Warriors Short Edition: Maplerun courages

## **CHAPTER 1**

Maplerun padded through the rough forest the oak trees leaves falling. "What a wonderful time to explore." She purred, laying her paw on her prey, then she swallowed the rabbit down into her belly.

Maplerun licked her lips then her ears twitched hearing a yowl faint in the distances far from camp. "Maybe I am just imagining things," She shook her head stressfully.

She continued to go out hunting, she lifted her head a squirrel scented near.

She crouched placing her paws softly onto the soft earth, suddenly the yowl came again but sounded closer, she turned back to her hunting until the squirrel escaped. Maplerun hissed then looked around.

"Someone help! Oakclan! Help!" The yowl came in even louder.

Maplerun pelt bristled up and she unsheathed her claws, "Who's there show yourself!" She growled sharply.

Soon a dark black tom was showed up and uncontrollably stopped in front of her.

"Falconwish?" Maplerun hissed, ready to launch herself onto the tom.

"M...Maplerun... Please take m-me... to your clan... f-f-fast!" Falconwish panting panicking.

Maplerun fur laid down as she calmed, "What and why should I do that?"

"Just pl-please..."

"Fine then. Come on." she hissed then turned leading the black tom to Oakclan camp.

She stopped at the entrance when the Oakclan guards stopped her, "What is this cat doing here, Maplerun?" Fallowcreek questioned with a look.

"He needs to see Beechstar, now leave it to our leader." Maplerun hissed and brushed her flank with his flank then went to the leader's den.

Beechstar raised his light brown head with his ears twitching. "Hi, Maplerun." Beechstar meowed sitting up from his nest.

Maplerun bowed her head in greeting, "Beechstar, one of the Mightyclan warriors are here and needed to talk to you."

He tilted his head an angle, "Alright, I will start the clan meeting so he will talk in front of every cat."

Beechstar walked out of the den and jumped onto the big rock with clovers around them. "Let cats old enough come gather around the brave rock for a clan meeting." He yowled as loud he could for all cats.

All the warriors, kits, elders, apprentices, and queens met around the rock murmuring.

"Falconwish you may tell us what you have to say." He meowed looking at the dark tom with a cold gaze.

Falconwish stepped up shakenly as he was seeing a dog in front of him.

"My clan is being attacked by... D-Dogs and F-Foxes, I couldn't do anything to s-save, my clan. I am sorry!"

"And sorry for what? You don't need our help you stupid cat!" Minktalon hissed.

"Yea you idiot!" Another cat grumbled.

Beechstar then raised his tail for silence, "I am certain we will help your clan but only this time."

Falconwish nodded his eyes lighten.

Beechstar continued talking, "I want Brackenrun to bring Rustypelt, Maplerun, Otterfern, Poolpaw, Mosspark, and Bluesky to join and the rest stay here in case if this is a trick." Beechstar called out to his cats.

"The meeting is over and may let starclan light you all paths." He hopped down from the rock then trotted to his den.

"Come on guys!" Falconwish got on to his paws then led them out of the camp to his camp.

"And who told him to led us in our ***territory***?" Mosspark growled lowly.

Maplerun padded over closer to Rustypelt their pelts touching. "Er, hi Maplerun." Rustypelt looked at her his face burning hot softly.

"Hi, there mouse-brain." She purred giving a quick lick on the tom nose.

After the eight cats traveled through their territory, across the thin lake, they finally arrived at Mightyclan camp.

"So, who will be going in first?" Falconwish mumbled as he turned his back to the others.

Mosspark bristled his pelt looking twice as his size, "Are you? You are a *mighty*warrior, but oh look, you seem like prey getting chased by cats!" Mosspark growled as he faced Falconwish.

"Oh, will you stopped arguing?" Bluesky flicked her tail at the angry tom gently. Mosspark fur laid flat as she calmed him.

"Will anyone go?" The deputy meowed looking at the cats.

No cat answered and some looked spooked.

Maplerun sighed and stepped up facing the deputy, "I will go, but I'll go alone so there won't be anyone holding me back."

"You will do that?" He looked surprised then bent his head as an approved.

"Ok, brave young warrior, if you take a while I will send two warriors looking for you, and be careful please."

Maplerun nodded then pushed past the deputy and entered the Mightyclan camp, "Oh my, what has happened here?" She stopped with her eyes widen as she saw how several dogs and foxes working together to hunt down the Mightyclan cats. Maplerun looked around the camp searching for any cats. She lifted her nose to scent any cat. Maplerun stopped as she caught a blue-gray cat lying on the ground, wounded badly. Maplerun rushed over to the cat quickly and quietly, and she nuzzled the cat up then the blue-gray cat blinked open their eyes. "Maplerun, what are you doing here?"

By the voice, the blue-gray she-cat was Badgernettle, the Mightyclan medicine cat.

"One of your clanmates came for help and I am here." Maplerun meowed softly.

