Chapter 7

"Stretch, Maplepaw!" Mapleshine insisted. "I know you can do it!"

Maplepaw grunted, reaching as high as she possibly could. Her claws strained until Maplepaw thought they would tear from her toes, and her muscles screamed for a break – but Mapleshine gave no breaks. Her training was too intense for a break.

She felt her claws tugging at the bark of the tree. It felt slimy beneath her hind paws, slick and hard to grip. There were hardly any pawholds on the trees here, and the branch nearest to Maplepaw was almost two tail-lengths away – too far for her to reach normally.

"Climb!" Mapleshine urged.

"I'll fall!" Maplepaw insisted. She shivered, imagining herself plummeting down to the ground in a broken heap of mottled fur and shattered bones. The thought made her heart beat hard and fast in her ears.

"If you panic, you'll definitely fall," Mapleshine told her matter-of-factly. "If you take a deep breath and be confident, you won't."

Maplepaw took a deep breath. It didn't seem to help. She mustered up all the confidence she could find, but that wasn't helping much, either. She was stuck halfway up a slick, slimy tree, her claws ready to give way, and no way to go further up. She tried to look down, but the effort nearly made her claws work free and she gripped the bark harder, clutching herself tight to the slimy trunk.

Below, Maplepaw heard Mapleshine huff with impatience.

"You're making it up there," Mapleshine insisted.

"I can't!" Maplepaw shrieked. "There's nothing to grab! I'm stuck!"

"The most skilled climbers don't need a pawhold," Mapleshine retorted. "You're holding yourself back, Maplepaw!"

"I'm not!" Maplepaw cried. "I just don't want to fall!"

"If you keep worrying about what might happen, you'll lose sight of what will happen," Mapleshine snapped back. "Stop worrying about falling and start climbing!"

Maplepaw flinched at the sudden harshness in her tone. I would be upset with me if I were her, too, Maplepaw thought. Stuck up a tree, too afraid to keep climbing… what kind of cat am I?

She tried moving one of her forepaws, but she didn't have a sturdy enough grip with her hind paws. Her supports failed, and Maplepaw found herself slithering and sliding down the slimy-smooth trunk of the tree. Maplepaw let out a wail as she crashed to the ground.

"You deserved that," Mapleshine decided.

Dazed, Maplepaw sat up.

"Is anything broken?" Mapleshine asked.

Maplepaw stood up. Wobbly, she took a few short steps and determined that she was fine – just winded. Her front paws ached, blood oozing from a few torn claws. It stung to put any weight down on one paw. Hissing with worry and pain, she sat down and began to lick her toes clean.

"Next time, you'll get up there," Mapleshine meowed. "Without complaint."

Maplepaw blinked at her nightly mentor. Mapleshine wasn't looking at her, but Maplepaw could sense her frustration. Learning the hunting crouch as a kit had been easy – but this tree-climbing was too hard, too fast. Maplepaw's fur hadn't even lost its nursery scent, and she was learning techniques that apprentice's three moons older than her were learning!

She supposed she ought to be grateful for the extra attention – Berrynose hadn't done much the past few days but take her on a tour of the territory and hunt with her here and there, between assigning her to taking care of the elders. She hadn't yet been assigned to a patrol or a solo task – all she knew was that she could collect moss efficiently and tackle a mouse.

Mapleshine was challenging her… perhaps a bit too much.

But she wouldn't hurt me, Maplepaw insisted. She promised she would help me be a great warrior. And she's a StarClan cat! They don't do bad things. Maplepaw had been told stories of the evil spirit-warriors of the Dark Forest, and how they had attempted to overthrow StarClan. The four Clans, along with the Three, defeated them for good – but the Dark Forest warriors had trained Clan warriors and tricked some of them into fighting for them.

Mapleshine isn't one of those cats, Maplepaw reminded herself. What she's teaching me is for my own good, and the good of my Clan.

"How are your claws?" Mapleshine asked.

"They hurt," Maplepaw admitted. "A lot."

Mapleshine turned her amber gaze on Maplepaw. There was a flicker of something, and then it was back to the sweet nature that Maplepaw was used to. "Then I suppose I'll see you when you get better," Mapleshine decided, whiskers twitching.

