Chapter 17

Maplepaw slowly opened her eyes, discovering that the apprentices were gone. I must have slept in, Maplepaw thought. She had talked to Smokepaw again last night, but immediately after collapsing into her nest she had begun to think about Darkfur and Silkpaw. She had stayed up most of the night.

I know Darkfur is lying, I just know it, Maplepaw thought in her head.

She slowly got out of her nest and stretched. Blinking her eyes she could feel the cool wind of leaf-fall, and hear the crinkling of leaves. She peeked her head out to find Pebblekit, Rockkit, and Ravenkit pouncing on the amber leaves. Maplepaw chuckled to herself. They were going to be fine warriors.

They trotted out of her den. While it was windy, the sun was still shining brightly. I'll just sit in the shade, Maplepaw thought. She gasped. Shadepaw! It was today!

She had agreed to meet Shadepaw by the Thunderpath today, to find out more about the mysteries of Darkfur.

She bounded up to Sunpelt. "May I go hunting?"

"Sure, Maplepaw."

She bounded in the direction of the Thunderpath, catching two mice and a sparrow along the way. Quickly she covered earth over ever kill.

In a few heartbeats she was at the meeting place, waiting for a sound. She stared across it, hoping to see any sign of her friend.

At first, nothing. Then she spotted a small movement – the flicker of a tail. Emerald eyes popped out of the bush.

"Shadepaw!"

"Greetings, Maplepaw." Shadepaw stared with intense eyes.

"I am troubled. Only right after I last talked to you I heard Darkfur talking to some . . . rogues."

Maplepaw gasped. She knew he was bad!

"A kit had followed him, and once he found it, he killed it using deathberries." Shadepaw gulped. "Luckily, Frostcloud found him feeding the kit the berries and reported to Duskstar. He was exiled."

"Umm . . . Shadepaw?" Maplepaw mewed nervously.

"Be on the lookout, Maplepaw – he's dangerous."

"Shadepaw?"

"Whatever you do, don't let any cat talk to him!"

"Shadepaw!"

"What is it?"

"He, uhh, joined our Clan," she meowed softly.

Shadepaw paused. "He what?"

"Well, not exactly, but Stormstar said he would let Darkfur know the sunrise before the next Gathering . . ."

"Today!" Shadepaw exclaimed, frantic.

"I have to find out! You know, he's saved Rainstorm and Stormstar from their deaths. Darkfur is popular in our Clan – he would probably join!"

"Why don't you tell Stormstar what he's done? When Darkfur was talking to the rogues he was making sure Moonfur was still in the Twoleg nest. Stormstar is bound to do something about it!"

"Wait – Moonfur is in a Twoleg nest?"

Shadepaw nodded vigorously. "The rogues are keeping her there with their former Twolegs. You know, near that farm you pass by on the way to Highstones."

"We have to save her! Stormstar will never believe me unless we have Moonfur."

"Good idea. At the half-moon we'll do it."

"Deal," Maplepaw agreed. "Look, I should get back to camp now. Stormstar will be announcing it any second. Meet you here tonight?"

Shadepaw nodded, and then backed away into the shadows. He was gone.

Maplepaw raced to camp, barely paying attention to her surroundings. Her heart was beating loudly and her paws hit the ground in a steady rhythm. She ran faster than she'd ever run before. If Darkfur joined ThunderClan, she would be doomed.

She came out on the other side of the gorse tunnel and found her Clan beneath the Highrock. Stormstar turned his head slightly in her direction and signaled for her to gather with her Clanmates. Darkfur was staring at her with pleased eyes. Maplepaw held his gaze with a boldness she had never known.

Breaking off, she quickly dashed to Smokepaw, who was sitting at the edge of the crowd. She sat down with her tail neatly over her paws.

"Where were you?" Smokepaw murmured.

"Uhh, hunting," Maplepaw whispered, glad to have caught the mice and sparrow. "I buried them."

Smokepaw nodded, though Maplepaw was not so sure he believed her.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Stormstar yowled. "The time has come to decide whether Darkfur will join our Clan. After some thinking I have made my decision."

Stormstar paused. Maplepaw held her breath, waiting to hear the words that would be Darkfur's fate.

"I wish to invite Darkfur to our Clan."

Maplepaw stifled a yowl of protest. No! Maplepaw thought. This is not fair! Can't anyone see that he's a bloodthirsty cat?

Smokepaw could sense that Maplepaw had stiffened. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

"Uh, yeah, I am. I am really happy that Darkfur will join our Clan." Maplepaw forced the last words out through gritted teeth.

"Alright. If you say so," Smokepaw mewed uncertainly.

Stormstar continued. "Your actions for ThunderClan proved that you are brave and trustworthy. If you wish it, we will welcome you as a full member of this Clan."

From his place next to Stormstar on the Highrock, Darkfur stared Stormstar in the eye and meowed, "I would be honored to join ThunderClan, the Clan of loyalty and courage," Darkfur meowed. Lies! Pure lies! Maplepaw spat in her head. "I accept your offer."

"Good," Stormstar meowed, his voice firm to show the matter officially closed. "You will sleep in the warriors' den from now on."

