Chapter Eighteen
"Keep low, but make sure your belly fur doesn't touch the ground," Mapleshade whispered.
Crowpaw's ear flicked. The black she-cat pulled herself forward, her eyes locked on the pigeon a few fox-lengths away.
The bird stumbled over the roots of a tree, its feathers ruffled. It stumbled around in circles, shaking its wings. It paid no attention to Crowpaw as the wind unexpectedly changed, blowing the apprentice's scent in its direction. The apprentice pounced, snapping the pigeon's neck in a quick motion.
"How'd I do?" Crowpaw asked, dropping the bird.
"You did wonderfully. I was a bit nervous when the wind changed like that, but you pulled it off. Good job!" Mapleshade praised.
"Yes, good job," Dawnfeather chimed in.
Crowpaw's tail straightened, her eyes beaming. "Thank you." She prodded the pigeon with her paw. "I can't wait to get back to camp and feed this to Rabbitfur. He's been wanting a pigeon for ages now."
"I'm sure that will make his day," Dawnfeather meowed.
"Do you want to take your prey and return to camp, or should we hunt a bit longer?" Mapleshade asked.
Crowpaw looked around. "Where's Deerpaw and Goldenmist?"
"Goldenmist said something about heading toward Sunningrocks. Why?"
Crowpaw's eyes sparkled. "Can we try to meet up with them? I've never gone hunting at Sunningrocks before. Please, Mapleshade?"
Mapleshade looked up. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The days were growing shorter now, with leafbare just around the corner. With that, came a shortage of prey. The Clan would need all the prey they could manage, especially with Dawnfeather's kits coming any day now.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Bury your pigeon, and we'll come back for it later."
Shimmering water came into view as the two of them trekked through the forest. Crowpaw's tail straightened with excitement. She bounded forward a few paces before turning to look at Mapleshade. "May I?"
Mapleshade let out a purr of amusement. "Go ahead."
The border between ThunderClan and RiverClan had been peaceful in the moons following the battle. It seemed as if things were finally starting to change in the forest.
"She's mindful, isn't she?" Dawnfeather purred, watching the apprentice scamper off.
Before Mapleshade could reply, a wail came from the direction of Sunningrocks. She leaped down the slope after Crowpaw before breaking out from the cover of the trees.
There was a crowd of cats gathered by the river bank, huddled over a limp bundle of fur. Mapleshade tensed immediately as she picked up RiverClan's scent. It was Cloudberry and Appledusk she realized. Goldenmist and Deerpaw stood a few tail lengths back, while Crowpaw was nowhere to be found.
"What's going on?" Mapleshade demanded, pushing her way through the crowd.
"There found a rogue lying on the shore. There's something wrong with it," Goldenmist replied. She stared down at the bundle of fur, ears flattened to her head, although Mapleshade could tell she was trying her best to contain her anger. RiverClan or not, Cloudberry was a medicine cat.
Mapleshade watched with bated breath as Cloudberry tried to tend to the unfamiliar cat lying unconscious on the riverbank. It was a kit, not even close enough to becoming an apprentice. Its tiny paws scrabbled at the sand for a moment before going still. Mapleshade's heart sank.
Cloudberry squeezed her eyes shut, her head drooping. "I was too late," she murmured.
"She would have died even if you had made it on time. She was too little to survive something like that," Appledusk whispered, pressing his nose into her shoulder. Cloudberry seemed to relax slightly at the gesture, but Mapleshade could tell it did little to ease her guilty conscious.
"What happened?" Dawnfeather finally asked.
"We were collecting herbs across the river when I noticed Mottle writhing on the riverbank over here. It looks like she got into some deathberries," Cloudberry said.
"You know this kit?" Goldenmist demanded.
"She was born to one of the rogues that used to live in our camp."
"I thought they all left, unless you mean to tell me some of them have settled on our territory! Great StarClan, just what we need," Goldenmist muttered under her breath.
"Don't worry about that right now. She was just a kit. She could've wandered away, not knowing any better," Dawnfeather said, trying to keep the peace.
"Let's bury her," Appledusk murmured.
They pulled the little kit away from the shoreline and dug a hole. Once the last of the dirt had been scrapped over Mottle's body, Cloudberry sighed. "Poor Kestrel. She must be worried sick. Knowing her, she'll come looking for Mottle in a few days."
