A powerful ripple crossed Mapleshade's flank and she growled in pain, digging her claws into her nest as her body trembled with pain. Ravenwing rested his black paw on her flank and looked at Mapleshade with a nod.
"Just one more, Mapleshade. You'll be okay," The tom meowed, sounding stern but sympathetic.
You're not the one going through this pain! Mapleshade wanted to snap at the tom, she even felt the urge to claw the medicine cat. Another spasm of pain wracked her body and she yowled in pain, sinking her claws into the soil beneath the nest.
"Two toms and a she-kit, Mapleshade! You've done amazing!" Ravenwing meowed happily, nudging the kits towards Mapleshade's belly.
Mapleshade lifted her head and looked at the tiny wriggling bundles as they latched onto her. A ginger and white tom-kit, a dark brown tom-kit and the she-kit had Appledusk's pale brown fur. Mapleshade's heart leapt with joy as she saw the familiar brown shade. Appledusk... We have three beautiful kits. She touched her nose to each kitten, breathing in their new scents and licking their pelts gently.
"Are you accepting visitors?" Oakstar poked his head in, his broad shoulders barely fitting through the nursery.
Mapleshade looked up wearily and nodded. Perhaps now was the best time to tell her leader the truth of the kits' father. Oakstar padded in, followed by Frecklewish, and Mapleshade's heart sank with dread. I won't be able to get a word in now!
"Oh they're precious! Look Oakstar they look just like Birchface! I'll protect them forever!" Frecklewish purred and nuzzled the kits. Mapleshade wanted to bat her ears. They're my kits! Back off!
Oakstar purred and looked at the kits fondly, his amber eyes warm as he gazed at them. "They're wonderful. Have you thought of names, Mapleshade?"
Mapleshade's heart soared with the joy at finally being able to speak and she rested her tail on each kit as she named them. "Patchkit for the ginger and white tom, Petalkit for the she-kit and Larchkit for the brown tom."
Oakstar purred and leaned down to sniff each kit, his voice rumbling in his chest, "Good names."
Frecklewish looked at Mapleshade expectantly, her dark eyes clouded for a moment. "You didn't want to name one of the kits after Birchface?" She sounded disappointed.
Mapleshade's pelt grew warm and she opened her jaws to speak but Oakstar scolded his daughter, "These kits are their own warriors, I'm sure Mapleshade wants them to walk their own paths instead of in the shadow of a warrior before them." Frecklewish's ears pinned and she looked at her paws as the leader continued, "Besides, one day they'll be able to avenge their father's death."
The guilt was slowly becoming too much, eating at Mapleshade as she looked away, her ears pinning back and her claws working the edge of her nest. Oakstar turned to look at Mapleshade and blinked, concerned.
"Mapleshade, is something the matter?" Her leader asked gently, resting his tail on her flank.
"No one has given me the chance to speak, if any of you had I could have informed you of the truth," Mapleshade looked at her leader, preparing herself for the backlash of his anger.
Frecklewish's ear pricked and she scooted closer to Oakstar's side, both cats looking at Mapleshade worriedly.
"Birchface isn't the kits' father. Every cat assumed it and never gave me the opportunity to correct them," Mapleshade hissed softly.
Oakstar narrowed his eyes and his voice grew colder, "What are you talking about, Mapleshade?"
"Appledusk is the father of these kits," Mapleshade looked at Oakstar and Frecklewish, watching their eyes fill with anger and disbelief.
Frecklewish flexed her claws slightly, "Tell me it isn't true! Birchface's murdered can't father Thunderclan kits!"
Oakstar growled, his fur bristling as he rose to his paws. "Birchface is not the kits' father? That Riverclan murdered is the father of these kits?"
Mapleshade flinched and curled her tail around her kits to sheild them, her amber eyes meeting Oakstar's gaze. "That is the truth. Appledusk fathers my kits. You all assumed it was Birchface, why didn't you ask me who the father was?"
Frecklewish curled her lip, snarling in disgust, "We didn't think you'd betray the clan. Now you've brought in those half Riverclan creatures into our camp!"
Creatures! My kits are not creatures! Mapleshade hissed at Frecklewish's words and bared her teeth, "My kits are not creatures Frecklewish! It isn't my fault our clanmates assumed your brother fathered the kits! I tried to tell you numerous times!" Her fur was standing on end and the kits started to squirm and wail, sensing the tense anger in the air.
Oakstar snarled, lowering his voice as he shoved his muzzle in Mapleshade's face, his rancid breath making her scrunch her nose, "I want you and those things out of my camp, out of my clan, immediately. You betrayed the warrior code, you betrayed your clan, and worst of all you let us all believe my son was the father. You abused his name."
Mapleshade's eyes widened in surprise and her body stiffened, "I've only just had my kits! You can't exile us! You'd be endangering them! How would I hunt and eat?"
"That is not Thunderclan's problem," Oakstar hissed, lashing his tail. "Those are not Thunderclan kits. Take them and leave at once." The brown leader turned and shouldered his way out of the nursery, Frecklewish padding after him.
The golden cat paused and looked back at Mapleshade, her dark amber eyes narrowed into slits. "I can't believe you betrayed me... betrayed the clan like this. I never want to see you or those halfclan creatures in our borders again." Mapleshade was left alone in the nursery, her kits mewing and wriggling.
Mapleshade got to her paws shakily, her body aching and heavy as she dipped her head down and picked her kits up by their scruffs. With a small hiss she stepped out of the nursery and padded slowly to the camp entrance, trying to ignore the enraged stares of her clanmates. Oakstar was on highrock, so she knew he'd told them all of her betrayal. Her fur stood on end as she flattened her ears and set the three tiny bundles at her paws, glaring back at the Thunderclan warriors. You fools!
"You're breaking the code, endangering my kits like this. I'm a Queen, yet you toss me out of the clan like I'm nothing," Mapleshade hissed at them, her cold amber gaze locking on each cat standing in the clearing. "You'll regret this, Thunderclan. Mark my words." She picked her kits back up and marched out of camp, moving through the forest as quickly as she could with her tired and aching muscles. Starclan help me...
Mapleshade laid right outside the Thunderclan border in the shelter of an old tree, her kits tucked safely at her belly, her tail covering them. She had hoped to make it further from the border until they were a little older, but she didn't have the strength to keep going. And she wouldn't have had the strength to cross into Riverclan, the stepping stones too far apart for her to be able to cross with her kits let alone by herself. Appledusk... Your kits are here with me. Please understand why I couldn't bring them to you yet.
"Starclan please help us, my kits don't deserve this," Mapleshade meowed softly, her head falling on her paws tiredly. Her stomach hurt and growled, hunger clawing at her belly. She hadn't eaten or had water since before her kitting, and her body wasn't in any state to hunt.
The sound of pawsteps approaching made her grunt softly, but she couldn't open her eyes as she lay there feeling weak. There was a meow of surprise and a rush of pawsteps.
"Mapleshade? What in the name of Starclan are you doing out here? And with kits no less! They don't even look okd enough to be out of the nursery!" A tom's voice rumbled worriedly and Mapleshade's ears twitched. The cat sounded familiar, and the faint scent beneath the smell of twoleg smelled familiar as well.
Mapleshade forced her eyes open to peer up at the newcomer, widening in shock as she recognized the dark brown build and blue eyes. What in Starclan's name!