Flipclaw nodded sadly. “Yes, he is. Conefoot of ShadowClan and Dappletuft from RiverClan are dead too. And—”
He broke off as Bramblestar thrust his way past the bramble screen and into the den. “Good, you’re finally awake,” he began. “I have to speak to you—alone.”
Bristlefrost saw that apart from a scratch on his muzzle and a few missing clumps of fur, the impostor seemed to be uninjured. Whoever he is, he’s a formidable fighter, she thought.
“Flipclaw, you’re doing a great job,” Bramblestar continued. “You’re going to be a terrific medicine cat.”
Flipclaw looked doubtful but said nothing, merely giving his leader a nod and ducking out of the den.
As he departed, Bramblestar spotted Brightheart in the shadows by the herb store at the back of the den. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, giving her a startled look.
“I’ve just come to help Flipclaw,” Brightheart explained.
The false Bramblestar’s shoulder fur began to bristle, and he shook his head. “No, that won’t do,” he snapped. “You’re an elder, not a medicine cat! Sometimes the elders want special treatment, and sometimes they want to take over the duties of younger cats! I’m your leader, and I’m telling you to get out! How will Flipclaw ever learn if you’re here?”
“But how will he learn if there’s no cat to teach him?” Brightheart protested. “I only know a little, but—”
“Are you arguing with me?” Bramblestar growled. “I told you to go, so go!”
Brightheart let out a sigh, casting a regretful look at Bristlefrost, then brushed past the bramble screen and out into the camp.
Once she was gone, Bramblestar padded up to Bristlefrost, his shoulder fur lying flat again. “What a brave and loyal warrior you are!” he meowed. “I admit,” he continued with an uneasy twitch of his whiskers, “that I doubted your loyalty in the past. A smart leader must have some doubts about all his followers, even the best of them. But now you’ve proven yourself as my strongest ally in ThunderClan.”
Uncomfortable with his praise, Bristlefrost opened her jaws to protest, but the false Bramblestar swept on, disregarding her.
“I knew cats were working against me, and my suspicions have been proven right. Now we must travel to the other Clans and let them know about the traitors in their ranks. With you as my deputy, we can—”
“Wait—what?” Bristlefrost exclaimed, scrambling to sit upright. She was sure she couldn’t have heard what she thought Bramblestar had just said. “What happened to Berrynose? He’s a very good deputy. Without him, you might not be alive now!”
Bramblestar loomed over her, a purr rumbling in his chest. “You’re generous to say so, Bristlefrost, but I know the truth. Berrynose was too slow to bring help. He should have been there faster than the patrol. He should have fought to kill, instead of letting cats get away!”
“But Berrynose did his best,” Bristlefrost began to argue. “He ran as fast—”
“Calm down, Bristlefrost,” Bramblestar meowed. “I know who I can trust now, and that’s what’s important. That’s why I’m exiling Berrynose and making you my new deputy.”
He did say what I thought he said!
“But I haven’t had an apprentice yet,” Bristlefrost pointed out, “so I can’t be deputy. It goes against the warrior code!”
The false Bramblestar seemed untroubled by the implication that he himself might be codebreaking. “You won’t remember this,” he meowed, “because it happened long before you were born, but I myself was made deputy before I had an apprentice. StarClan sent a vision to Leafpool that I was the right cat. And now I feel the same certainty about you.”
But StarClan hasn’t sent you a vision—have they? Bristlefrost thought doubtfully. Every hair on her pelt was prickling with horror at the thought of trying to take authority over warriors who were so much more experienced than she was.
“Now that you’re awake, we’ll announce your new position to the whole Clan,” Bramblestar told her, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Bristlefrost stared at him in disbelief. “But I—”
“No buts!” the impostor insisted. “Remember that the new deputy must be appointed before moonhigh. Get up; we’ll tell them all now.”
There was no way for Bristlefrost to refuse. Slowly she rose to her paws, feeling her legs shaking as she padded after Bramblestar. Her head swam, and she felt as though this must all be a hideous dream.
Outside in the camp the rain had stopped, but the air was still raw and damp. Bristlefrost shivered as the chill penetrated her pelt. Clouds covered the sky, and the daylight was fading; she guessed she had lain unconscious in the medicine cats’ den for a long time.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me here for a Clan meeting!” Bramblestar yowled.
The warriors began to gather, most of them exchanging confused glances as they formed a circle around their Clan leader. Bristlefrost heard Thornclaw mutter to Mousewhisker, “For StarClan’s sake, what now?”
Flipclaw reappeared to stand outside his den, and Cloudtail led the elders over to stand at the back of the crowd. Even Daisy emerged from the nursery to see what was going on.
“My life was in danger today,” Bramblestar began when all the Clan was assembled. “Some of my warriors rose to the occasion—and others didn’t. Berrynose, come here.”
The cream-colored tom stepped forward eagerly, his head raised with pride as he stood beside his leader. Bristlefrost couldn’t help feeling sorry for him; he had worked hard as Bramblestar’s deputy, and he clearly had no idea of what was coming.
“You failed me today.” Bramblestar’s voice was harsh. “I can’t trust you any longer. From this moment you are no longer deputy of ThunderClan.”
Berrynose stared at him, his jaw dropping and his eyes wide with dismay. “But—but Bramblestar,” he stammered. “I did my best—”
The impostor cut through his excuses. “Then your best wasn’t good enough. You are no longer deputy, or a member of this Clan. Leave now.”
For a moment longer Berrynose stared at his leader. Bristlefrost heard a low wail from a cat in the crowd, and realized it came from Berrynose’s mate, Poppyfrost. He turned his head to give her a long look, then headed for the thorn tunnel, his tail trailing in the mud.
Shocked murmurs were rising from the crowd of cats as they watched the exiled deputy leave. Berrynose had never been a popular cat, but he had been an efficient deputy, and Bristlefrost could see how his Clanmates thought his banishment was unfair.
“So, now I must appoint a new deputy,” Bramblestar announced proudly when Berrynose had vanished. “I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our ancestors may hear and approve my choice. Bristlefrost will be the new deputy of ThunderClan.”
Bristlefrost cringed as the Clan erupted in yowls of protest and concern. Several of her Clanmates were glaring at her, their fur bristling. She wished that she could vanish like a mouse into a gap beneath a tree root. But she had to stay and listen to the warriors arguing over their leader’s decision.
“Bristlefrost?”
“But she’s barely even a warrior!”
“She hasn’t had an apprentice!”
“Enough!” Bramblestar cut off the objections with a furious lash of his tail. “Who is leader?” he demanded. “What is the only thing standing between you and StarClan’s wrath? Remember that StarClan already killed Squirrelflight—or have you forgotten already?”
The warriors grew silent, staring at their leader with open mouths. Bristlefrost’s pelt prickled with anger: So Bramblestar had already gone from blaming himself for Squirrelflight’s supposed death to implying that it was a punishment from StarClan. Was there any situation he wouldn’t twist to his own ends?
After several moments, Molewhisker spoke up hesitantly. “We’re loyal to you, Bramblestar. It’s just . . . well, if we’re being so careful to follow the code, isn’t it against the code to choose a cat as deputy when she hasn’t had an apprentice?”