Veil Of Shadows

“I’m glad you and Alderheart know the truth,” Bristlefrost mewed, massively relieved. “Tigerstar knows the truth, too. Squirrelflight is living with ShadowClan. If you follow me, I’ll take you to her.”

“Really?” Lionblaze’s amber eyes reflected Bristlefrost’s own relief. “Then lead on!”

The three cats headed through the forest and crossed the border into SkyClan territory, listening warily for SkyClan patrols as they padded through the trees. Rustling in a clump of ferns alerted Bristlefrost; she spun around to face the sound and spotted Twigbranch’s face peering out nervously between two arching fronds.

“Come this way!” she called softly, beckoning with her tail.

“What are you doing here?” Twigbranch asked Bristlefrost as she emerged into the open and bounded over to the others. “Did Bramblestar exile you, too?”

“No,” Bristlefrost replied. “And I have something to tell you, but we’d better keep going. SkyClan might not welcome us here.”

Lionblaze took the lead, and Bristlefrost padded beside Twigbranch as she told her everything she knew about the false Bramblestar. Twigbranch’s eyes widened as she listened.

“I knew it!” she exclaimed, joy flooding into her gaze. “I knew StarClan didn’t blame me for breaking the code. Only that . . . thing that’s inside Bramblestar.”

Bristlefrost nodded. “Of course. But it may be some time before we can convince every cat that that’s true. Meanwhile, you can go and live in ShadowClan, if you want to, until your atonement is finished.”

“I’d like that,” Twigbranch responded.

At the ShadowClan border, the group of cats waited until they could scent that a ShadowClan patrol was approaching. A few heartbeats later Snowbird, Whorlpelt, and Slatefur appeared from behind a clump of hazel saplings. “What are you doing here?” Snowbird challenged the ThunderClan cats.

Bristlefrost dipped her head respectfully. “These three cats have been exiled from ThunderClan,” she explained. “They’d like to join Squirrelflight.”

Slatefur rolled his eyes. “What, more of you?”

Bristlefrost could see Lionblaze’s shoulder fur begin to bristle at the comment, but to her relief the golden tabby warrior had the sense to keep himself under control. She was thankful to see that none of the ShadowClan cats looked particularly hostile.

“Come on, then,” Snowbird meowed. Turning to her Clanmates, she added, “You two finish the patrol. I’ll take these waifs and strays to Tigerstar. StarClan knows how many more cats we’re supposed to take in to our territory.”

Neither Jayfeather nor Lionblaze looked pleased to be called waifs and strays, but they followed Snowbird without protest. Bristlefrost brought up the rear with Twigbranch. The ShadowClan cats know it’s not our fault, she thought. It’s the false Bramblestar they have to blame.

As soon as Snowbird led the ThunderClan cats through the bushes and down into the hollow where ShadowClan had its camp, Tigerstar emerged from his den, took one look at them, and raced across to meet them at the foot of the slope.

“Have you seen Shadowsight?” he demanded, his dark tabby fur bristling. “Do you have any news about him?”

Bristlefrost was tempted to tell Tigerstar how Bramblestar had returned to camp on the previous night, his chest fur soaked in blood. But she kept her jaws shut. I’m not sure it has anything to do with Shadowsight. And if I tell Tigerstar, there’s no going back. . . . If she accused Bramblestar of attacking Tigerstar’s son, ShadowClan would have every reason to start a war. She remembered again what Bramblestar had tried to do to Sparkpelt. What if Shadowsight is dead?

Squirrelflight came bounding up to join them, her green eyes flaring in surprise as she recognized her two foster sons. Her purrs sounded half pleased and half anxious as she nuzzled them close to her.

“We don’t have any news of Shadowsight,” Jayfeather explained when they’d finished their greetings. “But Bramblestar has used his disappearance to crack down even harder on the codebreakers. He sent me and Lionblaze into exile because of what Leafpool and Crowfeather did, and Twigbranch has to atone for half a moon because she changed Clans.”

Tigerstar’s shoulders sagged as soon as he heard that there was no news about his son. “All right, you can stay,” he mumbled.

At the same moment, Squirrelflight drew Bristlefrost aside. “Hurry back to ThunderClan, as fast as you can,” she meowed. “Bramblestar mustn’t suspect that you’re helping the exiles.”

Bristlefrost nodded. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” she responded.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Squirrelflight went on. “You and the others who know the truth might be all that stands between ThunderClan and total chaos. Whatever happens, you must not let ThunderClan fall completely into darkness.”

“I won’t,” Bristlefrost promised fervently.