The Silent Thaw

Chapter 11

Bristlefrost followed Molewhisker and Finleap as her Clanmates escorted Rootpaw toward camp. Her pelt rippled uneasily along her spine. She didn’t want to walk too close to the SkyClan apprentice in case they thought she’d had something to do with his sudden appearance on ThunderClan territory. Why in StarClan had he come? It had been uncomfortable enough last time, when Leafstar had allowed him to bring her prey as thanks for saving him from the lake. Bristlefrost had hoped that would be the last time he’d do anything so mouse-brained, but clearly his crush on her was worse than she’d thought. Her ears twitched self-consciously. She liked him, he was nice enough, but they were from different Clans. And he was only an apprentice. She could never have any special feelings for him.

She fluffed out her fur. What would Bramblestar say? He’d been trying to stop the Clans from breaking the warrior code, and Rootpaw had broken one of the most important rules of all. This was ThunderClan land. He shouldn’t be here. She hoped with an anxious shiver that Bramblestar wouldn’t jump to the same conclusion as Molewhisker and assume that she’d asked him to meet her here.

No cat spoke as the patrol neared the camp entrance. Rootpaw’s tail was bushed, and she guessed he was scared. She hoped he had a good reason for being here. As she slid through the shadowy entrance tunnel and emerged into sunshine, Bramblestar got up from where he’d been lying beneath the Highledge. Squirrelflight was beside him, her tail flicking absently until she saw the patrol. Then she leaped to her paws, her gaze brightening with interest. She followed Bramblestar as he crossed the clearing and stopped in front of the patrol.

The ThunderClan leader’s gaze flitted over Rootpaw before settling on Molewhisker. “What is he doing here?” His mew was sharp with anger.

“He won’t say.” Molewhisker told the ThunderClan leader. “Bristlefrost knows him better than I do.” He looked pointedly at Bristlefrost. “Perhaps she can explain.”

This has nothing to do with me! Her heart quickened as Squirrelflight padded closer, narrowing her eyes. Around the camp, ThunderClan warriors turned to watch, their gazes flashing with curiosity. Outside the elders’ den Cloudtail and Brackenfur exchanged glances. Fernsong padded from a patch of long grass, while Spotfur looked up from the mouse she’d been eating beside the rock tumble.

Bristlefrost lifted her chin defensively. “I don’t know why he’s here,” she told Bramblestar. “He was hiding under a bramble near our camp.”

“By trespassing on our territory, he’s broken the code.” Bramblestar’s eyes flashed dangerously. “If we want StarClan to come back, the code must be followed exactly!”

Rootpaw seemed to shrink beneath his pelt.

Say something! She wished Rootpaw would defend himself. He must have a reason for coming here. “He’s just an apprentice,” she mewed, hoping Bramblestar would go easy on him. “He probably just made a mistake.”

Bramblestar’s ears flattened. “It’s a long way to come for a mistake.”

Squirrelflight whisked her tail. “Why don’t we try asking?”

Rootpaw suddenly straightened and turned his head as though he’d just spotted prey beside him. He pricked his ears, his attention focused on the empty air. Had he forgotten where he was? Didn’t he realize Bramblestar was expecting an explanation?

“Well?” Bramblestar glared at the SkyClan apprentice. “What are you doing on my land?”

Rootpaw jerked his muzzle toward the ThunderClan leader, but Bristlefrost couldn’t help noticing that his ears were still turned toward the patch of empty air, as though he were listening for something. He hesitated, staring distractedly at Bramblestar while above the camp a starling’s call rang in the silence.

Bramblestar shifted his paws, his gaze growing darker.

At last, Rootpaw seemed to focus. “I thought I smelled rogues on the edge of our border. I was worried they might cause trouble.” He didn’t take his gaze from Bramblestar. Bristlefrost frowned. What was he going on about? Why did rogues on SkyClan’s border mean he had to visit ThunderClan? Bramblestar was never going to believe such a vague story. Rootpaw pressed on. “It’s not long since you helped chase off that group of she-cats . . .” He hesitated, frowning. “What were they called? I can’t remember the name.”

Bristlefrost’s tail twitched uneasily. The Sisters! How could any cat forget their name? Especially Rootpaw! They’d lived in his camp after the battle.

Rootpaw was staring expectantly at Bramblestar. “Were they called the Queens?” He blinked at the ThunderClan leader. It sounded like he was testing him, Bristlefrost realized. “Was that the name? Their leader was called Moonlight. . . .”

