by Erin Hunter
Bristlefrost blinked at Squirrelflight. Every word was true. She glanced nervously at her Clanmates, relieved as she saw their fur smooth. Lionblaze dropped his gaze. Lilyheart dipped her head. Twigbranch and Finleap touched pelts. The air seemed to soften as the Clan shifted self-consciously around the clearing. And yet Bristlefrost couldn’t relax completely. A nagging worry told her that this peace was temporary.
Lionblaze padded to the bottom of the rock tumble and looked up at Squirrelflight. “You’re right,” he mewed. “Our Clanmates aren’t the enemy; Ashfur is. We mustn’t lose sight of that.”
“But we still need to deal with him,” Bumblestripe ventured quietly.
“Yes.” Squirrelflight closed her eyes.
“We asked the Sisters to contact Bramblestar,” Cherryfall mewed. “And they couldn’t find him.”
Lionblaze met Squirrelflight’s gaze. “You promised that, if we tried everything else first, we could talk about killing Ashfur.”
Squirrelflight stared down at him, her expression calm. Was she ready to agree? She lowered her head. “I did promise,” she mewed slowly. “I can’t deny that. But I won’t be the first to call for Bramblestar’s murder.”
Lionblaze held her eyes. “Then perhaps it’s time to consult the other leaders.” As Squirrelflight hesitated, he went on. “If Ashfur has been leaving Bramblestar’s body, we can be sure he’s planning something. We need to act quickly.”
Bristlefrost shivered as silence gripped the Clan. She felt as though ice had flowed into the hollow and frozen every cat in place. Lilyheart, Twigbranch, and Finleap looked at Squirrelflight, their eyes glittering with hope. Bumblestripe, Cherryfall, and Mousewhisker looked away, as if too ashamed to look at her.
“Okay,” Squirrelflight mewed at last. “We will speak with the other leaders, and I will abide by whatever they decide.”
Bristlefrost’s breath caught in her throat. Was Squirrelflight really ready to agree to Bramblestar’s death? The Thunderclan leader’s eyes were too dark for her to read anything in them but pain. She turned away and padded into her den. The Clan began to return to their duties, as though the ice had released their paws and they were free to move once more. Bristlefrost watched Spotfur pad back toward the nursery. Her paws seemed to tremble beneath her. Was she ill? Bristlefrost hurried over.
“You look tired,” she mewed anxiously.
“I am.” Spotfur sat down. “A little.”
“Let me finish your nest so you can rest.” Bristlefrost grabbed the bracken Spotfur had been weaving and dragged it into the cool shelter of the nursery. Thriftear rushed to help her and they pushed it against the bramble wall. As Thriftear quickly tucked in the last loose ends, Bristlefrost slid outside and nosed Spotfur gently to her paws. Her heart was beating fast as she guided the queen inside. She was still shocked by how close Thunderclan had come to fighting. It was as though the Clan had begun to unravel like an old nest. So many of the strands that had held it together were gone. Bramblestar was missing, and Thornclaw, Graystripe, and Flipclaw had left. So had Snaptooth and Flywhisker. Did Spotfur really want to raise her kits here? Would Thunderclan be the same Clan she’d grown up in? Fear dropped like a stone in her belly. Bristlefrost didn’t want to lose hope, but she didn’t know how to hang on to it when they’d all lost so much. No cat could tell what the future held. This might be the end.
Wordlessly, she helped Spotfur into her nest. Perhaps Rootspring had been right about Thunderclan. It might never recover. She felt sick. Was it time to leave here and find a home somewhere else?
Chapter 21
Shadowsight paused at the medicine-den entrance and unrolled the leaf wrap Mothwing had left for him.
Puddleshine looked up from the moss he was pressing into a nest at the back of the den. “Do you have everything you need?”
Shadowsight looked through the herbs bundled into the wrap, his heart sinking. There were hardly enough leaves to treat one wound, and Ashfur had plenty. Why had Mothwing been so stingy? With the long days of greenleaf ahead, there was no shortage of herbs. Did she want Ashfur to suffer? He pushed the thought away. Mothwing was a medicine cat. She’d never want any cat to suffer. Perhaps she didn’t realize how badly Tigerstar and Hawkwing had wounded him. He blinked at Puddleshine. “I could use some more marigold.”
