by Erin Hunter
CONTENTS
Dedication
Allegiances
Maps
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Excerpt from Warriors Super Edition: Crookedstar’s Promise
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Back Ads
About the Author
Books by Erin Hunter
Copyright
About the Publisher
DEDICATION
For the members of FacebookClan, with great affection
Special thanks to Victoria Holmes
ALLEGIANCES
THUNDERCLAN
LEADER OAKSTAR—sturdy brown tom with amber eyes
DEPUTY BEETAIL—dark brown striped tabby tom
MEDICINE CAT RAVENWING—small black tom with blue eyes
WARRIORS (toms and she-cats without kits)
MAPLESHADE—thick-furred orange-and-white she-cat with amber eyes
DEERDAPPLE—silver-and-black tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE, NETTLEPAW
FRECKLEWISH—speckled golden-furred she-cat with dark amber eyes
BLOOMHEART—gray tabby tom
SEEDPELT—light brown-and-white tom
THRUSHTALON—light brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE NETTLEPAW—ginger tom
ELDER (former warriors and queens, now retired)
RABBITFUR—gray tabby tom
RIVERCLAN
LEADER DARKSTAR—black she-cat
DEPUTY SPIKETAIL—dark gray tom
WARRIORS RAINFALL—skinny black tom
APPLEDUSK—pale brown tom with green eyes
APPRENTICE, PERCHPAW
REEDSHINE—dark orange she-cat
MILKFUR—white she-cat
SPLASHFOOT—pale gray tom
EELTAIL—gray-and-black tabby she-cat
APPRENTICE PERCHPAW—thick-furred gray tom
SHADOWCLAN
MEDICINE CAT SLOEFUR—black tom
WINDCLAN
MEDICINE CAT LARKWING—gray tabby tom
WARRIORS SWIFTFLIGHT—pale gray tabby tom
MIDGEPELT—patch-furred brown tom
CATS OUTSIDE CLANS
MYLER—black-and-white tom
MAPS
CHAPTER 1
“Steady on, Mapleshade! You just trod on my tail!” The WindClan warrior jerked away with a hiss.
“Sorry, Swiftflight,” Mapleshade apologized over her shoulder as she plunged deeper into the throng of cats. The light of the full moon turned all their pelts to silver, and fur tickled Mapleshade’s nose. Above her, Oakstar’s voice echoed around the trunks of the four gigantic oak trees.
“My warriors tracked the adders to their nest at Snakerocks and blocked the hole with stones,” the ThunderClan leader reported. “Thanks to their courage, no adders have since been seen in our territory.”
“They were lucky not to get bitten,” grunted a ShadowClan elder near Mapleshade’s ear.
“Too right,” agreed her Clanmate. “Remember when Marshpaw trod on an adder on his first patrol? That was a bad way to die.”
The first cat shrugged. “I’ve seen worse.”
Mapleshade rolled her eyes. Trust ShadowClan cats to get competitive about deaths they have watched. She dodged around a rock and emerged among a cluster of RiverClan cats. Instantly pelts bristled and she felt eyes burn into her.
“There may be a truce,” snarled the black warrior Rainfall. “But don’t push your luck, ThunderClan mouse dung.”
Mapleshade ducked her head. “I mean no harm,” she mewed. “I’m not staying.”
“Good,” growled a cat she couldn’t see.
Mapleshade forced her hair to lie flat as she wove among the hostile warriors. She couldn’t blame RiverClan for being angry. ThunderClan had triumphed in the last clash over Sunningrocks; defeat was the bitterest wound of all.
“Remember what happened to Birchface and Flowerpaw,” Rainfall murmured in her ear, so close that Mapleshade could feel the heat of his fish-breath. “Those rocks belong to us, and we’ll kill as many of your Clanmates as we need to until you give them up.”