"I… I can come again tomorrow night!" Maplepaw insisted. "I just…"

"You won't be able to use your claws well," Mapleshine told her. "Not only will you be unable to climb a tree… you won't be able to practice any fighting moves with me until they're better."

Maplepaw drooped. "I'm sorry," she told Mapleshine. If only I weren't a failure!

"It's no matter," Mapleshine told her kindly. "Besides; there's something you can do for me in the meantime. A small favor."

Maplepaw perked up. A favor? "Anything!" Maplepaw mewed emphatically. Anything to pay you back even a little!

Mapleshine's eyes flashed again. "Have you ever been to the Moonpool?" she asked.

Maplepaw shook her head. "Berrynose showed me the river it's connected to, but we didn't go there," she mewed. "It's for medicine cats."

"Yes, it is," Mapleshine agreed, nodding. "But I need you to go there."

Maplepaw flicked an ear. Confusion filled her, and she wasn't sure how to respond.

"Not now, of course," Mapleshine insisted, flicking her bushy white tail. "But when you get the chance."

"You… want me to sneak out of camp?" Maplepaw mewed hesitantly. She was pretty sure that would get her into trouble, even if it was for Mapleshine.

"If you have to," Mapleshine mewed. She didn't seem bothered by the thought of sneaking out of camp. "But if you can find a way to do it without getting into trouble, then that's good. It doesn't matter how you get there, Maplepaw – I just need you to get there."

"Why?" Maplepaw asked.

Mapleshine's eyes flashed a third time. "I'll tell you when you get there," she mewed carefully. "It's nothing terrible, I assure you."

"OK," Maplepaw mewed. "I'll get to the Moonpool. I promise."

"That's my Maplepaw," purred Mapleshine. She touched her nose to Maplepaw's forehead affectionately, though Maplepaw felt no warmth in the gesture. She supposed it was because Mapleshine was a spirit, and her warmth was fading with the rest of her.

Mapleshine pulled away and mewed cheerily, "Get back to your Clan, Maplepaw – its morning now."

"What about my paws?" Maplepaw asked. She glanced down at her sore appendages with dismay. Two claws were bleeding, and the others were extremely sore. She couldn't hardly sheathe them without wincing. She'd never gotten hurt here before – would it matter in the waking world?

But when she looked up, Mapleshine and the gloomy woods were gone.

Maplepaw blinked, and she was suddenly in the apprentice's den. She was curled into a tight ball in her nest, which Spottedpaw had helped her build. The other apprentices were stirring around her as pale dawn light seeped into the den.

Why the Moonpool? Maplepaw wondered absently, her dream still fresh in her mind. Her muscles ached and felt stiff, and when she moved to sit up and wash herself she felt a stinging in her paws. Blood-scent filled the den quickly, and Maplepaw's tail bushed in panic.

"Maplepaw?" Spottedpaw murmured. Sleepily the dappled she-cat sat up, her amber eyes bleary and tired. They snapped open when she breathed in the smell of Maplepaw's bloodied claws.

Fur rising along her neck, Spottedpaw demanded, "Maplepaw – what happened?!"

"Yeesh," Amberpaw complained, sitting up in her nest. She gave her chest fur a few quick licks. "You should be more careful training, Maplepaw. Try not to pull your claws out."

Maplepaw looked at Amberpaw, feeling panic rise. Did Amberpaw know about Mapleshine – she wasn't supposed to know! No one was!

"Does Berrynose know that you tore your claws yesterday?" Snowpaw asked, his blue eyes glowing in the dawn light.

Berrynose? Maplepaw paused. They… think this happened because of training with Berrynose?

Maplepaw's mouth was dry. They couldn't know about Mapleshine, but telling them that Berrynose was at fault was just as bad – it would be a lie, and she didn't want to lie to her Clanmates and possibly get her mentor in trouble.

Snowpaw leaned forward and gave a tired sniff at Maplepaw's paws. "I wouldn't worry about it," he grunted. "Your paws are white – that makes injuries with blood look worse than they are."

"I tore a claw the first time I had to collect moss for the elders," Amberpaw admitted. "I dug my claws in too far and I ended coming back with a pawful of bark! Great StarClan, was Brackenfur cross at me for that!" She used a paw to nudge Dewpaw into alertness. The pale gray tom's head shot up, his eyes wide. He mumbled something about a RiverClan she-cat, but he calmed down quickly.

