Thanks for the reviews! :) All my reviewers get a Jayfeather plushie! It motivates me to write more. I made this chapter fairly long; it's about six pages in Word. :D See how much two reviews can make me write? XD

Chapter 4

Bright sunlight roused Maplepaw from her sleep. It was five sunrises since she had been accepted into the Clan. Stormstar had just begun to teach her complex battle moves, and it turned out she was a natural at it! Maplepaw remembered Silkpaw's look of jealousy and hatred. Surely she hates me now? Maplepaw thought dreadfully.

Maplepaw got out of her nest and padded out into the clearing.

"Hello, Maplepaw." A small, light brown she-cat trotted towards her. "I'm Mossleaf. Have you seen my den yet? One day I'll show it to you." She jerked her head towards a den behind her. "I'm the medicine cat here – I take care of injured and sick cats. You may know my apprentice, Smokepaw . . . although I think he is gathering moss for the elders at the moment.

"Would you mind doing me a favor?" Maplepaw nodded. "Can you see if the elders need anything? Their den is over there." Mossleaf flicked her tail towards another den.

"Okay," Maplepaw meowed.

"Thanks!" Mossleaf exclaimed, bounding off.

Maplepaw hurried towards the den. Soon she was at a fallen tree, and she squeezed under a jutting branch. Grass, ferns, and moss sprouted from every crevice in the tangle of wood. She weaved through a maze of twigs until she came to an open space among the tangled branches.

As Maplepaw entered she spotted a small black-and-white tom inspecting his fur. A tortoiseshell she-cat was eating a mouse, sitting next to the black-and-white elder. The last cat, an old pale gray tom, had his back to the others and was grooming his ears with his tongue.

The tortoiseshell raised her head as she entered.

"Would you like anything from Mossleaf?" Maplepaw asked politely.

"Does she have mouse bile? Patchfur's got another tick." She glanced at the black-and-white tom in a concerned way.

"Well, of course he's got ticks!" The pale gray tom had an annoyed tone in his voice. He was glaring at Patchfur. "He insists on hunting every day! He's bound to get them!"

"Yes, but Whitepelt, you hunt, too," Patchfur pointed out calmly.

"That's because the apprentices can't hunt well enough to keep us fed!" He groomed his ears fiercely.

Maplepaw wanted to protest but held her tongue. He was an elder and had already served well for the Clan – she should be respectful.

"This one looks like she can keep you well-fed, Whitepelt!" the tortoiseshell meowed. She and Patchfur looked pleased and appreciative, but Whitepelt just grunted.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he meowed stubbornly, turning his back on the group.

"Don't worry," the tortoiseshell assured her. "Whitepelt is always cranky - he's the oldest cat in ThunderClan." She looked at the ginger apprentice gently, and Maplepaw began to relax. "I'm Spottedtail, by the way."

"Spottedtail, right. Don't worry – I'll make sure Mossleaf gets Patchfur's mouse bile," Maplepaw promised.

Once she was in the clearing she spotted Mossleaf and passed on Patchfur's wishes.

"Oh, of course! Why didn't I think of that before? He always needs mouse bile!" Mossleaf meowed, racing to her den.

Maplepaw decided to check on Silverpool's kits. She looked around for Silkpaw but couldn't find her. I haven't seen her all day, she thought.

When she entered the nursery she could hear the kits mewling and squealing.

"Now, pretend I'm from ShadowClan. I have crossed your border. What will you do?" Maplepaw could hear Stormkit's tiny mewl.

Thornkit let out a high-pitched yowl and lunged himself at Stormkit.

"No, no, no!" Birdkit squealed. She pulled Thornkit off of Stormkit and meowed politely, "Why are you on our territory?"

"Ummm, I was catching prey?"

"You can catch it on your own territory! Now head back or I will attack!" Birdkit let out a pitiful snarl and Stormkit scrambled away from her.

"Well done!" Maplepaw purred, and the kits turned.

"Thank you!" Birdkit mewed proudly, holding her chin high.

"Yeah, well, I was good, too!" Thornkit protested.

"Yes, you were very good!" Maplepaw meowed, trying to hold her amusement. "And, Stormkit, you were very fierce!"