"I can't even imagine what that poor she-cat is going through right now," Dawnfeather whispered to Mapleshade. She looked down at her swollen stomach. "I haven't even met my kits yet, and I already feel so protective of them. I don't know how I'd react if something happened to them so young."
Mapleshade didn't say anything. She just sat with her head hung, staring at the disturbed earth where Mottle's body lay. She didn't know the little kit, but her heart ached. She had been so young, and to die so horribly…
"I know," she finally agreed. "It's sickening. I wish there was something I could do."
"I wonder how the poor little scrap wound up with deathberries. I don't see any growing around here."
Mapleshade looked around. Dawnfeather was right. There weren't any deathberry bushes growing around here. So how had the little kit come across them?
Images of Birchface's convulsing body flashed through her mind. Mapleshade's stomach dropped, and she could feel the fur on the back of her neck begin to bristle. She shoved the image out of her mind just as quickly as it came and silently thanked StarClan that Birchface had not met the same fate.
"Perhaps the rogues have sent kits to do their dirty work. They know the Clans would never take pity on a grown cat, but a kitten…" Goldenmist lashed her tail.
"Don't be ridiculous! Kestrel would never allow her kit to be used for something like that!" Cloudberry hissed.
"So you say. But why should I take your word for it? RiverClan is responsible for this whole mess in case you forgot!"
"Are you calling my sister a liar?" Appledusk demanded, pushing his way between them.
"If the claw marks match!" Goldenmist spat.
"That's enough!" Dawnfeather yowled. "Mottle was just a kit, Goldenmist. Rogue or not, she's innocent in all of this. There's no need to jump to baseless conclusions over a tragedy."
The fur on the back of Goldenmist's neck began to relax. She gave her chest a couple of embarrassed licks, seeming to realize how nonsensical her accusation had been. "Right." She looked at Deerpaw, who was standing there wide-eyed. Crowpaw was crouched behind her.
Thank StarClan she's safe, Mapleshade thought in relief.
"Deerpaw, let's go." Goldenmist marched past the others heading deeper into ThunderClan's territory. Deerpaw hesitated before racing after her mentor.
"We should probably get going as well," Mapleshade decided. She nudged Crowpaw in Goldenmist's direction while hanging back to wait for Dawnfeather. Standing there, Mapleshade gazed back at Mottle's grave. She caught Appledusk's eye for a second before disappearing into the forest.
Thick fog hung in the air as Mapleshade pushed her way out of the warriors' den. The camp was empty, save for a couple of cats picking through the remains of last night's fresh-kill.
Deerpaw pulled a scrawny rabbit from the pile.
"Go ahead and share with Rowanfur. I have to talk to Oakstar first." Mapleshade overheard Goldenmist meow in passing.
As Mapleshade approached the apprentice's den, Crowpaw poked her head out. "Good morning. I'm ready," she said. She slid out of the den and arched her back before following Mapleshade out of camp and up the ravine.
Deciding the fog was too thick to practice training, Mapleshade veered in the direction of the Thunderpath near Fourtrees. The forest was sparser here, allowing the sun to break up the fog a little. They hunted until sunhigh.
Two mice dangled from Mapleshade's jaws as she pushed her way through the gorse tunnel. Her heart dropped into her chest, both mice hitting the ground as her eyes locked on the scene in front of her. Two bodies lay in the center of camp, the rest of the Clan gathered around them.
Forgetting her mice, Mapleshade ran forward. She crouched next to Rowanfur's body, a wail escaping her jaws. Deerpaw was next to him. "What happened?" Mapleshade demanded.
"They were poisoned," Hazelheart choked out.
Mapleshade's eyes widened in horror. "Poisoned?" she echoed. She caught Goldenmist's gaze. She looked equally as frightened.
"How did this happen? They were fine this morning!"
"Deerpaw and Rowanfur were sharing a rabbit when both of them got sick. It was over before Ravenwing could do anything," Whitefoot muttered. "Gruesome sight. I never want to see anything like it again."
"To think, I was going to share it with them, but I went to speak with Oakstar first." Goldenmist shuddered. Birchface leaned against her.
A yowl came from the elder's den. Everyone turned to see Stormpaw standing there, the fur on the back of his neck bristling, his eyes wide. "Rabbitfur is dead, too!"
