The Silent Thaw

While Leafstar led her Clanmates toward the tree-bridge, Frecklewish crossed the clearing and blocked Tree’s path. “What will you do?” she mewed.

Tree stared at her solemnly as Rootpaw and Violetshine stopped beside him. “Bramblestar was right about me,” he told Frecklewish. “I’ve never truly believed in Clan life. I think it’s time I left and took my family with me.”

Rootpaw fought back panic. They couldn’t leave. Not when the Clans were in so much trouble. Needlepaw wouldn’t want to leave either. She was as committed as he was to being a great warrior.

The ghost hurried to Rootpaw’s side. “You can’t let him take you away!”

Frecklewish dipped her head. “I understand how you feel, Tree. The impostor has made this a dangerous place to be.” She blinked at him. “Especially for you. But we need you.”

“You can help the Clans.” Rootpaw blinked desperately at his father.

Violetshine nodded. “We can’t just abandon cats we care about,” she mewed. “What about Twigbranch?”

“Twigbranch has Finleap and her Clanmates,” Tree told her. “We have no choice. You heard Bramblestar. If I don’t do what he says, he’ll turn the Clans against us. We won’t be safe anywhere.”

Rootpaw refused to believe his Clanmates would really turn against Tree. “No true warrior would hurt us.”

Tree looked at him. “I think some of the Clans have forgotten what a true warrior is.”

Frecklewish’s ears twitched. “There might be another way.”

Tree frowned at her. “What?”

“You can travel around the Clans and speak to the leaders, just as Bramblestar ordered,” the medicine cat told him. “But you don’t need to persuade them to follow his rules. You can warn them what’s really going on.”

“But hasn’t Squirrelflight already told them that Bramblestar’s an impostor?” Tree reminded her.

“If she did, she clearly failed to persuade them,” Frecklewish pressed. “You might do better.”

The ghost padded nearer. “Another voice might convince them that they’re not alone.”

“You can talk to the ghost,” Frecklewish told Tree. “Squirrelflight couldn’t do that.”

Rootpaw’s belly tightened. Tree couldn’t talk to the ghost any more than Squirrelflight could. His paws pricked nervously as Frecklewish went on.

“You can pass on the ghost’s message. You can encourage the Clans to fight for the real StarClan, not the StarClan the impostor represents.”

“But I can’t argue with StarClan’s silence,” Tree pointed out. “The silence is real. It’s scared too many warriors. They’ll do anything to end it, even if it means defying their leaders.”

“But if you leave,” Frecklewish argued, “nothing will change. The impostor will get stronger. If you stay, you might help us undermine him just enough to win back the Clans.”

Rootpaw stared desperately at his father. He couldn’t leave the Clans. Who knew what the impostor would do next? And who would be left to speak for the ghost?

Breath like mist touched his ear fur. “Make him stay,” the ghost whispered.

Rootpaw placed his muzzle against Tree’s cheek. “Let us stay,” he begged. “We owe it to the Clans and to Bramblestar’s ghost. If we leave, no cat will hear it. It may never find its way back to its body.”

Tree started to speak, then stopped, gazing down at the ground, his eyes wide and helpless. Rootpaw could tell that his father had no idea what to do.

He saw the ghost’s translucent pelt from the corner of his eye and turned to meet its gaze. I tried,

he told it silently. I can’t do any more than that.

Chapter 20

Bristlefrost nosed a sparrow from the top of the fresh-kill pile and sniffed unenthusiastically at the prey underneath. She wasn’t hungry, but her Clanmates were eating after a busy day patrolling. All she wanted was to settle into the soft grass beneath the Highledge and think. Last night’s Gathering had unnerved her. There had been no challenge to Bramblestar. Squirrelflight had returned from her self-imposed exile, admitting that she hadn’t managed to speak to the other leaders. She’d made it to the SkyClan camp, but Leafstar had warned her that WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan might not be so welcoming. Squirrelflight had decided to visit them anyway, but when Harestar had seemed unconvinced by her report, she had returned to ThunderClan.

Bristlefrost pressed back a shiver and grabbed a shrew from the pile. She carried it to the shelter of the Highledge. No cat had stood up for Tigerstar. The Clans were clearly prepared to allow Bramblestar to decide who should lead another Clan. Didn’t they realize how dangerous that was? And how wrong? Without StarClan, the Clans seemed to be falling apart.

She dropped the shrew and circled on the grass beside it, smoothing a place to sit. As she settled down, an angry hiss sounded from the Highledge. She looked up, heart pounding. Squirrelflight was up there with Bramblestar. The ThunderClan leader had summoned her to his den when she’d returned from patrol.