Puddleshine nodded and headed for the herb store. “Anything else while I’m here?”
“Goldenrod.” Shadowsight forced his fur not to prickle with frustration. It would be easier if he could just fetch the herbs himself instead of going through Mothwing and Puddleshine every time. He picked through the leaves Mothwing had rolled. There was nothing here to ease pain. “And some poppy seeds.”
As he spoke, a shadow fell across the leaf. He looked up as Yarrowleaf slid into the den. She glanced at the leaf wrap as she passed, then blinked at Puddleshine. “You said I should come back so you could check my cough.”
“I did.” Puddleshine hooked out a bunch of marigold and tossed it to Shadowsight. “Take what you need,” he told him. “I’ll find you poppy seeds and goldenrod after I’ve checked on Yarrowleaf.” He padded toward the warrior, but Yarrowleaf wasn’t looking at him. She was watching the marigold bundle as Shadowsight reached out a paw to catch it.
“Who’s that for?” Her eyes narrowed.
Shadowsight hesitated. The ginger warrior looked angry. She must know he’d been treating Ashfur. “Bramblestar’s body is in rough shape,” he told her. She had to understand he was trying to keep the prisoner alive for Bramblestar’s sake. “I’m trying to heal it.”
Yarrowleaf glared at Shadowsight as Puddleshine leaned down to listen to her chest. “You should have let Tigerstar and Hawkwing kill him.”
Shadowsight’s eyes widened. He knew he was the only cat who wanted to defend Ashfur, but he hadn’t expected his Clanmates to wish him dead out loud.
Yarrowleaf padded toward him. “Don’t you think we’d all be safer if Ashfur was gone?”
Shadowsight lifted his chin. “I’m still a medicine cat,” he told her. “I have to try to save Bramblestar’s body.”
“Bramblestar is long gone.” Yarrowleaf stopped a muzzle-length away. “You’re just helping a dead cat walk around in his fur.”
Shadowsight didn’t answer. He had to believe that Bramblestar could return. If the Thunderclan leader had no way back to the living world, then it meant Ashfur had won. He quickly ripped a few marigold stalks from the bundle and wrapped them in the leaf. “I’ll fetch the other herbs later,” he told Puddleshine.
He grabbed the wrap between his jaws and hurried out of the den. He could understand why Yarrowleaf was angry, but she was a warrior, not a medicine cat. Sometimes warriors couldn’t see past their own claws, and then it was his duty to do what was right.
The clearing was empty. It was sunhigh, and most of the Clan’s warriors were on patrol. Only Tawnypelt and Gullswoop were left in camp, sharing tongues with Oakfur in a small patch of sunshine outside the elders’ den. Gorseclaw and Nightsky stood guard at the entrance to Ashfur’s prison.
As Shadowsight passed the nursery, he heard voices from outside the camp. He pricked his ears. They didn’t sound like ShadowClan. He dropped his bundle of herbs, licking his lips to clear the smell, then tasted the air. Thunderclan scent hung in the air.
Why? Shadowsight’s pelt prickled. Had Thunderclan warriors come to harm Ashfur? He eyed Gorseclaw and Nightsky warily. Was RiverClan part of this too? He tried to look relaxed as he padded to the camp entrance and ducked outside. A tree-length from the entrance, Tigerstar faced Lionblaze, Bristlefrost, and Cherryfall. Squirrelflight hung back a little way behind her Clanmates, watching grimly as Lionblaze spoke to the ShadowClan leader.
“You know what happened at the ceremony,” the Thunderclan deputy growled. “The Sisters couldn’t find Bramblestar.”
Quickly, Shadowsight slid behind a swath of bracken and crept closer to the Thunderclan patrol. Staying low, he tried to remember what Lightleap had
taught him about stalking prey. Keeping his paw steps as light as thistledown and his tail clear of the ground, he padded as close as he dared and stretched his ears, straining to hear.
Tigerstar eyed Lionblaze thoughtfully.
When he didn’t speak, Cherryfall leaned her head forward. “Bramblestar’s gone. He’s not coming back.”
