Chapter Six

The forest was covered in a thick blanket of snow, several inches deep, as Maplepaw trekked after the morning patrol. Due to the cold, the patrol had set out later than normal, which was causing some anxiety among the group.

"We've given RiverClan a head start," Seedpelt complained under his breath. "They could be anywhere, watching us right now, waiting to attack!"

"The cold's made you go mad," Deerdapple snorted.

"You heard what Darkstar said," Seedpelt argued. "She's furious with us. It's only a matter of time before-"

"Darkstar's an old fool," Deerdapple hissed. "She's threatened us more times than we can count. I mean, how many moons ago was that Gathering? Three? And she hasn't dared attack us yet! If RiverClan actually wanted to attack us, they would have done so already. Besides, the river is frozen over right now. You really think Darkstar would risk sending her warriors into battle when they're probably all starving to death?"

"You never know," Seedpelt meowed ominously.

Maplepaw rolled her eyes. At first, she had been worried about Darkstar's threat, just as every cat in ThunderClan had been at the time. But as time passed, it became more apparent Darkstar was more talk than action.

"What do you think?" Goldenmist's voice sounded from beside Maplepaw.

"I agree with Deerdapple," Maplepaw meowed.

Goldenmist nodded. "Me too. It's obvious RiverClan isn't going to do anything. I bet they're terrified of us. I can't say I blame them. We really kicked their tail last time." Her whiskers twitched in amusement. Maplepaw assumed she was reminiscing about the battle.

Up ahead, Deerdapple paused, sniffing the air. "I smell vole," she whispered, facing the group. "We should stop and hunt while we're out. Maplepaw, you head with Goldenmist that way," she flicked her tail in the direction of some pine trees. "Seedpelt and I will look over here." She pointed towards the river.

Maplepaw nodded. She began heading in the direction of the pine trees, Goldenmist following her. When she reached the base of the tree, she opened her mouth and took a deep breath, trying to pick up the scent of vole. It was very faint.

"I think there's a nest over here," Goldenmist called. She was standing by the trunk of a fallen tree, her paw pointing towards a small hole in the ground.

Maplepaw padded over to her and stuck her face down by the hole. The scent was much stronger here, but not by much. "I think it's old," she meowed sadly.

"It still wouldn't hurt to try," Goldenmist suggested. Ducking down, she reached her paw into the hole, desperately trying to feel for something. After several failed attempts, Goldenmist sat back, shaking snow from her pelt.

"Mouse-dung," Maplepaw cursed.

"I think we should look somewhere else," Goldenmist meowed. "I wouldn't feel right going back to camp empty-pawed. There's got to be something around here."

"Maybe we should try looking around a holly tree? There might be some squirrels or birds around there, looking to eat the berries?"

"It's worth a shot." Goldenmist shrugged.

They trudged through the forest, trying to find a holly tree that had produced berries. The few they had stumbled across so far had been barren. By now, it was mid-day, not that either of them could see the sun. Dark clouds covered the sky, and snow flurries were beginning to float down, dotting their pelts.

"As much as I hate to say this, we might have to call it quits soon," Goldenmist hissed. "I'm freezing my paws off over here."

"Me too," Maplepaw said. "At least we can say we tried, though. I'm sure Deerdapple and Seedpelt will understand."

Just then, a fleck of red in the corner of Maplepaw's eye caught her attention. In the distance, she could see a drop of something red in the snow. As she approached, the strong scent of squirrel flooded her nostrils. She then noticed another droplet of blood, a few paw steps away. And then another, and another...

As she followed the trail of blood through the forest, she picked up a second scent. It was much heavier than the scent of squirrel and much muskier. She had smelled this scent once before, but she couldn't quite place it. The only thing she was certain of was the fact it wasn't a cat. But what could it be?

A scream erupted from somewhere behind her. Spinning around, Maplepaw saw that a large orange creature had grabbed Goldenmist by the neck, and was violently shaking her like a piece of prey. Drops of Goldenmist's blood dotted the snow as the creature (which Maplepaw had now realized was a fox) shook her. Goldenmist thrashed, trying to free herself, but it was useless.

