Veil Of Shadows

Chapter 21

Dawn mist still lay heavy across the lake as the cats of ThunderClan headed along the shore and crossed the border into SkyClan territory. Bristlefrost shivered as the chilly droplets soaked into her pelt. She felt uneasy being at the head of the group, padding along at the false Bramblestar’s shoulder, sensing the resentful gazes of her Clanmates as she assumed the position of deputy.

Her reluctance to be part of this fight was growing with every paw step she took toward ShadowClan. Since talking to Rootspring the day before, Bristlefrost was well aware that every cat could assume she was willing—even eager—to follow Bramblestar’s orders and attack. How had Bramblestar learned that ShadowClan was planning to attack him? It seemed like he had known even before Bristlefrost did, but she knew the rebels would assume she had told him. She glanced sideways at the false Bramblestar. Did he have some source of information she didn’t know about? Maybe some other cat among the rebels?

They must all think I’m a traitor. . . . And what in StarClan’s name will I do when the fighting starts? She hadn’t forgotten her promise to protect Bramblestar’s body.

As the ThunderClan cats drew close to the ShadowClan border, Bristlefrost heard the sound of many paw steps approaching rapidly from behind. Stiffening with tension, she whirled around, half expecting an attack from the rear, only to see the figures of Mistystar and Harestar looming up out of the mist, with their Clanmates following.

Bristlefrost relaxed, huffing out a sigh. Thank StarClan! It’s only RiverClan and WindClan. The mist must have masked their scent.

The two Clan leaders padded up to the head of the group to join Bramblestar, giving Bristlefrost the chance to slip backward by a couple of tail-lengths. She had hoped to feel better once she got away from the impostor, but instead her sense of foreboding grew.

By the time the attack force reached the ShadowClan border, Bristlefrost felt as if she were going to burst from mounting tension.

ThunderClan is supposed to be honorable and upstanding, she thought wretchedly. That’s what we’re known for! And here we are, about to launch a sneak attack on another Clan, which hasn’t done anything to harm us.

Bramblestar drew his followers to a halt just on the SkyClan side of the border, and paused for a moment, looking over the heads of the other cats.

“No SkyClan, I see,” he murmured. “I suppose I will have to punish Leafstar for her treachery another day, but we still have the advantage.” Gesturing with his tail, he instructed the other leaders how to position their cats to attack the ShadowClan camp from every side. “Those mange-pelts will have nowhere to run,” he growled.

Under his direction, the cats of all three Clans spread out into a loose half circle as they crossed the border and padded through the trees toward the ShadowClan camp. On the way, the mist began to clear, and a gray dawn light filled the forest as they approached the barrier of bushes that surrounded the hollow.

Silently the three Clans padded up the slope and thrust their way through the bushes at the same moment, almost encircling the camp. Bristlefrost expected that the ShadowClan cats would still be sleeping, except perhaps for the dawn patrol making ready to set out.

She was wrong. Her belly lurched as she looked down into the hollow and saw Tigerstar standing in the middle of the camp with all his warriors around him. Their shoulder fur was bristling and their eyes glittered with fury.

They’ve been warned!

Tigerstar stalked out from the group of his warriors and headed toward Bramblestar, who strode down the slope to meet him at the edge of the camp. “What is all this about?” he demanded.

Bramblestar froze for a moment in utter shock, but rapidly recovered himself. “It’s obvious why StarClan seems to have abandoned the living cats,” he snarled. “All the codebreaking, especially here in ShadowClan. You’re the only Clan that has resisted my decrees.”

“How do you get to make decrees for another Clan?” Tigerstar sneered. His eyes narrowed as he cast a cold gaze around him at the invading cats. “This alliance of three Clans is going to drive out all of ShadowClan to please the spirits of our warrior ancestors?”

“That’s right,” the false Bramblestar replied, his calm, confident voice sending a shiver through Bristlefrost.

Tigerstar looked unimpressed. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither is my Clan,” he meowed. “If you and the other leaders really want to dishonor StarClan with this attack, fine, go right ahead. But know this: Any warriors that ThunderClan, WindClan, or RiverClan lose in this battle will have died for nothing.”