Squirrelflight seemed to shrink beneath her pelt.
“We have to act,” Lionblaze growled. “If what the Sisters said was true, Ashfur is already causing trouble among the dead. It won’t be long before he starts causing trouble among the living again. It’s time we killed him.”
Shadowsight held his breath as his father’s gaze flicked over the Thunderclan patrol. It stopped on Squirrelflight.
“I’m ready to kill him if you are,” Tigerstar mewed.
No! Shadowsight dug his claws into the ground to steady himself as Squirrelflight padded forward.
“I understand why you’re so scared of what Ashfur might do,” she began.
Tigerstar curled his lip. “He doesn’t scare me,” he growled.
“He scares me.” The Thunderclan leader hardly moved. “But I can’t let you kill Bramblestar without defending him one last time. His spirit might still be near, and if we kill his body, I will never see him again.” She struggled to keep her voice steady.
Tigerstar looked puzzled. He glanced around the patrol. “I thought you came here to ask me to help kill Ashfur, not to defend him.”
“We came to sound you out and see what you thought,” Squirrelflight mewed.
Lionblaze’s gaze darkened with fury. “I thought we came here to kill—”
Squirrelflight glared at her deputy. “I will abide by the final decision of the leaders, but it has to be all the leaders, not just Tigerstar.”
“There’s always one more reason to wait,” Lionblaze mewed through gritted teeth.
Squirrelflight ignored him, her gaze still on Tigerstar. “My Clanmates think I’m too close to Bramblestar to make a fair decision,” she told him. “They may be right. I have to listen to them.” Her paws trembled as she went on. “But I still think we need one last meeting of all five Clans to decide whether Bramblestar’s body should die.”
A blackbird chattered in the branch overhead. Tigerstar glanced at it as it fluttered away, then looked back at Squirrelflight. “I understand,” he mewed evenly. Shadowsight saw sympathy in his father’s gaze. Tigerstar clearly knew how hard this was for Squirrelflight. How could he ask any cat to give up their mate for the sake of the Clans? But how could she refuse?
Tigerstar dipped his head. “If we’re going to do this,” he mewed, “we should have the agreement of all the Clans. If we’re wrong, then we must be wrong together.”
Lionblaze growled. “And if we’re right, we need to act quickly.”
“I’ll send patrols to RiverClan and WindClan to tell Mistystar and Harestar there will be a Gathering on the island tonight,” Tigerstar mewed. “You send a patrol to Leafstar.”
“We’ll go now.” Without consulting Squirrelflight, Lionblaze flicked his tail toward Cherryfall and Bristlefrost. Taking the lead, he led them away.
Squirrelflight called after them. “Tell her we’ll meet at moonhigh.”
Tigerstar blinked at her. “I know how hard this is for you,” he mewed softly. “But I don’t think we have any other choice.” He dipped his head and turned toward camp.
Squirrelflight watched him go, grief sharpening her gaze. Then she stiffened and opened her mouth, as though tasting the air. Shadowsight’s heart lurched as she jerked her muzzle toward the bracken. She’d caught him eavesdropping.
Hot with shame, he crept from his hiding place. “I’m sorry.”
She stared at him blankly, as though she hardly cared he was there. Her thoughts seemed distant. Was she thinking about tonight’s Gathering? It would seal Bramblestar’s fate. The leaders would vote to kill his body, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. Without speaking, she padded away. Shadowsight’s heart twisted in his chest. She looked so defeated, her pelt slicked against her narrow frame. Had she given up all hope of saving Bramblestar?
Chapter 22
Rootspring pressed closer to Tree as Mallownose and Lizardtail pushed past him, following their Clanmates through the crowded clearing. The island was humming with the hushed mews of the gathered Clans. Above, Silverpelt stretched across the crow-black sky. Rootspring could see Bristlefrost sitting among her Clanmates at the edge of the clearing. He felt relieved when she caught sight of him and blinked at him reassuringly. He knew why this meeting had been called. He just hoped the leaders would make the right decision.
Harestar and Tigerstar were already sitting on the long, low branch of the Great Oak. Leafstar leaped to join them as Mistystar wove her way through the throng below. Squirrelflight was hunched in the crook of the branch, her pelt ruffled, as though it hadn’t been groomed for a while.
