Tigerstar’s voice was full of bitterness as he replied. “I’m sure Shadowsight is dead. If he were alive, he would never have left ShadowClan. If he were able, he would have come home.”
“Maybe not.” Dovewing was clearly trying to comfort her mate. “Remember, we once left the Clans without telling any cat—StarClan, how I regret that now!”
The argument broke out again, though more quietly this time. The cats must have been growing exhausted from shock and apprehension. Bristlefrost felt her muscles tense with fear as she realized that most of the cats in the clearing felt that they should kill, or at least drive out, the false Bramblestar.
“Just think what you’re saying,” Jayfeather challenged them. “Killing a leader—even if he’s not the true leader—isn’t like slapping your paw down on a mouse. Before we make a move, we have to think about what would happen next.”
“That’s right,” Bristlefrost agreed, thankful for another argument against killing Bramblestar’s body. “Berrynose is the ThunderClan deputy now. Does any cat think that he would make a good leader?”
The cats stood in a small pool of silence as each of them thought about that. Finally, Dovewing spoke. “But Squirrelflight, you’re the real deputy, aren’t you?”
“No, she’s not,” Jayfeather responded instantly. “However much we might like her to be. Her Clan leader banished her and appointed Berrynose, and how pleased do you think StarClan and every other cat would be if we didn’t follow the usual succession? It’s an outrageous idea!”
“Jayfeather’s right,” Crowfeather meowed, with a curt nod in the direction of the blind medicine cat. “Besides, Harestar and WindClan will not accept ThunderClan murdering their leader and putting another cat in his place. We’d never get away with it.”
“That’s true,” Violetshine agreed. “And Leafstar and Misty-star will probably feel the same way.”
“But Leafstar said she would act to stop Bramblestar hurting other cats,” Rootpaw pointed out. “Maybe if we told her about the time the impostor tried to kill Sparkpelt, SkyClan would turn against him.”
Twigbranch shook her head. “There’s not enough evidence. Bramblestar sent Sparkpelt to the place where she was attacked by dogs, and a trail of prey-scent led to that place, but there’s no actual proof that the false Bramblestar was responsible for the attack. I know Leafstar well, from the time I spent in SkyClan. She won’t even twitch a whisker until she’s sure.”
Lionblaze stepped forward, his voice rumbling deep within his chest. “Maybe killing Bramblestar is the right move,” he growled. “He’s controlling all five Clans now, not just ThunderClan, and he’ll destroy everything if he isn’t stopped. But we need to think it through first.”
Squirrelflight stared down at him from her place on the rock, shock and disbelief in her eyes. “I can’t believe I heard you say that!” she gasped. “I can’t believe you would even consider killing Bramblestar. He’s not just your Clan leader—he’s been like a father to you.”
Lionblaze opened his jaws to respond, then closed them again, shaking his head in confusion. He mumbled something that Bristlefrost couldn’t catch.
Tigerstar took control of the meeting again, raising one paw in a commanding gesture. “One course of action is before us,” he announced. “To kill Bramblestar’s body.” His gaze scorched across the assembled cats like flame through dry grass. “But Squirrelflight might be right that it’s not time yet. We don’t want to start a battle against RiverClan, WindClan, and ThunderClan, and right now they’d be allied against us, and we don’t know what Leafstar would decide. No cat will harm Bramblestar until we have had time to think and make sure this is what we all want to do. Then we will come up with a plan.” He gave a final wave of his tail. “For now, the meeting is over.”
As she headed away from ShadowClan territory, Bristlefrost felt her legs shaking with every paw step. She had suspected that telling the others about seeing Bramblestar returning to camp covered in blood would put his life in danger, and she was right. She wasn’t completely surprised that they were now suggesting killing Bramblestar’s body, but she was certain that it would be a huge mistake.
If they succeeded, what then? she asked herself despairingly. With his body dead, they might never get the real Bramblestar back—and ThunderClan would be ripped apart for good.
Chapter 7
Shadowsight was floating in a dreamless haze when a voice cut through the fog and called his name. It seemed to be coming from an immense distance, and though it was vaguely familiar, Shadowsight couldn’t quite place it. Slowly he opened his eyes, feeling as though he had been asleep for a long time. When he tried to stretch his limbs, the movement felt strange, as if he wasn’t in control of his body.
All around him was gray mist; though he blinked several times, it didn’t clear. Dark shapes that might have been large rocks loomed around him. All he could see were twin points of yellow light, piercing the gloom. Gradually a shape formed around them and became a cat: a skinny black tom with yellow eyes fixed intently on him. Shadowsight felt that he ought to recognize him, but he was so confused that the name wouldn’t come to him.
Then the black tom spoke. “Greetings, Shadowsight.”
The voice was the same one that had been calling to him, and with a gasp Shadowsight remembered. “Spiresight!” Warm gratitude filled him. “I can’t believe it’s you! I thought you went to StarClan. That’s why my father gave you a warrior name.”
Spiresight shook his head. “I chose not to go to StarClan, so that I could watch over you,” he explained. “I haven’t been around all the time, but I’ve checked on you regularly since I died. And I’m very proud of the cat you have become.”
Shadowsight blinked, bewildered by everything he had to take in, but happy to be with the cat who had done so much for him and his kin. “I never saw you,” he mewed. “How is it that I’m talking to you now?”
The black tom hesitated for a heartbeat before he replied. “Three nights ago, I saw a cat attack you, and when you were unconscious, he threw you into this ravine.”
Horror coursed through Shadowsight, and he felt every hair on his pelt rise. Now he remembered the slash of sharp, curved claws and realized that his whole body should be throbbing with pain. But I can’t feel anything. “Am I dead?” he asked. “Where am I?”
“You’re not dead,” Spiresight replied. “At first I was afraid you were, but then I realized that you were still breathing—just. But you must have been seriously injured, because until now I couldn’t communicate with you at all—not even with your spirit.”
Shadowsight took in a shaky breath. “Spirit?” he whispered. “Am I a ghost?”
Spiresight had just told him that he wasn’t dead, but Shadowsight wasn’t sure he could believe him. Maybe I am, and I’ll never see my kin again! Then he realized that if he was dead, he should be in StarClan, but this place was completely unfamiliar to him. For a moment he felt so confused that he just wanted to close his eyes again and forget everything.
Instead Shadowsight took a deep breath and forced himself to sit up. Looking around, he saw that the mist had dissipated and the ravine was gradually coming into focus around him. He and Spiresight were sitting on a flat rock jutting out of the steep wall, about halfway down. The narrow gully seemed to be about fifteen or twenty tail-lengths high, with a small stream running along the bottom. Outcrops of rock poked out from the thin, sandy soil, with thick bushes rooted among them. Shadowsight didn’t recognize the place; he was sure it wasn’t on ShadowClan territory.