The Silent Thaw

Chapter 17

Bristlefrost blinked in dismay. Did they really believe she’d betray them? “I won’t report you!” Panic sparked through her fur. “I came here to . . .” Her words trailed away as the cats hesitated, stopping and turning to look back at her, staring at her like prey watching a patrol. Why was she here? She hadn’t even been sure she should come. Was she really ready to turn on Bramblestar? Guilt tugged at her belly. He trusted her more than he trusted any other cat in ThunderClan. But something was very wrong with her leader. He’d tried to kill his own daughter. Rootpaw had been right. She’d heard it with her own ears. Bramblestar wasn’t himself. She lifted her muzzle. “I came here to join you.”

Stemleaf looked suspicious. “Join us?”

Around him, the other cats shifted uneasily. Spotfur narrowed her eyes. Sneezecloud and Dappletuft moved closer together, eyeing her distrustfully. Breezepelt flattened his ears.

“I’m worried about Bramblestar,” Bristlefrost blurted. She didn’t want to admit she’d been eavesdropping, but she wanted ThunderClan to go back to normal.

“How long have you been here?” Stemleaf’s hackles lifted.

“Not long,” she told him. “I just heard the last bit,” she told him. “I know Bramblestar’s not really Bramblestar.” She searched Stemleaf’s gaze. Would he believe her? “You want to get rid of him.”

Stemleaf frowned as though trying to decide if he could trust her.

Spotfur pushed past him, her ears twitching angrily. “How did you find out about this meeting?”

“I heard you talking about it with Stemleaf,” Bristlefrost told her.

“So you were spying again?” Spotfur’s mew was hard.

Again. The word stung. Did her Clanmates really think she was a spy? She’d only been trying to help Bramblestar make sure ThunderClan was following the warrior code. “Not spying,” Bristlefrost mewed. “I was coming back from the dirtplace and I heard you telling Twigbranch and Finleap about it. I didn’t mean to overhear.”

Twigbranch padded closer. “Why did you come?”

“I told you.” Bristlefrost swallowed. A small part of her had believed her Clanmates would be pleased to see her. She was disappointed to see that they weren’t. “I’m worried about Bramblestar. He’s been acting weird. But you say it’s not Bramblestar. And that makes sense. Bramblestar was always kind. He always wanted the best for his Clan, but I think this Bramblestar wants to hurt ThunderClan.” She remembered the scent of fresh-kill at the abandoned Twoleg den. “He doesn’t care who suffers.”

The other cats were creeping closer, circling her. Their tails flicked uneasily, but there was interest in their gazes. She noticed Rootpaw and felt her chest loosen. He’d trust her, wouldn’t he? They were friends.

“We’re going to ask Shadowsight about his visions,” Rootpaw told her. “He might be able to give us a clue about who the impostor is.”

Bristlefrost thought it was a good plan, but she had a better one. “Then what?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “We have to expose Bramblestar. It’s the only way we’ll be safe. We need the support of more powerful cats.”

“More powerful?” Frecklewish swished her tail. “Shadowsight is a medicine cat. So am I. Leaders listen to us.”

“But Shadowsight is a ShadowClan cat, and you’re SkyClan. We need more support in ThunderClan.” Bristlefrost glanced around at the watching cats, relieved as their fur smoothed. They believed she was here to help. She went on. “There’s a cat in ThunderClan who already suspects Bramblestar’s not Bramblestar. If we can persuade her to join us, we might be able to get rid of the impostor without a fight.”

Spotfur pricked her ears. “Who are you talking about?”

Bristlefrost met her gaze. Squirrelflight. She hesitated, swallowing back the name. Would telling them undo the little trust she’d gained? They might not believe me. Squirrelflight was Bramblestar’s deputy. And his mate. She lifted her chin. She had to tell them. The ThunderClan deputy might be their strongest ally. “Squirrelflight.”

“Squirrelflight?” Stemleaf blinked in surprise. “She’s his mate. Why would she turn against him?”

Spotfur nodded. “What if she accuses us of treason?”

Rootpaw stiffened. “She’d never do that!”

Bristlefrost saw his pelt ruffle along his spine. She met his gaze hopefully as the other cats stared at him.

Stemleaf narrowed his eyes. “What makes you so sure?”

“I took her a message from the ghost,” Rootpaw mewed softly.

The cats’ gazes widened.