Gasps echoed across the clearing. Several warriors slipped past the apprentice, dragging Rabbitfur's body out into the clearing. Graytuft appeared last, a half-eaten pigeon dangling from his jaws. There was a slit in the pigeon's stomach. Inside was a cluster of dark red berries.
"Deathberries," Ravenwing growled.
"Deathberries?" Crowpaw wailed, looking as if she was about to jump out of her skin. "How could that have happened? I caught that pigeon myself, and I'd never do something like this!"
"It's okay. No one blames you." Embershine tried to run her tail across Crowpaw's flank, but she shrank away.
"Could it be an omen?" Whitefoot said anxiously.
Ravenwing was silent. "I don't know," he finally admitted.
Oakstar sighed. "Just when I thought our luck was shaping up," he muttered. "Ravenwing, I think we should visit the Moonstone tonight. I'd like to share tongues with StarClan." Standing to his paws, he made his way over to what was left of the fresh-kill pile. "While I'm gone, want all of this discarded, just in case. From now on, we'll have to examine our prey before we add it to the pile."
"I'll get on that for you," Beetail offered. He called Embershine and Thrushtalon forward.
"Should I take another hunting patrol out?" Sweetbriar offered.
"No. I'll have Bloomheart take one. I want you to watch over Goldenmist for me. Deerpaw was her first apprentice. The loss is going to be hard for her," Oakstar whispered. He touched his nose to her shoulder and left.
The next few days passed in a blur. Mapleshade stumbled through the forest, an invisible weight clinging to her body. Her legs were like stone.
Despite Oakstar alleviating her and Crowpaw of their duties, she found she couldn't stay in camp. The sense of unease in the Clan made Mapleshade sick to her stomach. It was as though a cast of hawks had perched in the trees above them, ready to swoop down at any moment.
There was no comfort in the little things the Clan normally enjoyed, either. Every cat cautiously tore apart the fresh-kill that entered the camp, checking and rechecking to make sure no one met a similar fate to the three lives that had been lost already.
Crowpaw, inconsolable over Rabbitfur's death, had been confined to Ravenwing's den for the time being, leaving Mapleshade alone with her thoughts.
She wasn't fairing much better. She felt an ache in her chest every time she thought about Rowanfur. It worsened every time she went to visit Dawnfeather and her newborn kits in the nursery.
The birth had gone smooth, Dawnfeather bearing two kits — a tom named Nettlekit, and a she-cat named Flowerkit.
Mapleshade tried to rejoice over the kit's births, but she couldn't ignore the dark cloud that seemed to hover over her. Everything seemed so uncertain at the moment. As soon as one problem was solved, two more seemed to sprout up like vines. Would these young kits meet the same fate as Rowanfur and the others? Or would they be slain in some battle?
The scent of crowfood made Mapleshade stop in her tracks. It was coming from the direction of the Treecut Place. The scent grew stronger as Mapleshade approached. Not even the usual Twoleg strench could cover it up.
A set of deep ruts from a Twoleg monster cut through the earth. As Mapleshade went to leap across, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. A little way down, in the middle of the rut, lay the reddish-brown remains of something.
Cautiously, she leaped into the rut, wincing as her paws sank into the peaty ground. She bounded toward the shape, wrinkling her nose as the stench of crowfood grew stronger.
It was a fox, she realized. It lay on its side, eyes glazed over and jaw hanging open. Something sticky had dried to its muzzle, and inside Mapleshade could barely make out the shape of something red coating its tongue. A set of scars ran across one of the fox's eyes, causing Mapleshade to gasp. Was this the same fox she had encountered all those moons ago?
Climbing out of the rut, Mapleshade followed a trail of blood to a nearby bush where she discovered the body of a rogue. His face was twisted into a grimace, while blood coated his throat and chest. A shredded rabbit lay next to him, torn apart in the battle between the fox and the rogue. Deathberries were scattered everywhere, some of them smashed. It didn't take long for Mapleshade to figure out what was going on.
A growl rose in her throat as she raced through the forest back to camp. It was foolish of her to think the rogues would leave so easily.
The scent of rogues grew stronger as Mapleshade approached camp. A sinking feeling washed over her, already knowing what to expect. The rogues had been lying in wait all this time, waiting until ThunderClan had let its guard down to attack.