Bristlefrost was aware that some of her Clanmates had begun to shuffle uneasily as Tigerstar spoke, his words giving them something to think about. Her muscles were tense, and she drove her claws hard into the ground, expecting that at any moment the waiting cats would explode into battle.

As the two hostile leaders faced each other, with their muscles bunched to spring and their teeth bared, a new scent washed over Bristlefrost, and she heard the sound of many cats scrambling up the slope outside the ShadowClan camp. A few heartbeats later the warriors of SkyClan appeared. They thrust their way through the bushes and between the encircling warriors of the other Clans, and began to pad down into the camp. Leafstar was in the lead, and dipped her head coldly to Tigerstar and Bramblestar as she halted beside them.

“Better late than never,” Bramblestar grunted.

The ShadowClan warriors were eyeing the newcomers warily; Bristlefrost could see the anxiety in their wide eyes and twitching tails. How could Leafstar have decided to fight for Bramblestar? It had seemed like she was on the rebels’ side! Now it’s four Clans fighting against one, she thought with an inward groan. ShadowClan will be destroyed.

“Greetings,” Leafstar mewed crisply, glancing from one leader to the other. “I see there’s no hope of peace between you.”

“No hope at all.” Bramblestar’s voice was smooth and rich, almost a purr, filled with satisfaction at the appearance of more warriors on his side.

Tigerstar confronted Leafstar with a level gaze. “I hope you’re happy with your decision,” he meowed.

“Very happy,” Leafstar replied. Then, to Bristlefrost’s utter astonishment, she whirled to face the attackers. “Now!” she yowled.

Instantly her warriors spun around and launched themselves at the other Clans. For a couple of heartbeats the ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan cats were so taken aback that they remained motionless, staring as cats they’d thought would be their allies leaped at them with bared teeth and flashing claws.

It must have been Leafstar who warned Tigerstar! Bristlefrost thought in exultation. She did believe us! ShadowClan isn’t alone!

Then the battle engulfed her, and all she could think of was how to defend herself. She didn’t want to hurt any cat, but she had to make her Clanmates believe she was still loyal to Bramblestar. And she had to make sure that his body stayed alive.

The ShadowClan warriors had plunged into the battle along with SkyClan, so the whole camp was heaving with tussling, screeching cats. Bristlefrost backed up toward the bushes, though more than once she was carried off her paws by a heavy body slamming into her, or felt a stray claw rake through her fur.

She tried to dodge around Dewspring, but as Mousewhisker charged at him, the SkyClan warrior stumbled back into Bristlefrost and rolled over onto her as he lost his balance. Bristlefrost felt her legs buckle painfully, and she fell to the ground beneath the fighting cats. All the breath was driven out of her, and her face pressed into the earth.

With both warriors on top of her, Bristlefrost was afraid her legs would be crushed. She tried to wriggle free, but though she strained her muscles, all she could do was wave her tail helplessly.

“Bristlefrost!” Mousewhisker yowled. “Help me pin him down!”

But I’m pinned down! Bristlefrost thought, heaving vainly at the weight of the sturdy gray tom. For all her pain and discomfort, she was relieved: She couldn’t help Mousewhisker, however hard she tried, but he wouldn’t suspect that she was trying to avoid the fight.

At last the two wrestling cats rolled clear, leaving Bristlefrost to stagger to her paws and shake dirt and debris out of her pelt. Glancing around, she spotted some of the secret rebels from WindClan and RiverClan, and saw that they were doing the same as she was: trying to stay out of the fight as much as they could, or lashing out with claws sheathed as they tried to protect their injured Clanmates.

Bristlefrost was edging toward the shelter of the bushes when she saw Bramblestar fighting his way through the writhing mass of warriors, batting cats aside as he stalked determinedly toward Leafstar with fury smoldering in his eyes.

“Traitor!” he screeched. “You think you can get away with this?”