Stormkit's eyes glittered with satisfaction, and she let out a purr. As Maplepaw backed out she meowed, "I'm going to see if I can join a hunting patrol." Was that a flash of sneakiness in Stormkit's eyes? "Good-bye, kits!"

Maplepaw padded into the clearing, looking for Moonfur. And where was Silkpaw?

"Hmm, how about Maplepaw?" a voice murmured behind her. Maplepaw whipped around to find Moonfur, the deputy, discussing who would go on the hunting patrol with Sunpelt, Rainstorm, and Flametail.

"Good idea!" Flametail agreed. "She hasn't been on hunting patrol yet, and I would like to see how she's doing!"

"Maplepaw, you will be joining these three," Moonfur instructed. "But watch out for that badger Nightstripe spotted."

They all gazed warmly at Maplepaw, and she felt good inside. Most of the warriors had accepted a newcomer into the Clan, and she felt like she had proven herself to be loyal and skilled.

They all bounded towards the gorse tunnel and in moments were at Sunningrocks. They decided to split up and soon Maplepaw was alone.

She tasted the air and caught a whiff of mouse. She found it nibbling on a seed under a couple of bushes. Maplepaw crouched low to the ground, just so her tail and belly were barely touching it, and stalked closer to the unsuspecting prey. She kept her paws light and once the mouse was only a tail-length away, she pounced out of her hiding place in the bramble. The mouse heard her but before it could scurry away Maplepaw clawed him and clamped down on its neck with her jaws.

"Well done," Rainstorm purred from behind her. Maplepaw spun around and stared at the three warriors. She had been so intent on catching the mouse she hadn't identified their familiar scents.

"Couldn't have done better myself," Flametail meowed. Maplepaw looked embarrassedly down at her paws and felt Sunpelt's approving gaze burning into her fur.

Quickly she buried her fresh-kill to dig up later.

Then Maplepaw scented the air and caught a strange smell. "I've found a really weird scent," she explained.

"Weird? What do you mean?" Rainstorm asked.

"Strong," Maplepaw replied. "I've never smelled it before."

Rainstorm exchanged a glance with Flametail and Sunpelt. "Let's follow it."

Maplepaw led the way and soon Sunningrocks was left behind. "Badger!" Sunpelt exclaimed.

"That's not good," Rainstorm meowed.

Flametail snorted. "This is just what we need!"

"The scent's fresh," Sunpelt meowed. "We'll have to follow it to find out where the badger is and whether it's going to make its den here. Good for you, Maplepaw. That was a useful bit of tracking."

The apprentice's eyes glowed with pride.

"Now, keep behind me and let's go," Rainstorm meowed seriously.

She took the lead, with Flametail and Sunpelt hard on her paws. Maplepaw could feel her muscles tensing beneath her fur; she half expected the badger to come trampling out of the shadows.

"Let me scout ahead," Sunpelt murmured. "I can't risk the badger attacking all of you; plus, you have to admit, I am a pretty good tracker!" Before any cat could protest, Sunpelt raced forward.

Rainstorm beckoned with her tail to stop and wait in the shadows. Maplepaw could see Rainstorm's back legs were tense, and she realized Rainstorm was ready to save Sunpelt if the badger attempted to attack him.

Suddenly a horrifying yowl rang through the forest, in the direction of Sunpelt.

"The badger!" Rainstorm whispered, and she hurried towards the yowl with the power of all of StarClan. Flametail and Maplepaw rushed to catch up with her.

They found Rainstorm fighting alongside Sunpelt. Maplepaw unsheathed her claws and recalled all of the battle moves Stormstar had taught her. As Flametail joined in Rainstorm dashed in from the other side, leaping up to bury her claws in the badger's neck and fasten her teeth in its ear. It shook her off easily, and Rainstorm hit the ground and lay still, winded.

Flametail raked his claws down the badger's side, snarling fiercely. It fought him off and scooped Flametail up, and with one paw tossed him tail-lengths away from where Rainstorm lay. Maplepaw could see one of his legs was twisted.

"Use your skills and put them to work, Maplepaw," he rasped. "Believe in yourself."