“What in StarClan are you babbling on about?” Bramblestar growled.

Rootpaw’s fur prickled. “I was just trying to remember the name of those cats—”

“What does that have to do with your being on ThunderClan territory?”

“I—I just thought you’d know since . . .” Rootpaw’s mew trailed away as Bramblestar stared at the SkyClan apprentice, his dark gaze glittering with fury.

Squirrelflight blinked at Bramblestar in surprise. “Surely you remember, Bramblestar.”

Bristlefrost shifted her paws. It did seem strange that Bramblestar had forgotten. Squirrelflight’s support of the Sisters had caused such a rift between her and Bramblestar that the whole Clan had felt the strain.

“I can’t remember everything that happens!” Bramblestar snapped. He turned back to Rootpaw. “You’re living on their land. If you can’t remember their name, why should I?”

Bristlefrost stepped forward. “The Sisters,” she mewed. “They called themselves Sisters.”

Around the camp, she saw her Clanmates shift nervously. Spotfur hooked her mouse closer, her tail twitching. Molewhisker glanced at the ground as though embarrassed for his leader.

Rootpaw looked relieved. “The Sisters. Of course. I thought you’d want to know they could still be hanging around.”

Bramblestar’s ears were flat. Hostility burned in his eyes. “Why not tell your own leader?” he snarled.

Rootpaw pricked his ears innocently, but his tail was still bushed. Bristlefrost could see he was scared. “I know how close Squirrelflight was to them,” he offered.

Bramblestar looked perplexed.

Rootpaw went on. “I thought I’d be doing you a favor.”

“Doing me a favor?” Bramblestar padded closer to Rootpaw, his hackles lifting. Bristlefrost held her breath. He looked like he might attack the SkyClan apprentice. “You trespass on my land and question me in my own camp, and then you tell me you’re doing me a favor?”

Rootpaw flinched away, alarm flashing in his eyes.

Molewhisker padded forward and stood beside the young tom. “He’s just making up stories to explain why he’s here.” He eyed Bramblestar nervously. The ThunderClan leader looked ready to fight. “It’s probably the same reason he came last time. Every cat knows he has a crush on Bristlefrost. He probably just wanted to see her.”

Shame seared Bristlefrost’s pelt. “That’s not true!” she meowed hotly.

Molewhisker stared at the SkyClan apprentice encouragingly. “Even if Bristlefrost knew nothing about it, you know what young cats are like when they like some cat. They act first and think later.”

Bramblestar’s hackles lowered a little. “Is it true?” he asked Rootpaw. “Did you come to see Bristlefrost?”

Rootpaw blinked at him as though he were staring into the eyes of a Thunderpath monster. “Y-yes,” he stammered. “That’s it. I just wanted to say hi to Bristlefrost.”

Bristlefrost stiffened with rage as her Clanmates’ gaze focused on her. She could see Finleap’s whiskers trembling with amusement. Bristlefrost felt so humiliated that she wanted to hide in her den. She glared at Rootpaw. Why did he have to embarrass her like this, and in front of her leader? Did he think a stunt like this would make her like him? Did he have bees in his brain?

Squirrelflight padded to Bramblestar’s side and ran her tail along his spiked pelt. “He’s just a foolish apprentice,” she told him. “We all do dumb stuff when we’re young. Go easy on him. Let’s just escort him off our territory and forget about it.”

Bramblestar growled softly, his expression still as dark as when he had punished Spotfur and Lionblaze. If he could be so hard on his own warriors, what would he do to a cat from another Clan?

“It’s not against the code to have feelings,” Squirrelflight pressed. “And that’s all it is. I’m sure Rootpaw and Bristlefrost haven’t done anything—”

“Of course not!” Bristlefrost snapped. “It’s his crush, not mine! And I’d never break the warrior code.” She looked earnestly at Bramblestar, ignoring Rootpaw’s tail as it drooped.

Bramblestar frowned, but his pelt was smoothing where Squirrelflight had stroked it. “Okay,” he grunted. “I’ll let him off this time. But Molewhisker and Finleap can go to the SkyClan border and get word to Leafstar that she’ll need to send a patrol to fetch him. I’m not letting him slink home. His Clanmates can come here and explain why they let an apprentice trespass on our land.”

Molewhisker blinked at Bramblestar. “We could just escort him home. I can tell Leafstar what he’s done while I’m there.”

“They can come here,” Bramblestar insisted. “I’m not making this easy on SkyClan. They should have more control over their apprentices.”