Leafstar was standing with her paws on Stormcloud’s shoulders, pinning him down. “The only traitor is you, Bramblestar!” she yowled in reply. “You are a traitor to StarClan, after all you’ve done.”

In answer, Bramblestar flicked his tail toward Shellfur and Leafshade. “Attack that treacherous mange-pelt!” he ordered, angling his ears toward the SkyClan leader.

But the two ThunderClan warriors turned their backs on Bramblestar. Both fixed their attention on two ShadowClan warriors who were prowling toward them. It was clear to Bristlefrost that they had heard their leader; they were just refusing to pay attention to his command.

“That’s against the code!” Bramblestar yowled. “I told you to fight—and a leader’s orders have to be obeyed!”

The ThunderClan leader let out a snarl of frustration and bunched his muscles to spring, though Bristlefrost wasn’t sure whether he meant to attack Leafstar or his own warriors. But at the same moment a path opened up among the wrestling cats to reveal Tigerstar. His chest was heaving and he was bleeding from one shoulder, but there was a challenge in his eyes as his gaze locked with Bramblestar’s.

Dread tingled through Bristlefrost from ears to tail-tip. Everything seemed to slow down around her as Bramblestar took a pace toward the ShadowClan leader.

“It will be your defeat that brings an end to this time of treachery and shame,” the impostor growled. “Once you’re deposed, everything will be put right.”

The two leaders advanced on each other, paw step by paw step. Now what am I supposed to do? Bristlefrost wondered helplessly. I promised Squirrelflight that I would keep Bramblestar’s body safe. Am I supposed to fight Tigerstar to protect the impostor?

But before the two Clan leaders could reach each other, more cats leaped between them in a blur of fur and claws.

“The exiles!” Bristlefrost gasped.

Lionblaze and Squirrelflight joined the battle, Twigbranch and Finleap just behind them. Bristlefrost caught a glimpse of Crowfeather with more cats swarming after him, cutting off her view of the Clan leaders. She spotted Berrynose, too, fighting his way through the crowd to the spot where Bramblestar had disappeared.

Before he could reach his Clan leader, he came face to face with Tawnypelt. The ShadowClan she-cat hesitated for a heartbeat, perhaps unsure which side Berrynose was on. When he swiped at her with outstretched claws, she ducked under the blow and raked her claws across his throat and belly. Berrynose let out a shriek and collapsed, writhing.

Horrified, Bristlefrost leaped down the slope to help him, while Tawnypelt whipped around and hurled herself into a fight between Molewhisker and Hawkwing. But the press of fighting warriors cut Bristlefrost off; she found herself swaying to and fro in the crowd, unable to make any progress.

Then a space cleared; Bristlefrost drew breath, only to be forced backward as Lionblaze and Harestar rolled over and over, their legs wrapped around each other, their claws sunk deep into each other’s fur. They broke apart right in front of Bristlefrost, scrambling to their paws and spitting furiously.

For a moment the two cats seemed evenly matched. But Lionblaze was strong and rested, while Harestar was already tired from fighting. He lashed out at Lionblaze, but the blow missed the golden tabby warrior by a mouse-length. Lionblaze slid deftly aside and sprang up onto Harestar’s back. Instantly Harestar reared up on his hind legs, but he couldn’t dislodge Lionblaze. The ThunderClan warrior curled a paw around Harestar’s neck, claws aiming for his throat.

“No! Stop!” Bristlefrost yowled.

Even if Lionblaze had heard her, it was too late. His claws sliced through Harestar’s fur to the flesh of his throat, and blood gushed out. The WindClan leader let out a choking gasp and slumped to the ground. His body twitched a few times, his eyes glazed over, and he lay still.

Lionblaze had leaped away as Harestar fell. Now he stood staring at the body, blood soaking the paw that had struck the killing blow. Bristlefrost thought he looked shocked that he had killed a Clan leader.

Silence was spreading around Harestar’s body, like ripples from a stone thrown into a pool, as cat after cat realized what had happened. The fighting gradually died down as warriors who moments before had been tearing and clawing at each other drew closer to the dead WindClan leader and stood shoulder to shoulder in mingled horror and grief.