Mapleshade stumbled as a memory seared through her brain: Appledusk, a light brown RiverClan warrior with piercing green eyes, striking Birchface so hard that the ThunderClan cat lost his footing and slipped from the very top of Sunningrocks. He landed with a splash in the swollen river. His apprentice Flowerpaw leaped in after him and struggled to keep Birchface’s head out of the water but the current was too strong and they were swept downstream into the half-submerged crossing rocks. For one terrible moment, dark tabby and dappled gray heads rose above the surface, screeching in fear, then both vanished into the tumbling foam. Their bodies were found just beyond the stones, washed up on the ThunderClan shore as if they were making a last desperate effort to go home.
Mapleshade swallowed a burst of rage at the warriors around her. Why did RiverClan insist on fighting over a bunch of rocks that were clearly on ThunderClan’s territory? She lowered her head and pushed her way through the knot of hostile cats. She made it to the edge of the hollow where the shadows clustered more densely, dark enough to hide among. Suddenly a pale brown shape loomed in front of her, and Mapleshade’s nostrils flared at the scent of fish. She looked up, her heart pounding.
“What are you doing here?” hissed Appledusk. His long front claws caught the moonlight as he sank them into the grass.
Mapleshade’s words seemed to be stuck in her throat. She stared into the RiverClan warrior’s holly-colored eyes and tried to breathe normally. She wondered if any of her Clanmates were watching.
Appledusk took a step closer and lowered his head until his muzzle brushed the tip of Mapleshade’s ear. “You must know how dangerous it is for you to be here. What would happen if your Clanmates saw you talking to me?”
Mapleshade leaned forward until her cheek pressed against Appledusk’s feather-soft chest fur. “I had to speak with you,” she murmured. “It’s been too long. I waited for you at the sycamore tree every night, but you never came.”
The tom’s breath warmed the back of her neck. “I know,” he purred. “But since the battle, we’ve doubled our border patrols, even after dark. I can’t cross the river without being spotted.” He took a step back, and Mapleshade felt a rush of cold air on her pelt. “I’ll try to get across at new moon. Things might have calmed down by then.”
“If only you hadn’t killed Birchface,” Mapleshade whispered. “Of all the cats to lose in the battle, it had to be Oakstar’s son!”
She felt Appledusk stiffen beneath his pelt. “It was an accident,” he growled. “I never meant for him to fall into the river.”
Mapleshade closed her eyes. “That’s not the way my Clanmates see it. They blame you for both of our losses.”
“Then they are fools.” Appledusk shuddered, then relaxed. “But Sunningrocks has always made our Clans a little mouse-brained.” He licked the top of Mapleshade’s head. “Thank StarClan you didn’t get hurt in the battle.”
Mapleshade gazed up at him. Oh my precious warrior. I love you with all my heart. “There’s something you need to know,” she mewed.
Appledusk was looking over her head, toward the pool of moonlight where his Clanmates stood. “Can’t it wait?”
“I don’t think so.” Mapleshade took a deep breath. “I’m expecting your kits.”
There was a flash of green as Appledusk opened his eyes wide. “Are you sure?”
Mapleshade nodded. The RiverClan warrior curled his tail over his back. “I’m going to be a father,�
�� he purred. “Incredible.” He tipped his head to one side. “But these kits will be half-Clan. Half RiverClan. How will your Clanmates feel about that?”
“They won’t know,” Mapleshade answered. She noticed Appledusk flinch. “At least, not at first,” she went on. “I will raise them as ThunderClan until they have been fully accepted. Then every cat will be able to cope with the truth. Why should it matter that their father lives in a different Clan?”
The fur on Appledusk’s shoulders twitched. “You have great faith in your Clanmates,” he murmured.
“No, I have faith in StarClan, and in the warrior code.”
“You think StarClan approves of what we are doing?” Appledusk narrowed his eyes.
“I think our warrior ancestors know that our Clans need kits and we are providing them. How can our innocent kits not have their blessing? They will grow up to be fine warriors, loyal to ThunderClan and RiverClan equally.” Mapleshade turned away before Appledusk could say anything else. “I must return to my Clanmates before they come looking for me. Perhaps it’s best if we don’t see each other again until after the kits have come.” She looked back over her shoulder. “But I will be thinking of you every day, my love.”
