Maplepaw's Redemption

CHAPTER 10

The apprentice den felt empty without Wrencatcher sleeping by Maplepaw's side. At least she still had Bloompaw. But without the three other cats, Maple felt small and lonely. It would be another four moons before Skykit, Freezekit, and Stormykit joined the den--and by then, Maplepaw thought, she would be a warrior, StarClan willing.

Maplepaw blinked at the dark apprentice den and sighed. I wish I could sleep. It wasn't like she could sneak out of camp again, either; the three new warriors were sitting their silent vigil in the clearing all night. She turned around in her nest, trying to get comfortable, but her pelt felt hot and suffocating on her skin. Bloompaw was a mound of ginger fur beside her.

So when a yowl cut the still night air, Maplepaw was already awake. Hackles raised, she burst into the clearing, ears pricked for danger. Something was wrong. The air smelled rank with pine sap.

"BlackClan!" yowled Acorntail. "BlackClan is attacking!"

Wasting no time, Maplepaw ducked into the warriors den, prodding random cats with her paw. "Wake up!" she yowled. "Invasion! Wake up! Goosefur, Nettlecratch, guard the nursery! Rabbitleap, you're fastest, go get Yellowstar! Paletuft, get moving, we need you!"

Maplepaw didn't wait to see if the warriors would heed her demands, nor did she stop to wonder at her own insolence--an apprentice ordering around senior warriors! She sped out of the den, into the ravine, yowling as she went. A brown pelt brushed past her; it was Rabbitleap, on her way to warn Yellowstar. FireClan's camp was a chaotic mess of fighting cats. Frecklefang squared off against a black tom while Acorntail and Wrencatcher fought side-by-side against a massive brown tabby.

"FireClan!" yowled Yellowstar from Highledge, her fur prickling along her spine. "Drive them back!"

By now, everyone was awake. It was hard to find space to move with so many cats. Redpoppy and Thrushflight crouched in front of the medicine cat cave; Bloompaw ducked under the swarm to take a spot in front of the elder's den; Foxjump leapt, giving credit to his name, over the backs of two BlackClan cats, and situated himself in front of the exit.

Maplepaw swerved to the side when Flitbird swiped at her flank. She rolled, kicked out with a hind paw, and sent the BlackClan deputy flying. He landed with a dull thud against the ravine wall. Scoffing, she turned back to the fight, looking for anyone that needed help. Thrushflight and Redpoppy were holding their own, and the elder den was well-protected, but she could see Nettlecratch was flagging. She and Goosefur clawed fiercely at the attackers, but their eyes were glazed with tiredness. Maplepaw scolded herself; they were two of the most experienced warriors, but she should have realized their age would slow them down. Spotting Jaggedclaw, she flicked her tail toward the nursery. Jaggedclaw narrowed his cold blue eyes and gave a curt nod.

She spotted Birchnose at the center of the fray; the warrior had a russet BlackClan apprentice pinned down and was pummeling her belly with his claws.

"Help Nettlescratch," Maplepaw hissed, giving the apprentice a nip to the flank. She fumbled to her paws and fled.

Birchnose looked shocked to be ordered around by her, but he hared off toward the nursery anyway. Good. Maplepaw made to follow--the nursery was their most vulnerable spot--but a cat with a pushed-in face blocked her path. The stocky, solid brown tom snarled at her. She recognized him as Heavypaw.

Heavypaw hissed and lashed out with a powerful swipe. Maplepaw dodged him easily and dealt a return blow to his muzzle. The apprentice was strong, but his moves were undisciplined and overconfident. Snarling, Heavypaw rushed at her; Maplepaw twisted onto her back, slid under him, and kicked up with her hind claws, bowling him over and raking his stomach at the same time. Before he could get to his feet, Maplepaw bit down hard on his scruff and raked her claws down his side until blood spattered her fur. She shoved the apprentice toward the camp exit and watched him flee into the forest.

That's one down, Maplepaw thought with a snort.

"Maple!" A cat's panicked yowl cut the air. "Watch out!"

But it was too late. A weight landed on her back; claws dug into her skin. Fighting the urge to shriek from pain, Maplepaw curled her claws deep in the dirt and pushed up, arching her back to send the assailant flying. The cat landed with a winded snort, but was back on its feet in no time. Maplepaw spun around, leapt to the side, and twisted mid-air to land on its hindquarters.

Scratchstar! Rage clouded Maplepaw's gaze as she dug her claws deeper into the brown tom's wiry fur and nipped at his spine. But the BlackClan leader was no half-witted apprentice. Scratchstar wiggled free, leaving tufts of fur in his wake, and spun around to face her again.

"You," Scratchstar snarled, thrusting his scarred muzzle into her face. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?" Maplepaw hissed as she blocked a flurry of blows from the wiry tom. "What in StarClan are you talking about?"

From behind, a FireClan cat yowled in agony. Nettlescratch! Maplepaw tried to shoulder by the Clan leader, but he was at least twice her size, and he batted her away. Maplepaw circled around him, waiting for his next strike. Just hold on, Nettlescratch! When I'm done with this load of fox dung--

Claws flashed a whisker from her face. She closed her eyelids just in time. Blood welled from the cut across her face, and she staggered, blinded. Suddenly Scratchstar pinned her down, a claw held on her throat.

"You," he hissed, his fetid breath warming her ear. "You let Weaselclaw meet her stupid, secret lover that night. Oh, she told me all about it."

"Why," Maplepaw gasped, choking from the pressure on her throat, "are you angry? You--got to be leader because of--them," she rasped.

"No!" His claw dug deeper, and Maplepaw felt blood oozing onto her pelt. "They wouldn't give it to me! StarClan denied me my lives, and it's all your fault."

Nettlescratch's pained yowling had stopped. Maplepaw writhed under Scratchstar, lashing her tail to try and unbalance him, but it was no use. This is how it ends. She heard Goosefur's strangled yowl, smelled Foxjump's blood pooling into the dirt. With her cheek pressed against the ground, she could just glimpse Nettlescratch lying in front of the nursery, her striped gray flanks still. This is how it ends. My Clanmates dying around me, and me powerless to help.

Her vision was fading.

Maple, came a voice from the shadows--but this voice was different. No air of menace tainted it. Myler? Maplepaw wondered.

You can do this, the voice said again.

Desperate, Maplepaw blinked at Scratchstar's face, just inches from hers. What do you mean? Help me, Myler! She thought she could smell the ancient kittypet's black-and-white pelt wreathing around her. Blood welling at her throat, Maplepaw scrabbled frantically at the dirt, spitting blood from her mouth. So much blood... Not all of it hers. It coated her thick red-and-white pelt, making it slippery--yes! With one last burst of strength, she slid from Scratchstar's claws and fumbled forward.

"Help," she mewed weakly. The BlackClan leader's claws tugged at her tail. "Help..." As she collapsed, her head pounding with bleary agony, she glimpsed Yellowstar streaking toward her, blood dripping from a scratch along her belly, coating the ravine floor.

Maplepaw struggled to get to her paws. There was still work to be done. But her legs wouldn't obey. She tottered a tail-length, fell, and tried again. What's happening? She wondered as the sounds of battle faded. Did we win? She pressed her muzzle into the scuffed dirt, panting hard, only dimly aware of the pain in her bruised and breathing throat. She struggled to her paws again, but this time she couldn't even manage to stand. The whole world smelled of blood and fear as darkness swallowed Maplepaw whole.