As daylight filtered through the trees, she got to her paws, shaking out the chill that had reached through her pelt. Thornclaw was the first cat to wake. He padded, blinking, from the warriors’ den, nodding as he saw Bristlefrost cross the clearing. “Should I lead the first patrol?” he asked.
“Yes.” She blinked at him gratefully. She’d forgotten she was supposed to organize the dawn patrols. “You can decide who to take with you.”
“Okay.” As Thornclaw ducked back into the den to wake his denmates, stones cracked on the rock tumble.
Bristlefrost jerked her muzzle toward it, relieved to see Squirrelflight scrambling into the clearing.
She stopped beside Bristlefrost. “Have you organized the first patrol?”
Bristlefrost nodded. “Thornclaw is leading it,” she mewed. “I told him to take whoever he wants.”
“Good.” Squirrelflight glanced back toward the Highledge. “Bramblestar is still sleeping. He’ll want to see his Clanmates hard at work when he wakes.”
Bristlefrost looked at her solemnly. “Can I talk to you?” she asked. “In private?”
Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes. “Sure.” She led Bristlefrost to the edge of the camp, and as Thornclaw led Lionblaze, Mousewhisker, and Birchfall from the den, she faced Bristlefrost, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “What is it?”
Bristlefrost hesitated, waiting for the patrol to head out into the forest. As soon as the last warrior had disappeared, she met Squirrelflight’s gaze. “I’ve come from a meeting,” she began.
“Just now?” Squirrelflight’s ears twitched.
“A few cats from every Clan met to discuss Bramblestar.” She glanced nervously at Highledge. “They know he’s an impostor.”
“How?” Squirrelflight shifted her paws.
“Tree told them,” Bristlefrost explained. “I guess Rootpaw must have told him.”
“What are they planning to do?” Squirrelflight leaned closer.
“They can’t do anything until they have more support,” Bristlefrost told her. “They want you to talk to the other leaders and tell them about Bramblestar. We need to stand up to him, but we can’t until other cats are willing to stand beside us.” She searched the ThunderClan deputy’s gaze hopefully. It would be a big risk to share what she knew about Bramblestar with other leaders. What if they took advantage of ThunderClan’s vulnerability? What if they didn’t believe her and reported her to Bramblestar as a traitor? Her pelt pricked anxiously.
Squirrelflight’s eyes gleamed in the early morning light. She glanced at the Highledge, then met Bristlefrost’s gaze. “I’ll do it,” she mewed. “I’ll go to Leafstar first. I think she’ll listen. SkyClan hasn’t been accused of codebreaking. That makes her freer to decide what to do.”
“What if she doesn’t believe you?” Bristlefrost asked. “The impostor has StarClan on his side.”
“I can only tell her what I know,” Squirrelflight mewed. “Each warrior will have to decide for themselves. But every cat has seen how Bramblestar’s been acting.”
“Some cats think he’s right,” Bristlefrost pointed out. “They agree that the codebreakers must atone to bring StarClan back. Standing up to Bramblestar might mean war.”
“No true warrior would knowingly bring suffering on the Clans.” Squirrelflight held her gaze. “If we can persuade the leaders and the medicine cats that Bramblestar is an impostor and must be stopped, a war won’t last for long.”
Bristlefrost stiffened as a shadow flitted along the Highledge. Bramblestar was heading toward the rock tumble. “He’s coming.” She swallowed back panic.
“It’s okay.” Squirrelflight straightened. “He doesn’t know we know.”
“How will you get to Leafstar?” Bristlefrost asked. “He won’t let you out of the camp.”
“I’m a codebreaker, aren’t I?” Squirrelflight winked at her, then turned to face Bramblestar as he leaped down the rock tumble.
Bristlefrost struggled to keep her fur flat. Butterflies were fluttering in her belly. Could they really get away with this? Her heart lurched as Bramblestar called out to Squirrelflight.
“I woke up and you weren’t there.” He crossed the clearing. He sounded hurt. “I wondered where you’d gone.”
“I wanted to discuss the patrols with Bristlefrost before I left,” Squirrelflight told him smoothly.
“Left?” Bramblestar’s eyes widened. “You know I want you to stay here.”
Bristlefrost’s heart quickened. Squirrelflight clearly had a plan.
“I’ve been thinking about StarClan’s message,” Squirrelflight told him. “I think I need to atone for my codebreaking.”
Bristlefrost pricked her ears. What was Squirrelflight talking about?
Bramblestar’s ears twitched. “But you’ve spoken to StarClan. They’ve forgiven you.”
“Perhaps,” Squirrelflight mewed. “But we must obey StarClan’s message, and more important, the other Clans must see us obeying it. How else can we expect others to follow StarClan’s orders? I must show them all that I am willing to atone.”
“You could take the oath Lionblaze and Jayfeather took,” Bramblestar suggested.
“No.” Squirrelflight’s gaze was firm. “Lionblaze had to leave the Clan as punishment for breaking the code. I must do the same.”
Excitement fizzed in Bristlefrost’s paws as she suddenly understood Squirrelflight’s plan. She was going to use the excuse of atoning to travel to the other Clans and warn them!
“I’ll leave for a few days to make my peace with StarClan,” Squirrelflight went on. “They can see for themselves that I am sorry for breaking the code. If they’re going to come back, they must see every codebreaker atone. No warrior is above the code—not even a deputy.”
Bristlefrost glanced at Bramblestar. His fur was pricking uneasily along his spine. Was he convinced? “It would impress the Clan if Squirrelflight atoned,” she mewed quickly. “They’ll try even harder to follow the code, and StarClan will come back sooner.” She stared at him, willing him to agree to Squirrelflight’s plan.
Bramblestar’s gaze flicked from Bristlefrost to Squirrelflight. “I guess,” he murmured.
“I won’t be gone for long, and when I get back, I’ll be an even better deputy,” Squirrelflight pressed.
Bramblestar flicked his tail. “Okay,” he mewed. “You can go.”
“If I go straight away, I can come back sooner.” Squirrelflight turned to Bristlefrost. “Can you organize all the patrols while I’m gone?”
“I’ll do my best,” Bristlefrost promised.
Squirrelflight touched her nose to Bramblestar’s muzzle. “I’ll miss you,” she murmured.
Bristlefrost saw the ThunderClan deputy’s tail twitch. It must be hard for her to pretend that the impostor is Bramblestar. She dipped her head politely as Squirrelflight headed toward the entrance. Bramblestar stared after his mate. He looked forlorn.
Bristlefrost’s belly tightened. He might take his mood out on ThunderClan. She needed to soothe him. “Don’t worry,” she mewed awkwardly. “She won’t be gone long. Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Nests were rustling. The rest of the Clan was waking up. She wanted Bramblestar safely in his den before he could accuse more cats of codebreaking. She nodded toward the empty fresh-kill pile. “There’s no prey, and there’s nothing to do except organize the first hunting patrol.”
“I guess,” he grunted. “The sun’s hardly up.”
Relief washed her pelt as Bramblestar headed toward the rock tumble and scrambled up it.
Graystripe padded sleepily from the elders’ den. He eyed Bramblestar as the ThunderClan leader disappeared into his den. “Why is he up so early?”