Tree stepped forward. “I asked him to,” he told them. “The ghost told me I needed to get a message to Squirrelflight, and it was easier for Rootpaw to sneak into the ThunderClan camp without causing suspicion.”

Bristlefrost frowned at Tree in confusion. “The ghost told you?” Hadn’t Rootpaw told her the ghost had spoken to him, not Tree?

“Yes,” Tree answered.

Rootpaw blinked at her imploringly. “Tree can see dead cats,” he mewed. “So the ghost talked to him.”

She hesitated. Rootpaw clearly wanted her to go along with this story. Tree was staring at her too. There had to be a good reason why they were lying about which one of them could see the ghost. She swished her tail. “He’s telling the truth,” she mewed.

Frecklewish narrowed her eyes. “What message did you give her?” she asked Rootpaw.

“What did the ghost want to tell her?” Whorlpelt added.

Bristlefrost glanced at Rootpaw. She remembered the message as though it were burned into her thoughts.

Rootpaw was staring solemnly at Whorlpelt. “He wanted to tell her that he didn’t know who was in his body, but it wasn’t him.”

The gathered cats exchanged glances, unease glittering in their eyes.

“She didn’t believe it at first,” Bristlefrost added. “But with how strangely Bramblestar’s been acting, she couldn’t deny it for long.”

Breezepelt tipped his head thoughtfully. “But even if she believes it now, she can’t just get rid of him. She’d need the support of her Clanmates. It could be dangerous.”

Stemleaf nodded. “We don’t want our Clanmates fighting one another,” he agreed.

“And we can’t risk Bramblestar getting hurt,” Spotfur chimed. “Bramblestar’s ghost will want his body back.”

Stemleaf gazed around at the other cats. They swapped anxious glances as silence filled the hollow.

Bristlefrost puffed out her chest, frustrated. “We have to do something,” she pressed. “The impostor tried to kill Sparkpelt.”

Twigbranch’s pelt spiked. “What?”

“The dogs that attacked her weren’t there by accident,” Bristlefrost looked around at the other cats. “Bramblestar sent Sparkpelt to search for catmint beside the abandoned Twoleg den on our land,” she explained. “She was attacked by dogs while she was looking for it. I went to investigate and found that some cat had been storing fresh-kill inside the old den. I think it was Bramblestar. I think he’d been luring dogs there for days before he sent Sparkpelt to fetch the catmint.”

“How do you know it was Bramblestar?” Frecklewish asked.

“Who else could it have been?” Bristlefrost blinked at her. “He was angry with her because she’d tried to find Lionblaze. So he sent her there even after Alderheart told him that catmint wouldn’t be growing yet.”

Twigbranch padded closer to Finleap, her tail twitching nervously. “Are any of us safe?”

“I don’t think so.” Bristlefrost blinked at her. “That’s why we have to persuade Squirrelflight to join us. I don’t think it will be hard. She must want the real Bramblestar back, too.”

Spotfur’s gaze glittered warily. “Why should we believe you really want to help? You could be spying for Bramblestar.”

“Why would I spy for an impostor?” Bristlefrost squared her shoulders. “You have to trust me. I only tried to help Bramblestar before I knew what he was. But now that I know he’s not Bramblestar, I want to protect my Clan. I’ll do anything you ask.”

Stemleaf eyed her suspiciously. “Do you think you can persuade Squirrelflight to join us?”

“Of course!” Bristlefrost blinked at him eagerly.

Spotfur pricked her ears. “Joining us isn’t enough. She has to tell the other leaders that Bramblestar’s an impostor.”

“I can ask her.”

“You have to convince her,” Spotfur pressed. “It’s the only way we can save the Clans from Bramblestar.”

“I’ll try.” Bristlefrost’s paws pricked excitedly. She was going to help make everything okay again.

Spotfur looked around at the cats. “If Squirrelflight tells the other Clans what’s going on, they’ll have to help us.”

Frecklewish’s ears twitched uneasily. “What if they don’t believe her?” she mewed. “After all, she’s one of the codebreakers.”

Sneezecloud nodded. “Bramblestar has only been trying to make sure the Clans follow StarClan’s message about the codebreakers. It’s going to be hard convincing every cat that he’s an impostor when StarClan’s on his side.”

“We have to have faith in our Clanmates,” Stemleaf told the RiverClan warrior. “They’ll recognize the truth when they hear it, just like Squirrelflight did. And the more Clans that know the truth, the less power he’ll have.”

