The Silent Thaw

Chapter 21

Shadowsight padded into the medicine den, relishing its shelter. Outside, the wind was cold. He glanced at the empty nests, relieved that there hadn’t been more injuries. Snowbird had returned to her nest in the warriors’ den. Her paw was still swathed in comfrey, but she’d grown gloomy in the medicine den by herself as it became increasingly clear that, although the bones were healing, her paw would never be as strong and straight as it had been, and she’d always have a limp.

Shadowsight’s shoulders drooped. Since yesterday’s Gathering, he’d felt gloomy too. He’d hoped his confession to the Clans would stop Bramblestar’s ruthless persecution of the codebreakers. If the visions hadn’t come from StarClan, there was no need to punish any cat. But his outburst seemed to have made Bramblestar more determined to carry on. Didn’t the ThunderClan leader see that it couldn’t be StarClan who wanted the Clans to suffer?

Paw steps scuffed the earth, and he looked up as Yarrowleaf padded in, her face crumpled with pain.

He hurried to meet her. “What happened?”

“A bee stung me.” She turned her head to show a swelling on her neck.

“This early in the season?” Shadowsight frowned. Was StarClan still trying to let him know something was wrong? I’ve done everything I can, he told them silently. Perhaps it wasn’t StarClan. After all, he knew they were silent now. Perhaps it was whoever had sent the visions. He pushed the thought away. What good did it do to speculate? He could only treat his Clanmates and hope StarClan returned soon.

Yarrowleaf sat down in the middle of the den and winced. “I disturbed a nest while I was digging into a rabbit hole.”

Shadowsight examined the wound, looking closely to see if the stinger was still there. The ginger she-cat had clearly pulled it out in a panic; Shadowsight could see claw marks around the sting. “I’ll fetch honey.”

He headed for the herb store, relieved that he still had a little left. Honey would draw poison from the wound, and he had some lavender that would soothe it afterward. As he pulled out a bundle of herbs, their fragrant scents comforted him. He didn’t have a special link with StarClan, but he still knew how to heal. He would focus on treating his Clanmates’ injuries until StarClan returned. He could do no more than that.

He picked up the folded leaf, enclosing the honey along with a few stems of lavender, and turned from the herb store. His ears twitched. Puddleshine had come into the den and was checking Yarrowleaf’s wound.

The brown medicine cat nodded to him. “I’ll take care of this,” he mewed briskly.

Shadowsight dropped his herbs beside Yarrowleaf. “But I’ve got honey and lavender.”

Puddleshine padded past him and stopped beside the herb store. “Nettle juice and marigold will be the best treatment,” he mewed. “And a few poppy seeds to help with the pain.”

Yarrowleaf blinked gratefully at Puddleshine. “It really hurts,” she mewed forlornly.

Shadowsight’s heart sank as Puddleshine gathered up herbs and returned to Yarrowleaf. Nosing Shadowsight away, he chewed the dried nettle leaves and marigold petals into a pulp and smeared it onto the ginger she-cat’s neck. Then he dabbed his paw onto the poppy seeds and offered them to Yarrowleaf. As she lapped them up, Puddleshine sat back on his haunches.

“How does that feel?”

“A bit better.” Yarrowleaf turned her head gingerly.

“Go and rest,” Puddleshine told her. “The poppy seeds will start to work soon. Come back if the pain gets worse, or if you start wheezing.”

“Thanks.” Yarrowleaf nodded to the brown medicine cat and padded outside.

Shadowsight bristled as soon as she was gone. “Don’t you trust me to treat sick cats?” He stared at Puddleshine angrily.

“Of course I do,” Puddleshine told him. “But I’ve been doing it for longer. I have more experience.”

“But I have to learn!” Was Puddleshine going to stop him? He froze as a thought sparked in his mind. Did Puddleshine doubt him now that he knew his visions weren’t from StarClan? Alarm jabbed his belly. “Do you think I’m not meant to be a medicine cat?”

Puddleshine hesitated for a moment; then he blinked at Shadowsight. “Don’t be mouse-brained.”