"Let her go!" Maplepaw screeched, springing towards the fox. Unsheathing her claws, she raked it down the fox's snout as hard as she could.

The fox wrinkled its nose at her but refused to drop Goldenmist. Instead, it shook the golden tabby again, more violently this time. Goldenmist let out another screech of pain as she attempted to free herself once more.

Swallowing her fear, Maplepaw jumped onto the fox's back. She dug her claws in as deep as she could, and bite down on its neck.

The fox let out a yelp, dropping Goldenmist. It then turned its head towards Maplepaw, teeth bared. Grabbing her by the foreleg, the fox threw Maplepaw down into the snow, momentarily knocking her breath away.

As Maplepaw struggled to catch her breath, the fox stood over her. Saliva dripped from its jaws, down to Maplepaw's face. She cringed but didn't dare look away. She knew if she did, it would be the end of her. She didn't want to die now. She still hadn't made sure Goldenmist was alive.

As the fox went to make the killing move, Maplepaw rolled out of the way with a surge of adrenaline she didn't know she even had. The fox sat back, surprised. It clearly hadn't expected Maplepaw to escape so easily.

Maplepaw hissed at the fox, ready to fight once more if needed to. As she stood there, the burning pain in her foreleg became more apparent, and she could feel blood pooling out of the wound, down her leg, and over her paw. There was nothing she could do about that now. The fox still hadn't backed off. In fact, it looked more excited now.

The fox lunged at Maplepaw, who avoided the attack again. Spinning around, she raked her claws down the fox's shoulder, a guttural cry erupting from her lips as she did so. The fox recoiled from the attack and then leaped again. This time, the fox's teeth made contact with Maplepaw's tail. It yanked hard, causing Maplepaw to squeal with pain. Blood splattered the snow as the fox knocked Maplepaw off her paws.

It wasn't long before the fox stood over Maplepaw again, this time with a paw on her chest. Its claws dug into her skin, making her wince. There wasn't much she could do now. The fox was much heavier - much stronger - than she was. As she stared up into the fox's eyes, an idea flashed through her mind. She wasn't sure it would work, but it was her only option besides giving in.

Reaching up, Maplepaw dug her claws into the fox's eye. The fox immediately pulled back, but Maplepaw's claws were still attached. Blood welled around her claws as she sunk them deeper into the creature's eye. This would be a nasty wound for the fox to deal with. Finally, she released her grip and fell back into the snow.

The fox, exhausted and bloody, gave one final look at Maplepaw and raced away into the forest.

Maplepaw closed her eyes and laid there. It was snowing even harder now, but she didn't care. Her entire body was aching, and she could still feel the blood from her wounds trickling out onto the snow.

After what felt like an eternity, Maplepaw sat up. She looked around for Goldenmist but to no avail. Finally, she spotted a lump of golden fur underneath a clump of brambles. Maplepaw's heart stopped as she limped towards the figure. It was Goldenmist, no doubt about it. To Maplepaw's relief, she could see Goldenmist's flanks rising with faint breaths. She was alive! But it was apparent her wounds were bad. The snow was crimson with blood, and more trickled out.

Gulping, Maplepaw began looking for something to cover Goldenmist's wounds. She had seen Ravenwing use cobweb before to dress wounds, but where would she find that now? The only other solutions she could think of where leaves or moss, neither of which were available due to the snow unless she dug for them. That looked to be the only option now, and she wasn't even sure it would work.

Saying a quick prayer to StarClan, Maplepaw ran to the base of an old oak and began digging. Her paws strung from the cold as she dug through the snow, but she continued. Goldenmist's life was at risk.

Finally, she reached the bottom of the snow. Just as she had suspected, a scrap of moss was growing among the roots. It wasn't much, but it would suffice for now. She carefully pulled the moss up and made her way back to Goldenmist.

The golden tabby was much stiller now, her breaths nothing more than shallow gulps. Pressing the moss to her wound, Maplepaw began to whisper to her Clanmate, hoping to calm her. "I'm here with you," she meowed. "You're going to be fine."

Goldenmist's eyes opened to look up at Maplepaw. "The fox?" she moaned.

