The Silent Thaw

Rootpaw glanced sharply at his father. “They invited me,” he muttered. “Tree invited himself.”

“Is that where you’re going?” Tree pressed, staring at Frecklewish.

“Yes.” Frecklewish lifted her chin. “Stemleaf and Spotfur thought I looked upset after the last Gathering. They told me about the meeting, too.”

Rootpaw shifted his paws. “Are you worried about the codebreakers?”

“I’m worried about how they’re being treated. StarClan’s never wanted to punish us before.” Frecklewish glanced across the meadow to where bushes clustered around a dip in the slope. She nodded toward it. “I think the other cats are over there.”

“Come on.” Tree hurried away, his tail flicking eagerly.

As Rootpaw followed, Frecklewish fell in beside him.

“I don’t like going behind Leafstar’s back,” she whispered. “But I want to hear what these cats have to say.”

“Me too.” Rootpaw was relieved to see a medicine cat there. It made going to the meeting feel less disloyal.

He followed Frecklewish as she slid between the bushes. His nose twitched as cat scents filled it, so many he couldn’t tell them apart. Fur prickling, he pushed his way between the branches, surprised as a small hollow opened before him. He paused, his heart lurching as he saw pelts moving in the moonlight. So many cats! Finleap and Twigbranch were there with Stemleaf and Spotfur. Cloverfoot, Whorlpelt, and Blazefire had come from ShadowClan. Blossomheart! She must have slipped out of camp before him. Breezepelt hung back in the shadows with Smokehaze and Slightfoot, and Dappletuft and Sneezecloud pressed together, their pelts damp where they must have crossed the river.

Tree was already greeting Stemleaf, dipping his head to the ThunderClan tom before he eased into a space between Twigbranch and Blazefire. He beckoned Rootpaw to join him with a flick of his tail.

As Rootpaw crossed the hollow, Stemleaf blinked at him. “I’m glad you came,” he mewed.

Spotfur’s eyes glittered anxiously. “We didn’t expect so many cats to be here.”

As the warriors eyed one another warily, Rootpaw moved closer to Tree. He fluffed out his pelt, trying not to think about how much trouble Stemleaf and his Clanmates would be in if Bramblestar found out about this meeting.

Frecklewish nosed her way in beside Rootpaw. “I don’t know what good this will do,” she whispered in his ear. “But maybe some cat has a plan.”

Stemleaf looked around at the gathered cats. “Thanks for coming,” he told them. “I know it was hard to get away from your Clans. But I think it’s really important that we’re here.”

Breezepelt narrowed his eyes. “Do you really think we can stop what’s happening to the Clans?”

“Nothing would be happening to the Clans if it weren’t for Bramblestar,” Whorlpelt stared accusingly at the ThunderClan cats.

Sneezecloud nodded. “He’s the one who wants to make an example of the codebreakers.”

Frecklewish frowned. “He does seem to have StarClan on his side.”

The gathered cats hesitated, glancing uneasily at Frecklewish.

She pressed on. “Shadowsight’s latest vision agreed with what he’s been saying these past moons. It sounds like they want the codebreakers punished too.”

Stemleaf’s gaze darkened. “I know,” he mewed grimly. “If we stand up to Bramblestar, we’ll be challenging StarClan.”

Rootpaw shifted his paws. “Perhaps StarClan doesn’t want the codebreakers to suffer as much as Bramblestar does,” he ventured. “Perhaps they only want them to acknowledge that they’ve broken the code.”

Spotfur frowned. “Not every codebreaker knows what they’ve done wrong.”

Twigbranch’s ears twitched. “I wish I knew exactly what I’ve done wrong,” she mewed. “I’d happily own up to it if I did. I’ve only ever wanted to be a loyal warrior.”

Cloverfoot met her gaze. “All the codebreakers want to be loyal warriors. I don’t understand why they must be punished.”

“Bramblestar seems intent on making life miserable for the codebreakers in ThunderClan,” Finleap mewed, shaking his head.

“Banishing cats!” Outrage edged Cloverfoot’s mew. “Clans are supposed to stick together, not turn their backs on their Clanmates.”

“We’re meant to support one another through good times and bad,” Sneezecloud mewed.

Slightfoot’s pelt twitched. “Warriors are honorable because they want to be, not because they’re scared of being punished!”

“We look after our Clanmates because we care about them,” Whorlpelt chimed. “Not just because we’re obeying rules.”

Frecklewish frowned. “But StarClan does want us to follow the rules,” she mewed.

“Well, if Bramblestar weren’t yowling about punishment all the time, the Clans could find a better way to deal with the codebreakers,” Stemleaf replied, annoyed.

Cloverfoot’s eyes narrowed. “What are you suggesting?”

Stemleaf lifted his chin. “Bramblestar is trying to make us act like Darktail’s Kin. He wants us to turn on one another. But warriors aren’t cruel. They never have been. Bramblestar must have bees in his brain. We have to get rid of him before he spoils the Clans forever.”