Tree’s ears flattened. “What if I refuse?”
Bramblestar swung his muzzle toward the yellow tom. “The Clans have shown already that they don’t trust your loyalty. What will they think if you refuse to help them now?” His eyes darkened menacingly as he went on. “There might be unpleasant consequences, don’t you think? Not just for you, but for your kin.”
At the edge of the clearing, the ghost got to its paws, its gaze shimmering anxiously in the moonlight. Rootpaw forced his fur to remain flat as a chill reached to his bones. Bramblestar was threatening him and Violetshine too. He glanced at Frecklewish, hoping for reassurance, but she looked as scared as he felt. Sneezecloud, Cloverfoot, Breezepelt, and Stemleaf seemed to shrink. None of the cats from the secret meeting seemed ready to stand up for him or Tree. Disappointment jabbed his heart. Had they been all talk? Was no cat going to act? He gazed desperately at Bristlefrost. She must understand how unfair this was. Tree had only tried to help the Clans, but the impostor was making him look like a traitor.
Do something! he pleaded. She stared back at him helplessly. What could she do? What could either of them do when they were so outnumbered?
“Hey!” Berrynose growled from among the ThunderClan cats. “Why’s Rootpaw staring at Bristlefrost?”
Rootpaw froze as the gazes of the Clans jerked toward him.
“They’ve been looking at each other since the Gathering began,” Yarrowleaf growled.
“What are you up to?” Harrybrook glared suspiciously at Rootpaw.
Rootpaw stared back wordlessly. Guilt spiked his belly as he remembered the meeting at the greenleaf Twolegplace. He dropped his gaze, frightened that he’d betray his secret.
“Bristlefrost is one of Bramblestar’s most loyal warriors.” Berrynose’s gaze was sharp with accusation. “Perhaps he’s trying to turn her against our leader.”
Bristlefrost whisked her tail. “No cat could turn me against my Clan,” she mewed. “Especially not an apprentice from another Clan.”
Macgyver shrugged. “Rootpaw’s not trying anything of the sort. He’s always looking at Bristlefrost. He’s got a crush on her, remember?”
The gazes of the Clan seemed to soften, but Rootpaw’s pelt began to burn.
Bristlefrost’s shifted awkwardly. “If he’s got a crush on me, that’s his problem, not mine. He’s not my Clanmate.” Rootpaw tried not to flinch. Her words sliced through his heart as she went on. “I don’t care anything about him. Besides, I’d never break the code.”
Berrynose frowned. “Then why have you been looking at him?”
Rootpaw’s ears twitched as silence gripped the clearing. Berrynose seemed determined to see treachery in their looks. Rootpaw blinked at the ThunderClan warrior, pushing the hurt away. He needed to stop this now. No cat could know that they’d been at the meeting. “I still like her, okay? Is that against the code?”
Berrynose stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. “So long as you don’t act on it.”
“Of course I won’t.” Rootpaw fluffed out his fur. “It’s hopeless. I’d never break the code, nor would Bristlefrost. But it doesn’t stop me liking her. She’s the bravest, most loyal warrior I know.”
Embarrassment squirmed in his belly as he heard indulgent mews ripple through the crowd. They think it’s cute. He glanced at Bristlefrost apologetically. It was the only way to protect her. As he looked away, his heart quickened. Was that fondness he’d seen in her gaze?
Bramblestar lashed his tail. “Enough of this!” As the gathered cats turned back to the impostor, he glared at them impatiently. “We didn’t meet here to talk about apprentice crushes. We need to bring StarClan back, and the only way to do that is to stick to the code and exile any cat who breaks it.” He glared at the other leaders. “And if you can’t accept that now, I hope Tree will be able to change your minds.”
Rootpaw glanced up at the impostor. Did he really think Tree would try to persuade another cat to believe something he didn’t believe himself? Hope glimmered in his heart. The impostor was arrogant enough to think he could force any warrior to do anything. He might push the Clans too far. No matter how scared they were of losing StarClan, nothing could make a warrior abandon their honor.
“Let’s go.” Tree’s mew nudged him from his thoughts. The crowd was melting away as the Clans headed for the long grass.
While Leafstar led her Clanmates toward the tree-bridge, Frecklewish crossed the clearing and blocked Tree’s path. “What will you do?” she mewed.
Tree stared at her solemnly as Rootpaw and Violetshine stopped beside him. “Bramblestar was right about me,” he told Frecklewish. “I’ve never truly believed in Clan life. I think it’s time I left and took my family with me.”
Rootpaw fought back panic. They couldn’t leave. Not when the Clans were in so much trouble. Needlepaw wouldn’t want to leave either. She was as committed as he was to being a great warrior.
The ghost hurried to Rootpaw’s side. “You can’t let him take you away!”
Frecklewish dipped her head. “I understand how you feel, Tree. The impostor has made this a dangerous place to be.” She blinked at him. “Especially for you. But we need you.”
“You can help the Clans.” Rootpaw blinked desperately at his father.
Violetshine nodded. “We can’t just abandon cats we care about,” she mewed. “What about Twigbranch?”
“Twigbranch has Finleap and her Clanmates,” Tree told her. “We have no choice. You heard Bramblestar. If I don’t do what he says, he’ll turn the Clans against us. We won’t be safe anywhere.”
Rootpaw refused to believe his Clanmates would really turn against Tree. “No true warrior would hurt us.”
Tree looked at him. “I think some of the Clans have forgotten what a true warrior is.”
Frecklewish’s ears twitched. “There might be another way.”
Tree frowned at her. “What?”
“You can travel around the Clans and speak to the leaders, just as Bramblestar ordered,” the medicine cat told him. “But you don’t need to persuade them to follow his rules. You can warn them what’s really going on.”
“But hasn’t Squirrelflight already told them that Bramblestar’s an impostor?” Tree reminded her.
“If she did, she clearly failed to persuade them,” Frecklewish pressed. “You might do better.”
The ghost padded nearer. “Another voice might convince them that they’re not alone.”
“You can talk to the ghost,” Frecklewish told Tree. “Squirrelflight couldn’t do that.”
Rootpaw’s belly tightened. Tree couldn’t talk to the ghost any more than Squirrelflight could. His paws pricked nervously as Frecklewish went on.
“You can pass on the ghost’s message. You can encourage the Clans to fight for the real StarClan, not the StarClan the impostor represents.”
“But I can’t argue with StarClan’s silence,” Tree pointed out. “The silence is real. It’s scared too many warriors. They’ll do anything to end it, even if it means defying their leaders.”
“But if you leave,” Frecklewish argued, “nothing will change. The impostor will get stronger. If you stay, you might help us undermine him just enough to win back the Clans.”
Rootpaw stared desperately at his father. He couldn’t leave the Clans. Who knew what the impostor would do next? And who would be left to speak for the ghost?
Breath like mist touched his ear fur. “Make him stay,” the ghost whispered.
Rootpaw placed his muzzle against Tree’s cheek. “Let us stay,” he begged. “We owe it to the Clans and to Bramblestar’s ghost. If we leave, no cat will hear it. It may never find its way back to its body.”