Molewhisker dipped his head and turned toward the entrance, beckoning Finleap to follow with a flick of his tail. As they disappeared, Bramblestar glared at Bristlefrost. “Since you brought him here, you can guard him until his Clanmates arrive.”

I didn’t bring him here! Bristlefrost puffed out her pelt, but she didn’t argue as Bramblestar stalked back to the shade of the Highledge, his tail flicking ominously. She looked at Rootpaw. “What were you thinking?” she hissed as she steered him toward the nursery. She nudged him into the shelter of its wall, where her Clanmates couldn’t hear them. “You can’t just wander onto another Clan’s territory. And why did you have to tell them that you came here because of me? Bramblestar was just starting to take me seriously. Now he’ll think I’m no better than a mouse-brained apprentice. Couldn’t you have lied?”

“I did.” Rootpaw blinked at her solemnly.

“What?” Had he just come here to embarrass her?

Rootpaw looked furtively around the camp. Then he fixed his gaze on her firmly as though making a decision. “I couldn’t tell them the real reason why I came.”

“What about the Sisters?” Bristlefrost demanded.

“That was a lie too.” He glanced to one side, as though he’d spotted prey again, then mewed pointedly, “And it was a mouse-brained one. Who reports rogues to another Clan? It was a really dumb idea.” His ears twitched irritably.

Bristlefrost stared at him. “So you didn’t come here to see me?”

“No,” he mewed, his gaze still distracted.

Bristlefrost tried to ignore the disappointment tugging in her belly. I don’t care, she told herself. I’m glad. And yet it had been reassuring after Stemleaf’s rejection to think that some cat liked her, even if it was a hare-brained apprentice from another Clan.

Rootpaw turned suddenly toward his invisible prey. “I’m really sorry,” he told it earnestly. “If there’d been another way to do it, I would have.”

“Do what?” She felt mystified. What was he going on about? Why was he talking to thin air?

Rootpaw turned back and stared at her for a moment as though trying to work out what to say.

“Well?” she prompted, her tail flicking sternly.

Determination hardened his gaze. “You know Tree can see dead cats,” he mewed.

“So I’ve heard.” What was he talking about now? “What does Tree have to do with this? Or dead cats?”

“I can see one as well.” Rootpaw glanced at his paws, his ears twitching uncomfortably. Then he sat down with a hopeless sigh. “He brought me here.”

“Who brought you here?”

“A dead cat,” Rootpaw told her. “He showed me the way.”

Rootpaw was even more hare-brained than she’d thought. “So a dead cat brought you to ThunderClan territory?” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

“No,” Rootpaw mewed. “I don’t expect any cat to believe it. Why would they? And the dead cat’s not even dead. He’s alive. But I’m still seeing his ghost.”

Bristlefrost tried to understand. Rootpaw had never been this dumb. There had to be some sense in his story. She stared at him harder. “You’re seeing a living cat’s ghost?”

“Yes.” He sounded as though he believed it. He turned in a slow circle, looking toward the entrance to the nursery. Like he was making sure that no cat was nearby. Then he turned back to her. “Bramblestar’s ghost has been following me around the forest for a moon. No cat can see him but me, but I know he’s real. He’s the one who wanted me to come here. He says the Bramblestar who leads your Clan is an impostor. He stole his body when Bramblestar lost a life, and now the real Bramblestar can’t get back in.”

Bristlefrost’s gaze flitted toward the Highledge. Bramblestar was lying in the shade, Squirrelflight sitting stiffly beside him. Of course he wasn’t an impostor! Rootpaw must have had a bad dream. “That’s impossible.”

“I wish it were.” Rootpaw’s shoulders sagged.

Bristlefrost’s paws pricked crossly. The day had been going so well. She’d caught a rabbit on her first patrol and marked the whole WindClan border. She knew Bramblestar must be impressed by what a good warrior she was becoming. And now Rootpaw had to spoil it, humiliating her in front of her Clanmates and telling her a nursery story as though she were a kit who’d believe anything. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because this is too important for me to leave without telling some cat,” Rootpaw mewed. “I trust you more than any cat in ThunderClan, and I thought we were friends.”

Bristlefrost looked away guiltily, then hesitated. What did she have to feel guilty about? “I’m a ThunderClan warrior,” she snapped. “My first loyalty is to my Clan and my leader. Why should I believe a SkyClan apprentice’s lies?”

