“No,” Bristlefrost replied. “And I have something to tell you, but we’d better keep going. SkyClan might not welcome us here.”
Lionblaze took the lead, and Bristlefrost padded beside Twigbranch as she told her everything she knew about the false Bramblestar. Twigbranch’s eyes widened as she listened.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed, joy flooding into her gaze. “I knew StarClan didn’t blame me for breaking the code. Only that . . . thing that’s inside Bramblestar.”
Bristlefrost nodded. “Of course. But it may be some time before we can convince every cat that that’s true. Meanwhile, you can go and live in ShadowClan, if you want to, until your atonement is finished.”
“I’d like that,” Twigbranch responded.
At the ShadowClan border, the group of cats waited until they could scent that a ShadowClan patrol was approaching. A few heartbeats later Snowbird, Whorlpelt, and Slatefur appeared from behind a clump of hazel saplings. “What are you doing here?” Snowbird challenged the ThunderClan cats.
Bristlefrost dipped her head respectfully. “These three cats have been exiled from ThunderClan,” she explained. “They’d like to join Squirrelflight.”
Slatefur rolled his eyes. “What, more of you?”
Bristlefrost could see Lionblaze’s shoulder fur begin to bristle at the comment, but to her relief the golden tabby warrior had the sense to keep himself under control. She was thankful to see that none of the ShadowClan cats looked particularly hostile.
“Come on, then,” Snowbird meowed. Turning to her Clanmates, she added, “You two finish the patrol. I’ll take these waifs and strays to Tigerstar. StarClan knows how many more cats we’re supposed to take in to our territory.”
Neither Jayfeather nor Lionblaze looked pleased to be called waifs and strays, but they followed Snowbird without protest. Bristlefrost brought up the rear with Twigbranch. The ShadowClan cats know it’s not our fault, she thought. It’s the false Bramblestar they have to blame.
As soon as Snowbird led the ThunderClan cats through the bushes and down into the hollow where ShadowClan had its camp, Tigerstar emerged from his den, took one look at them, and raced across to meet them at the foot of the slope.
“Have you seen Shadowsight?” he demanded, his dark tabby fur bristling. “Do you have any news about him?”
Bristlefrost was tempted to tell Tigerstar how Bramblestar had returned to camp on the previous night, his chest fur soaked in blood. But she kept her jaws shut. I’m not sure it has anything to do with Shadowsight. And if I tell Tigerstar, there’s no going back. . . . If she accused Bramblestar of attacking Tigerstar’s son, ShadowClan would have every reason to start a war. She remembered again what Bramblestar had tried to do to Sparkpelt. What if Shadowsight is dead?
Squirrelflight came bounding up to join them, her green eyes flaring in surprise as she recognized her two foster sons. Her purrs sounded half pleased and half anxious as she nuzzled them close to her.
“We don’t have any news of Shadowsight,” Jayfeather explained when they’d finished their greetings. “But Bramblestar has used his disappearance to crack down even harder on the codebreakers. He sent me and Lionblaze into exile because of what Leafpool and Crowfeather did, and Twigbranch has to atone for half a moon because she changed Clans.”
Tigerstar’s shoulders sagged as soon as he heard that there was no news about his son. “All right, you can stay,” he mumbled.
At the same moment, Squirrelflight drew Bristlefrost aside. “Hurry back to ThunderClan, as fast as you can,” she meowed. “Bramblestar mustn’t suspect that you’re helping the exiles.”
Bristlefrost nodded. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” she responded.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Squirrelflight went on. “You and the others who know the truth might be all that stands between ThunderClan and total chaos. Whatever happens, you must not let ThunderClan fall completely into darkness.”
“I won’t,” Bristlefrost promised fervently.
But as she raced back through the forest toward the ThunderClan camp, her promise weighed on her as if she were trying to lift the Great Oak on her shoulders.
Chapter 3
Rootpaw scrambled out of the apprentices’ den. Leafstar had called a Clan meeting, and most of his Clanmates were already gathered in a ragged circle around their leader as Rootpaw pattered up to sit with his parents, Violetshine and Tree.
His sister, Needlepaw, was standing there, too, her claws working nervously into the ground. Her black-and-white pelt was glossy and well groomed, and her eyes shone with a mixture of joy and apprehension.
“Good luck,” Rootpaw whispered into her ear. “You deserve it.”
Needlepaw turned to him, but she couldn’t reply as Leafstar began to speak.
“Cats of SkyClan, we have gathered here for one of the happiest occasions in the life of a Clan,” the leader began. “The making of a new warrior. Needlepaw, step forward.”
Taking a deep breath, Needlepaw padded into the center of the circle and stood in front of her Clan leader.
“Reedclaw,” Leafstar continued, turning toward Needlepaw’s mentor, “has your apprentice, Needlepaw, learned the skills of a warrior, and does she understand the meaning of the warrior code?”
Reedclaw dipped her head respectfully to her leader. “She has and she does, Leafstar,” she replied. “She’s one of the most patient cats I’ve ever met, and that has done wonders for her hunting technique.”
“Good,” Leafstar meowed. “Then I, Leafstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice.”
But are our warrior ancestors listening? Rootpaw asked himself, his pelt prickling uneasily. Do they even know that Needlepaw is becoming a warrior?
“She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code,” the Clan leader continued, “and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Needlepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”
Needlepaw raised her head, and her response rang out clearly across the camp. “I do.”
“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Needlepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Needleclaw. StarClan honors your skill and your patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan.”
Leafstar stooped to rest her muzzle on Needleclaw’s head, and the new warrior gave her leader’s shoulder a respectful lick, then took a step backward. All the Clan burst into yowls and caterwauls to welcome their new warrior.
“Needleclaw! Needleclaw!”
Tree and Violetshine were both purring loudly as Needleclaw faced her Clan as a warrior for the first time. Rootpaw thrust aside his doubts and joined in the acclamation. He was truly happy for his sister, but even so, he couldn’t help feeling a little envious. Between his encounters with Bramblestar’s spirit and worrying over the Clans being cut off from StarClan, he hadn’t been able to focus on finishing his own training.
I’ve had more practice at trespassing on ThunderClan territory than learning my warrior skills.
As the caterwauls died away, Rootpaw caught Dewspring’s gaze. His mentor gave him a stern look, and Rootpaw knew he wanted to say that his apprentice should be there beside his sister, receiving his Clan’s welcome. Hot shame scoured through Rootpaw, and he hung his head, knowing that Dewspring was right.
But how can I keep my mind on my training when the stuff that’s distracting me is so important for every cat in every Clan?
Two nights had passed since Shadowsight had disappeared, and so far no cat had the slightest idea what had happened to him. As if that weren’t worrying enough, Rootpaw hadn’t seen Bramblestar’s spirit again since that same night.