"Just go and see Leafpool," Snowpaw told her dismissively. "And be more careful next time."

Amberpaw flicked him with her tail. "Mouse-brain – Leafpool is in ShadowClan! She should see Jayfeather."

"Yeah, yeah," Snowpaw grumbled. He opened his jaws in a huge yawn. When they closed, he muttered, "Whatever."

"I… I will," Maplepaw mewed. She was stunned – it had explained itself away so easily! She hadn't expected her paws to hurt her when she woke – she certainly hadn't expected them to bleed. Glancing down at them, she supposed she had to be grateful that she hadn't had an injury that was harder to explain away, like a nicked ear or something.

I'll have to remember that, Maplepaw thought. I don't think Mapleshine means to hurt me, but I suppose sometimes it can't be helped.

"Come on," Spottedpaw mewed, nudging Maplepaw. "Let's get you to Jayfeather – but I wish you'd told me yesterday!"

Maplepaw frowned. "It… it didn't hurt yesterday," she mewed. It wasn't a lie, she supposed.

Spottedpaw's eyes were friendly and sympathetic. "I suppose you'll be on den duty for today, then," she said with a sigh. "I'll try and catch you something nice."

Maplepaw blinked gratefully at her friend. Though Spottedpaw's eyes glanced suspiciously at Maplepaw's paws, the look lasted only a moment before the dappled tortoiseshell pushed herself out of her nest. She stretched, and then stepped out of the den.

Licking down her chest fur quickly, Maplepaw followed. Together, they made their way across the camp to see Jayfeather. No cat seemed to question the two of them, nor Maplepaw's bloodied paws. One or two cats looked, but nothing was said. They reached the medicine cat's den without interruption.

"Try to be more careful next time," Spottedpaw insisted. "OK?"

Maplepaw blinked at her. "OK," she replied.

Spottedpaw butted her head against Maplepaw's shoulder, and then turned to join the other apprentices at the fresh-kill pile.

Maplepaw's tail twitched. She didn't like lying to her friend and her Clanmates, but she had promised to keep her meetings with Mapleshine a secret. With a small sigh, she realized that she might just have to get used to doing things she didn't like.

The medicine den was cool and full of the fragrance of herbs. Jayfeather was pawing at them when Spottedpaw and Maplepaw entered. Spottedpaw quickly explained the issue, and Jayfeather went about sorting some more. Eventually, he grabbed a pile of leaves in his jaws and approached.

"Here," Jayfeather meowed. He laid thepile of fragrant-smelling leaves at Maplepaw's paws. "Eat those and get in that nest there." He pointed with his tail towards an empty nest of ferns and bracken, furthest from the wheezing, moaning Foxleap.

Maplepaw obeyed, shivering at the taste of the bitter herbs. She settled herself in her nest, paws throbbing, and sighed.

"Will she be all right?" Spottedpaw asked.

"Yes, of course," Jayfeather mewed with certainty. The pale tabby turned and began sorting through piles of leaves at the other side of the den. "Cats tear claws every day. Rest is all she needs. Tell Berrynose his apprentice won't be doing much work today."

"Of course," Spottedpaw agreed.

"Also," Jayfeather added, with a glance at Foxleap, "tell Squirrelflight to excuse Foxleap from his duties for a few more days. His cold is nearing its peak, and once his fever breaks he'll need a few days to recover."

"Will he be OK?" Maplepaw asked. She wanted to lift her head, but her entire body felt heavy like stone. Her eyes were drooping, and she adjusted her chin to rest against a softer piece of bracken.

Jayfeather blinked. "He should be fine in a few days' time," he meowed.

"I'll tell them," Spottedpaw promised. She glanced at Maplepaw. "Get better soon, OK?"

"I will," Maplepaw replied sleepily.

Spottedpaw turned and left, and the last thing that Maplepaw saw before she fell to sleep was Jayfeather soaking moss in a pool of water. He took it to Foxleap, but the ginger tom refused to drink. Maplepaw's eyes closed, and she fell to sleep.

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Maplepaw's dreams were undisturbed.