Mapledawn hadn't moved from her spot, watching out of the nursery maw, since Fallensnow and Yellowstar left camp in their separate directions. Patchkit and Ravenkit were playing behind her, taking turns pouncing on either each other, or her tail, or occasionally tossing up a piece of moss to see how high the other could jump. Thrushflight regaled them with stories about the old, defunct SkyClan, and how SkyClan's one special trait-its cats' powerful rear legs-gave FireClan the ability to jump up high boulders and scale tall trees with ease, and that was why the kits were able to jump so high in the air after the piece of moss.
Either Thrushflight actually forgot Ravenkit was born outside the Clans, or he was tactfully pretending not to remember; even Ravenkit seemed to forget his birthplace, despite the fact that he'd only been away from it for mere days. And Patchkit really was smitten with him. Hawthornekit, Cricketkit, and sweet Petalkit soon roused and joined in the game, tossing moss across the nursery and worrying their mothers' tails.
Suddenly the nursery went dead quiet.
Tiny claws dug into the skin above her tail; Mapledawn let out a yowl of fake pain and thrashed, roaring like a badger. The kits squealed in delight and all piled on top of her, their tiny claws bared as they battered her rump, most of their swipes doing nothing more than rumpling her long fur.
A sound from the tunnel.
"Off now, kits," Mapledawn said, getting to her paws slowly so the kits could jump to safety.
Yew caught their attention, pretending to be a noisy badger while all five kittens attacked him.
Mapledawn didn't dare leave the nursery, but she could watch. Jaggedclaw hadn't moved from his post, but she saw the fur on his shoulders rise.
Mapledawn's haunches relaxed when she saw Downtail and Fallensnow padding back to camp. "Jaggedclaw!" Downtail called. "Acorntail! Any sign of intruders?"
"None," Jaggedclaw mewed, still not moving from his post. "Why are you both back?"
"Dapplecreek sent us to protect the camp," Fallensnow mewed evenly. "Yellowstar had enough cats."
"Was it BlackClan?" Mapledawn called from the nursery.
"Scratchface," snarled Downtail. "A few BlackClan were with him. The rest looked like rogues. They were attacking TallClan, although why do that on our border, only StarClan knows."
"To intimate us?" Fallensnow suggested.
"Mapledawn said he'd be back," Jaggedclaw mewed thoughtfully, "and now he is."
Starting with TallClan. Interesting.
Fallensnow padded up to the nursery, dipping her head to Mapledawn. "How are the kits?"
"Rambunctious," Mapledawn mewed, letting out a purr. "Playing to their hearts' content." An excited squeal pealed out from behind her, confirming her words.
"I can take over a moment," Fallensnow mewed, "if you'd like to stretch your legs."
Mapledawn purred in thanks and left the sweet-smelling nursery for the chilly clearing. Though it felt nice to leave the nursery, she didn't go far. She padded to the thorn tunnel and looked out, jaw open to take in the scents of the forest. Fallensnow and Downtail's scents were the only fresh ones. She padded back to the nursery and sat beside Jaggedclaw, looking out at the camp.
"You know," Jaggedclaw piped up, "those cats you brought in are doing better than I expected."
Mapledawn purred. "They're good cats," she said, dipping her head to the black tom. "Mistpaw and Falconpaw are so wise, and the others have good hearts. Thank you for giving them a chance to prove that to you."
"It wasn't up to me."
"Still," Mapledawn said, "I appreciate your support. I know…" She trailed off, looking into his sharp blue eyes, trying to gauze how he might react. "I know you're a hard cat to please," she said, finally. "You've always been suspicious and reserved. It's good to have warriors that question how the Clan is run; otherwise we'd be nothing but a den of meek rabbits."
Jaggedclaw surprised her with a purr. "And I'm no meek rabbit," he meowed.
They lapsed into comfortable silence. Mapledawn remembered with a half-purr, half-pang how hard she'd wished as a cat to get any mentor other than Jaggedclaw. Yellowstar, she mused, had chosen perfectly in Dapplecreek. But Jaggedclaw would have done well, too. He would've pushed her; he would've tested her; he might have argued with her. But he would have made her strong and self-assured.
