Chapter 15

Maplepaw watched in horror as Stormstar bounded up to the Highrock with Darkfur. Maplepaw's enemy, formerly of ShadowClan, looked over the ThunderClan cats with a hint of victory in his eyes.

How dare he come to my Clan? Maplepaw thought with pure hatred. He murdered my father!

"Cats of ThunderClan," Stormstar began. "On a hunting assessment Silkpaw discovered Darkfur, formerly of ShadowClan. He is now a loner, but I am thinking about letting him join our Clan."

"Formerly? Why did he leave? Was he exiled?" someone interrupted.

Darkfur stepped forward. "If you must know, I was exiled, but for previous mistakes that I regret and have learned from. Please do not judge me on my past. I am trying to . . . turn over a new leaf."

"Forgiveness is an important part of being a warrior," Stormstar meowed assuringly to his Clan. "The thing is," he continued, "another warrior would just mean another mouth to feed, another cat to take care of, et cetera. But Mossleaf has given him back his strength, and he would be useful as a warrior and a mentor."

He faced Darkfur steadily, whose expression had turned uneasy. "Darkfur, we will allow you to stay with our Clan until the sunrise before our next Gathering. Then I will tell you my decision – if we will welcome you to our Clan, or if we will send you away. Until then you will sleep in the elders' den and help them."

"A lucky break for the apprentices," Silkpaw snickered.

Stormstar shot her a furious glare, but there was amusement hidden under the anger.

Darkfur didn't protest – instead he nodded respectfully and followed the ThunderClan leader down the Highrock. Maplepaw and Silkpaw padded to their den.

"See, Maplepaw?" Silkpaw mewed, getting comfortable in her nest. "He's nice. Plus, he'd make a good warrior!"

"But he murdered my father!" Maplepaw argued.

"Maybe your father was mistaken."

Silkpaw looked away as Maplepaw trembled with anger and grief. "My father was not mistaken! That bloodthirsty cat stole Redfur's life!"

"Come on, Silkpaw and Maplepaw!" Rainstorm called from outside the den. "Let's go on a patrol. I would like to take Darkfur as well, so he can get to know our territory. And Maplepaw, I will see how you are doing. Both of you. You are getting closer to becoming warriors!"

Silkpaw and Maplepaw exchanged a look of excitement. Warriors!

"Coming, Rainstorm!" Silkpaw mewed, racing out of the den. Maplepaw followed and found Darkfur staring at her.

"Hello, Maplepaw. I'm Darkfur," he introduced, giving her a friendly glance.

"Hi," she mumbled, turning away. Why did she have to go on patrol with her father's murderer?

They trotted to Sunningrocks, and Maplepaw caught the scent of a vole. She crept up on it, and, with one swift blow, the vole was hers. Maplepaw bit its neck and it was dead.

As she was burying it she heard Darkfur murmur, "Well done." She didn't bother to acknowledge his praise.

Another scent caught her attention. "RiverClan!" she hissed. She spotted three warriors in a group, crouching behind a bush but not well hidden.

Rainstorm bounded up to the group. "Why are you in our territory?" she growled, her eyes glistening with ferocity.

"We want revenge. We want Sunningrocks!" Blackstripe hissed.

"Never!" Rainstorm snarled, taking a step towards them.

The group broke out in growls and hisses. Blackstripe lunged at Rainstorm, and battle erupted. Yowls rang through the trees, and Maplepaw felt a new energy flooding through her veins.

She attacked a brown tom and they pawed at each other. The tom got onto his hind legs, ready to pounce. But Maplepaw flipped onto her back and slithered underneath him. She then kicked her back up, into his belly, and the tom yowled angrily, racing away.

"Call in reinforcements, Mudpelt!" a silver she-cat, battling with Darkfur, ordered to the brown tom, who raced towards his camp.

A flash of black hurled into Maplepaw – Blackstripe.

"We meet again," he panted, scratching at her muzzle. Maplepaw pulled away just in time, but he had unbalanced her, and he pinned her to the earth.

He lifted an unsheathed paw, ready to give the deathblow, but another cat launched herself into his side, forcing Blackstripe off Maplepaw. Silkpaw!

She swung at his ear, but Blackstripe crouched, so she only swiped at air.

"Not so easy, eh?" he purred slyly, striking Silkpaw's flank. In a quick movement she scratched his face, which would leave a scar that wouldn't let Blackstripe forget Silkpaw in a hurry. He growled terrifyingly, then spun around.

Maplepaw blinked thankfully at Silkpaw, but they both turned when they heard a bloodcurdling yowl.