“Because ThunderClan is in danger,” Rootpaw pressed. “Who knows what this impostor is planning or why he stole Bramblestar’s body?” He searched her gaze hopefully.

She sniffed. “This is nonsense! It’s not possible to steal another cat’s body.”

Rootpaw’s shoulders drooped. “I know it sounds crazy, and I understand why you don’t believe it.” He stared at her, his tail lying limply behind him. “But can you do one thing for me?”

“What?” She glared at him. What did he want now?

“Bramblestar’s ghost brought me here so I could warn Squirrelflight,” Rootpaw told her. “He wants me to pass on his message. I’m supposed to say, ‘I don’t know who that is in my body, but it’s not me.’” His eyes rounded imploringly. “Can you tell her that? Please?”

Bristlefrost shook out her fur angrily. “I’m not telling Squirrelflight such a ridiculous thing! Are you trying to ruin my reputation completely?”

Rootpaw dropped his gaze. “I’d never do that.”

Bristlefrost turned away and stared intently across the clearing. If Rootpaw was going to lie to her and try to make her feel guilty, then she wasn’t going to listen to him.

She heard him sigh. Then he settled beside her and gazed miserably at the camp entrance. It was going to be a long, awkward wait until his Clanmates arrived.

Bristlefrost watched Dewspring and Plumwillow escort Rootpaw from the camp. The young yellow tom padded between them, tail down and shoulders drooping. Bramblestar had used the opportunity to give the SkyClan warriors a lecture on how to discipline their apprentices, and she could tell they were furious at being humiliated by the ThunderClan leader. She felt a twinge of pity for Rootpaw. He was going to be in serious trouble when he got back to camp.

She tried not to think about the punishment Rootpaw might face, just as she tried not to think about the dumb story he’d told her. Why couldn’t he have been honest about why he’d come to ThunderClan territory? Had he come to see her after all and simply been too embarrassed to admit it to her face? She padded to the fresh-kill pile. It had been a long day, and she wasn’t going to think about Rootpaw anymore. She’d eat a mouse and go to her nest early so she’d be up in time to organize the dawn patrols.

Dusk was settling over the camp and her Clanmates were already sharing prey, talking softly in the twilight. Bramblestar was dozing beneath the Highledge, and Squirrelflight had taken the opportunity to move among her Clanmates, weaving around the clearing and stopping to talk here and there. Bristlefrost watched as the ThunderClan deputy stood beside Thornclaw, listening as he told her about the rabbit tracks he’d found in the beech grove. On the other side of the clearing, Alderheart was sharing a thrush with Sparkpelt and Finchpaw, while Stemleaf sat a tail-length away, throwing a reassuring glance toward Spotfur as the spotted tabby she-cat sat alone beside the warriors’ den.

Bristlefrost lifted a mouse from the pile and carried it toward Thriftear, who was already eating with Lilyheart and Flamepaw. As she neared, Stemleaf padded toward her and nosed her away.

She dropped the mouse and blinked at him. “What?”

“I wanted to talk to you.” Stemleaf stretched his muzzle closer and lowered his voice. “You shouldn’t encourage Rootpaw,” he whispered. “Or he’ll keep coming back.”

Bristlefrost pulled away sharply. “I didn’t encourage him!” Anger flared beneath her pelt.

“You probably don’t mean to, but he came here today, didn’t he? You need to let him know that nothing can ever happen between you. Relationships with cats from other Clans never work, and we’re supposed to be sticking to the warrior code.”

“I am sticking to the warrior code.” Her hackles lifted. How dare he suggest she might break it? She was the one who was trying to enforce it! “Rootpaw didn’t come here to see me.”

“That’s not what he said,” Stemleaf murmured. He glanced around the Clan. “Cloudtail said that he wanted to see you.”

“He was lying!”

Stemleaf’s eyes rounded with interest. “Then why did he come here?”

Bristlefrost stared at him. She couldn’t repeat Rootpaw’s story. It was too absurd. “It’s none of your business.” She lashed her tail crossly. “Just leave me alone.” She picked up her mouse and carried it to Thriftear, where she laid it on the ground and settled beside it.

Thriftear blinked at her, concern showing in her pale amber eyes. “What did Stemleaf say to you?”

“Nothing.” Bristlefrost forced her pelt to smooth and took a bite.

Thriftear frowned but, clearly guessing that Bristlefrost didn’t want to talk about it, returned to her conversation with Lilyheart.