The hesitation sliced like claws through Shadowsight’s heart. He’s not sure! He stared at Puddleshine as his mentor went on.

“Of course you’re meant to be a medicine cat. You’ve always been special.”

Special. The word suddenly sounded more like an insult than a compliment. Shadowsight looked away. He couldn’t stand the thought that he’d lost Puddleshine’s trust.

A growl sounded outside. Shadowsight pricked his ears. “What’s going on?”

Puddleshine turned toward the entrance. “I smell SkyClan.” As the medicine cat hurried out, Shadowsight followed.

Rootpaw and Tree were in the clearing, flanked by Gullswoop and Blazefire.

Shadowsight’s pelt rippled with surprise. Had Tree agreed to follow Bramblestar’s orders?

Dovewing, who was eating beside the fresh-kill pile, got to her paws. Around the clearing, Snaketooth and Berryheart turned their heads to stare at the visitors. Scorchfur’s hackles lifted.

Tigerstar padded from his den and glared at Tree and Rootpaw. “What are you doing here?”

Tree dipped his head. “You heard Bramblestar’s order,” he mewed. “I’m to visit every Clan as part of my atonement.”

Tigerstar curled his lip. “Do you really think you can convince me to make my warriors atone because Bramblestar tells me I should?”

Yarrowleaf blinked at her leader, pain still showing in her eyes. “Perhaps we should listen to him.”

Scorchfur padded forward. “You want StarClan to come back, don’t you?”

Tigerstar turned on him. “Your first loyalty is to your Clan, not to Bramblestar!” he snapped. “I decide if we atone, not him.”

Scorchfur backed away, his tail flicking uneasily.

Shadowsight’s pelt tingled with relief. Tigerstar was going to keep standing up to Bramblestar, even if it meant disagreeing with his own Clanmates.

Tigerstar padded closer to Tree. “You’d better get out of here,” he hissed. “Before I have you dragged out by your scruff.”

Tree’s eyes rounded. “But I’ve come to talk to you about Squirrelflight’s message.”

Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. “What message?”

Tree started, looking confused. “Squirrelflight . . . she didn’t visit?”

“No,” Tigerstar hissed. “We’ve had no visit from ThunderClan—and even if we had, I’d have told her what I’m telling you. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!”

Tree glanced hopefully around the camp. “Is Cloverfoot here? Maybe I can speak to her.”

“Get out!” Tigerstar lunged at him, stopping a whisker away.

Tree recoiled, his pelt spiking. Rootpaw pressed close to his father and glared defiantly at Tigerstar.

Dovewing padded from the edge of the camp. “You should go,” she told Tree softly. “Tigerstar won’t change his mind. Bramblestar went too far at the Gathering. StarClan gave Tigerstar nine lives. No cat but them can take his leadership away.”

“But I might be able to help you.” Tree’s gaze stayed on Tigerstar. “There’s something you should know.” He looked around at the ShadowClan warriors. “Something you should all know.”

Shadowsight pricked his ears. What did he mean?

“Leave.” Dovewing slid between Tree and Tigerstar as the ShadowClan leader uncurled his claws. “Before some cat gets hurt.”

Tail flicking, Tree turned and headed for the entrance. Rootpaw hesitated. His gaze flitted around the camp, lighting up as it reached Shadowsight.

Shadowsight stiffened. Me? Rootpaw was staring at him eagerly. What does he want me to do? Shadowsight shifted his paws self-consciously as Rootpaw’s eyes widened. He’s trying to tell me something. He returned Rootpaw’s gaze helplessly. Then Rootpaw turned and headed for the entrance, his tail twitching sharply. Shadowsight watched him go. Was that tail flick meant for me?

Cinnamontail brushed past Rootpaw as she padded into camp. She glanced over her shoulder as he disappeared. “What were they doing here?”

Dovewing met the tabby’s gaze. “Bramblestar wanted them to come and persuade Tigerstar to exile the codebreakers.”

Cinnamontail sniffed. “Since when does a ThunderClan leader tell ShadowClan what to do?” She padded toward the medicine den and stopped in front of Puddleshine. “I’ve been feeling queasy all morning,” she told him. “I think I ate a bad mouse.”