As she padded into the shadows that ringed the hollow, Mapleshade heard rapid paw steps. “Appledusk! There you are! I’ve been looking for you!” Mapleshade stopped, hoping her white patches weren’t glowing in the moonlight. A dark orange she-cat was pressing herself against Appledusk’s shoulder. “One of the ShadowClan elders is telling a story about a cat that swallowed a live frog,” she mewed. “Come and listen, it’s really funny.”
With a worried glance at the shadows where Mapleshade crouched, Appledusk followed the she-cat back to the cluster of cats. The orange warrior curled her tail until it was resting on Appledusk’s back.
Mapleshade curled her lip. Stay away from him, Reedshine. He’s mine! These kits will make sure of that!
“Mapleshade, wake up!” A small ginger face poked through the branches that sheltered the warriors’ den. “Beetail wants you to go on the dawn patrol. You’re late!”
“All right, Nettlepaw, I’m coming.” Mapleshade heaved herself to her paws. Last night she had felt the kits stirring inside her for the first time. Is it because your father knows about you now? She craned her head around to lick the rumpled fur on her flank, then pushed her way out of the den. She felt strangely heavy, unbalanced by her swollen belly.
The air in the clearing was still and cold, tasting of old leaves and damp earth. The little orange apprentice bounced around Mapleshade. “Hurry up! When did you get so slow?”
Mapleshade flicked him lightly with her tail. “What would Deerdapple do if you spoke like that to her, hmmm?”
Nettlepaw looked down at the ground at the mention of his mentor. “She’d probably make me pick ticks off Rabbitfur for a moon,” he admitted.
Mapleshade purred, too full of joy about her kits to be short-tempered. “You’re lucky that I won’t punish you, then. Now, off you go and let me speak to Beetail.”
The apprentice scampered off with a squeak. Mapleshade headed over to the ThunderClan deputy, who was standing beside the entrance to Oakstar’s den. The dark brown tabby nodded as Mapleshade approached.
“I’d like you to join the dawn patrol, please,” he meowed. “Frecklewish is leading it.”
“Actually, there’s something I need to tell you,” Mapleshade began. Her paws tingled. “I won’t be able to carry out my usual duties for a while. I’m expecting kits.”
Beetail blinked. “Oh. Right. I . . . er . . . wasn’t expecting that. Well, you must only do what you feel up to. Does Oakstar know?”
“Not yet. Why don’t I help out in the camp today?” Mapleshade suggested. She couldn’t resist glancing at the curve of her belly. “I could fetch some soaked moss for the elders, if you like.”
“That would be great,” mewed Beetail. He shifted his paws. “And, er, congratulations.”
“Thank you,” purred Mapleshade. “It’s wonderful news, isn’t it?”
“Indeed,” Beetail meowed. “And these kits . . . their father . . . ?”
“I will be raising them alone,” Mapleshade answered firmly.
The deputy looked startled for a moment, then dipped his head. “May StarClan light your path, and the path of your kits.”
Still rumbling with delight, Mapleshade turned and headed back across the clearing. Since she wasn’t needed on the dawn patrol, she could go back to her nest until the rest of the Clan stirred. She knew she had to save her strength for when the kits arrived.
She was dozing in dappled sunlight when she was roused by paws thrumming outside the den. Frecklewish burst in, her speckled golden fur fluffed up and her eyes sparkling. “Beetail told me your news!” she purred. “I’m so happy for you!”
Mapleshade sat up and curled her thick white tail over her paws. “Thank you.” You see, Appledusk? My Clanmates will only be delighted to have new kits in the camp!
Frecklewish stood beside Mapleshade’s nest looking uncharacteristically shy. “Beetail also said that you would be raising these kits alone,” she mewed.
Mapleshade tensed. She had not anticipated questions about her kits’ father so soon.
Frecklewish looked down at the floor of the den. “Is . . . is that because their father is dead?” She lifted her gaze, and Mapleshade almost winced at the blaze of hope in her eyes. “Are these Birchface’s kits?” Frecklewish whispered. “Is my brother going to live on through you?”
The air in the warriors’ den was suddenly so thick that Mapleshade couldn’t catch her breath. Is StarClan offering me a way for my kits to be accepted by their Clanmates? I can’t lie, not if I want them to know the truth later. She stared at Frecklewish, unable to speak.
