Chapter Seventeen
Thick rain clouds covered the night sky, blotting out the stars. The wind whipped the reeds along the river bank, as the cats of ThunderClan and ShadowClan marched steadily toward RiverClan's camp.
Suddenly, Oakstar stopped. He turned to face his warriors, a solemn look on his face. He then lifted his muzzle towards the sky and whispered, "StarClan, walk beside us tonight. Give our warriors strength and protection. May their claws be sharp, and their legs swift. Let every one of them return home safely."
Smokestar nodded in agreement, adding in a prayer himself.
Mapleshade's mind was unusually quiet as she stood there. She'd had a general sense of apathy about her for the last several days, ever since Mudpool had been killed. Perhaps it was because she knew this battle was something that had been coming for a long while now. RiverClan had caused trouble in the forest since before she had been kitted. And as she grew up and became a warrior herself, she had seen time and time again what they were capable of. They were out of control and didn't seem to care about the warrior code in the same way the other Clans did.
I can't believe I defended them.
Guilt pricked in her stomach as she shot a glance at Birchface. He was facing forward, unaware of the look she gave him.
Sighing, Mapleshade lowered her head, giving her own prayer to StarClan.
From there, the two Clans split into groups of four. The scent of rogues became overwhelming as Mapleshade's group moved deeper into RiverClan's territory. Their scent coated every reed and willow tree. A few tail-lengths later, the group stumbled across the rotting remains of a rabbit, the stench of crowfood filling the air.
"Yuck," Icestorm of ShadowClan remarked, wrinkling her nose. "How can RiverClan live like this?"
Ashfeather snorted. "I'm not surprised those overweight fish-breaths would choose to live like this. Just look what they've done!"
"Yeah, well it won't be long until they're gone for good. Then we can take some of their territory for our own," Mossheart mewed.
Mapleshade shot Deerdapple a look, but neither she-cat said anything.
By the time the group arrived at RiverClan's camp, the sound of shrieking cats filled the air. Mapleshade, Seedpelt, and Mossheart worked to rip a hole in the reeds surrounding the camp, allowing the rest of the group to squeeze through.
Mapleshade hung back, allowing the others to go ahead of her. She then squeezed through, her eyes scanning the clearing for the perfect target. Bounding forward, she bowled Splashfoot over, sinking her claws into his back leg.
As the two of them tussled, Splashfoot rolled onto his back. His back legs moved under Mapleshade's stomach, kicking furiously. Mapleshade let out a shriek of pain as his back claws sank into her soft stomach, causing her to pull away.
Splashfoot stood up, arching his back. Mapleshade barred her teeth at him, her tail lashing. As the two of them stood there, drizzle began to fall.
Mapleshade launched herself at Splashfoot again. He moved to the side, causing Mapleshade to slip on the slick ground. The rain had picked up now, soaking both of them completely.
Beads of water rolled into Mapleshade's eyes as she twisted around. She blinked back the drops of water, trying to keep her vision locked on Splashfoot.
But as a bolt of lightning illuminated the clearing, something in the distance made Mapleshade freeze.
At the far end of the clearing, a stream of cats began pouring into RiverClan's camp. Their scent was unmistakable — rogue. Mapleshade watched in horror as they joined the battle, ruthlessly attacking anyone who stood in their way. Their presence had evened out the fight,
In that moment of distraction, Splashfoot jumped onto Mapleshade's back, slamming her against the muddy ground. Before she could move, several cats trampled her as they made their way across the clearing to join the battle.
Yowling, Mapleshade stumbled to her paws. She stood there, completely soaked, as the rain grew stronger. To her surprise, Splashfoot was gone.
Mapleshade took a step back, glancing around for any sign of the RiverClan tom, but he was nowhere to be found. It was at that moment she spotted Birchface, locked in battle against one of the rogues. Birchface landed a blow on the rogue's shoulder before twisting around to bite her hind leg. The small tortoiseshell tried to put up a fight, but she was no match for Birchface's size or strength. Pulling away from him, she stumbled blindly into the reeds, leaving Birchface alone.
Mapleshade watched in admiration as Birchface stood there, his sides heaving. Just as he moved to find another opponent, the sky lit up with another bolt of lightning, illuminating a third cat who had been waiting in the shadows, unnoticed.
