Mapleshade's Redemption

Chapter 6

"Are you sure the river's not too deep?" Mapleshade asked Reedshine, fidgeting her paws around. Reedshine laughed, "Mapleshade don't worry. It's a stream and besides, all Riverclan's kits learn to swim here." Reedshine smiled and touched her tail with Mapleshade's. Mapleshade sighed, "I-" "Good enough for me!" Larchkit said, rushing forward and jumping in. "Wait for me!" Petalkit squeaked, going after him. Mapleshade stood, her pelt bristling with worry. After a heartbeat, the kit's heads surfaced again and they swam around, playing in the water. "See? Nothing to worry about Mapleshade." Reedshine reassured her, smiling warmly. "Patchkit, don't you want to join your siblings?" Reedshine asked him. Patchkit was curled up next to Mapleshade and he was startled when she stood up. He shook his head but said nothing. "Patchkit prefers to stay with me" Mapleshade explained. "Oh ok." Reedshine said sadly. Reedshine looked at her own belly, her kits would be coming soon. After the next full moon, she guessed. "Thank you for everything Reedshine. Without you, me and my kits wouldn't be here." Mapleshade smiled at her, something Reedshine guessed she hadn't done in a while. "It was nothing, I wasn't going to let Appledusk ruin your life because of fake love," Reedshine told her. "He was a mouse-brain. I don't know what I saw in him. I don't even know what he saw in me. I almost caused my kit's death chasing a cat who didn't even love me." she paused and sighed. "I can see what he saw in you though. You're the most caring cat around here Reedshine- PETALKIT NO-" Mapleshade reached over and pulled the kit away from some plants that were growing near the stream. "You can't eat those! You don't even know what they are!" "But mama I was hungry" Petalkit complained. Mapleshade sat down again and licked Petalkit furiously as she complained. Reedshine burst out in laughter as Petalkit got away from Mapleshade, she couldn't keep her balance and she fell on Mapleshade, who was able to not fall from Reedshine's weight. She turned red, "AH I'm so sorry Mapleshade!" Reedshine jumped back to her feet. "Uh... It's ok" Mapleshade replied, avoiding Reedshine's gaze and turning red. "Mapleshade when are we going to eat?" Larchkit complained. "I'll get some fish" Reedshine offered quickly, glad to get away from the awkwardness. She trotted over to the fresh-kill pile, letting out a relieved sigh. She reached and started to smell through the fish, "That Thunderclan snake tongue doesn't belong here" hissed a cat in a whisper behind Reedshine. She looked at where the voice came from and she saw Rainfall and Milkfur whispering to one another while giving Mapleshade a glare. "We should've torn her apart as soon as she set foot in Riverclan. If it weren't for Darkstar-" "You're both wrong! Mapleshade has changed and she's a very caring cat" Reedshine hissed, interrupting. "Of course you would think so," Milkfur said rolling her eyes "You're the reason she's here. One of these days that frog-face is going to kill you and everyone else in the clan!" Reedshine hissed at her, both of their pelts bristling. Even Rainfall joined in. "What is going on here?" Blackwing said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. "Rainfall, Milkfur, you weren't about to attack an expecting queen were you?" the cat's voice was challenging and their gaze was stern. "No Blackwing" Rainfall said, his pelt lying flat, "We were just leaving." Milkfur completed. Blackwing and Reedshine watched them leave, "You need to be more careful." Blackwing said, already disappearing into their den. Reedshine took a moment to process what happened and remembered she'd told Mapleshade she was going to bring her kits a fish. She quickly grabbed the biggest fish she could find and trotted back over to them. "What took so long?" asked Mapleshade as Reedshine dropped the fish near the kits. "Just had to find the right fish" She replied smiling. "Ewwww it smells weird," Petalkit said, flinching away from the fish. "Petalkit be nice" Mapleshade scolded. "Why is it so slimy?" Larchkit asked, pawing the fish. "It's a fish sweetie," Reedshine told him "Why don't you try it?" she said gently. Petalkit and Larchkit shook their heads and stepped away from the fish. Patchkit stood from beside Mapleshade and started to eat the fish without a word. Petalkit and Larchkit looked at each other and shrugged, jumping forward to join their brother. "Why don't you have some too Mapleshade?" Reedshine cut a piece off from their fish and offered it to Mapleshade. "Uhhh I don't know..." Mapleshade said hesitantly. "Well, there isn't anything else in the fresh-kill pile right now" Reedshine replied "Unless you want to go hunting?" p"can we come?" Petalkit asked excitedly. Reedshine giggled. "You're