A high-pitched cry stopped Mapleshade in her tracks. Several pelts streaked past her, racing away from ThunderClan's camp and heading in the direction of Twoleg's Place. A bundle of orange-and-white fur dangled from one of the rogue's mouths, crying pitifully as it bumped against their legs.
"Nettlekit!" Mapleshade shouted. She sprinted after the rogues, the earlier heaviness in her limbs dissipating completely. Pawsteps drummed behind her, but Mapleshade paid them no mind. She had to reach Nettlekit before it was too late!
The rogue clambered up a fence, glancing briefly at Mapleshade before leaping into the garden on the opposite side. Mapleshade was right behind him. She hit the ground hard, stumbling, before tearing off after the rogue once more.
The sound of barking caused both cats to freeze. The rogue raced for the cover of some bushes, squeezing underneath. A moment later, he clambered up the fence and leaped into the next garden.
Mapleshade tried to follow him, but the dog stopped her. Drawing her lips back in a snarl, she raked her claws across its muzzle, causing the dog to yelp. It reeled back for a moment, then started barking again.
A Twoleg appeared from the door of the den, shouting angrily. The dog continued to bark, diving toward Mapleshade again. She batted at its muzzle again, but the dog didn't seem deterred.
Go away, you stupid, slobbering beast! she thought irritably. If she didn't hurry, she'd never be able to catch up with the rogue, meaning Nettlekit would be lost forever.
Suddenly, Mapleshade was drenched with water. She fell back, eyes squeezed shut, as the water continued to spray her, dripping into her eyes. She blindly crawled beneath a bush, but the barrage of water continued.
She peered blearily through the branches, trying to make sense of what had happened. The Twoleg stood nearby, something long and snake-like in its hands. Water poured from the end of it. The Twoleg continued to aim the snake-like thing in the direction of the bush, shouting as it did so.
Mapleshade raced from the cover of the bushes. She hurried up the fence, letting out a hiss as the Twoleg sprayed her with more water. She glared at the Twoleg and its stupid dog for a second before jumping into the next garden.
Once she was positive there were no dogs in this garden, Mapleshade collapsed, breathing heavily. She tried not to linger for too long, wanting to catch up with the rogue before it was too late. Following the scent trail, Mapleshade crossed several more Twoleg gardens and an empty lot dotted with a couple of scraggly bushes.
A Thunderpath lay on the other side of the empty lot, cutting Mapleshade off from the line of Twoleg nests on the other side. Monsters roared past, blocking out the scent trail Mapleshade had been following. A string of curses fell from her mouth as Mapleshade sank her claws into the ground. She stared across the Thunderpath, wondering how StarClan could allow this to happen.
Back in the forest, Mapleshade headed in the direction of the river. She needed to find Nettlekit now, and if any cat knew where the rogues lived, it would be RiverClan. There was no time to head back to camp and explain everything to Oakstar, and wait for him to lead a patrol into the unknown.
She crossed the stepping stones into RiverClan's territory without trouble. It wasn't until she neared their camp that she was stopped by a patrol.
Redtail stood at the head, her hackles raised. "What do you think you're doing here?" she hissed.
"I need to speak with Darkstar. It's urgent. The rogues attacked our camp and stole one of our kits!" Mapleshade panted.
Frostcloud's eyes widened. "I knew I caught their scent blowing in from across the river earlier." She beckoned Mapleshade forward with her tail. "Come on, I'll escort—"
Darkstar slipped through the reeds. Her eyes were clear, her dark pelt sleek and healthy once more. The sickness that had gripped her for so long was no longer evident as she strode forward to stand in front of Mapleshade. "Leave immediately," she demanded.
"I'm sorry for trespassing, but—"
"I heard enough. Whatever happens to that kit is none of RiverClan's concern. I learned my lesson about helping outsiders, and I'm not about to make the same mistake twice!" Darkstar growled.
Mapleshade stared at her. For a moment, she wasn't sure she had heard the RiverClan leader correctly. But when Darkstar's hackles began to rise, Mapleshade realized there was nothing else she could say to convince the leader to help. She flattened her ears to her head, taking a step back.
"Very well, then. This kit's blood shall be on your paws should anything happen to him." Mapleshade lifted her head, meeting Darkstar's gaze head-on.
