Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 23: Mapleclaw

"I'm gonna go this way" I said as I walked off from the patrol. Puddlesplash nodded and lead Forestpaw off somewhere and Skyleaf followed. Once I was alone, I scanned the area, getting down into a low crouch as soon as I spotted that fluffy grey tail. I moved forward slowly, placing my paws gently and cautiously. Once I was in leaping distance I stopped. Mouse brain me placed a foot on a leaf and it crunched under my weight. The squirrel didn't even look around it just bolted. I tried to chase after the damm thing but it had gone into a holly bush. I pawed at the ground with a hiss of frustration. "Ugh! Mouse brain!" I criticized myself.

"I guess you lost this?" Puddlesplash's voice piped up. I looked around the holly bush and saw him sitting there a little nervous. Before his brown paws was the squirrel that escaped me. I smirked at him and smiled.

"I knew you were there" Forestpaw was no where around, "where is your apprentice?"

"Oh! She went to hunt with Skyleaf"

"Family bonding?"

"Yeah"

"Bury your squirrel and let's continue hunting" two hunters are better than one.

"Mapleclaw?"

"Huh?" Turning back to face him

"I wanted to ask you about something, about the fire and the murders?" I froze quickly and panic rose in my paws.

Does he know something? He does doesn't he... he was acting weird when Patchfur hinted at the fire being started by a cat. But that wasn't me!

"Do you think it was the same cat? I know you heard Patchfur at the gathering, and it has been bugging me lately"

"I mean, what cat would want to do all of this?" I laughed nervously. He gave me a weird look.

"Mapleclaw are you alright? You're shaking" the silver and brown cat sniffed me over.

"I-I am fine, just a little woozy" I lied.

"You sure?"

"I-I just get uncomfortable talking about the murders that's all. Since Dawndrop accused me of being the killer I get antsy"

"Understandable. Sorry I brought it up" Puddlesplash looked like he wanted to say more. To be honest I had more to say myself.

"Can I... also ask you some things?"

"Sure!"

"Why do you think Applestar picked Skyleaf over me or Foxhop?"

"They are kit hood best friends, like a certain pair I know" he said with a smile. He smiled softly at him and sighed.

"I guess I am just, disappointed in myself"

"About missing the squirrel catch?"

"About a lot of things" I looked at my paws. Above the clouds broke and it began to drizzle. "About not becoming deputy, about how bad of a mentor I am, about-"

"Mapleclaw you can't define your self by those things"

"But how can I not! All I have been doing is pushing it all deep down and trying to stay calm! I have been trying so hard to prove I can be a great deputy, and definitely a great leader one day, but I keep getting held back!" He looked a little shocked at my yelling. "I am happy that Mothdust is a warrior! But I have all this self pressure and fear building up and just wished that become deputy would have helped subdue it, but I got over looked..."

"Do you remember that saying Pinestripe always told us when we were struggling with some thing as apprentices?"

"Analyze your problem, and take the next reasonable step forward" I smiled weakly at the memory of Wishstar's first deputy and mate, "I found it so annoying when he recited that over and over again"

"Figure out what is holding you back, and make the best choices to improve. What do you think is holding you back?"

My guilt... "It's my own emotions..." I half lied.

"Then maybe try airing them out more! To be truthful here this has been the first time in awhile since you talked to me about this stuff" Puddlesplash smiled. I smiled back. It felt we were kits again, with him comforting and giving me advice. He always was the one calming me down when Breezeheat lectured me. Reassuring me I am good enough. The ground below us began to shake lightly. Then it stopped, we looked around confused.

"What was that!?" I asked looking around for the cause.

"Maybe another small landslide" Puddlesplash tried to reason. We looked around in silence, just the light pitter patter of the rain hitting the dirt, leaves, and our pelts filling our ears. Then the ear splitting screech if Forestpaw calling out.

"Skyleaf! Dad!" We looked at each other and raced off to the sound of Forestpaws cried. When we found the mud covered apprentice she was by the Windclan border, right next to the creek shore looking down. A tree has fallen into the river with the roots uprooted. We stopped next to Forestpaw and followed her gaze, to our horror there was Skyleaf, laying in the very edge of the river we share with the moor. He was half crushed by the thick dead oak trunk, his rib cage looked partly crushed by the weight of the large tree. His blue eyes were already glazed over as he stared at Forestpaw distantly. A small puddle of blood began to form from his mouth.

"Forestpaw..." Puddlesplash curled his tail around his apprentice and pulled her into his chest.

"I-I didn't listen... he-he told me to stay away from the river and I just ignored him an-and the dead tree-I-it started to fall and I froze and-and-an-" the silver apprentice couldn't finish her sentence as choked up and buried her head into her mentors fluffy chest. Puddlesplash looked mourningly at his old mentor as grief filled him. I dropped down and sniffed him.

Maybe... and but he wasn't. I turned to my wide eyed, almost tear filled, friend. "Take Forestpaw back to camp and tell everyone what happened. Bring some warrior back to help me get him out..." he nodded and guided his grief stricken apprentice back to camp. He stopped however and was looking at something next to the tree. Following his gaze I saw the paw prints that were left next to it, that lead to the dead tree and than back into the woods. Confused, I shook my head and ignored them. I looked down at Skyleaf's body again and felt some grief hit me, but not a whole lot. I sighed and began to dig at the dirt underneath him.