Chapter 11

"Congratulations, Stonefall!" Snowpaw cheered as her friend passed by her. She had a look of pleasure and friendliness in her eyes that had not been shown directly to Maplepaw – ever. She and Silkpaw each congratulated him and they padded to the apprentices' den. They stars were out and Maplepaw fell into a deep sleep.

She woke up to feel a cold wind blowing against her fur. A scent hit her – ShadowClan. Am I in ShadowClan territory? Maplepaw wondered, looking around.

The night sky stretched out above her for millions of tail-lengths. All was silent, even the forest.

Maplepaw gazed up at Silverpelt. One star twinkled, and a cat with stars in his fur descended towards the awestruck apprentice.

"Hello," the scarlet cat purred, staring at Maplepaw warmly. "I am your father, Redfur."

Maplepaw gaped. It was Redfur? Her father?

"It was you who led me to ThunderClan!" Maplepaw meowed, remembering the prophecy he had given her long ago.

He nodded. "Maplepaw, be careful – there is a greater enemy who will only hide who he really is."

Redfur stared at her, and started to fade.

"No!" Maplepaw yowled into the night. "Don't leave me!"

Sadness crept over her. The only chance she could have talked to her father, loved her father, and it was gone.

Something was prodding her side. Maplepaw opened her eyes drowsily and looked over at what was poking her.

"Come on, Maplepaw!" Silkpaw urged. "Tonight's a full moon – don't you remember?"

The ginger apprentice blinked. Full moon? "The Gathering!"

"Right!" Silkpaw mewed, racing out of the den. Maplepaw followed her out just in time to see Stormstar bounding up the Highrock.

"Tonight is the Gathering. Moonfur, Darkclaw, Maplepaw, Stonefall, and I shall be going."

He left the cats to split into groups. Maplepaw was amazed. Again she was going? She would miss Silkpaw, but hoped she would see Shadepaw. She had to hear what he had wanted to tell her – she just had to! For some reason, she felt it had to do with something that would change the peaceful life here in ThunderClan. But she knew she had to do something about it before everything went wrong.

Maplepaw searched the crowd of Clan cats, wondering if Shadepaw had come. She bumped into a beautiful white she-cat. Frostcloud, Maplepaw thought, as the ShadowClan warrior turned around.

"Is Shadepaw here?" Maplepaw asked her politely.

"Yes," she mewed, flicking her tail towards a black apprentice who stood by himself. His expression was disturbed.

"Thanks!" Maplepaw mewed, padding to her friend.

Maplepaw was right next to him, but he was staring unseeing at the ground. She had to nudge him with her nose.

"Shadepaw?" Maplepaw mewed anxiously, extremely concerned for her friend.

He shook himself visibly and turned to her. "Maplepaw!" he mewed, his voice shaking. He beckoned for her to come towards the edge of Fourtrees and away from the Great Rock.

"I have to tell you something important." He took a deep breath. "I was wanting to ask Darkfur if we could do some battle training, but he was talking to Iceheart. He wanted her to follow him to the Thunderpath because he found recent badger tracks. I decided to follow them and practice stalking – when he found me at the Thunderpath I was thinking he would be proud of how sneaky I was.

"So I followed them all the way to the Thunderpath and the whole time Darkfur didn't notice me. But once the Thunderpath's stench hit my mouth he veered to the right and took her underneath a large tree.

"And h-h-he . . . h-h-he . . . " Shadepaw stammered.

Maplepaw stared at him impatiently. "What? What happened?"

He was staring at a cat underneath the Great Rock, and, following his eyes, she found Frostcloud taking her place as deputy underneath the rock.

"He murdered her."

Maplepaw was numb from head to tail tip. Darkfur murdered Iceheart. "What? Are you sure?"

But Silkpaw words repeated in her head. He was murdered secretly by a cat named Darkfur of ShadowClan.

Shadepaw nodded dazedly. As the meeting started, Maplepaw wasn't listening. All sounds were blocked out as she stared, appalled, at the ground.

"Were you caught?" Maplepaw whispered.

"No. I ran straight back to camp. When Darkfur told the Clan the badger killed Iceheart, I ran to my nest and fainted."

Maplepaw was horror-struck. What could she do now?