I need to spend more time with these cats, she thought to herself. I want to see how he's doing with Stormypaw's training. And Acorntail with Skypaw. Is he grieving Foxjump too much to carry out his duties? Or does having a rambunctious apprentice like Skypaw help him forget the pain of losing a cat who was so like a father to him? What about Yewpaw and Downtail? Downtail's a kind enough cat, but impatient. Yew-Yewpaw, she corrected herself-can test any cat's patience. She had no reservations about Dapplecreek and Falconpaw. They were both steady, compassionate cats.
She wondered who should get Littlepaw, Burrpaw, and Pigpaw once they were properly apprenticed. There weren't that many warriors left, with Thrushflight, Mapledawn, and Redpoppy in the nursery. Yellowstar would have to take one, and maybe Paletuft, too. It would be a few moons yet before Skypaw and her brother became warriors. There's Yellowstar, Paletuft, Fallensnow… Her tongue curled out of her mouth. And Wrencatcher. He wasn't an option.
What about the elders? Mapledawn's ears pricked at her own idea. I mean, it's not ideal, and it would be firmly up to them. I'm not asking elders to come out of retirement; they've earned their rest. But if they were okay with it, and they only left camp with other warriors to keep them safe…. They have so much wisdom to give, after all-
Mapledawn shook her head. I'm thinking like a Leader! It wasn't up to her to find mentors for apprentices or judge how current mentors were doing. Besides, she was a nursing queen! Patchkit meant everything to her. He wasn't even weaned, although it wouldn't be long now, she realized with a hefty pang; Ravenkit was only a bit older than her and, just the day before, he'd insisted on trying a piece of prey from the prey pile.
"Mapledawn?" Jaggedclaw hissed. "Do you hear that?"
Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't. Mapledawn's ears swiveled toward the thorn tunnel. "Fallensnow!" she called behind her. "Thrushflight! Guard the nursery. Downtail, to me. Someone's coming." She lashed her tail.
"I smell blood," Jaggedclaw said, growling.
Mapledawn did, too.
Suddenly, the thorn tunnel exploded with cats. Pigpaw, Littlepaw, and Burrpaw padded heavily through the thorns…
Carrying Yellowstar between them.
Mapledawn's heart sank. Yellowstar's fur was slicked to her frame, like she'd been drowned-maybe she had been-and clawmarks scored her back, shoulder, and sides, crusted in dried blood. Pigpaw and Burrpaw were soaked to the bone, too.
"We need Mist Shadow!" Burrpaw cried.
"And Freezepaw," Pigpaw said.
"I'll get them." Littlepaw raced across the clearing, leaving the other two to shoulder Yellowstar's entire weight.
A yowl erupted from the nursery, and Fallensnow sprinted out. "No!"
Mapledawn set her jaw tight and got to her paws. "Everyone, back," she said. Thrushflight and Yew had padded out to investigate, while Redpoppy stayed in the nursery, shielding the kits eyes with her fluffy red tail. "Burrpaw, Pigpaw, carry Yellowstar to the middle of camp. Set her down gently in the soft sand there." She could smell other cats behind them, waiting at the thorn entrance. "Let the others in. Fallensnow, go with them. Jaggedclaw, Downtail, can you go out and scout the area? Who knows who might have followed them."
"She killed Scratchface," Pigpaw murmured.
Mapledawn nodded. "But the whole forest reeks of blood. Foxes, dogs, racoons. We need to be on a lookout."
Jaggedclaw and Downtail obeyed her without question. Freezepaw and Mistpaw, their paws and jaws laden with herbs and cobwebs, met Burrpaw and Pigpaw in the middle of camp. Littlepaw hung back, looking uncertain.
"Is she dead?" the small torbie mewed, her voice shaking.
"Will she be okay?" Pigpaw said, his eyes as wide as moons as he looked down at Yellowstar. "Yellowstar! Wake up!"
Finally, the other cats padded into the clearing: Dapplecreek, Falconpaw, Paletuft, and a thin-furred brown tom with a white foot. Mapledawn met Paletuft's eyes quizzically.
"This is Runninghare from TallClan," she mewed. "He helped us track down Scratchface."
"FireClan thanks you," Mapledawn said.
Downtail and Jaggedclaw returned to camp, looking out of breath.
"Nothing amiss," Jaggedclaw said. "No predator-scent. We covered the blood drops leading into camp with dirt to cover the smell."
"Good," Mapledawn said. "Smart move."