The newcomer limped towards Birchface, one paw lifted in the air. Something red dripped from her paw, and at first, Mapleshade thought it was blood.
Mapleshade was tackled to the ground. Twisting her head around, she found herself locked in battle with a rogue tom. She clawed blindly at him, drops of rain falling into her eyes. As the two of them fought, she caught another glimpse at Birchface.
To her surprise, several other rogues had appeared. They held Birchface down, while the limping she-cat stood over his head, her blood-soaked paw still lifted in the air. She lowered her paw to Birchface's mouth, smearing the blood across his muzzle and onto his tongue. His eyes widened, and he began to convulse, foaming at the mouth.
It was at that moment, that Mapleshade realized with horror, that it wasn't blood that dripped from the rogue's paw. It was deathberries!
"Birchface!" Mapleshade shrieked.
Kicking her attacker away, Mapleshade raced towards Birchface. She leaped onto the rogue's back, the two of them tumbling into the reeds outside of camp.
The she-cat stared up at Mapleshade, stunned. Her expression quickly turned to fury as she clawed at Mapleshade's muzzle, aiming for her mouth. Mapleshade made sure to keep her jaw closed, turning her head away every time the she-cat aimed for her face.
As the two of them fought, Mapleshade found herself cornered against a boulder. Her assailant stood in front of her, tail lashing. She crouched down, haunches wiggling slightly, before launching herself at Mapleshade again.
Mapleshade rolled out of the way, causing the rogue to crash into the rocks behind her. Leaping to her paws, Mapleshade pinned the rogue down. Mapleshade glanced down at the she-cat's poison-soaked paw, and a wave of fury washed over her. Birchface was potentially dead because of her!
Mapleshade hooked her claws into the she-cat's pelt, picking her up and slamming her down against the rocks. The rogue let out a shriek, but Mapleshade paid no mind to it. She slammed the she-cat's head against the rock over and over. All of the pent-up anger and frustration she'd felt over the last several moons came coursing out of her as she continued slamming the rogue she-cat's head against the rocks.
The rogue she-cat's attacks grew weaker and weaker, and it was several moments later that Mapleshade realized she had gone completely limp. She stepped back, eyes widening as she realized what she had done.
The rogue's body slumped against the rocks, unmoving. Her flanks were still. As rain poured from the sky, a trail of red liquid ran from the she-cat's body, down the rocks, but this time it wasn't deathberries.
I killed her.
Mapleshade stared at the body, stunned. She then fled back the way she had come, bursting through the reeds that lined RiverClan's camp.
The fighting had died down slightly by the time Mapleshade returned. Her heart sank into her stomach as soon as she spotted Birchface, lying in the same spot she had seen him last. The rogues were gone, replaced by Goldenmist and Echostorm.
"Is he dead?" Mapleshade shrieked, racing to his side.
"Not yet," Echostorm meowed. She grabbed a leaf and stuck her paw into Birchface's mouth.
"What are you doing?" Mapleshade cried out, unsheathing her claws.
"Relax. I'm trying to wipe as much poison from his tongue as I can," Echostorm explained. She pulled the leaf out, carefully discarding it to the side. She then placed another herb into Birchface's mouth, tilting his head back, forcing him to swallow. "That's to make him vomit."
"Why are you helping him?" Mapleshade demanded. She shot Goldenmist a worried look, wondering how her Clanmate could be so calm. Echostorm had no reason to help Birchface after what ThunderClan had done.
"It's okay, Mapleshade. I trust her," Goldenmist said softly. Despite her words, there was a distraught look in her eyes as she watched Echostorm work.
Moments later, Birchface lurched, and he began to throw up.
Mapleshade looked away, her heart twisting with pain as Birchface writhed on the ground in pain. Goldenmist and Echostorm hovered over him, trying to smooth his rain-soaked pelt down with their paws in a comforting manner, but Birchface's mind was far away. Another stream of vomit came from his mouth.
"Mapleshade, go find Oakstar!" Goldenmist urged.
Mapleshade stared down at Birchface. "You're going to be okay," she whispered to him, bending down to touch her nose to his fur.