The golden she-cat didn’t seem to need a response from Mapleshade. She nodded slowly, and the light in her eyes burned even more brightly. “I’m right, aren’t I? Oh, thank StarClan! And thank you, Mapleshade. You will never know how much this means to me. I . . . I thought I would never be happy again after Birchface was killed in that terrible battle. But now I can help you to raise his kits, teach them that their father was a true ThunderClan hero, watch them take his place in the Clan . . .” She broke off and stepped gently into the nest until she was crouched beside Mapleshade. She stretched out her front paw until it rested on Mapleshade’s orange-and-white flank. “I hope Birchface can see us,” she murmured.
Mapleshade took a deep breath. I have not lied out loud. This was all Frecklewish’s doing. But I cannot turn down this chance to have my kits welcomed with the love they deserve. Appledusk will understand that I have to put ThunderClan first, for now at least. She unfurled her tail until it was resting on Frecklewish’s shoulder.
“You have answered my prayers, Frecklewish,” she mewed softly. “My kits and I are no longer alone.”
Frecklewish’s dark amber gaze shone back at her. “Never,” she vowed. “These kits will be the best thing ever to happen in our Clan.”
CHAPTER 2
Oh StarClan, make it stop! Mapleshade writhed in agony and sank her claws into the dried moss.
“Relax,” Ravenwing instructed, placing one paw on her rippling flank.
You try to relax with this happening to you, Mapleshade wanted to screech at the medicine cat, but she barely had enough breath to survive the spasm that wracked her body. She clenched her jaw and resisted the urge to sink her teeth into Ravenwing’s thick-furred black leg.
“It’s a tom!” gasped Frecklewish. “Oh, he’s magnificent!”
Ravenwing turned to look. Mapleshade sprawled in the nest with her eyes closed, trying not to think about the pain yet to come. Something wet and squirming was shoved against her muzzle. She opened her mouth to protest—and smelled the sweetest scent she had ever known. She lifted her head and blinked down at the dark brown bundle of slick fur beside her. Oh Appledusk, you have a son. And he’s beautiful!
“Lick hi
m, Mapleshade,” Ravenwing mewed. “It will help him to breathe.”
For a moment Mapleshade wanted to tell the other cats to get out, to leave her alone with this tiny precious creature. Nothing would ever be as special as this heartbeat, when she met her first kit. Then her body buckled under another wave of pain and she cried out. Ravenwing hastily pulled the kit away. “You take him, Frecklewish,” he ordered.
“Gladly,” came the she-cat’s mew. “Come here, little one. Let’s get you clean and dry.”
Mapleshade tried to say that she could take care of her own kits but the spasm grew stronger and suddenly there was another kit lying beside her, his mouth wide open in a soundless mew, his fur patched with ginger and white like his mother’s.
“Another tom,” Ravenwing announced. “You’re doing great, Mapleshade.” He ran his paws along her body. “One more, and that’s it. Come on now, stay focused.”
An irresistible longing to be alone with her kits gave Mapleshade a fresh surge of strength and the final kit slithered out almost at once.
“A she-cat!” purred Ravenwing. “Smaller than her brothers, but in excellent shape. Your turn to take over, Mapleshade.” He nudged all three kits into the curve of Mapleshade’s belly. She propped herself up and twisted around to gaze at them in astonishment. I did it, Appledusk! Two sons and a daughter!
“They are gorgeous,” Frecklewish whispered, her voice husky with emotion.
Ravenwing nodded. “You did a great job, Mapleshade. We’ll leave you alone to rest, but I’ll come back with some herbs for you after sunhigh. Do you feel okay?” There was a flash of concern in his dark blue eyes, and Mapleshade felt a surge of sympathy toward the young medicine cat. He had been in sole charge of ThunderClan for just two moons since the death of Oatspeckle, and this was one of the first deliveries he’d had to supervise.
“I couldn’t be better,” she told him. Her throat felt dry and sore. “Could I just have some water, please?”
“I’ll fetch it,” Frecklewish offered, hopping out of the nest and vanishing through the brambles.
