Red Maple

chapter 4: the gathering

"STEADY ON MAPLESHADE! You just trod on my tail!" The WindClan warrior jerked away with a hiss.

"Sorry, Swiftflight," Mapleshade apologized over her shoulder as she plunged deeper int the throng of cats. The light of the full moon turned all their pelts to silver, and fur tickled Mapleshade's nose. Above her, Oakstar's voice echoed around the trunks of four gigantic oak trees.

"My warriors tracked the adders to their nest at Snakerocks and blocked the hole with stones," the ThunderClan leader reported. "Thanks to their courage, no adders have been since been seen on our territory."

"They were lucky not to get bitten," grunted a ShadowClan elder near Mapleshade's ear.

"Too, right," agreed her Clanmate. "Remember when Marshpaw trod on an adder on his first patrol? That was a bad way to die."

The first cat shrugged. "I've seen worse."

Mapleshade rolled her eyes. Trust ShadowClan cats to get competitive about deaths they've watched. She dodged around a rock and emerged among a cluster of RiverClan cats. Instantly pelts bristled and she felt eyes burn into her.

"There may be a truce," snarled a black warrior, Rainfall. "But don't push your luck, ThunderClan mouse-dung."

Mapleshade ducked her head. "I mean no harm," she mewed. "I'm not staying."

"Good," growled a cat she couldn't see.

Mapleshade forced her hair to lie flat as she wove among the hostile warriors. She couldn't blame RiverClan for being angry. ThunderClan had triumphed in the last clash over Sunningrocks; defeat was the bitterest wound of all.

"Remember what happened to Birchface and Flowerpaw," Rainfall murmured into her ear, so close that Mapleshade could feel the heat of his fish breath. "Those rocks belong to us, and we'll kill as many of your Clanmates as we need until you give them up."

Mapleshade stumbled as she remembered how Redriver told her how Appledusk, her former mate, had struck Birthface, causing Oakstar's son to fall into the rushing river. Flowerpaw dived after him, trying to save her mentor, but the two washed up on ThunderClan shore, dead. It was as if they were making a last desperate effort to go home.

Mapleshade swallowed a burst of rage at the warriors around her. Why did RiverClan insist on fighting over a bunch of rocks that were clearly on ThunderClan's territory? She lowered her head and pushed her way through the knot of hostile cats, trying to get to the large oak where Redriver's den would be, where he would be. She made it to the edge of the hollow were the shadows clustered more densely, securing the secret den. But before she could enter the den, a pale brown shape loomed in front of her, and Mapleshade's nostrils flared with the scent of fish. She looked up, her heart racing with anxiousness.

"What are you doing here?" Appledusk hissed. His long front claws caught the moonlight as he sank them into the grass.

Hissing, she spat back at him. "Am I not allowed to be at a Gathering?"

Appledusk took a step closer, his green eyes narrowed. "What happened to Reedshine?" his eyes held pain. "When we found her..." his voice trailed off in a shaky breath. "Last we saw her, she was fighting you. You were nowhere to be found when we found her dead."

Mapleshade could tell talking about it pained him, and guilt swallowed her heart like a tidal wave. But she couldn't betray Redriver.

"I don't know," she meowed. "She had beaten me in the battle. I ran back to camp. Last I saw her, she was alive."

Disbelief shone in his green eyes. "You're lying." He padded around her. "You definitely would have been jealous when you found out about me and Reedshine. Especially when you found out about Willowkit, Reedkit and Shykit."

He said each of their names with passion as if it would strike her like a snake bite. But she felt nothing but pity for this tom and these kits. "I don't know what happened," she hissed out. "I wasn't there when she died. But I can tell you this. I don't love you, therefore I am never going to be jealous of Reedshine or her beautiful kits."

Appledusk narrowed his eyes as she continued. "The day I found out about you and Reedshine, I was going to tell you that we're through. I had decided a long time ago I didn't want to break the warrior code further by being mates with a cat from a fish-brain Clan.

"I'm sorry about Reedshine, she seemed like a very kind cat. I wish I would have known her better."

Appledusk took a step back and began to walk away, but Mapleshade called after him. He turned around and she frowned. "You didn't deserve a cat like her."

Appledusk hung his head and padded away. "I know."

Mapleshade padded further into the darkness and eventually reached the hidden den entranced and pushed inside. She didn't see Redriver anywhere but knew he would be in the next room. She padded through the second wall of vines and found him sorting out some mixed-up herbs.

He looked up at her and nodded in greeting.

Mapleshade padded forward and laid beside him, pressing her cheek against his feather-soft fur. "I waited for you at the sycamore tree yesterday. But you didn't come."

The tom's breath warmed her head as he nuzzled her. "I know," he purred. "But since the battle, ThunderClan and RiverClan must have doubled their patrols, even after dark. I can't get to you without being spotted."

She wiggled into his side and wrapped her white tail around him. He curled his tail with hers as he continued sorting the herbs.

"Meet me at Twolegplace from now on," he meowed. "Just until the patrols have calmed down."

"If only you didn't kill Reedshine," Mapleshade meowed quietly. "And if Appledusk didn't kill Birchface. Of all the cat's in ThunderClan, it had to be Oakstar's son!"

She felt Redriver stiffen. "I don't regret my kills," he growled. "I thought she was going to hurt you. I wouldn't allow it."

Mapleshade closed her eyes. "Still, you didn't have to kill her so... gruesomely. Now, RiverClan is directing their hate on me since I was the last cat to fight Reedshine."

"Then they are fools," Redriver meowed, rolling his eyes. "How can a tiny cat-like you rip apart a tall cat-like Reedshine? Honestly, Sunningrocks has always made RiverClan and ThunderClan a bit mouse-brained."

Mapleshade playfully nudged him. "Speak for yourself. I see where you get your vicious nature from," she meowed, referring to ShadowClan's sadism and RiverClan's fierceness.

Redriver flicked his tail and finished sorting his herbs into separate piles. His ear twitched suddenly and he looked at Mapleshade. "The Clans are leaving now. Are you spending the night?"

"I shouldn't," Mapleshade replied. "Ravenwing has been watching me like a hawk since the battle. He is a strong believer of me being a killer."

Redriver nodded and the tortoiseshell she-cat padded out of the den and ran to catch up to her Clanmates.