"Hurry!"
Mapleshade lingered for another second before darting away. She scanned the clearing for any sign of Oakstar, but was impossible to make out which cat was which in the darkness and rain.
"Oakstar!" Mapleshade called as she weaved through the crowd of fighting cats.
She was growing weary now. She wasn't sure how much longer she could go on, but she knew she had to find Oakstar. If Birchface was dying, Oakstar deserved to be there.
"Is your little mate dying? How sad," a voice sneered.
Mapleshade turned around to see Reedshine standing there. The two she-cats stared each other down, neither of them daring to make the first move. As Mapleshade looked her over, she could tell Reedshine was just as exhausted as she was. "Get away from me," Mapleshade hissed.
"Why should I? This is my camp!" Reedshine spat.
"I don't want to fight you. Now move on," Mapleshade said.
Reedshine's tail lashed, but she didn't attack. "I hope he dies," she growled, taking a step back. She then turned and disappeared into the thick of the battle, leaving Mapleshade alone to look for Oakstar.
The rain had stopped falling by the time Mapleshade found Oakstar. The two of them limped across RiverClan's camp to where Birchface lay. He was still alive, but his breathing was ragged.
Oakstar buried his face into his son's fur, whispering something. As he lifted his head to the sky, a heart-wrenching scream filled the air, but it didn't come from Oakstar. The entire clearing went silent, shocked by the sudden outburst.
Spinning around, Mapleshade spotted a dark tortoiseshell she-cat dragging a limp body into camp. Mapleshade's heart lurched as she recognized the body of the rogue she had just killed.
"Foxglove is dead!" the she-cat cried out.
Screams of grief and outrage filled the clearing, coming from the rogues. Several of them limped forward, gathering around their dead leader's body.
"You did this! You promised you would give us a home, and you betrayed us!" the dark tortoiseshell screeched.
"We never promised you anything!" Spiketail spat, pushing his way through the crowd. He stood nose-to-nose with the tortoiseshell, and for a minute, Mapleshade thought he might attack.
"When my mother—"
"Foxglove is dead. Whatever agreement she and Darkstar made is void. Now take your cats, and leave RiverClan's territory at once," Spiketail ordered. He whipped his head around the clearing as he shouted, "That goes for any RiverClan warrior in support of Foxglove. You're not welcome here anymore."
"You don't get to make that decision. Darkstar does!" the tortoiseshell she-cat hissed.
"And as Darkstar's deputy, I'm telling you to leave, unless you'd like to take a trip to see your mother."
"How dare you!"
"Come on, Ramona," a white she-cat with gray flecks mewed, nudging the tortoiseshell she-cat away from Spiketail.
Ramona stood her ground, ignoring the white she-cat. She continued to stare Spiketail down. "RiverClan made a promise to my group, and you failed to keep it. Now my mother is dead. Don't think we will forget about this. You may not pay with your life today, but soon enough we'll be coming for you."
Spiketail flicked an ear. "I'll be looking forward to it."
"Come, Ramona. We must bury Foxglove before sunrise," the white she-cat urged.
Ramona shot Spiketail one more glare before picking Foxglove up by the scruff. Several rogues moved to help her, carrying the body out of RiverClan's camp. The other rogues slipped out after them, hissing at the Clan cats they passed on their way out.
Once they were gone, Smokestar limped up. "What in the name of StarClan is going on?" he demanded, tail lashing.
Spiketail glared at him. "This is none of ShadowClan or ThunderClan's concern. Now leave our camp immediately!"
"I think my Clan has the right to know, considering your actions cost us one of our medicine cats!" Smokestar hissed, thrusting his muzzle into Spiketail's face.
Several cries of agreement broke out amongst the crowd.
"Where is Darkstar in all of this?" Deerdapple cried out.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her once!" someone else yowled.
The fur on the back of Spiketail's neck began to bristle. He was about to say something when Appledusk spoke up. "Tell them the truth, Spiketail. They deserve to know. The rogues have affected them just as much as they've affected us."
"My son walks between the living and StarClan because of RiverClan. Tell us the truth, or I'll flay you and Darkstar nine times over if I have to!" Oakstar yowled. He left Birchface's side and stood next to Smokestar, his claws unsheathed.