"It's gone. I fought it off," Maplepaw said.

Goldenmist's eyes then trailed down to Maplepaw's foreleg. "You're hurt," she observed.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about me. You need to relax," Maplepaw told her. By now, the moss had completely soaked through with blood. There wasn't enough time to go looking for more. Maplepaw's heart was racing as she contemplated what her next choice should be. There wasn't enough time to run back to camp, especially with her leg as bad as it was. Goldenmist would be long dead by then. And she wasn't sure she could carry Goldenmist back home herself.

Sitting back, Maplepaw let out a cry for help. She tried to disguise the anguish in her voice. She didn't want to worry Goldenmist. But it was hard. Maplepaw was terrified, and she knew that if help didn't arrive soon, she would be the only one to return home alive. Even if she got Goldenmist the help that she needed, there was no telling if she would survive through the night. Her wounds were bad, and it would take a miracle from StarClan to save her.

"Help! Please help us!" Maplepaw cried again.

Finally, the sound of paw steps sounded from somewhere in the distance. Maplepaw's heart raced as she stared through the forest, trying to see who was coming to her aid. Please don't be a fox. Please don't be a fox!

To her relief, it was a patrol made up of Birchface, Rowanfur, and Thrushtalon. The three warriors picked up the pace as soon as they took in the severity of the situation. Gently, Birchface and Thrushtalon picked Goldenmist up and began carrying her back to camp, while Rowanfur walked with Maplepaw.

She leaned against her father as the group of cats made their way back to camp.

"What happened?" Birchface demanded.

"Fox," Maplepaw croaked. "It grabbed Goldenmist by the neck, and wouldn't let go. It took me a while to fight it off."

"You mean, you fought it by yourself?" Rowanfur gasped.

Maplepaw nodded. "I tried to the best that I could. But it got me pretty good on my foreleg and tail. If it weren't for that, I could have chased it away faster. Maybe then I could have gotten to Goldenmist faster, and-"

"Maplepaw, you did incredibly well. Don't blame yourself," Thrushtalon spoke up. "Foxes are tricky to fight, especially by yourself. You should be proud of yourself."

She ducked her head, unwilling to meet anyone's gaze. She didn't feel proud, not in the slightest. It had only been luck she had escaped. And now, Goldenmist was bleeding out in front of her, on the brink of death. Not to mention, they hadn't managed to catch any prey.

"Where's Deerdapple and Seedpelt?" she wondered.

"They made it back to camp already," Rowanfur meowed. "They're the ones who sent us out in search of you two."

"Good. I was worried for a moment maybe the fox had gone to attack them too," Maplepaw said.

"From the sound of it, I think that fox had learned to stay away from cats," Rowanfur laughed. When Maplepaw didn't join in, he pressed his muzzle against hers. "I'm so glad you're all right. I don't know what I'd do if something had happened to you. You're the light of my life."

A faint purr rose in Maplepaw's throat. "I love you too."

Goldenmist was still alive by the time the patrol had reached camp, but only just. Ravenwing, who had been sitting underneath the Highrock with Oakstar, sprang to his paws upon their arrival.

"Take them to my den, immediately!" he commanded.

By now, everyone in ThunderClan had emerged from their dens and was standing in the clearing. Their eyes were wide with shock, fear, and sadness.

"What in StarClan's name has happened here?" Oakstar meowed, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Fox attack," Rowanfur explained. "Maplepaw fought it off all by herself."

A gasp of surprise traveled through the crowd.

"Is that so?" Oakstar asked.

Maplepaw nodded weakly.

Before Oakstar could say anything else, Ravenwing slipped out of his den and glared at the group of surrounding cats. "Everyone, go back to your dens! I don't need you lot crowded around like a bunch of buzzards. You can come see them when I'm finished." Turning to Maplepaw, he beckoned her forward with his tail. "Come here, now. You need to have those wounds dressed."

Limping forward, Maplepaw followed Ravenwing into his den. Goldenmist was sprawled out in a nest at the back of the den, cobwebs draped over her neck wound. Maplepaw could see flecks of blood seeping through the dressing already. Ravenwing didn't seem fazed, though. He pulled the cobwebs back, dabbing more ointment onto them. He then placed a wad of fresh cobwebs back over the wound.

