Veil Of Shadows

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.