Breezepelt grunted. “Won’t it just seem like she’s stirring up trouble?”

“Trouble has already been stirred up!” Spotfur glared at him. “Do you want to stand by while this impostor banishes some poor cat forever, or tries to send more of his Clanmates to their deaths?”

Breezepelt whisked his tail. “Of course not. But we can’t think this is going to be easy.”

Bristlefrost lifted her muzzle. “Squirrelflight can do it.”

Frecklewish’s gaze darkened. “I hope so.”

Dawn was already lighting the edge of the sky by the time Bristlefrost reached camp. She’d trailed behind Stemleaf and Spotfur, keeping her distance, unsure if they’d forgiven her for helping Bramblestar. Besides, the other two warriors were so close now, she felt awkward around them. She’d put her feelings for Stemleaf aside, but it didn’t mean that seeing him and Spotfur together didn’t hurt. They’d gone to their nests by the time she reached the hollow, and she crouched below the Highledge and waited for her Clanmates to wake up.

As daylight filtered through the trees, she got to her paws, shaking out the chill that had reached through her pelt. Thornclaw was the first cat to wake. He padded, blinking, from the warriors’ den, nodding as he saw Bristlefrost cross the clearing. “Should I lead the first patrol?” he asked.

“Yes.” She blinked at him gratefully. She’d forgotten she was supposed to organize the dawn patrols. “You can decide who to take with you.”

“Okay.” As Thornclaw ducked back into the den to wake his denmates, stones cracked on the rock tumble.

Bristlefrost jerked her muzzle toward it, relieved to see Squirrelflight scrambling into the clearing.

She stopped beside Bristlefrost. “Have you organized the first patrol?”

Bristlefrost nodded. “Thornclaw is leading it,” she mewed. “I told him to take whoever he wants.”

“Good.” Squirrelflight glanced back toward the Highledge. “Bramblestar is still sleeping. He’ll want to see his Clanmates hard at work when he wakes.”

Bristlefrost looked at her solemnly. “Can I talk to you?” she asked. “In private?”

Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes. “Sure.” She led Bristlefrost to the edge of the camp, and as Thornclaw led Lionblaze, Mousewhisker, and Birchfall from the den, she faced Bristlefrost, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “What is it?”

Bristlefrost hesitated, waiting for the patrol to head out into the forest. As soon as the last warrior had disappeared, she met Squirrelflight’s gaze. “I’ve come from a meeting,” she began.

“Just now?” Squirrelflight’s ears twitched.

“A few cats from every Clan met to discuss Bramblestar.” She glanced nervously at Highledge. “They know he’s an impostor.”

“How?” Squirrelflight shifted her paws.

“Tree told them,” Bristlefrost explained. “I guess Rootpaw must have told him.”

“What are they planning to do?” Squirrelflight leaned closer.

“They can’t do anything until they have more support,” Bristlefrost told her. “They want you to talk to the other leaders and tell them about Bramblestar. We need to stand up to him, but we can’t until other cats are willing to stand beside us.” She searched the ThunderClan deputy’s gaze hopefully. It would be a big risk to share what she knew about Bramblestar with other leaders. What if they took advantage of ThunderClan’s vulnerability? What if they didn’t believe her and reported her to Bramblestar as a traitor? Her pelt pricked anxiously.

Squirrelflight’s eyes gleamed in the early morning light. She glanced at the Highledge, then met Bristlefrost’s gaze. “I’ll do it,” she mewed. “I’ll go to Leafstar first. I think she’ll listen. SkyClan hasn’t been accused of codebreaking. That makes her freer to decide what to do.”

“What if she doesn’t believe you?” Bristlefrost asked. “The impostor has StarClan on his side.”

“I can only tell her what I know,” Squirrelflight mewed. “Each warrior will have to decide for themselves. But every cat has seen how Bramblestar’s been acting.”

“Some cats think he’s right,” Bristlefrost pointed out. “They agree that the codebreakers must atone to bring StarClan back. Standing up to Bramblestar might mean war.”

“No true warrior would knowingly bring suffering on the Clans.” Squirrelflight held her gaze. “If we can persuade the leaders and the medicine cats that Bramblestar is an impostor and must be stopped, a war won’t last for long.”

Bristlefrost stiffened as a shadow flitted along the Highledge. Bramblestar was heading toward the rock tumble. “He’s coming.” She swallowed back panic.