Rootspring shuffled closer to his father. “This is her last chance to save Bramblestar,” he whispered.
Tree followed his gaze to the Thunderclan leader. “I don’t know if she’ll be able to.” He glanced around the gathered cats. “Every cat has heard about the Sisters’ ceremony. They’re convinced Ashfur is determined to cause trouble.”
Rootspring’s tail twitched nervously. “That doesn’t mean Bramblestar should suffer.”
“His suffering might already be over for all we know,” Tree mewed darkly.
Rootspring remembered the spirits shimmering in SkyClan’s clearing. There had been too many to count, but there had been no sign of Bramblestar. He shuddered as icy claws seemed to run through his pelt.
Plumwillow shifted beside him, stretching up to look over the ears of the cats in front. “Have they decided how to deal with Ashfur?”
Macgyver grunted. “It’s about time we did something. A fox-heart like him shouldn’t be allowed to rest while we hunt his prey for him.”
As he spoke, Mistystar settled beside Squirrelflight in the oak, and Tigerstar got to his paws.
The gathered cats fell silent as the ShadowClan leader’s gaze swept over them. “You’ve heard already that the Sisters were unable to make contact with Bramblestar.”
Rootspring stiffened as Tigerstar looked straight at him.
“Tell them what you saw,” the ShadowClan leader ordered.
Rootspring’s pelt prickled nervously as the gathered cats turned to stare. “I—I saw other spirits,” he stammered. He felt Tree’s flank press his and forced himself to speak louder. “They were desperate, like they were in pain. They seemed angry.”
“Were they warriors?” Lizardtail called from among the RiverClan cats.
“They weren’t all warriors, but there were warriors among them. I saw several at a distance. . . . One of them was Stemleaf.” Rootspring scanned the crowd, hoping Spotfur hadn’t come. He didn’t want her to hear that Stemleaf was suffering.
Tigerstar flicked his tail impatiently. “You also saw Ashfur, didn’t you?”
“I think I did.” Rootspring met his gaze.
“Did he look like he was in pain?” Tigerstar demanded.
Rootspring shook his head. “He was the only spirit who wasn’t.” He tried not to catch Squirrelflight’s eye. He knew she was staring at him imploringly. But he had to tell the truth. “He looked pleased.”
Murmurs of horror rippled through the crowd. Tigerstar’s eyes sparked with angry triumph. “Ashfur is up to something,” he mewed. “It’s time we put a stop to it.”
“How?” Macgyver called from the crowd.
Tigerstar flexed his claws. “We kill him.”
Squirrelflight flinched, and heads dropped among the gathered cats. Hootwhisker stretched onto his hind paws, but said nothing.
Lionblaze scanned the crowd from the roots of the Great Oak, where he sat with the other deputies. “We can’t let Ashfur use poor Bramblestar’s body any longer,” he growled.
Hawkwing nodded. “Without it, Ashf
ur couldn’t stay in the forest.”
“You don’t know that!” Dovewing pushed her way through the crowd.
“She’s right!” Puddleshine called from among the medicine cats. “We don’t know what Ashfur’s capable of. If Rootspring saw him at the ceremony, it means Ashfur may not need Bramblestar’s body to survive. He can move where he pleases without it.”
Dovewing reached the front of the crowd and faced Lionblaze. “If we kill Bramblestar’s body, Ashfur might just steal another!”
“Not unless another leader loses a life,” Lionblaze snapped.
Dovewing’s ears twitched. “What’s to stop him stealing Bramblestar’s body again and again? Are we going to keep killing him until he has no lives left?”
Squirrelflight’s eyes widened with horror. As much as she wanted her mate to return, the idea of him suffering any more than he already had must be breaking her heart.
“You say he’s gone”—her gaze flitted from Lionblaze to Tigerstar—“and then you say we need to kill him so he can return. You don’t really have any idea what you’re doing, do you? You think murder will solve everything.” Her mew grew husky with grief. “Bramblestar has always been a loyal warrior and a good leader. He’d never murder any cat—not like this. He’d never give up, but you’re ready to give up on him.” She stared at the other leaders. “Please don’t do this. . . .”