Veil Of Shadows

“I’m just repeating what the young medicine cat told all of us,” Bramblestar told Jayfeather sternly. “However it happened, you and your brother are half-Clan, which means you are codebreakers. As for you, Twigbranch,” he continued, turning his attention to the young she-cat, “you changed Clans several times, and you even convinced a SkyClan-born cat to come with you. That is how you violated the code. All three of you were named in Shadowsight’s vision, and you must be exiled.”

Jayfeather let out an angry hiss as the whole Clan gasped in consternation at Bramblestar’s decree. Lionblaze took a step back, angry resignation in his face, drawing level with his mate, Cinderheart, who gazed at him, stricken and worried. Twigbranch, however, sank down on her belly and gazed up at the Clan leader pleadingly.

“Please let me atone instead,” she begged. “I know I’m a ThunderClan cat in my heart. That’s why I came back. I’ll prove my loyalty any way I can!”

Bramblestar hesitated. Bristlefrost thought he was enjoying the sight of Twigbranch prostrated in the mud in front of him. “Very well,” he meowed at last. “But your atonement will be very difficult, because I have to be hard on you to please StarClan.”

“I’ll do anything!” Twigbranch promised eagerly.

“Then I want you to spend half a moon away from the Clans,” Bramblestar went on, “and when you come back, you must bring twenty pieces of prey to feed your Clanmates.”

What? Bristlefrost stifled a gasp of astonishment. Every cat praises my hunting skills, but I can’t imagine catching all that on my own.

“Twenty!” Twigbranch exclaimed. “I know it’s newleaf, but I’ll be working alone. . . .”

“If that’s the only way to prove to StarClan that you’re a loyal warrior,” Bramblestar responded, his eyes hard and implacable, “surely you can make it happen.”

Twigbranch let out a long sigh, then scrambled to her paws, her head hanging. “I’ll do it, Bramblestar,” she mewed. She stepped back, trembling, mud dripping from her belly fur, and her mate, Finleap, pressed himself against her side and nuzzled her shoulder comfortingly.

“Half a moon isn’t very long,” he whispered.

Meanwhile Alderheart had padded forward to stand below the Highledge and face Bramblestar. “How can it be StarClan’s wish for cats to be punished for their parents’ mistakes?” he asked. “If that’s true, is any cat innocent?”

Though Alderheart hadn’t named any names, Bristlefrost could hear murmurs of understanding coming from some of her Clanmates. She understood, too. Though Bramblestar’s own father, the first Tigerstar, had died long before she was born, she had heard stories about him from her father, Fernsong. In his quest for power, Tigerstar had betrayed his Clan and almost destroyed them all. He had left his son Bramblestar a terrible heritage.

But this isn’t the real Bramblestar, Bristlefrost reminded herself. I don’t suppose he cares what Tigerstar did.

“Enough!” Bramblestar snapped at Alderheart. “These are the codebreakers who StarClan chose to show Shadowsight in his vision. I’m aware—very aware—that others in the Clan have broken the code, but first we must expel the cats StarClan has pointed out. As for you, Alderheart, make sure you don’t show disloyalty to your leader or try to get in the way of StarClan’s wishes.”

Or you’ll be next. Bristlefrost supplied the words Bramblestar had not spoken. She was sure that every other cat in the Clan could fill them in, too.

“Leave now,” Bramblestar continued, gazing down at Lionblaze and Jayfeather. “And don’t look back. The rest of you, turn away from them.”

Mews of dismay came from some of the Clan, but Bristlefrost forced down her protest. She longed to disobey the order, but it was vital for her to convince the false Bramblestar that she was loyal, so that she could go on passing information to the cats who were working against him. She sprang to her paws at once and made sure she was the first to comply.

She could hear the paws of the exiled cats splashing through the mud, then pausing as Jayfeather spoke. “You may think all of ThunderClan is taken in by your performance,” he spat. “But it’s not true, and you’ll find that out very soon.”

Bristlefrost froze. So Jayfeather does know. Rootpaw and Tree must have succeeded after all. But how would the false Bramblestar react to being very nearly exposed?

She glanced at the leader, but couldn’t read anything in his gaze beyond his usual annoyance with the blind medicine cat. Bramblestar let out a growl from deep within his chest. “Hurry up and leave,” he ordered.

He didn’t pick up on it, she thought with relief.

“Come on, Jayfeather,” Lionblaze meowed. “There’s nothing we can do here.”