“Come with me.” Puddleshine headed into the den. “I’ve got some watermint that will help.” He paused and looked at Shadowsight. “Do you want to treat Cinnamontail?”

Shadowsight could see that the medicine cat was trying to prove that he still trusted him. He shook out his fur. “Can you give him the watermint? I want to check on the marigold I found near camp.” Before Puddleshine could comment, he hurried across the clearing. It was a lie. He wasn’t interested in the marigold right now. He wanted to catch Tree and Rootpaw before they crossed the border. Rootpaw had made it clear that they had more to share than Bramblestar’s orders.

He ducked out of camp and scanned the forest, relieved when he glimpsed Tree’s yellow pelt through the undergrowth. He chased after him, his paws thrumming against the earth as he raced to catch up. “Wait!” He skidded to a halt beside the two SkyClan cats.

Rootpaw turned first, his eyes lighting as he saw Shadowsight.

Tree’s whiskers twitched with surprise. “I thought ShadowClan didn’t want to hear my message.”

“They didn’t want to hear Bramblestar’s message,” Shadowsight told him. “But you came to tell us something else, didn’t you?”

Tree blinked at him. “You said at the Gathering that your visions hadn’t come from StarClan.”

“Yes!” Shadowsight told him eagerly. He was relieved that some cat had heard him. “They came from some other cat.”

“Who?” Rootpaw’s eyes widened.

“I don’t know,” Shadowsight confessed. “I just know it wasn’t StarClan.”

Tree’s gaze was solemn. “Did you know that Bramblestar isn’t Bramblestar?”

“What?” Shadowsight froze. “How can he not be Bramblestar?”

“When he lost a life,” Tree explained, “some other cat’s spirit took his body. The real Bramblestar is a ghost. He can’t get back into his body and he can’t find StarClan.”

Rootpaw’s eyes were dark. “Whoever’s leading ThunderClan is an impostor.”

“An impostor?” Shadowsight’s thoughts whirled, the earth seeming to shift beneath his paws. First StarClan wasn’t StarClan and now Bramblestar wasn’t Bramblestar. “What’s going on?”

“We don’t know yet.” Rootpaw padded closer, his eyes bright. “But if your visions didn’t come from StarClan, where did they come from?”

“I told you, I don’t know,” Shadowsight mewed. “I just know it was a voice.”

Tree frowned. “Do you think it could have been Bramblestar’s voice?”

Shadowsight felt confused. “Bramblestar?”

“The impostor.” Rootpaw whisked his tail. “He’s the one who’s been yowling about codebreakers since this began, and your visions have agreed with him. Perhaps he the one who’s been speaking to you.”

Shadowsight’s heart pounded. Some cat had stolen Bramblestar’s identity and was trying to control the Clans through his visions. “How do you know Bramblestar is a ghost?”

Rootpaw and Tree exchanged glances.

“I’ve seen him,” Tree mewed. “I can help you see him too, if you like.”

Rootpaw’s eyes widened. “Can you?”

Tree fluffed out his fur. “It’s not easy, but I can make dead cats visible to the living—for a while at least,” he told them. “I did it for ShadowClan when some of their warriors went missing after Darktail took over.” He eyed Shadowsight somberly. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Shadowsight nodded.

“I’m not.” Rootpaw blinked at his father.

Tree met Rootpaw’s gaze. “It’ll be okay.” He nosed Rootpaw away and whispered in his ear for a few moments. Rootpaw drew back and stared at his father in disbelief.

Shadowsight stiffened. What had Tree told him? He padded closer. “Is summoning the ghost dangerous?”

“Not at all.” Tree swished his tail. “It’s just hard, that’s all. Especially when you haven’t done it”—he hesitated, glancing at Rootpaw—“for a while.”

Rootpaw was still staring at his father as Tree closed his eyes. Shadowsight’s pelt prickled uneasily. Why did the SkyClan apprentice seem so scared? I guess he’s never seen a ghost before. As Rootpaw closed his eyes, Shadowsight wondered if he should do the same, but he was too curious to stop watching.