"You're fast," Maplepaw observed.

"Years and years of practice," Ravenwing snorted.

"Do you ever regret it?"

The black medicine cat shook his head. "I always knew this was the path I wanted to take. Here, give me your tail."

Maplepaw flicked her tail up, allowing Ravenwing to get a closer look at it. He then applied an ointment to it, which made her wince with pain. Once he was done tending to her tail, Ravenwing turned his focus to Maplepaw's foreleg.

"Have you ever seen wounds like this before?" Maplepaw asked, hoping it wasn't a dumb question.

Ravenwing nodded. "A couple of times. Foxes get desperate in the winter, so it isn't uncommon for them to turn to attacking cats."

Maplepaw's eyes widened. "I guess I'm lucky then..." She directed her attention back to Goldenmist. "Will she survive?"

"I don't know yet."

Her heart sank. "Oh."

Once Ravenwing was done dressing her wounds, he nudged her towards the entrance to his den. "I need to speak with Oakstar and Dovesong. Come back tonight, and I'll change your dressings. Until then, take it easy. You're not to leave camp for the next week. Do you understand?" Ravenwing instructed.

Maplepaw nodded, slipping out of his den. She nodded her head to Oakstar and Dovesong, who were sitting close by. Dovesong shot Maplepaw a thankful look and darted into the medicine cat's den, her mate at her side.

"What did Ravenwing say?" Birchface demanded, making his way towards Maplepaw.

"Nothing really," Maplepaw said.

"He doesn't know if she's going to live?"

Maplepaw shook her head.

Birchface let out a string of curses. Sighing, he lifted his gaze to meet Maplepaw's. "Thank you, anyways," he meowed.

"Why are you thanking me? I didn't-"

"Stop it," Birchface interrupted. "You heard what Thrushtalon said earlier. Foxes are tricky to fight. What you did today was amazing. Without you, my sister would be dead."

"I don't feel amazing at all."

"Well, you are. And I'm sure every cat in ThunderClan is going to stop and tell you the same. You did something a patrol of warriors has trouble with, all by yourself. You're lucky to be alive. I'm sure my sister is grateful."

Maplepaw just stared at him. She couldn't understand why everyone was treating her like some sort of hero when Goldenmist was still bleeding out in Ravenwing's den. As she stood there, she could hear another cat walking up from behind. It was Oakstar.

"I'm proud of you," Oakstar praised, draping his tail over Maplepaw's shoulders. "What you did today was outstanding. I've already spoken to Bloomheart, and he thinks you're ready to become a warrior."

Maplepaw's eyes widened. "You can't be serious?"

Oakstar nodded. "Of course!"

Birchface frowned. "You don't sound very excited," he meowed.

"She's in shock," Oakstar whispered to his son. "It's been a long day for her. Once she gets a good night's sleep, I'm sure she will feel better about this whole situation."

"Come on, then." Birchface nudged Maplepaw in the direction of the apprentice's den.

She trudged after him wordlessly. Once they were in the safety of the den, Maplepaw flopped down in her nest and sighed. It was at that moment she realized how horrible she felt. Her entire body was aching, not just from the battle, but from the cold as well. Her claws still stung from where she had dug through the snow looking for moss. She would have to talk to Ravenwing about that later.

"I know you don't feel like you did anything today, but you did," Birchface whispered, pressing his muzzle to her ear. "Now get some sleep, before Hazelheart and Dawnpaw get back to camp. I'm sure they'll be panicked when they learn what happened today."

Maplepaw let out a faint laugh. "That's just like them."

"It's only because they love you," Birchface purred. "I can't say I blame them."

This chapter turned out to be way longer than I ever thought! I hope that you all like it. Thank you to everyone who reads/reviews/favorites/follows. I really appreciate it. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out soon, but since I do not get to use the computer much there is no saying when that will be.

And to anyone who enjoyed my story Monster, I am thinking about rewriting it sometime soon, although I have no clue when that will be.

Until next time!