A blaze of fury flashed through Darkstar's eyes. "How dare you? As if ThunderClan doesn't have blood on its own paws!" She swiped a sheathed paw around Mapleshade's ear, forcing her backward. "Get out of our territory, and don't come back. If I catch you or any other ThunderClan cat so much as a whisker over the border, the rogues will be the least of your worries!"
Mapleshade glared at Darkstar for a heartbeat. She then dipped her head to Frostcloud and Redtail, who looked sympathetic and embarrassed, before heading back in the direction she came.
In the safety of her territory, Mapleshade collapsed once more. How had this day gone so wrong? She hadn't even seen the full extent of the damage back at camp. What if one of her Clanmates had been killed, or worse — what if her Clan had been driven from their home?
The rustling of leaves alerted Mapleshade. Lifting her head, she spotted Appledusk sneaking toward her.
"I heard what happened," he whispered. "I think I can help you."
Mapleshade sat up completely. "You do?"
"The rogues are spread out throughout the Twoleg's Place, but there are two main camps most of them spend time at. Even if we don't find your kit there, I'm sure we'll find someone that does."
"As if we can just stroll into their camp and ask for Nettlekit back!"
Appledusk flicked an ear. "Maybe not, but at least then you'll have an idea of where he's at. Unless you have a better idea?"
Mapleshade fell silent. Appledusk was right. Even if they weren't able to rescue Nettlekit right away, it would bring some comfort to know where he was. She would deal with the rest later.
She followed Appledusk the same way she had gone earlier (this time making sure to avoid the garden with the dog) until they reached the empty lot. They crossed the Thunderpath without issue, venturing deeper into the Twoleg's Place.
Anxiety gripped Mapleshade the further they went. Except for her trip to Highstones as an apprentice, she had never been this far from ThunderClan's territory. She was beginning to feel guilty for not checking in back at camp, but it was too late now.
The Twoleg's Place was a confusing labyrinth of unfamiliar sights and scents. Every so often, an unknown noise would sound, causing Mapleshade to jump out of her skin. Appledusk looked just as uneasy, although he was trying his best to mask his anxiety.
"How many times have you been here?" Mapleshade hissed.
"Only twice, technically three times now. It never gets any easier," he admitted.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?"
"I think so."
"What? We're this deep into the Twoleg's Place, and you only think you know where you're going?"
"As long as I pay attention to my surroundings and notice little landmarks along the way, I should be fine. For example, there should be a Thunderpath lined with little trees just around this corner."
Appledusk darted around the corner into another alleyway. It was empty. Mapleshade was about to reprimand him and demand they turn around and head back when they reached the end of the alley. A smooth stone path lay before them, with little trees sprouting from strips of grass here and there. Twolegs walked to and fro, paying neither cat any mind. On the other side, a little Thunderpath cut through.
"See?" Appledusk shot Mapleshade a look, puffing out his chest.
After crossing the Thunderpath, Mapleshade and Appledusk stopped to rest in another alleyway. Crawling behind a dumpster, they settled down for the night, exhausted.
Mapleshade lapped at her aching paw pads. One of them was cracked and bleeding, but that wasn't what bothered her. Images of Nettlekit's pitiful cries as he was carried away occupied her mind. What if they never found him? What would she tell Dawnfeather? And how would she explain this failed mission to the rest of her Clanmates? Would they be grateful she even tried, or would Oakstar be furious with her for running away?
Appledusk pressed his nose to her ear. "The rogues may be a lot of things, but they'd never harm a kit. I can promise you that."
"How do you know?"
"If they wanted to hurt Nettlekit, they would've done it in front of the entirety of ThunderClan. They've stolen him to raise as their own, perhaps as a replacement for Mottle," Appledusk said. "If that's the case, I wouldn't worry too much. Kestrel will take good care of him until we can get him back."
His words did little to ease Mapleshade's worries. Even if Kestrel took care of Nettlekit, that wasn't where he belonged. He was a ThunderClan kit and deserved to be raised alongside the rest of his kin.
Rolling onto her back, Mapleshade stared at the darkening sky. The familiar light from Silverpelt was nowhere to be found, as if her warrior ancestors had turned their back on her, leaving her to fend for herself in this unfamiliar labyrinth.