“Stop!” Bristlefrost heard Crowfeather call. “Harestar is dead.” The cats around sheathed their claws and turned to fix their gazes on the WindClan leader’s body.

“A Clan leader has lost a life,” Hawkwing murmured. “Is he gone forever?”

Bristlefrost wished some cat could answer that question. Now that they knew that the real Bramblestar hadn’t returned to his body, they all realized that no leader had lost a life and returned since StarClan had disappeared. If StarClan had truly abandoned them, Harestar wouldn’t return.

What will happen to WindClan now?

There was a disturbance in the crowd as Nightcloud shouldered her way through and stood beside her dead leader, throwing her head back and letting out a yowl of grief. More WindClan warriors followed her, thrusting Lionblaze aside and forming a circle around Harestar. Lionblaze looked sick with guilt and horror.

“Please,” Bristlefrost heard Hootwhisker whispering. “Please come back!”

A heavy silence followed. Bristlefrost watched, full of mounting dread, until she saw a ripple pass through Harestar’s body and he raised his head, letting out a panicked gasp. All the cats, from all five Clans, let out murmurs of shock and relief.

Harestar scrambled to his paws, his wide eyes flashing fearfully. “What . . . what happened?” His gaze rested on Crowfeather, and he pressed himself against his deputy, as though there had never been harsh words and the threat of exile between them.

“Is it really you?” Harestar asked.

“Yes, it’s me. You’re on Clan territory.” Crowfeather assured him. “You’re not in StarClan anymore.”

Bristlefrost watched as Harestar gazed around, seeing the eager expressions on the faces of the assembled warriors, clearly waiting for him to confirm that he had been in StarClan. Shakily he raised a paw to his throat to feel that Lionblaze’s wound had already closed up. He shook his head, his whole body shivering.

“I was in StarClan’s hunting grounds,” he rasped. “But I heard only distorted voices, and saw only the haziest figures, no more than a blur. Our warrior ancestors were still there, but it was like they were fading into nothing. . . .”

Bristlefrost turned to look for Bramblestar; every other warrior was doing the same. Soon she spotted him, standing to one side in the shadow of a thornbush. His gaze was fixed on Harestar, his amber eyes full of anger and disbelief, the revived leader apparently the last thing he’d wanted to see.

“That’s not what you said when you returned from StarClan,” Crowfeather challenged Bramblestar. “You said you spoke to them.”

Bramblestar gave his pelt a shake and thrust out his chest, recovering his usual arrogance. “No cat should question me like this,” he hissed, stalking forward until he stood nose to nose with Crowfeather. “You weren’t there! I did speak with StarClan. The only reason they’re fading now is because of all of you. You insist on not listening to me, so of course the situation is getting worse. What did you expect? StarClan probably rejected Harestar because he’s just another codebreaker.”

Back to his full strength now, Harestar padded up to Bramblestar, gesturing with his tail for Crowfeather to move back a pace. “I am no codebreaker, and I am no liar,” he growled.

“The only liar here is you. You’re not Bramblestar. You’ve taken his body, but the real Bramblestar never would have done the things you have.”

Bramblestar turned at the sound of Tigerstar’s voice. Bristlefrost noticed that cats were gathering around the ShadowClan leader: not just his own Clan, but SkyClan and some RiverClan cats as well. Even some WindClan warriors were moving toward him, convinced by Harestar’s revival.

The impostor noticed that, too. “I don’t believe what I’m seeing!” he exclaimed, his voice outraged. “Are Clan cats really siding with a leader who harbors codebreakers? Don’t you want to see StarClan again?”

No cat answered. Bristlefrost shivered to see the accusing glares they fixed on him.

“Well, you’re ruining your chances!” the false Bramblestar blustered. “When I do succeed in bringing StarClan back, you’ll all be punished—even worse than you are now!”

Tigerstar took a pace forward. “Whether they’re fading or not, I’m going to send you to StarClan right now!” he snarled.

