Эрин Хантер - The Silent Thaw

Bristlefrost searched the gazes of her Clanmates. Did they believe her? She watched them stare at Squirrelflight. Was that pity in their eyes? They don’t understand! Her Clanmates seemed to hear Squirrelflight’s words as no more than spite from a cat whose mate had rejected her. The truth was clearly too far-fetched to believe.

This time she couldn’t stop herself from looking at Stemleaf, pleading with her eyes. We have to do something! As though reading her thoughts, he shook his head, too subtly for their Clanmates to notice.

“Bristlefrost!” Bramblestar’s growl made her jump.

She stared at him, guilt searing her pelt. Was he about to accuse her?

His gaze was hard. “I want you, Twigbranch, and Lionblaze to escort Squirrelflight off our land.”

Bristlefrost straightened. Was he sending her a message? Was escorting Squirrelflight off ThunderClan territory meant to warn her that she could be next?

Bramblestar nodded to Stormcloud and Birchfall. “Go with them.”

Bristlefrost eyed the toms warily. Were they spies too? She tried not to tremble as she padded toward Squirrelflight. The ThunderClan deputy was already heading toward the entrance.

Bramblestar didn’t even look at his mate. Instead he looked calmly around at the Clan. “ThunderClan needs a new deputy.”

Bristlefrost paused at the edge of the clearing. Was he going to choose one now ? After everything that just happened?

Bumblestripe quickly stepped forward. “I want to defend the warrior code as much as you do. I’d be honored if you’d consider me for deputy.”

Berrynose brushed past him. “You know I’d do my best to be a loyal and brave deputy to ThunderClan,” he told Bramblestar. “You were my mentor.” He cast a sly glance at Bumblestripe. “So you know you can trust me.”

Bristlefrost shuddered. She hurried to catch up to Squirrelflight, relieved to be heading out of camp. She didn’t want to see her Clanmates behaving like fox-hearts. She followed Birchfall and Stormcloud through the entrance tunnel. As the two toms fanned out around Squirrelflight, Bristlefrost trailed behind with Lionblaze and Twigbranch. She glanced at them nervously.

Twigbranch looked shaken. “He can’t banish her,” the gray she-cat whispered as soon as they were clear of the camp. “Why’s he doing this?”

Lionblaze padded closer, his ears twitching. “Isn’t it obvious?” he growled darkly. “If his deputy and mate isn’t safe, then no cat is. He wants to make that clear.”

Dread dropped like a stone in Bristlefrost’s belly. How could they stand up to Bramblestar now? He clearly had plenty of allies in ThunderClan, as well as the support of warriors in every other Clan. There could be no more secret meetings. Any cat could be spying on them. She glanced back at the camp. Were Berrynose and Bumblestripe still competing to see who could be ThunderClan’s new deputy? She felt sick. Whoever was posing as Bramblestar was far more clever and ruthless than she’d ever imagined.

Chapter 21

Shadowsight padded into the medicine den, relishing its shelter. Outside, the wind was cold. He glanced at the empty nests, relieved that there hadn’t been more injuries. Snowbird had returned to her nest in the warriors’ den. Her paw was still swathed in comfrey, but she’d grown gloomy in the medicine den by herself as it became increasingly clear that, although the bones were healing, her paw would never be as strong and straight as it had been, and she’d always have a limp.

Shadowsight’s shoulders drooped. Since yesterday’s Gathering, he’d felt gloomy too. He’d hoped his confession to the Clans would stop Bramblestar’s ruthless persecution of the codebreakers. If the visions hadn’t come from StarClan, there was no need to punish any cat. But his outburst seemed to have made Bramblestar more determined to carry on. Didn’t the ThunderClan leader see that it couldn’t be StarClan who wanted the Clans to suffer?

Paw steps scuffed the earth, and he looked up as Yarrowleaf padded in, her face crumpled with pain.

He hurried to meet her. “What happened?”

“A bee stung me.” She turned her head to show a swelling on her neck.

“This early in the season?” Shadowsight frowned. Was StarClan still trying to let him know something was wrong? I’ve done everything I can, he told them silently. Perhaps it wasn’t StarClan. After all, he knew they were silent now. Perhaps it was whoever had sent the visions . He pushed the thought away. What good did it do to speculate? He could only treat his Clanmates and hope StarClan returned soon.

Yarrowleaf sat down in the middle of the den and winced. “I disturbed a nest while I was digging into a rabbit hole.”

Shadowsight examined the wound, looking closely to see if the stinger was still there. The ginger she-cat had clearly pulled it out in a panic; Shadowsight could see claw marks around the sting. “I’ll fetch honey.”

He headed for the herb store, relieved that he still had a little left. Honey would draw poison from the wound, and he had some lavender that would soothe it afterward. As he pulled out a bundle of herbs, their fragrant scents comforted him. He didn’t have a special link with StarClan, but he still knew how to heal. He would focus on treating his Clanmates’ injuries until StarClan returned. He could do no more than that.

He picked up the folded leaf, enclosing the honey along with a few stems of lavender, and turned from the herb store. His ears twitched. Puddleshine had come into the den and was checking Yarrowleaf’s wound.

The brown medicine cat nodded to him. “I’ll take care of this,” he mewed briskly.

Shadowsight dropped his herbs beside Yarrowleaf. “But I’ve got honey and lavender.”

Puddleshine padded past him and stopped beside the herb store. “Nettle juice and marigold will be the best treatment,” he mewed. “And a few poppy seeds to help with the pain.”

Yarrowleaf blinked gratefully at Puddleshine. “It really hurts,” she mewed forlornly.

Shadowsight’s heart sank as Puddleshine gathered up herbs and returned to Yarrowleaf. Nosing Shadowsight away, he chewed the dried nettle leaves and marigold petals into a pulp and smeared it onto the ginger she-cat’s neck. Then he dabbed his paw onto the poppy seeds and offered them to Yarrowleaf. As she lapped them up, Puddleshine sat back on his haunches.

“How does that feel?”

“A bit better.” Yarrowleaf turned her head gingerly.

“Go and rest,” Puddleshine told her. “The poppy seeds will start to work soon. Come back if the pain gets worse, or if you start wheezing.”

“Thanks.” Yarrowleaf nodded to the brown medicine cat and padded outside.

Shadowsight bristled as soon as she was gone. “Don’t you trust me to treat sick cats?” He stared at Puddleshine angrily.

“Of course I do,” Puddleshine told him. “But I’ve been doing it for longer. I have more experience.”

“But I have to learn!” Was Puddleshine going to stop him? He froze as a thought sparked in his mind. Did Puddleshine doubt him now that he knew his visions weren’t from StarClan? Alarm jabbed his belly. “Do you think I’m not meant to be a medicine cat?”

Puddleshine hesitated for a moment; then he blinked at Shadowsight. “Don’t be mouse-brained.”

The hesitation sliced like claws through Shadowsight’s heart. He’s not sure! He stared at Puddleshine as his mentor went on.