A Light in the Mist (book)/Chapter 9

==Chapter description==
:Maggottail, Redwillow and Sparrowfeather lead Bristlefrost to the barrier between the Dark Forest and StarClan. The Dark Forest warriors stop and wonder if Bristlefrost could have lied to them. Maggottail emits the possibility that body control of Bristlefrost can only work in the living world. He then says that maybe they should kill Bristlefrost first. Sparrowfeather replies that if they kill her, they will lose their chance to save the Clans. Maggottail asks why she would want to help them, knowing that they only hurt her when she was alive. Sparrowfeather reminds him that Bristlefrost had said that helping them will also save the Dark Forest. Maggottail says that only Bristlefrost claims the Dark Forest needs saving. Sparrowfeather asks him why the dark water is here, then, and says she wasn't there before. She added that, in her view, Ashfur's promise of new lives beside the lake is a lie. Redwillow begins a sentence, but Sparrowfeather cuts him off by telling him he just want it to be true. Redwillow then asks her if she wants it too, what the brown tabby she-cat says that she also wants the promise to be true, but that it seems too easy, and that if it is so simple to take control of the bodies of living cats, why isn't Ashfur at the lake in a Clan, but here. She says that Ashfur lies to them just so they fight for him. Maggottail tells her he is happy to fight for him, if it gives him a chance to be able to live again. Sparrowfeather becomes indignant, telling him that he just wants to be the leader of ShadowClan, and that he is obsessed with having another chance because he failed when he was alive. Bristlefrost tells them that a patrol of Clan cats from the Moonpool is preparing to invade the Dark Forest to defeat Ashfur, while hoping inside that she tell the truth.
:When they get to the barrier, Sparrowfeather says she was different from the last time they came, that the vines seem stiffer. Redwillow asks if StarClan is really on the other side. Bristlefrost nods and says she had spoken to a StarClan medicine cat, Leafpool, the last time she was there. Sparrowfeather asks why they should help StarClan, although they have never helped them. Bristlefrost tells her that she's not asking her to help StarClan, but them. Maggottail asks how. Bristlefrost says that if they can break off the barrier, the Dark Forest will stop shrinking. Maggottail asks Bristlefrost how she knows that the barrier is the reason why the Dark Forest is shrinking, to which Bristlefrost replies that it's because she's cutting off the connection between StarClan and the Dark Forest. The gray tabby tom asks her what StarClan has to do with them. Bristlefrost responds that StarClan and the Dark Forest balance each other, and she makes the comparison with hills and valleys. While Maggottail doesn't believe her, she asks when the Dark Forest started to shrink. Redwillow replies that he first saw the dark water just before Ashfur arrived. Sparrowfeather continues saying that the fog appeared at the same time. Bristlefrost says that it is after Ashfur has blocked the connection between StarClan and the Dark Forest, and the members of both locations as well as their territories will disappear.
:While Redwillow says he may need to do something about the barrier, Sparrowfeather puts his claws into a vine and tries to tear it off. They heard a voice on the other side of the barrier. The vines of the barrier begin to tremble and another voice tells the first, Needletail, that the vines will not move. Needletail asks who they are. Bristlefrost comes up and says she's here to break off the barrier. Needletail says StarClan is collapsing. Bristlefrost calls for the help of the Dark Forest warriors, and tells them that if they can defeat Ashfur, they could take his place. Maggottail, Redwillow and Sparrowfeather decide to help him and Needletail finally gets to the other side. She says that the three cats are not Clan cats. Bristlefrost tells her that she has persuaded some cats from the Dark Forest to help them. Maggottail corrects Bristlefrost by saying they have decided to help, and Redwillow tells Needletail that they want to save their territory as much as she wants to save hers. Needletail thank them, and tell them that they are brave to stand against a cat like Ashfur. She then asks Bristlefrost where Rootspring is, and explains that Leafpool told her he was with her. She says she doesn't know where he is, but they were to meet here. Needletail says that she is an old friend of her mother, and that all the kits of Violetshine must be as tough as old bark, and that she is sure that Rootspring can take care of himself.
:Suddenly, Bristlefrost receives a vision from Rootspring telling him that Ashfur is coming. She warns the others, and Needletail says she must go to the barrier for additional help. Bristlefrost tells him it's too risky, and that if any StarClan warriors die here, they will disappear forever. Needletail begins to move towards the barrier. They try to leave a big enough passage for the StarClan warrior to pass, but Ashfur arrives, followed by Sandynose, Softpelt, Strikestone, Dappletuft, Conefoot, Berrynose and Rosepetal. Maggottail, Redwillow and Sparrowfeather turn to face Ashfur. The latter sees them and calls them traitors. Needletail then looks on with defiance the impostor. Bristlefrost notices a scrawny black tom from the Dark Forest among Ashfur's patrol. The impostor tells his patrol to ignore the traitors for now, and kill the intruder of StarClan.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
Category:A Light in the Mist (book)
Category:The Broken Code arc
Category:Chapter subpages