Bristlefrost chewed the mouse, barely tasting it. Her thoughts were whirling. Why did Rootpaw have to tell her such a mouse-brained story? She couldn’t even repeat it to her Clanmates. It was bizarre. And impossible. They’d think she was dumb for even listening to it. And yet why would he ask her to tell such a story to Squirrelflight? He clearly knew how crazy it sounded. Perhaps he’d gotten some sort of coded message from StarClan and didn’t realize it. Maybe if she passed it on, it would make sense to Squirrelflight. The ThunderClan deputy might understand something in the message that she and Rootpaw didn’t.

She took another bite and chewed it unenthusiastically. She wasn’t even hungry. She swallowed and sat up, butterflies fluttering in her belly. Perhaps she should pass on the message. Squirrelflight would know whether it was important or not. She glanced at the ThunderClan deputy. Bramblestar had woken up and was blinking sleepily. Bristlefrost didn’t want to repeat the story in front of him. Who knew how he’d react? He was probably still angry with Rootpaw. This would make him angrier.

Bristlefrost pricked her ears as Bramblestar got up and padded to the dirtplace tunnel. As he disappeared, she scrambled to her paws. I’ll tell Squirrelflight. It’s what a loyal warrior would do. If it’s nonsense, so what? Squirrelflight could ignore it. But at least she’d know what rumors might be flying around the other Clans.

Squirrelflight looked up as she reached her. “Bristlefrost.” She acknowledged her with a nod.

“I’m sorry to bother you.” Bristlefrost eyed the ThunderClan deputy nervously, hoping that she wasn’t going to sound like a complete mouse-brain. “But I wanted to talk about Rootpaw.”

Squirrelflight’s ears twitched uneasily. “I was hoping you’d forget about him,” she mewed. “Cross-Clan relationships are dangerous, especially now.”

“No!” Bristlefrost blinked in alarm. “I don’t mean I want to talk about him in that way.” Her paws felt hot. “It’s just he told me something.”

Squirrelflight’s gaze sharpened. “What?”

“He wanted me to pass on a message to you.”

Squirrelflight leaned closer. “Tell me.”

Bristlefrost took a breath. “I know this is going to sound crazy—it sounded crazy to me, and he probably made it up, but I thought I’d tell you anyway, because if Rootpaw told me, he might tell some other cat, and it’ll be a rumor in no time, and I—”

Squirrelflight cut her off. “Just tell me.”

“Rootpaw says that Bramblestar’s ghost has been following him around for a moon.” Bristlefrost shrank beneath her pelt but forced herself to keep going. “He said the ghost wanted him to give you a message, and that’s why he came here today.”

“What’s the message?” Squirrelflight’s gaze flicked to the dirtplace tunnel.

Bristlefrost followed it, her heart lurching. Was Bramblestar coming back?

“He said, ‘I don’t know who that is in my body, but it’s not me.’”

Squirrelflight seemed to freeze, staring at Bristlefrost for a moment. Then she looked away. “What nonsense.” She fluffed out her fur. “I’m glad you didn’t let Bramblestar hear that. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Did Rootpaw think any cat would believe it?”

Bristlefrost shifted her paws nervously. “He didn’t, actually. He just said I had to tell you.”

“I’m glad you did.” Squirrelflight eyes glittered uneasily. Bristlefrost’s chest tightened. Did Squirrelflight think there could be any truth to the story? But then the deputy’s gaze cleared. “It’s best to know what’s going on in other Clans. And now that you’ve told me, we can both forget about it. Rootpaw is clearly as strange as his father.”

“It’s a crazy story, right?”

“Yes.” Squirrelflight nodded. “Crazy. Perhaps Rootpaw really does believe it. Maybe he dreamed it and thinks it’s a message from StarClan. Most likely, he was trying to cover his real reason for coming here.” She looked pointedly at Bristlefrost. Bristlefrost’s pelt pricked self-consciously as she went on. “Every cat knows he has a crush on you. But it’s best we don’t even think about it. It’s got nothing to do with ThunderClan.” She nodded Bristlefrost away. “Go and finish your mouse.”

Bristlefrost nodded gratefully to Squirrelflight. She felt relieved. She’d done the right thing in telling her. She didn’t think Rootpaw would lie, but he might believe he’d had a message from StarClan if it gave him an excuse to visit her. Nothing else made sense. She padded back to her mouse, suddenly hungry. She wasn’t going to think about Rootpaw or ghosts anymore. She’d forget him and focus on her duties. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were relying on her to be the best warrior she could be.