Tree’s ears flattened and his tail quivered. Shadowsight pressed his paws hard against the earth as Tree began to tremble. Suddenly, pale fur shimmered between the trees. Shadowsight’s breath caught in his throat as he recognized Bramblestar’s tabby pelt. It glistened like water a few tail-lengths away.

The ghost’s eyes widened in surprise as Shadowsight met its gaze. It lifted its tail. “You must help me.” Its yowl was faint, as though carried away by a breeze. Then it vanished.

Tree jerked and staggered, as though trying to find his footing. He opened his eyes. “Did you see it?” he asked Shadowsight shakily.

“Yes.” Shadowsight swallowed. There really was a ghost-Bramblestar, separate from the cat who was leading ThunderClan. “We have to fix this.”

“I know.” Tree took a shuddering breath. “We know Bramblestar is an impostor and some cat is sending you false visions. I think we can be pretty sure that the impostor is the one who’s been talking to you.”

“It makes sense.” Shadowsight nodded, his eye falling on Rootpaw. The SkyClan apprentice was trembling, his eyes glittering with shock. “Is he okay?” Shadowsight asked Tree. Seeing a ghost had clearly shocked the young cat.

“He’ll be fine in a moment.” Tree wove around his son, smoothing his ruffled pelt with his tail. “We need to find a way to get rid of the impostor,” he told Shadowsight.

“But how?” Shadowsight could picture the ghost’s eyes burning desperately between the trees. “If the Clans chase him away, how will Bramblestar get back into his body?”

Tree nodded. “And if we kill him, there’ll be no body for Bramblestar to go back to.”

Shadowsight hesitated. It seemed impossible. Without StarClan he felt powerless.

Rootpaw seemed to pull himself together. He lifted his chin. “We need to tell as many cats as we can.”

“You saw what it was like at the Gathering,” Shadowsight argued. “I tried to tell them about my visions, but no cat wanted to believe me. Bramblestar’s convinced them that StarClan is on his side.”

“Squirrelflight believes us, and Frecklewish,” Tree told him. “There are already a few cats in every Clan who know that Bramblestar’s not himself. But we need to convince the medicine cats. They can tell the leaders. Does Puddleshine know that your visions aren’t from StarClan?”

“Yes, but he doesn’t know that Bramblestar’s an impostor,” Shadowsight mewed.

Rootpaw thrust his muzzle closer. “You must tell him.”

Shadowsight hesitated. Would Puddleshine believe him? He couldn’t get rid of the feeling that his former mentor didn’t trust him anymore. You’ve always been special. Shadowsight pressed back a shudder as the words rang in his head. And even if Puddleshine did believe him, would he let him tell the rest of the Clan? He hadn’t wanted to alarm the Clan with the idea that Shadowsight’s visions weren’t from StarClan. Maybe he’d want to keep this secret too.

Shadowsight blinked at Tree. “No. You have to tell Tigerstar. He’s the only one who can stand up to Bramblestar.”

“We’ve already tried,” Tree reminded him. “You saw what happened. He sent us away.”

“Come back with me now,” Shadowsight pleaded.

Tree glanced at Rootpaw. “Do you want to go back?”

Rootpaw’s ears twitched uneasily. “Tigerstar seemed ready to claw our ears off last time.”

“We have to spread the word,” Tree pressed. “The Clans are in danger.”

Shadowsight swished his tail. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt either of you.”

Rootpaw looked unconvinced. “But will he listen?”

“I’ll make him listen,” Shadowsight promised.

Rootpaw dipped his head. “Okay. We’ll come.”

Hope flashed in Shadowsight’s chest. At last, he could start to fix everything. He hurried toward camp and ducked through the tunnel, freezing as he reached the clearing. “Squirrelflight?” He stared in disbelief at the ThunderClan deputy.

She was standing in front of Tigerstar, her pelt ruffled and unkempt. She shifted her paws, her gaze darting nervously around the camp. “I’m sorry to come here,” she mewed. “But I had no choice. I’ve come to ask for sanctuary.”