"Rainstorm!" Silkpaw hissed. Maplepaw saw Blackstripe pinning Rainstorm down, blood dripping from his face. Blackstripe will kill her, Maplepaw thought, watching the black cat raise an unsheathed paw. Darkfur was battling with the silver cat, and Maplepaw could already see the distant outline of cats on the horizon. The reinforcements! Maplepaw thought worriedly.

Darkfur heard the screech as well, for he turned to glance at Rainstorm and raced towards her with a determined look on his face, leaving the silver she-cat left by herself.

He let out a battle cry and flung himself at Blackstripe. "Do you want a real challenge?" Darkfur growled, crouching to the ground.

Blackstripe accepted the challenge with a blow to Darkfur's head. He let out a triumphant cry, which turned to dismay as Darkfur attacked him with a series of swipes and blows.

Just then Maplepaw could hear the rustling of leaves behind her.

"Shhhh," a voice mewed quietly. Stormstar! "Stonefall found you fighting RiverClan. He told me immediately and we've decided to help."

Maplepaw nodded slightly as to not bring attention to her hidden Clanmates.

She heard Stormstar's battle cry that rang through the trees, and her Clan revealed themselves and joined the four other ThunderClan cats in battle.

RiverClan met with ThunderClan, and yowls and cries rose in the air. Would we win yet again? Maplepaw wondered.

"Darkfur is amazing!" Silkpaw gushed. "He saved Rainstorm's life!"

"He is not amazing!" Maplepaw growled. "He saved her life only because he wants to prove himself to our Clan."

"Well, then he proved himself to me today!" Silkpaw mewed fiercely.

"But he killed my father! Don't you see? He'll murder any cat that will get in his way. He saved Rainstorm's life only because that was a task that would get him closer to earning our trust. He's nothing without a Clan."

Silkpaw grunted and turned away towards the apprentices' den. Maplepaw could see the sun slowly drowning in the mountains, while the bright moon shone above. Silverpelt was not yet out, but Maplepaw would rather stay outside then lay in her nest in the apprentices' den.

Maplepaw rested her head on her paws and waited for her warrior ancestors to reveal themselves. She was slowly drifting off to sleep when a voice startled her.

"May I join you?" the familiar, velvety voice mewed quietly. She sat up to find the medicine cat apprentice.

Maplepaw looked up into Smokepaw's eyes. She felt dazed and dizzy, when she remembered to say something. "Please."

He sat down beside her and stared up at the newly shining stars. "You were a brave fighter today, Maplepaw," he mewed. Maplepaw felt hot all of a sudden, and looked down at her paws.

"Well, I'm happy to fight for my Clan," Maplepaw told him.

A long silence followed. "I heard you and Silkpaw arguing."

Maplepaw nodded. "Yes."

"Just to tell you, I'm here for you. If you need me, I'm there. Don't worry, Maplepaw."

Maplepaw was filled with a happiness she had never felt before. She gazed into Smokepaw's green eyes and mewed softly, "Thank you, Smokepaw."

He dipped his head. "So, RiverClan would like to battle us for the last time, huh?"

Maplepaw recalled the words Shadestar had vowed to ThunderClan. "I guess so. He isn't so good on losing his battles."

"Yes," Smokepaw agreed.

"Smokepaw!" Mossleaf called from her den. "Come here!"

"I'm sorry," Smokepaw apologized. "Goodnight, Maplepaw."

"Goodnight!" Maplepaw mewed, padding towards her den. She turned to see that Smokepaw has paused in mid-pawstep, too.

She was lost in the depths of his soft emerald eyes. He smiled and trotted into his den.

It was not until Maplepaw was resting in her nest that she thought, Smokepaw cares for me. She let her eyes close and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Stormstar began, gazing proudly at his Clan. "Today is the battle against RiverClan. Do not expect winning this will be easy, although we have been victorious for the other battles. RiverClan will be ready, so do not be surprised if you realize we might be losing. That is all. We must now head to Sunningrocks."

He gathered up the cats who were going. Then Mossleaf came up to him with urgent eyes.

"But, Stormstar, you're on you're last life!" Mossleaf protested. Darkfur had a flash of interest in his eyes, but only for a heartbeat. Maplepaw shot him a look of suspicion. What was he up to?

"Yes, but I will be going." His eyes had a hint of worry in them. "Mossleaf, you are a skilled medicine cat. If I am wounded I will come to you."

Mossleaf nodded slowly.

"Alright then, let's go." Stormstar took one last look – a proud look – at his Clan and led the cats towards Sunningrocks. Stormstar is going into this battle, Maplepaw thought, but will he come out?