Mapleshade's Vengeance/Chapter 4

==Chapter description==
:Mapleshade's kits drag their paws back to camp, clearly exhausted after the day's events. Their mother urges them to keep going, as they're nearly home. The she-cat silently hopes that she will be able to settle them in the nursery and feed them before Ravenwing comes looking for her. Patchkit stumbles on the slope, and Mapleshade allows him to lean on her shoulder, while Petalkit lets out a huge yawn and murmurs that she's sleepy. Larchkit squeaks that he is hungry, saying that his belly is rumbling louder than a badger.
:They push through the gorse tunnel and into the camp, the kits stopping at the entrance. Patchkit whispers that he thinks something is happening. The clearing is filled with cats, all staring at them. Oakstar stands on the Highrock with Ravenwing and Beetail, the deputy, below him. Patchkit whimpers, asking his mother what is going on. Mapleshade tells the tom that it's nothing for him to worry about, and points with her tail to a clump of bracken. She meows to her kits to stand by it, and the three trot away. Oakstar commands Mapleshade to stand in the center of the clearing, questioning who fathered her kits. He demands she tell the truth, but before Mapleshade can say anything, Frecklewish comes to the queen's defense. The leader's daughter calls that they all know it's Birchface, and inquires to know why he is asking this. Oakstar mews he wants Mapleshade to tell them herself, and then states he can't believe one of his warriors dares tell such a lie about the kits' heritage. Shifting slightly, the queen declares that any Clan would be proud to have these kits grow up to serve them.
:Ravenwing steps forward, meowing that her offspring is half-Clan, and he reveals that Appledusk is their father. For a moment, the clearing is silent, then Frecklewish launches herself at Mapleshade. The she-cat yowls at her Clanmate, questioning what the queen has done. Mapleshade yowls at her to stop and tries to shield herself, but Bloomheart soon drags Frecklewish away with Seedpelt's help. The tortoiseshell staggers to her paws, and cats begin to hiss and mutter. Frecklewish glares at the queen, spitting that she doesn't deserve to be called a warrior, and should be driven out with her kits, calling them half-Clan creatures. Mapleshade demands to know why it matters who their father is, saying she is a queen of ThunderClan and deserves respect. Oakstar jumps down from Highrock and hisses that she cannot possibly expect his forgiveness, as Appledusk killed Birchface and Flowerpaw. He says to the queen that these kits will not be raised within ThunderClan's camp, and casts the four out of the Clan. Mapleshade pleads with Oakstar, but the leader recalls Ravenwing's omen against her and refuses to change his mind. Frecklewish screeches at the tortoiseshell queen, and Bloomheart agrees that Mapleshade cannot stay. The she-cat is horrified, and hisses at all of ThunderClan that they will regret this day forever.
:Mapleshade stalks over to her kits, saying that this is no longer their home. She prods the young cats out the gorse tunnel, and the three ask why they're leaving. Mapleshade meows that ThunderClan are bat-blind and fox-hearted, but then promises to explain the full story later. She tells her kits they will be crossing the river, and the four step out from the sheltering trees. Rain pelts Mapleshade and the kits, but Larchkit meows he wants to go home. The adult cat snaps to forget about ThunderClan and the nursery, as they won't be returning there. She reveals to Patchkit, Larchkit, and Petalkit that the tom who fathered them is Appledusk, and they are shocked, as they'd previously thought Birchface was their father. She promises they will be alright, meowing that they only need to swim to each stepping stone to reach the other side. The three kits are scared, but then try to cross the river. However, the flood sweeps the littermates away one by one, and Mapleshade is unable to assist them even though they call for help. She clings to a branch, and Appledusk just barely manages to save her. The queen lets out a shriek when Eeltail tells her that the kits are dead.
:The grieving mother is taken to RiverClan's camp, and Appledusk explains the situation to Darkstar. The warrior admits he met with Mapleshade in secret many moons ago, and is the father of her kits, but begs for his leader's forgiveness. Reedshine announces that she trusts Appledusk, and Darkstar agrees to let him stay in RiverClan. The RiverClan leader says that the three kits will be buried shortly, as they are innocent. Mapleshade questions what will happen to her, and Darkstar meows that she may not stay, and must leave their territory. The former ThunderClan cat begs Appledusk to help her, but the tom presses closer to Reedshine and growls at the she-cat to leave. Mapleshade stares at him and then hisses that he will regret this for the rest of his life. She then stumbles out of camp and over RiverClan's border, finally choosing to collapse in a musty, hay scented space. All the she-cat can think about is her kits spiraling out of her reach, screeching for help.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
===Deaths===
*Larchkit, Patchkit and Petalkit: Drowning.
===Other===
*Mapleshade, Larchkit, Patchkit, and Petalkit are exiled from ThunderClan.
==Errors==
*Frecklewish is called ginger.
*Oakstar is said to have yellow eyes.
*Darkstar is called a tom.
==Notes and references==
fr:La vengeance d'Ombre d'Érable/Chapitre 4
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:Novellas
Category:Mapleshade's Vengeance