too young," said Mapleshade, running her tongue in between Petalkit's ears. "Who would take care of my kits though?" Mapleshade asked, her tail twitching towards them instinctively. "Uhhh" Reedshine looked around quickly. "Splashfoot!" Reedshine said as the warrior started to walk past them. "Huh?" He said, confused. "You can watch over Mapleshade's kits while we go hunting right?" Reedshine asked. "Uhh sure. Should you go hunting though?" Splashfoot's voice was uncertain as if he didn't want to offend Reedshine. "It's alright I'll just show Mapleshade around." she smiled. She nudged Mapleshade away before the cat changed her mind. "Thank you Splashfoot!" Reedshine called as the two cats left Splashfoot with the kits. "Are you sure they'll be ok with Splashfoot?" Mapleshade asked worriedly. "Don't worry! Splashfoot is a great warrior and a big softie." Reedshine comforted her. After a few fox lengths of walking, Mapleshade asked, "Where are we going?" "You'll see" Reedshine replied. After a couple of fox lengths, Reedshine happily said "We're here." The two cats were standing in a small clearing next to the river surrounded by bushes. "Thunderclan's forest doesn't compare to Riverclan's beauty," Mapleshade said, looking around astounded. Reedshine smiled sweetly and nodded. There was a shuffling noise from some nearby bushes and Mapleshade immediately dropped into a crouch, slowly sneaking up to the creature. Reedshine laid down as she watched Mapleshade pounce into the bushes and rise again with a water vole dangling from her jaws. "Ooo! A water vole" Reedshine purred, "We don't see much of those around. You must be lucky." Mapleshade looked up, she had already eaten half the vole, "Yea.. Lucky" she looked pensive as if there was something in her mind. Mapleshade got up quickly, her muscles tense as she scanned the clearing, "Did you hear that? It sounders like someone is in pain" before Reedshine could answer another yowl of pain broke through the silence. It was a sickening sound for sure. "We need to go back and warn Riverclan," Reedshine said urgently, getting up. "You go, I'll go check it out. They'll need help." Mapleshade didn't wait for Reedshine's answer, she took off in the direction of the yowl. Reedshine took after her, much slower but still fast. 'What are you doing!? you have to go and warn your clan!' a voice whispered in Reedshine's head. 'No! I have to help Ma- them!' 'You're not only risking your life by doing this. You're risking your kit's lives too' Reedshine looked down at her rounded stomach and she slowed down. She couldn't risk the unborn kits' life, she'll just watch instead. She followed Mapleshade more stealthily, hoping Mapleshade hadn't noticed her yet. When they arrived at the border between Riverclan and Windclan which was where the yowl came from, they saw Spiketail on the ground bleeding out and Birchpaw and Eeltail fighting a group of rogues. "Mapleshade go call for Blackwing so they can help Spiketail" Eeltail called when she spotted Mapleshade. "No, I'm gonna stay and help," Mapleshade told Eeltail as she went to help while Reedshine ran back to camp to get backup. Reedshine rushed back as fast as she could, every time her muscles began to give up she thought of Spiketail on the ground twitching, a pool of blood forming around him. As Reedshine approached the camp she thought she was going to pass it but she stopped in time and ran inside, finding Blackwing and Sparkpaw laying in the sun and chatting happily. "Reedshine? What happened? why are you running?" The two cats jumped to their feet. Reedshine collapsed to the ground and took a second to breathe. "Fight.... Spiketail.... Bleeding... Windclan border..." she took deep breaths in between each word, her vision becoming cloudy. "Sparkpaw go get..." Blackwing's voice faded as Reedshine closed her eyes, she wanted to lay there for the rest of time. 'Spiketail please be alright' after what seemed like forever she woke up, she was still by the spot she found Blackwing and Sparkpaw. "Reedshine are you alright?" Mapleshade asked, blood was splattered on her pelt. "It's mostly the rogue's," she told Reedshine, seeing her worried face. Reedshine sat up and saw the clan crowded around something. "Rogues?" Reedshine asked, confused. "Yea.. They got Spiketail. They said-" Mapleshade was interrupted by Darkstar who called for everyone's attention. "We will all mourn Spiketail's death." She announced, sounding shook, not waiting for everyone to be completely quiet. "Eeltail has something to say" Eeltail stepped up so she was standing next to Darkstar, her wounds were covered with cobwebs from Blackwing. "The rogues ambushed us. They said.." Eeltail looked at Darkstar who nodded then back at the clan, "They said Appledusk sent them. They said to prepare for war."