“It’s okay.” Squirrelflight straightened. “He doesn’t know we know.”

“How will you get to Leafstar?” Bristlefrost asked. “He won’t let you out of the camp.”

“I’m a codebreaker, aren’t I?” Squirrelflight winked at her, then turned to face Bramblestar as he leaped down the rock tumble.

Bristlefrost struggled to keep her fur flat. Butterflies were fluttering in her belly. Could they really get away with this? Her heart lurched as Bramblestar called out to Squirrelflight.

“I woke up and you weren’t there.” He crossed the clearing. He sounded hurt. “I wondered where you’d gone.”

“I wanted to discuss the patrols with Bristlefrost before I left,” Squirrelflight told him smoothly.

“Left?” Bramblestar’s eyes widened. “You know I want you to stay here.”

Bristlefrost’s heart quickened. Squirrelflight clearly had a plan.

“I’ve been thinking about StarClan’s message,” Squirrelflight told him. “I think I need to atone for my codebreaking.”

Bristlefrost pricked her ears. What was Squirrelflight talking about?

Bramblestar’s ears twitched. “But you’ve spoken to StarClan. They’ve forgiven you.”

“Perhaps,” Squirrelflight mewed. “But we must obey StarClan’s message, and more important, the other Clans must see us obeying it. How else can we expect others to follow StarClan’s orders? I must show them all that I am willing to atone.”

“You could take the oath Lionblaze and Jayfeather took,” Bramblestar suggested.

“No.” Squirrelflight’s gaze was firm. “Lionblaze had to leave the Clan as punishment for breaking the code. I must do the same.”

Excitement fizzed in Bristlefrost’s paws as she suddenly understood Squirrelflight’s plan. She was going to use the excuse of atoning to travel to the other Clans and warn them!

“I’ll leave for a few days to make my peace with StarClan,” Squirrelflight went on. “They can see for themselves that I am sorry for breaking the code. If they’re going to come back, they must see every codebreaker atone. No warrior is above the code—not even a deputy.”

Bristlefrost glanced at Bramblestar. His fur was pricking uneasily along his spine. Was he convinced? “It would impress the Clan if Squirrelflight atoned,” she mewed quickly. “They’ll try even harder to follow the code, and StarClan will come back sooner.” She stared at him, willing him to agree to Squirrelflight’s plan.

Bramblestar’s gaze flicked from Bristlefrost to Squirrelflight. “I guess,” he murmured.

“I won’t be gone for long, and when I get back, I’ll be an even better deputy,” Squirrelflight pressed.

Bramblestar flicked his tail. “Okay,” he mewed. “You can go.”

“If I go straight away, I can come back sooner.” Squirrelflight turned to Bristlefrost. “Can you organize all the patrols while I’m gone?”

“I’ll do my best,” Bristlefrost promised.

Squirrelflight touched her nose to Bramblestar’s muzzle. “I’ll miss you,” she murmured.

Bristlefrost saw the ThunderClan deputy’s tail twitch. It must be hard for her to pretend that the impostor is Bramblestar. She dipped her head politely as Squirrelflight headed toward the entrance. Bramblestar stared after his mate. He looked forlorn.

Bristlefrost’s belly tightened. He might take his mood out on ThunderClan. She needed to soothe him. “Don’t worry,” she mewed awkwardly. “She won’t be gone long. Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Nests were rustling. The rest of the Clan was waking up. She wanted Bramblestar safely in his den before he could accuse more cats of codebreaking. She nodded toward the empty fresh-kill pile. “There’s no prey, and there’s nothing to do except organize the first hunting patrol.”

“I guess,” he grunted. “The sun’s hardly up.”

Relief washed her pelt as Bramblestar headed toward the rock tumble and scrambled up it.

Graystripe padded sleepily from the elders’ den. He eyed Bramblestar as the ThunderClan leader disappeared into his den. “Why is he up so early?”

“Squirrelflight’s gone to atone,” Bristlefrost told him. “He was saying good-bye.”

As Graystripe’s eyes widened with surprise, she pressed back hope. The old warrior had no idea that Squirrelflight hadn’t really gone to make peace with StarClan. Nor did Bramblestar. The ThunderClan deputy had gone to tell every Clan that her leader was an impostor and they needed to get rid of him. Her paws tingled. I just hope they believe her.