Maplepaw's head was reeling when she woke the next morning.

"No, Ravenpaw, I don't want to go on the dawn patrol…" She murmured sleepily. What had been a gentle (ish) nudge now became an angry shove, and Maplepaw was rocketed out of her make shift nest. She hit the wall with a thud and her eyes shot open.

The retreating figure of a brown tabby was silhouetted against the harsh morning light, and she cringed slightly when she got to her paws. She couldn't believe that all this wasn't a dream. What she also was struggling to grasp was why she hadn't stood up for herself properly yet had this been the true Mapleshade, she would have thrashed the two warriors on the Thunderclan border with ease. But now here she was, lying in a crumpled heap, defeated easily and as quietly as a mouse.

It was humiliating really. Again, she pictured her family and friend, trying to see their faces. But they were blurred, as if the image was smudged with tears. Real tears began to flow, and soon she was wrapping her tail around her body, crying quietly in the corner.

The cave she had been put in was quiet and separated from the rest of camp. However much she thought of the warm comfort of her mother, it could not stop the freezing cold and dampness of the place. The somehow humid air filled her lungs with tiny irritating water droplets and she was coughing pitifully. The only place where water didn't drip into the dull cave was under the only shrubbery there was. She was hidden under the mounds of ivy as if her life depended on it. It didn't help that she was making the only dry place there was wet with tears and blood.

Blood, it is horrible thing. Yet it gives life to everything just as easily as it can take it away. The thing that kept her alive was dripping, drop by drop, out of the wound on the side of her head. What a sight she must have made, being dragged into camp with torn fur, claws dripping with blood and her own blood dripping down her face. The only comfort to her was that any Shadowclan cat that had seen her arrive must have been scared out of their mangy pelts.

However, deep down if Maplepaw's slowly twisting soul, hope flared and her eyes began to burn with a new light. She would escape! She could return to Thunderclan and they wouldn't have to give up any territory! Of course, a patrol of Thunderclan warriors could already be on its way to retrieve her and give the territory…

She knew that she would have to act fast. And the wound at the side of her head wasn't helping. If she did escape, she would be leaving a trail of blood that even a two moon old kit could follow.

I'm not a medicine cat! What do I use…? Maplepaw thought back to Thunderclan. When Ravenpaw got a thorn in his pad, Jayfeather had put a mixture of herbs on it after removing the thorn and then covered it with cob webs to hold it together. But she didn't know any herbs other that catmint and some basic ones, alongside the ones that Jayfeather would mutter about before leaving camp on a herb-hunting mission.

Maplepaw decided that she would put cobwebs on her wounds as best she could before leaving. If she could find any! The cave was not the ideal habitat for spiders in her mind, and she was dubious as she stood to look for them.

Picking her way around puddles of slimy liquid, Maplepaw searched any crevices for spider webs. Next, when she had gathered a good pawfull of cob webs, Maplepaw applied them to her head wound. Though she couldn't see what she was doing, Maplepaw was pleased with the temporary outcome. Blood no longer dripped from her head and she could now concentrate on grooming her pelt.

No, not because she wanted to look glamorous while on the run! She needed to remove the damp or drying blood and tear stains on her fur to make it harder to track her. She would roll in the nearest scented plant as soon as she was free to through any cat who followed her off track.

Minutes later, Maplepaw padded silently up to the entrance. She had already inspected the cave earlier on, and there were no other exits. At the front of the cave sat Spikepaw and Owlclaw. She grinned. The two cats she disliked were guarding her, and she was about to beat them up.

Yes, I know what you are all thinking. Maplepaw was not committing suicide. Nor was she completely confident that she would win. She hadn't eaten in days, her mouth was parched and her head was light with blood loss. But she had been feeding her hunger for revenge and also her need to escape. She really had no other choice. And she was not about to go down without a fight.

Ignoring the importance of the moment, Maplepaw did a few warm up moves as quietly as she could. She had devised a plan and was adding to it each time she kicked, clawed or swatted her imaginary enemy. When the moment was right, she started the first stage of her plan.

"Get away from me!" Maplepaw hissed. But she wasn't hissing at the toms. She was hissing at the darkness beyond. She heard murmuring outside, and then the hesitant pawsteps of one of the toms coming into the cave. Deciding to lead him in further, Maplepaw scuttled further into the dank cave and called again.

This time the sound of pawsteps was louder. She hid in the shadows at the edge of the cave as Owlclaw stalked into the main chamber.

"What do you think you're doing prisoner? You got orders from me to stay quiet. You know I don't like Blackstar's 'respect the prisoner' way of thinking. Come out here and let me see you! Hurry up! Don't play games with m-" Owlclaw was cut off by a silent attack.