Spiketail flinched but reluctantly gave in. "Several seasons ago, amid an unusually harsh leaf-bare, an unknown illness spread through RiverClan. It claimed many of our best warriors. As if sent by StarClan, Foxglove and her rogues appeared, promising a cure. She was a skilled healer, knowledgeable about herbs and treatments no Clan cat knew of. She saved our Clan, and in return, Darkstar allowed her cats to take up residency in our territory. It wasn't enough for them, though. They wanted more land, more prey… We tried to teach them the warrior code, but they refused. The young, healthy cats would take prey from our kits and elders, without contributing anything in return. They started crossing the borders-"
Oakstar's fur began to bristle. "And Darkstar sat back and did nothing!"
"Foxglove poisoned Darkstar!" Spiketail spat. "She would sneak strange herbs into her prey, leaving her confused and disoriented. She started seeing things that weren't there, and Foxglove would feed into the delusions claiming them to be visions from StarClan."
"I tried to find the antidote, but I was unsuccessful," Echostorm spoke up.
Spiketail nodded. "In the meantime, Darkstar believed everything to be true. She trusted Foxglove. Nothing I said or did could convince her otherwise, not when she was that out of it."
"That doesn't explain why your warriors attacked Sloefur and Mudpool," Mapleshade spoke up, remembering the battle that had claimed Mudpool's life.
"Unfortunately, Darkstar wasn't the only one with misplaced trust," Spiketail sighed.
"You should have better control of your warriors, then," Smokestar growled. "Only a weak leader would allow for such nonsense to take place in their Clan!"
Spiketail glared at the ShadowClan tom. "Darkstar isn't weak. She was taken advantage of!"
Smokestar launched himself at Spiketail. The two cats tussled on the muddy ground for a moment before Spiketail rolled away. He crouched there, staring up at Smokestar, his sides heaving.
"Foxglove is dead, and her rogues are no longer welcome in RiverClan's territory." Spiketail sat up, his eyes locked on Smokestar. "RiverClan will no longer be a problem for your Clan. Either of your Clans." He glanced at Oakstar.
"Why should we believe you after the trouble you've brought us?" Oakstar growled. He turned his attention back on Birchface. The brown tom was lying in the same spot, unresponsive, although his flanks rose and fell with every breath.
Mapleshade went to his side. She ran her paw down his flank in an attempt to comfort him, although she did not know whether he was aware of her presence or not. Crouching down, she peered at his face.
Foam dotted his chin and nose. Mapleshade hooked a leaf with her claw and began wiping it away, murmuring as she did so. "You're going to be okay, Birchface. Everything will be okay."
He opened his eyes for a moment. His eyes were glossy and unfocused, but Mapleshade could tell he understood her.
"I love you, Birchface. And so does Oakstar, and Goldenmist. You're so important to all of us. That's why you need to get better. We can't get on without you."
Goldenmist moved in front of her, causing Mapleshade to take a step back. Mapleshade shot her an annoyed look but said nothing. Goldenmist wasn't listening anyway. Her nose was buried in her brother's fur, whispering something Mapleshade couldn't make out.
"Let's take him back to camp," Oakstar meowed, limping forward.
The rain picked up again as night turned into day. Mapleshade sat beneath some ferns, her paws tucked underneath her, as she gazed out into the forest. Beads of water streamed down the fronds, splashing up as they hit the ground. She paid no attention to it, for her mind was somewhere else.
I killed someone.
It had been easy to push that realization away amid battle, but now she had no choice but to face reality. A life had been lost because of her.
Foxglove tried to kill Birchface. He still might die because of her. I did nothing wrong!
I did nothing wrong.
I did nothing wrong.
She deserved it.
But you don't even know her.
It doesn't matter. I saw what she did to him. And Spiketail said—
You're going to take the word of an enemy warrior? RiverClan allowed the rogues to stay with them for many moons. Who's to say they weren't all in on it? He probably doesn't want to take accountability for their behavior because he thinks Oakstar will have mercy on him if he lies.
RiverClan knew what was happening. They stole our prey and trespassed, too!
They didn't care. They're just as guilty.