Paletuft's eyes strayed from Jaggedclaw to Yellowstar, laying as still as prey in the middle of camp while the two medicine cat apprentices tended to her wounds, while Fallensnow paced restlessly around them. "Paletuft," Mapledawn mewed softly, drawing her back. "What happened out there?"
"Right," Paletuft said. "FireClan, hear my words!" She didn't bother calling a proper meeting; everyone was either watching her already, or tending to Yellowstar. "Scratchface, a few BlackClan cats, and some rogues attacked TallClan on our border. A TallClan cat, Furlscruff, was killed. With Runninghare's help, we tracked Scratchface and his followers to the water's edge."
"He had a boat," Falconpaw mewed. Paletuft looked at him in surprise. "That's what the humans call those things, although it was much smaller and flatter than the ones they use to stay afloat in lakes and ponds."
"A boat," Paletuft said, "I guess. He and his followers were swimming for it. Yellowstar went after them all by herself. She took him with her underwater. The other cats fled on the boat thing…" The fur along Paletuft's spine rose. "Foxhearts. Pigpaw and Burrpaw swam in after Yellowstar and pulled her out."
"Pigpaw insisted on carrying her home," Falconpaw said, stepping forward to brush his muzzle against hers. "He was really heartbroken."
Mapledawn turned abruptly when she heard Yellowstar's voice. "I'm fine," she said huskily, getting to her paws. Thank StarClan, she's alive! "Tend to Pigpaw and Burrpaw. They need warming up."
"You're not fine," Freezepaw snapped, her blue eyes narrowed. "You've got about a million clawmarks, and usually rinsing wounds is a good idea, but these got water-logged. StarClan may have sent you back, but you're not out of danger. You need to let me treat you." She turned and gestured to Pigpaw. "You! Burrpaw! Come here. All three of you onto Highledge. Who's not hurt?" Freezepaw's icy blue eyes scoured the clearing. "Mapledawn, Fallensnow, follow them." When they didn't move at first, Freezepaw hissed: "Now, while the sun's still up!"
Surprised at the little she-cat's ferocity, Mapledawn leapt up to Highledge and crouched half-off the lip, helping the other cats up. Pigpaw made a surprisingly powerful leap, and got up in one try, while she had to pull Burrpaw up by the scruff. She didn't dare try to scruff Yellowstar, but she didn't need to; though dazed, weak, and shivering, Yellowstar was still a powerful cat, and her legs were steady when she made the leap.
Fallensnow and Mapledawn curled around the three cats, fluffing out their fur as much as possible while the sun streamed directly onto their pelts. Mapledawn lapped at Pigpaw's thick fur, while Yellowstar licked Burrpaw, and Fallensnow groomed her leader. This was smart, Mapledawn thought when, only a few moments later, Yellowstar's drenched fur started to fluff out at the edges. With Fallensnow and Mapledawn stretched out in a circle around them, they were soon as dry and warm as basking lizards.
"You'll be happy to hear Scratchface is dead," Yellowstar meowed to Mapledawn.
"Happy?" Mapledawn sighed. "I suppose I'm glad it's all over."
"He wanders alone in the dark now," Yellowstar hissed. "Surely the Ageless Ones wouldn't admit such a vile cat into their ranks."
Privately, Mapledawn wasn't so sure. She thought of Oakstar, how he'd broken the warrior code and let unweaned kits wander the forest alone, and then sought out revenge on her past self countless generations later. But she just dipped her head to her leader and forced a weak purr.
"I must rest," Yellowstar mewed, getting to her paws. "Pigpaw, you saved me. Burrpaw, too…" Her voice trailed off in a massive yawn. "Mapledawn, send Paletuft to my den. I need to speak to her. Come on, Fallensnow."
The two she-cats leapt down together and dipped into Yellowstar's den, followed quickly by Freezepaw and Mistpaw.
Scratchface is gone. Was it all over, then? Frecklefang was out there somewhere, blinded and hopefully too busy learning how to live that way to continue her revenge. Weaselstar was in her proper place. Freezepaw was growing into her own as a medicine cat; without Cloudstep, Mapledawn didn't know how she could get her full name and title, and the medicine cat's death stood unavenged… but surely Yellowstar would see to all of that.
Yawning, too, Mapledawn slipped back into the nursery, where Patchkit and Ravenkit were waiting for her, pestering her for stories.