"I want you to get up but don't make any noise, and you must be quick."

"What about the-"

"No! Forget about them I want you to head to the entrance and wait there with the others, I will find more of your clanmates, okay?" Maplerun snapped.

Badgernettle hesitated for a moment then nodded and went off.

Once Badgernettle left the camp safely, Maplerun continued to search around the unguarded camp. "Ok, now I founded one I need to find some more." She meowed to herself.

She looked around, feeling a pain in her heart seeing many dead cats everywhere on the ground, with the foxes around. A heartbeat later, a tiny, low meow was coming somewhere. Maplerun looked around, then crouched, going under a fallen log, like the nursery.

"Kits!" Maplerun hissed.

"Mother is that you?" A speckled ginger tom kit chirped.

"No, No." She looked around and noticed that they are more than one kits.

"You all kits, I will bring you somewhere safely please come quietly."

"You don't smell like us." The orange tabby kit hissed.

**If I can get them to come...**Maplerun thought.

"If you all come, I promise that you will make new friends and be well cared for." Maplerun finally meowed.

"I am not scared, I will be the bravest warrior ever!" A ginger tom kit meowed then followed Maplerun then the other kits came following behind the warrior.

A fox nearby was tearing up a rabbit from their freshkill, then it lifted its snout then looked toward them growling but it looks like the fox doesn't take any notice of the cats but their presence.

"Hey, that mouse-brained animal is stealing our freshkill!" The orange tabby kit gnarled, unsheathing his claws. Maplerun whacked her tail over the kit lips, with her pelt bristling, "Shut up, will you?" She hissed. Then she moved her tail away from his lips, then turned around leading the kits to another camp route. The camp was filled with bushes and she tried to toughen through the strong bush. She fit-out of the bush hole, turning back she looked at the kits, "Don't worry, we are almost there..."

More steps away she saw the entrance and ran over to the waiting cats with the kits behind her tail. Maplerun stopped in her tracks, breathing in heavily catching her breath. Rustypelt trotted over to Maplerun, pressing his nose with her nose, with sparkling eyes. "Y-You made it are you ok and did you find any other cat?"

Maplerun pointed to the kits with her tail from behind her, "Great job, Maplerun." Maplerun looked to the right seeing the Oakclan deputy trotting to her with the others with proudness in his eyes. She then noticed Badgernettle was there, looking fine.

Badgernettle came to her clanmates kits, nuzzling each one of them then turned back to Maplerun, "Oh, thank you so much!" She meowed pressing her noses to Maplefur cheek. "It is nothing." Maplerun purred.

"We need to head back to our camp since the sun will be setting." Otterfern declared.

"Of course, let's go and three warriors guide us in case." Brackenrun meowed to all the cats around.

Maplerun went to the back of the cats, while Bluesky went to the side, and Mosspark at the left side. Maplerun listened carefully and let her nose track whatever is heading to them. One of the kits felled behind, Maplerun trotted over to the kit, nuzzling them back up, the kit stood back up and continued.

The forest began very cordial and after a while, the trees she noticed were oak trees, and her tiredness lit up. All the cats one at the time leaped into the Oakclan camp.

"They are back with more of those foul, dirty cats!" The voice she knew was Spiderspirit, one of the hostile cats.

Beechstar was standing on the tree, when caught the returning cats, he leaped down, welcoming them back with a meow.

"How's it been?" He asked.

Brackenrun dipped her head then looked back at the leader, "We thankfully, gratefully that this young warrior did all of this." Her tail led to Maplerun while she looked at Maplerun eyes with warmness.

"I am not very shocked, ever since she was born, I knew we are lucky to have her."

Maplerun purred with gratefulness hearing her leader proudness.

Beechstar directed to Oakclan clanmates, "Finchsnow, come here and check these Mightyclan kits and Badgernettle you can also help Finchsnow after they look fine, Hayfish and Ryeheather find a nest in their suitable dens for the kits please." Beechstar requested.

Maplerun, Rustypelt, Otterfern, Poolpaw, Mosspark, Bluesky, Badgernettle, and the kits served Beechstar in their camp. Maplerun went back to what she was supposed to do, she sat on the dirtplace ground laid on her side and rest for a couple of minutes. Later on, she heard pawsteps come to her, she sat up and saw Rustypelt sit in front of her with his green eyes reflecting from the moon, "Hi there beaut- maplerun, are you ok?" Rustypelt nudged her.

"Yes, I am fine, but I think there are a few more warriors ambushed in the camp still alive and scared."

Rustypelt eyes widen and moved closer to Maplerun with his tail around her body and their pelt touching. "Should we go back and save a couple of them?" Rustypelt asked.

Maplerun paused for a moment and shook her head, "whatever, we could not save a bunch of fox brains." Maplerun growled and laid her muzzle on her paws and shut her eyes and drifted into sleep.

"Good night, lovely," Rustypelt whispered and cuddled closer to her.