogs,” Sparkpelt gasped. “At the abandoned Twoleg den. They attacked me. . . .” Jayfeather quickly sniffed along her flank.
Bristlefrost leaped to her paws. How could this have happened? She looked at Bramblestar. He must feel terrible that he’d sent Sparkpelt to the Twolegplace. But when she spotted the leader, she froze. Shock pulsed through her. The ThunderClan leader was watching Sparkpelt coldly, as though staring at a piece of prey. As Sparkpelt’s Clanmates clustered around her and began to help her to the medicine den, Bramblestar sat down and began washing his face.
Bristlefrost stared at him, a chill running through her body. She backed away, ducking behind the elders’ den, and caught her breath. What was wrong with Bramblestar? Dogs had just attacked his daughter. Didn’t he care?
She headed for the entrance. If he didn’t care, she did! She was going to find out what those dogs were doing on ThunderClan territory. If they’d made a home there, the Clan needed to know. No cat should risk being attacked by them again.
Outside camp, she broke into a run. Dusk was seeping through the forest, darkening the shadows. She raced through them, her pelt bushed, her nose twitching. She was breathless by the time she neared the abandoned Twoleg den. She slowed, tasting the air. There were dog scents here, but they were stale. There was no sound of movement as she crept around the crumbling stones and sniffed the ground. Sparkpelt’s scent was here too, but there was another scent, just as familiar. Bristlefrost padded toward it, her whiskers twitching.
The earth beside the stone walls of the den was soaked with blood. It wasn’t Sparkpelt’s blood, or a dog’s. She sniffed it. Prey blood. This spot smelled like fresh-kill. Her thoughts quickened. Some cat had made a fresh-kill pile here.
She frowned. Rogues didn’t gather their prey. They ate it as they caught it. Only Clan cats made fresh-kill piles. Had Lionblaze sheltered here on his way back to the Clan?
She sniffed the stone walls around the blood-stained earth, but smelled only dog-scent. Lionblaze couldn’t have stayed here. It would have been too dangerous.
She stiffened as a thought flashed through her mind. Had some cat gathered prey here on purpose? Had they wanted to lure dogs here? The earth seemed to shift beneath her paws, and she pictured Bramblestar washing his face while Squirrelflight helped their daughter to the medicine den. Not only had he not been concerned, but he’d seemed unsurprised that she’d returned to camp injured. Had he known about the dogs when he sent her here? She felt sick. Squirrelflight’s warning rang in her ears. Rootpaw was right. It’s not Bramblestar. Had she been wrong to dismiss it? She leaned against the wall, her paws trembling.