Mapleshade's Miracle

Part Two

"You're half RiverClan," Mapleshade told her kits. "That's why you liked the water so much today."

The three kits' eyes stretched wider until they were like moons.

"Is that why our Clanmates are mad at us," asked Petalkit.

"Yes," mewed Mapleshade. She felt the hackles rise along her spine. "But they are wrong," she growled. "They'll change their minds soon and until then we'll live in RiverClan. Everything will be okay." She nudged Petalkit closer to the river. "Come on, we need to cross before it gets dark."

The little brown kit hung back. "I don't want to!" she wailed. "There's too much water!"

"The kit is right Mapleshade," a voice from the river reeds spoke.

She and the kits stilled, fur bristling on their backs.

Mapleshade growled, "Show yourself!"

Her eyes grew wide and she let out a gasp as a dark brown, almost black tom stepped out from the shadows of the reeds.

"Birchface!"

"Mapleshade why are you trying to drown your kits?"

Her tail lashed. "I'm not."

"Crossing now, even a full grown cat would have trouble. Are these RiverClan kits?"

Mapleshade's tail puffed out. "They're my kits."

Just then from the shadows of the treeline, a golden speckled she-cat leaped out. "With Appledusk, who killed you!"

Birchface, Mapleshade and her kits turned to stare at Frecklewish.

Birchface snorted. "I'm not dead. Appledusk didn't murder me."

Mapleshade's fur began to relax.

Frecklewish growled, hair puffed out. "But he tried to."

Birchface rolled his eyes. "Accidents happen in battle all the time."

Mapleshade dipped her head. If only Oakstar and my Clanmates... ex-Clanmates understood the same.

Frecklewish's tail swished. "Even so, Mapleshade has been banished for breaking the Warrior Code."

"There have been halfClan kits before! We don't punish the kits for the mistakes of their parents. Oakstar knows this. So why..."

Mapleshade growled, "Because he thought you were dead; murdered by father of my kits."

Her kits' were huddled around her legs.

Patchkit squeaked.

Birchface's tail swished behind him. "I'll speak with Oakstar. Even if he still wants to banish Mapleshade and her kits, he could wait until the river isn't so swollen." He lifted his tail to point at the water. Across which a RiverClan patrol stood, their gaze narrowed at them.

One RiverClan cat crossed over. He did not look pleased. "What's going on?"

Birchface turned around to snarl. "Get back to your side of the River, fish-breath."

Appledusk blinked. "Birchface!?"

Birchface growled, claws digging into the grass. "Obviously."

Appledusk turned to look at Mapleshade. "Why are these kits here?"

Mapleshade lowered her head. "They know. We've been banished. We were going to come to RiverClan."

Another cat, this time the leader, a black she-cat of RiverClan had crossed the river. "Appledusk, get back to camp."

Appledusk glanced at her. "Darkstar, Mapleshade has been banished from ThunderClan. Can she join RiverClan?"

Darkstar's eyes narrowed. "I heard everything Appledusk. You're lucky you do not share the same fate. But RiverClan will not be welcoming halfClan cats, especially from ThunderClan. You have a choice to make Appledusk. And I will give you a moon to make that choice."

Appledusk blinked. "What?"

"You will either leave RiverClan, or forget about Mapleshade who you broke the Warrior Code with and show your loyalty to your clan."

Appledusk's head lowered and his tail drooped to the forest floor.

Mapleshade's heart skipped a beat. Surely Appledusk would choose her. But he followed Darkstar back across the river and didn't even glance back at her and their kits.

"Appledusk!" She called out. She saw him still for a moment. Then the glimmer of hope was lost as he shrugged and lifted his head and disappeared beyond the river rocks and reeds.

Birchface brushed his tail down Mapleshade's back. "He's got a moon to think, Mapleshade. Let's get you and the kits back to ThunderClan's camp."

Author Note: Again the beginning that is in italics can be found in the ebook, Mapleshade's Vengeance.