Maplepaw shoved him to the ground with his muzzle pressed into a small but surprisingly deep puddle. She couldn't resist digging her claws into the back of his head, causing the tabby tom to squirm in agony beneath her claws. He couldn't talk without letting a tide of water into his mouth, and his breathing was quick and shallow from his nose. He was looking up at her with undisguised hatred; his long claws scraped against to surface of the rock.

Smirking slightly, Maplepaw wrapped a bind of ivy around the tom's muzzle and because cats cannot tie knots, she had to make do with wrapping it around and tucking it in with a series of twists and flicks. Next, she did the same thing to both his back legs and forelegs, before finally steeping back to admire her handiwork.

He managed a feeble hiss at her before slumping down his shoulders in defeat.

No matter how much he had done to her, she hated seeing him like this. The muscular warrior had been turned into a trapped captive. Before she left to finish her plan, Maplepaw leant over and whispered in his ear.

"They'll find you as soon as they realize I'm missing. I'm sorry that it was reduced to this."

The tom tried to snap something that could have been ''It'? What is 'it'?'

But Maplepaw was gone without a sound, and the tom was left alone with only his own thoughts for company.

Nearing the entrance once again, Maplepaw scented the air. Spikepaw was alone. Sneaking forwards, Maplepaw scanned the entrance. Where was he?

A scuffle alerted her of his position and she instantly whipped around to face her attacker. She could see him now. Spikepaw was padding deeper into the cave, calling out for his clan mate.

Great, she thought sarcastically, if he sees Owlclaw, I'm as good as dead.

Deciding not to waste any time, Maplepaw charged forwards and crushed Spikepaw up against the wall. He hissed at her and clawed her chest, taking her by surprise. With an impatient hiss, Maplepaw kicked his belly and the tom crumpled to the ground. She was just about to run away when he grasped her tail in his jaws.

It took all the force in her body not to screech out loud, and it was even harder not to yank it out. She knew that a Shadowclan cat was taught this as one of their first moves because it was an easy one to get away with.

When the cat yanked its tail free, they would damage the nerve in the tail slightly. This, of course, was extremely painful and would leave it dazed so that the Shadowclanner could attack again.

Thinking fast, Maplepaw kicked out with a hind leg, catching him around the face. He let go with a startled yelp but leapt forwards again. He crashed into her and they went flying across the cave in a tangled mass of tooth and claw.

When Spikepaw got the upper paw, Maplepaw found herself trapped beneath his paws. Suddenly, there was a yowl from deep within the cave. Owlclaw! Maplepaw thought. She began to panic but Spikepaw was even worse off. He looked as though he couldn't decide between his captive or his clan.

Owlclaw's claws could be heard pounding against the cold stone floor. Suddenly, the weight was released from her shoulders and Spikepaw was looking at her desperately.

"Run!" He hissed.

"But-"

"There's no time, just go!" Spikepaw shoved her in the direction of the entrance. With a last look of gratitude, Maplepaw turned to leave. However, she felt so in dept that she whisked around, pushed her nose to his blood-stained cheek in thanks before running out of the cave. She wouldn't be going back there, not ever.

Hello all! I kept my promise! 29th of January and I updated! WOHOO! Ok, so thank you for all the kind reviews and I suddenly realised that Sky's kits should have been born by now because it takes roughly 2 months for a cat to develop in its mother's uterus (correct word?) And then she gives birth so… Yeah… Sky's kits are waaaaaay over due. SO…. REVIEWS!:

Doglovermastiff: who is ,maybe? Sorry, maybe it didn't send properly. But for now, I will just take it as a: 'Maple I like the story and I have a fave character but I'm not telling u HA!' XD ok? The review u posted (TO ME) says: ,maybe?
is my favorite So yeah. Sorry for not understanding. Thanks for reviewing! I bet it was just the system failing to load properly.

Splinterclaw: Why thank you!

Birdflame: Spikeclaw I like. MapleFACE?! No offence to you, but I don't think I'll use that one. Although, it does sound very… professional… snazzy… I DON'T KNOW, I'LL THINK ABOUT IT! And yes, fanclubbers unite! (although I don't want the free cheese samples that come with the imaginary application form for the cheese one. I'll wear a protective suit in meetings too if that's alright?)

Smiley face (guest): Thank you! Treefeather sounds good! Although I was sort of planning on Ravenfeather… *Clasps hand over mouth* SPOILERS! MAPLE HOW COULD YOU?!

Thank you for all the reviews! I changed the settings, so now guest reviews come to the page quicker, so I can answer them ON TIME! Anyway, please review! (but only if you want to. We are a safe environment here at UTSOTMT!)

REVIEW! ALTHOUGH IT IS OPTIONAL…