Veil Of Shadows

Inside the medicine cats’ den, Fidgetflake clawed together a nest of moss and fern. Dewspring gently lowered Shadowsight into it, letting out a huff of satisfaction and flexing his shoulders as he was relieved of the young cat’s weight.

“Some cat should go right away to fetch Tigerstar and Dovewing,” Fidgetflake meowed. “They’ll want to be with their son . . . whatever happens.”

Rootpaw felt his belly heaving at the ominous suggestion in the medicine cat’s words. Shadowsight can’t die! Not after we went to all that trouble to find him. “I’ll go,” he offered immediately.

“You’re still an apprentice,” Dewspring pointed out. “You can’t go wandering into another Clan’s territory by yourself.”

But that’s just what I did! Rootpaw thought, though he had the sense to keep his jaws shut.

“I’ll go with him,” Violetshine mewed. “Shadowsight should be with his kin.”

As Rootpaw left the medicine cats’ den, with his mother padding beside him, Leafstar came bounding across the camp from beside the fresh-kill pile.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Hurriedly Rootpaw told her how he and Dewspring had brought Shadowsight back from where he lay in the ravine on ThunderClan territory. “He didn’t run away,” he finished. “Some cat tried to kill him.” Daringly he added, “Now do you think challenging Bramblestar is worth the risk?”

Leafstar’s eyes widened; clearly she was too stunned to ask Rootpaw what he had been doing on ThunderClan territory, or to object to an apprentice telling her what to do. She stood staring after Rootpaw and Violetshine as the two cats headed out of the camp.

Chapter 12

Bristlefrost stood in the entrance to the Clan leader’s den on the Highledge, gazing down at the listless figure of the false Bramblestar where he lay in his nest. The sun was well above the trees at the top of the stone hollow, and yet the impostor had barely moved since dawn.

“Maybe you should get up now,” Bristlefrost suggested. “There’s a hunting patrol waiting for your orders, and a few warriors want to speak to you about border marking. And—”

Bramblestar gazed at her with confusion in his face. “What are you meowing about?” he grumbled. Then he lifted a weary paw and waved her away. “Let Berrynose deal with them,” he murmured. “I don’t care about any of it. How can I? Squirrelflight is dead, and it’s my fault. If I hadn’t exiled her . . .”

A tiny spark of hope woke inside Bristlefrost, and she wondered if the intruder might possibly change his mind. “If you’re having second thoughts about the exiles,” she began tentatively, “it’s probably not too late to find the others.”

Bramblestar just moaned and looked away, closing his eyes as his whiskers drooped in pain. Bristlefrost wasn’t even sure that he had heard her. Then with a pitiful whine he buried his face in the bracken fronds of his nest.

He looked so miserable that Bristlefrost couldn’t suppress a pang of sympathy. For a moment she was tempted to tell him the truth, that Squirrelflight wasn’t dead at all; she just didn’t want to be found. But that would undo all our hard work. It would put Squirrelflight and the rest of the exiles in danger, she reflected. And me, too, because it would prove that I lied to him. She thrust the temptation away and remained silent.

For a few heartbeats she stood still, looking down at the wretched creature who was supposed to be her Clan leader. Then an idea crept into her mind.

“Maybe instead of seeing Squirrelflight’s death as a punishment,” she suggested to Bramblestar, “you should make sure she didn’t die in vain.”

Bramblestar raised his head and gave her a wary glance. “What does that mean?” he rasped.

“You know that Squirrelflight was a good cat,” Bristlefrost told him. “Even if she was named as a codebreaker. It’s not too late to turn things around, to make things right. In Squirrelflight’s memory, you could rededicate yourself to making ThunderClan the strongest and most prosperous Clan. That means trusting your loyal warriors.”

Bramblestar’s gaze narrowed. “My loyal warriors,” he repeated. Bristlefrost thought that a glow began to kindle in the depths of his amber eyes. Her heart lurched, and for a moment she could hardly get her breath, in fear that he would punish her for her boldness. It’s not my place to advise a Clan leader!

But before Bramblestar could say any more, the sound of paw steps came from the Highledge, and Alderheart slid inside the den. Bristlefrost shivered, thankful that her sense of menace had evaporated at the medicine cat’s appearance.

“You wanted to see me?” Alderheart asked, casting a curious glance between Bramblestar and Bristlefrost.

“You took your time,” Bramblestar grumbled. “Where have you been?”