No! No! No!
"Mapleshade?" Dawnfeather's worried voice shook her from her frantic thoughts.
Mapleshade's jumped, hitting the ferns above her, sending a cascade of water droplets onto her pelt. She stared, wide-eyed at her sister.
"What in the name of StarClan are you doing out here by yourself? I was worried sick when you didn't come back to camp with everyone else!" Dawnfeather mewed.
Mapleshade didn't say anything.
I need to tell you something, Dawnfeather. I-
"I need to tell you something," Dawnfeather mewed suddenly. The worry in her eyes vanished, replaced with a look of nervousness, and… excitement? "I'm expecting kits!"
Mapleshade's eyes widened even more. "You're expecting kits?" she balked.
"Yes. I've been suspecting it for a few days now, but Ravenwing confirmed it tonight."
"Who is the father?" Mapleshade asked.
Dawnfeather blinked. "Who do you think the father is?"
Mapleshade fell silent. She racked her brain, trying to figure out who Dawnfeather had taken on as a mate, but nothing obvious came to mind.
"Thrushtalon, you mousebrain!" Dawnfeather exclaimed, confused and frustrated by her sister's obliviousness.
"Thrushtalon?"
"You really didn't know?" Dawnfeather frowned.
Mapleshade fell silent again. "No, I didn't. When did this happen?"
Dawnfeather's tail drooped. "A while ago." She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she held back. Sighing, Dawnfeather continued, "We're both very excited, although I have to admit I'm nervous."
"You're going to be an excellent mother," Mapleshade said.
"You think so?" Dawnfeather brightened immediately. "I hope so. I've wanted kits for the longest time, and now it's finally happening."
"Congratulations. I'm happy for you."
Dawnfeather nuzzled Mapleshade. "Thank you," she purred. "With everything else going on at the moment, I think this will be the blessing our Clan needs."
With one life lost, another is born.
"Yes, I-I agree." Mapleshade nodded.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm just tired," Mapleshade whispered, pulling away from her sister.
"You should be in your nest sleeping, not out here in the rain. What are you even doing out here?" Dawnfeather scolded.
"Yes, 'Hazelheart'," Mapleshade teased, her whiskers twitching.
"Oh, hush!"
"You sound just like her! Your kits better watch out. They won't be able to put a paw out of line with you around," Mapleshade purred.
Dawnfeather gave her chest a couple of embarrassed licks. "You think so?"
Mapleshade nuzzled her again. "Yes, but there's nothing wrong with that. You'll be able to give your kits what our mother gave to us. And I'll be sure to help out in whatever way I can."
"I'd like that, Mapleshade. I'd like that more than anything. Maybe one day you'll even get to mentor one of my kits. Wouldn't that be something?" Dawnfeather said.
Mapleshade grew wistful as she thought about that. She'd never had an apprentice before. Would one of Dawnfeather's kits be her first? It would be a while before the kits would be ready for that, but the idea made Mapleshade's heart swell. "I'd be honored," she meowed.
"That is if you live that long. With the way things are going, you're on track to dying from greencough!" Dawnfeather jested.
Mapleshade jabbed her in the ribs with a paw. "Stop being overly dramatic. It's just a bit of rain."
"You're also fatigued and stressed," Dawnfeather pointed out, getting serious again. She nudged Mapleshade to her paws, giving her a poke on the hind leg. "You need to get back to camp and rest. I know you're worried about Birchface, but he's in the paws of StarClan. You'll do the Clan no favors by sitting in the rain trying to catch your death."
The rain began to let up as Mapleshade followed Dawnfeather through the forest back to ThunderClan's camp. Glancing at Dawnfeather, Mapleshade couldn't help but feel hurt. How had she missed something so important in her sister's life? She'd taken a mate, and Mapleshade hadn't even noticed it. What else had she missed?
Where have I been? she thought, frustrated by her selfishness. She'd been so caught up in her own life, problems, and feelings that she had missed something so important for someone she loved more than anything.
Even now, she wasn't fully present. Her mind was still occupied by images of Foxglove stilling beneath her paws, the trail of crimson running down the rocks…
I killed her.
She deserved it, Mapleshade told herself again. I've done nothing wrong.