Maple

***Spoiler warning:** Plot and/or ending details follow.*Maple was the leader of the South Side of the River. He died of a sickness not long after naming Sky as his heir. Maple is the main character in *Leader of the Woods*. He is an elderly fox squirrel.

## General Information

### Occupation

Past: Leader of the South Side of the River

## Appearance

### Markings

Silver streaks; graying eyebrows and muzzle

## Relatives

### Relative(s)

Granddaughters: Snow, Almond, Nuthatch, SkyGrandson: Aspen

Grandkits: Birch's other kits

## History

### In the Special Editions

#### *Leader of the Woods*

Maple is mentioned to have a respect for the position of leader of the woods. His best friend is mentioned to be Warbler. He befriends Conifer, the leader of the South Side of the River and Warbler's father, who teaches him about the leader position. Now Maple has an extreme desire to become leader.

Warbler announces her love for him and attempts to convince him not to become leader.

Warbler's and Maple's kits are born, Birch, Sycamore, and Leaf.

The next year, Conifer dies and Warbler becomes leader with Maple as assistant leader. Leaf has her kit, Sky, with Woodpecker. Birch has her first kits, Almond and Snow.

Presumably, Warbler dies, and Maple becomes leader.

Maple makes Amethyst, Leaf, and Woodpecker the assistant leaders. Amethyst, the oldest of the three, is Maple's heir, but dies in a racing accident. Woodpecker becomes Maple's heir.

Violet later comes up with an (incorrect) theory that Maple purposely got rid of Amethyst because he wanted his daughter and son-in-law to have more power. This causes her to want to take revenge on Leaf and Woodpecker.

### In the main series

#### *Into the Dark*

In the prologue, Maple is mentioned by Violet to Acorn. She says that he, though unnamed, is always complaining about his back and he, Leaf, and Woodpecker refused to give her the Great Oak because their family has lived there for generations. Violet expresses her distaste for this opinion.

Chestnut is helping Maple up a tree after the fire. Maple states that he is surprised Raven wasn't helping.

Later, Maple lists the dead in the fire, including Walnut, a tiny kit, Leaf, and Woodpecker. Then he asks if any squirrels are able to help the medic, Peanut, care for the injured. When Sky volunteers, he says that she doesn't seem very well, but if she can then it's okay.

When Sky is in the medic's den, Peanut mentions that Raven lives near Maple. She also tells Sky that Maple is not just "some old guy" and that he is in charge of the Great Oak with Leaf and Woodpecker.

Later, Emerald tells Violet that she thought Leaf and Woodpecker had no living relatives other than Maple, but she was wrong.

Snow goes to Maple to ask where Emerald lives. To her surprise, the elder doesn't know, but points her in the direction Emerald ran.

When Violet is yelling at Emerald, she mentions that Snow works for a Maple supporter (Peanut).

Snow finds an odd acorn with a maple leaf with a slash through it on it. Right afterwards, she gets kidnapped. Later, Raven finds the same acorn and suggests that it is anti-Maple propaganda. He believes that the reason Snow was kidnapped was because she works for Peanut, who is a Maple supporter.

Raven tells Sky that Emerald almost definitely works for Violet, "the biggest Maple-hater in the forest."

Later, Violet tells Emerald that for their plan to work, they just have to kill Maple.

Raven repeats his idea about the carved acorn being an anti-Maple symbol.

Sky objects to Raven's idea of talking to Violet because she is a Maple-hater. Later, when they are talking to Violet, Sky rethinks her previous assumptions that all she talked about was hating Maple.

When Raven and Chestnut are acorn-hunting, they hear Maple calling out, so they go back to the village.

Maple tells the community to look out for Emerald and to bring her back to the birch tree if she is found. Peanut tells Birch that she told Maple what happened to Snow after Aspen, Snow's brother, informed her what happened and that Snow is alive. Maple announces that Emerald must be brought back alive so that she can be punished. After some arguing, Maple explains that not every squirrel has to look but if they see Emerald they must bring her back. Then he dismisses the squirrels.

When Violet visits Sky in the medic's den, she tells Sky about her theory that Maple got rid of Amethyst on purpose and that she was expecting Maple to die before Amethyst. Sky thinks that Maple would never do that.

Finch dreams about several squirrels, including Maple, saying that they won't forgive her for what she did to Snow.

Later, Sky tells Birch and Peanut about what Violet told her about Maple and Amethyst. She worries that Violet is going to kill Maple.

Many days pass, and it is mentioned that Maple has not been as active. When Pecan comes to visit Sky, it is mentioned that she cares for Maple's new home, the birch tree. Pecan tells Sky that Maple wants to see her and takes her to Maple's tree. Maple informs Sky that he is going to die soon and tells her that she is the assistant leader.

Every day now, Sky meets Maple for leader training. It is mentioned that now Maple lives alone.

One day, because Aspen is bugging her, Sky skips a lesson to go acorn-hunting with him. When Snow asks if Sky wants to help treat patients, Sky responds that maybe Maple can teach her how, and feels regret at missing a lesson.

At the end of the book, Pecan tells Sky that Maple died.

*End of spoiler warning*
## References

1. ↑ Revealed in *Into the Dark*, page 18
2. ↑ Revealed in *Into the Dark*, page 163
3. ↑ Revealed in *Into the Dark*, page 158
4. ↑ Revealed in *Leader of the Woods*, summary
5. ↑ Revealed in *Into the Dark*, page 67