The two bounded off the Highrock and the crowd scattered.

Maplepaw caught Silkpaw's eye. From her expression Maplepaw could tell she was incredibly happy Darkfur had joined. Maplepaw shot her a glare, then turned to find Sunpelt.

"Why don't you gather two warriors and we can go on a hunting patrol?" suggested the deputy. Maplepaw nodded and found Nightstripe and Darkclaw.

The patrol went to the Thunderpath. All four cats split up. Maplepaw parted her jaws and scented mouse. Keeping her paws light she crept towards the unsuspecting prey in a crouch. She pushed back on her hind legs and leaped. The apprentice bit the neck and it was dead.

She found two starlings and three squirrels, and covered them all with soil.

Maplepaw was about to announce her catch to Sunpelt, but kept quiet when she found him hunting a vole. He chased it towards . . . towards . . . Oh no! Maplepaw thought. Not again!

He was heading onto the Thunderpath but stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the hard cold stone beneath his paws. The mouse ran to safety on ShadowClan territory. A rumbling sound vibrated in the sand.

"A monster!" Maplepaw yowled. Looking around, she found that Nightstripe and Darkclaw were nowhere to be seen.

Sunpelt was about the rush back to the bewildered apprentice when the monster's glaring eyes flashed. Sunpelt was hidden from her view as the monster raced past, leaving Maplepaw's fur bristling in the wind that chased it.

A silence followed. Even the birds kept quiet. Maplepaw could see a limp ball of orange fur laying on the Thunderpath, still. Maplepaw was left with fear and she was barely breathing.

After a few heartbeats Maplepaw murmured, "Sunpelt?"

Nothing. "Sunpelt?" This time, a little louder.

She crept closer and saw a whisker twitch. Or was it just my imagination? Maplepaw wondered.

She clamped her jaws on his scruff and dragged him to the safety of ThunderClan territory.

Maplepaw nudged him lightly and his eyes slowly opened. "Maplepaw?"

The apprentice flooded with relief. "Sunpelt! Oh, thank StarClan!"

Sunpelt gave a weak smile. "I need to be taken to Mossleaf."

Maplepaw dipped her head and helped him up. Sunpelt limped in the direction of camp with Maplepaw helping him. Will Sunpelt be okay? Maplepaw thought anxiously.

Mossleaf padded out of her den to face Maplepaw, Silkpaw, Rainstorm, Stormstar, and Silverpool. "Sunpelt will be alright. I have given him back his strength, though he will stay in my den for just tonight. He has a twisted leg, and I will need to keep him in camp until the half-moon."

Stormstar nodded, acknowledging this, and flicked his tail to the rest, signaling for them to depart.

The crowd obediently left, leaving the leader and medicine cat to talk.

Smokepaw met Maplepaw near the apprentices' den. "Sunpelt doesn't look too bad, only he can't go to the Gathering."

"It was my fault," Maplepaw blurted. "I didn't save him. I just stood there, frozen with fear."

"It wasn't your fault," Smokepaw argued. "It was those vicious monsters' doings."

Maplepaw nodded sadly, filled with sympathy for Sunpelt. She glanced at Smokepaw, and once she saw his warm concerned eyes, she knew that he could get her through all this.

Watching the cats going to the Gathering disappear through the gorse tunnel, Maplepaw remembered the last night when she had given Shadepaw the news. He was devastated that Darkfur was now a ThunderClan cat.

Silkpaw had waved farewell with her tail, but Maplepaw only gave her a sad stare.

Maplepaw remembered Silkpaw's miserable look when she heard Darkfur wasn't going to the Gathering with her. She and Darkfur had become the greatest of friends ever since that day when she found him.

Now she was left at camp with Sunpelt, Darkfur, Dawnflower, Silverpool, the elders, Stonefall and Nightstripe. Thinking of Sunpelt reminded her of the day before. Feeling a wave of guilt, she stretched and got into her nest in the apprentices' den.

Maplepaw's eyes slowly closed in time to see Darkfur and Sunpelt disappear through the gorse tunnel.

When she finally drifted into unconsciousness, she found herself in some dim place, racing panic-stricken among the trunks of shadowy trees.

Yowl of disbelief and pain rose in the air nearby. Maplepaw tasted a familiar scent and heard a whisper that would have usually comforted her, if not for the disturbing howls.

"Maplepaw, remember – there is a greater enemy who will only hide who he really is," it murmured. Maplepaw recalled the prophecy he had given her. Enemy . . . Maplepaw thought. Darkfur?

Then the scent drifted away. Maplepaw longed for his help – it seemed as if he knew everything, but he couldn't give a straight answer.

"Come back, Redfur," Maplepaw whispered into the night. "I can't do this without you."

Maplepaw's eyes shot open as she heard a shrill whimper. Her sleepy eyes focused on Birdkit.

"Umm, Maplepaw?" she mewled.

"What is it?" Maplepaw asked, filled with panic. Birdkit wasn't easily scared, and now her eyes were filled with terror and anguish.

Seeing Birdkit made Maplepaw think that there was a connection between her dream and what Birdkit was terrified about.

"It's Darkfur – he murdered Sunpelt."