Veil Of Shadows

“Bristlefrost warned Bramblestar of the attack,” Spotfur added, “and she brought him help. It would seem that she’s a traitor.”

Rootspring felt as though a badger had clawed his chest open and ripped out his heart. Bristlefrost couldn’t be a traitor, could she? But he couldn’t explain why she would warn Bramblestar, when she knew what he was—and what he wasn’t.

More cats were gathering to listen, and their shocked, fearful comments rose up around Rootspring. Squirrelflight’s voice cut through all of them.

“Bristlefrost isn’t a traitor,” she meowed. “I asked her to protect Bramblestar’s body, in case the real Bramblestar needs it someday.”

Rootspring caught her gaze falling on him, and he looked down at his own paws, embarrassed at the relief he must be showing. Bristlefrost is a good warrior. She would do her best to obey an order from her former deputy.

Spotfur’s response was a contemptuous grunt. “You can’t know why she did it. Would Bristlefrost value Bramblestar’s life over Stemleaf’s, and the other rebels’? I doubt it, not if she’s loyal to us. And don’t forget, if Bristlefrost is loyal to Bramblestar, she knows all our secrets. We have to assume from now on that Bramblestar knows we’re working against him. That’s our only safe option, to make sure we’re not . . . surprised, by anything he does now.”

Rootspring stared at the ThunderClan cat, not wanting to believe her words, but finding it hard to dismiss them. Bristlefrost wouldn’t! Would she? he asked himself again.

“What do you think about all this?” Tigerstar asked, turning to Berrynose. “Can you tell us anything about Bramblestar that would help defeat him?”

Berrynose’s eyes widened in consternation. “No—I—” he stammered. “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding. Bramblestar is a good cat. I would never—”

“So we can’t count on your support in the battle,” Tigerstar sneered.

Berrynose glanced from Tigerstar to Squirrelflight and back again. “I don’t know,” he mewed despairingly. “I don’t know what I believe. But I can’t imagine fighting with you against Bramblestar. He’s my leader, for StarClan’s sake!”

“Get out, then!” Tigerstar snarled. “I won’t shelter cats loyal to Bramblestar on my territory.”

Berrynose stared at him, stunned; before he could move to obey the order, Squirrelflight stretched out a warning paw to Tigerstar.

“Don’t be shortsighted,” she advised him. “If we let Berrynose go, he could run right back to Bramblestar and tell him everything. Let me keep him here in the exiles’ camp as a prisoner, until he decides where his loyalties lie.” She looked at Berrynose. “You’re right that a good warrior supports his leader. But that isn’t Bramblestar. If we tell you more, maybe we can convince you of the truth.”

Tigerstar grunted, clearly unimpressed with the idea, then gave a reluctant nod.

“Thank StarClan you’ve made a decision,” Spotfur snapped, her voice full of bitterness. “Like Berrynose is the most important cat in the forest! He’s not. In case you’ve forgotten, we lost strong allies in that fight; Stemleaf, Conefoot, and Dappletuft are all dead.”

At her words, the cats around them stirred, and began to repeat the names of the fallen in soft and loving voices. “Stemleaf . . . Conefoot . . . Dappletuft . . .” Rootspring and the others stood with bowed heads until the voices died away.

“We will never forget them,” Tigerstar meowed at last. “But they acted expressly against orders. We’d all agreed not to kill Bramblestar yet.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Spotfur demanded angrily. “Bramblestar—or whatever cat is living inside him—is turning the Clans against one another at this very moment. How far will you let him go?”

“Spotfur . . .” Squirrelflight touched her nose gently to the younger she-cat’s ear, but Spotfur shook her off with a jerk of her head.

“I’m sick of all the arguing!” she snarled. “I don’t want Stemleaf to have died for nothing!”

Pain clawed at Rootspring’s heart at the raw grief in Spotfur’s voice, but he realized that the loss of her mate hadn’t overwhelmed her. She was as strong as ever, and determined to seek vengeance.

“Some cat is going to pay for what has happened,” she vowed. “And I want that cat to be whoever is inside Bramblestar.”

At that moment, Rootspring caught a glimmer in the corner of his eye and turned his head to see Stemleaf’s ghost staring at Spotfur, his gaze full of love and sadness. He stood close to her for a heartbeat, then turned away and was lost among the ferns.

“You’re right, Spotfur,” Tigerstar mewed. “And now we have proof that the cat who now leads ThunderClan is not the real Bramblestar.”