Maplepaw nodded and glanced at how Sunpelt was doing. What she saw practically stopped her heart.

Sunpelt was lying on his back, no longer defending himself, as the badger pinned him down. The badger's massive paws were ready to slam down on the warrior, and he could not save himself.

But Maplepaw could.

With a loud yowl that echoed through the trees she launched herself at the badger, spitting and clawing at its eyes as it loomed over her. She raked her claws along its side, feeling a fierce satisfaction as blood dripped from her paws. The badger let out a bellow of pain. It swung its head from side to side, then turned and lumbered off into the shadows. Sunpelt and Rainstorm, finally recovered, were charging after it with earsplitting caterwauls.

Maplepaw padded over to where Flametail was laying, still.

"Flametail?" Maplepaw asked, nervous.

Then she heard soft mewling. Maplepaw glanced towards the sound. Stormkit.

"Hi, Maplepaw!" she squealed. Then she looked at Flametail. "What happened?"

"I'll explain later. And you aren't allowed to be here! All kits have to stay in camp!"

"That's not fair—"

"Look, just grab Mossleaf. And hurry!" Maplepaw urged. Stormkit scrambled away towards the direction of camp.

"Maplepaw?" It was Flametail!

"Flametail! Are you still alive?" Maplepaw asked with panic.

"Of course I am, you stupid furball!" he meowed with a weak glimmer of amusement.

"Stormkit went to get help. You'll be fine," she soothed, although she was not trying to soothe Flametail; she was trying to soothe herself.

"I know. I heard her. What an adventurous spirit."

"Can you get to your paws?"

Flametail struggled so Maplepaw had to grab him by his scruff and lift him. "My leg is twisted, but Mossleaf will be able to fix it."

Soon the others joined them. Rainstorm was very concerned, but Sunpelt knew he would survive.

Maplepaw dug up her mouse before they returned to camp. Mossleaf reported that Flametail would be staying in her den for a while so she could take care of him. Maplepaw only had a few scars Mossleaf needed to put cobwebs on, but she was fine.

As Stormstar informed the rest of the Clan what had happened, Maplepaw lay in her nest in the apprentices' den, too exhausted to move. She was still unsettled by what had happened but fell quickly into a deep sleep.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock." It was only a day after the badger incident. Stormstar watched as his Clan collected below the Highrock. Everyone chattered excitedly, for they knew that it was a full moon tonight. It was time for the Gathering.

"The cats who will go to the Gathering will be Moonfur, Mossleaf, Nightstripe, Silkpaw, Sunpelt, Cloudstripe, and Maplepaw." With a bound he leaped off the Highrock.

Silkpaw came racing with Snowpaw. "You're going?"

Maplepaw shrugged. "I guess it had to do with that badger episode yesterday."

Silkpaw brightened. "Oh, yeah! You were amazing, Maplepaw!" She brushed against Maplepaw's flank.

Maplepaw was confused. Why is she suddenly friendly towards me? Maplepaw wondered.

"I have to tell you something," Silkpaw meowed, sitting down. It was the time for sharing tongues so they groomed one another.

"Sunpelt is my father. I was so grateful to hear that he was saved, but I didn't know it would be you who saved his life." She paused. "No offense."

"None taken." Maplepaw was surprised. She saved Silkpaw's father?

"My mother is Rainstorm, and, surprisingly, is my mentor! Strange, huh?"

Maplepaw could see how she was Sunpelt's mate. Rainstorm cared deeply for him.

"Yes," Maplepaw agreed, lost in thought. They groomed each other in silence, until Mossleaf came padding over to them.

"Maplepaw, have some fresh-kill. You've eaten like a bird since the badger fight, and you'll need your strength to get to Fourtrees if you've had such a little meal." Maplepaw was about to protest, but Mossleaf was not finished. "As your medicine cat I'm telling you to eat." She padded away before Maplepaw could argue.

"Oh well," Maplepaw meowed, sighing. She might as well get something to eat. Maplepaw was going to the Gathering.

I'll update either tomorrow or the day after if I get two or three reviews, okay? :) Let me know what you think about my story!