Without more warning he hurled himself at the impostor, and the two leaders fell to the ground in one rolling, spitting ball of fur. Bristlefrost stood, appalled, on the edge of the fight. Tigerstar will kill him! I’m supposed to protect him, but I’d just be ripped to shreds!

The watching cats edged backward to give the battling leaders space as they bit and clawed at each other. At first they were silent in shock; then they gradually began to call out encouragement.

“Tigerstar! Tigerstar!”

Fury at hearing every cat yowling his enemy’s name seemed to give Bramblestar extra strength. He swiped both forepaws at Tigerstar, startling the younger warrior. Taken aback for a moment, Tigerstar was too late to stop Bramblestar throwing him onto his back and slashing at his belly. Tigerstar finally forced him off and leapt to his paws, cuffing Bramblestar’s ears with his forepaws. But Bramblestar took the opportunity to throw his weight at Tigerstar’s vulnerable belly, forcing him onto the ground again. Bramblestar stood over him, his eyes gleaming.

Bristlefrost’s belly lurched with fear as Bramblestar raised a bloody paw, his claws extended, to strike the blow that would send Tigerstar to StarClan.

But the impostor never struck. Instead he froze, staring at something behind Bristlefrost. She turned to see the crowd of cats parting and Squirrelflight thrusting her way to the front.

“You’re . . . you’re alive?” Bramblestar choked out.

While he was distracted, Tigerstar heaved himself up and scrambled out from underneath his opponent. Springing to his paws, he slashed his claws at the side of Bramblestar’s neck. As blood trickled from the wound, Bramblestar tried to rear up, aiming a clumsy blow at Tigerstar. Avoiding the blow with ease, Tigerstar butted the impostor’s side with his head; Bramblestar’s legs crumpled and he fell to the ground.

Tigerstar stood for a few heartbeats, watching his opponent’s blood seep out and pool in the dirt, then set one heavy forepaw down on the impostor’s neck while he raised the other to strike the killing blow.

“No!” Bristlefrost exclaimed, instinctively racing to Bramblestar’s side.

Squirrelflight was there before her. “No, don’t kill him,” she meowed. “We agreed, remember? We need him. If his body dies before the real Bramblestar’s spirit can return, who knows what happens then? Bramblestar could be lost forever!”

Tigerstar looked down at the defeated form of the impostor, whose eyes were closed, his chest heaving weakly. The gleam of battle was still in the ShadowClan leader’s eyes, and for a moment Bristlefrost wasn’t sure what he meant to do.

Eventually, Tigerstar nodded. “I won’t kill his body,” he announced. “But I’m not letting this cat walk free.”

“You’re right,” Squirrelflight agreed. “We’ll take him prisoner instead. Once he wakes up, we can question him, and get to the bottom of exactly what’s going on here.”

Tigerstar dipped his head respectfully to the ThunderClan deputy. “Shadowsight!” he called. “Come here and see to this lump of crow-food.” Then he turned and stalked off, summoning the other leaders to follow him with a whisk of his tail.

All around the camp the exhausted warriors were breaking up into groups, Clan mingling with Clan, some of them looking embarrassed as they spoke with cats they had been fighting not long before. Though Bristlefrost could hear some of them apologizing for how they had been deceived, for letting their Clanmates be exiled, she couldn’t help wondering if every cat was ready to forgive.

How many new grudges were planted today?

Bristlefrost watched as Shadowsight appeared out of the crowd with a pawful of cobwebs and started applying them expertly to the wound in Bramblestar’s neck. She tried to feel relief that her leader’s body had been saved, and because it seemed that the Clans weren’t at war with each other anymore. Then she saw the bodies lying still on the floor of the camp, their Clanmates beginning to cluster around them.

Oh, no! Berrynose . . . Rosepetal . . . Sandynose . . . And there were others that she couldn’t identify from where she stood. Her relief was swallowed up in a wash of sorrow.

This didn’t feel like the beginning of a better time. Not with so many cats dead. Not with ThunderClan’s leader still missing.