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Mapleshade padded across the bracken, not even looking back to glare at Frecklewish's bloody paws. Not even looking back to see Ravenwing's satisfactional grin, Mapleshade prowled, she sneered but tried not to show the anger and sadness that screamed in her mind, all she saw was her dark red paws, sticky with blood that dripped from her torn eyelid. Patchkit stretched his huge green eyes, and his dark red pelt ruffled against the wind.
"Mama, why were the cats so mean to us?" He squeaked, Mapleshade's heart broke a little more, but fought back the lump in her throat,
"oh my sweet kits, they're just mouse-brained fools!" She covered her mouth with her thick tortoiseshell tail,
"Those are bad words," Larchkit remarked, Petalkit finished,
''You're not suppose say them!"
Mapleshade shook grimly, her teeth showed from her wide muzzle,
"It's the truth," she paused, did her kits need to know this? Did they deserve punishment? She tried to gulp down her lump, she whimpered in sadness, but drew back, A sticky tear rolled down her face. "Mama, there's water coming from your eyes!" Patchkit gasped.
"It's...just the rain..." she choked, ears flicking.
"A-anyway, here's the river..." She stopped at a ledge, and blocked her kits with her tail. she crouched and looked down, deeper and deeper until her head was underwater, nothing but empty water with fish.
"Get on my back kits, then dig your claws into my back as deep as you can, it won't hurt me, I'm no good, but you are the world." Petalkit said nothing and climbed on Mapleshade's back.
Patchkit paused, but then he clawed lightly at her scruff, Larchkit dug deep then laughed grimly, "I'm the leader of ClawClan!" Mapleshade tried to grin, but pain stabbed her back, Petalkit clawed normally. Mapleshade hesitated, but stepped a paw in the freezing water, a shiver made her fur tuft up from head to tail-tip.
Mapleshade dipped her shoulders, and she told her kits to climb higher, and she felt her fur crawl as her kits padded on her neck.
She churned her paws and swam bravely across, but the current was so strong, and vines were stuck to the bottom that she was afraid they would cling to her hind leg, Mapleshade swam harder, but panic filled her chest, her hind leg was stuck!
She pulled, but it wouldn't budge, her kits slid from her neck, "hold on,'' but there was no answer, she looked back, tiny shapes were in the current.
"My babies!" She skidded through the river, desperate to rip the vine. But that didn't matter, she had to save her children. Mapleshade closed her eyes and sunk deep into the water, The waves crashed at her nostrils, making her spit. Mapleshade saw a pale brown shape, she leaped but the vine wouldn't rip.
Mapleshade kicked and splashed water until she grabbed Petalkit's scruff of the back of her neck. The vine scratched her hind leg and blood stained the river. She grabbed Larchkit as she saw him, then gasped as Patchkit was swept away. Mapleshade swam ahead, her leg stung. She churned, but teeth grabbed her before she could grab him.
Mapleshade hissed, "no!" Patchkit stretched his arms for someone to see, "mommy, help MEEEEE!!!" Mapleshade shook,
"PATCHKIT, PATCHKIT, WAIT, CAT, MY SON! LET ME GO!!!" the teeth let her go, but before she could plunge into the river, A paw stepped on her tail,
"No, Mapleshade, I will get Patchkit, don't worry, you'll just have to catch up on your kits' breathing." Her mate told her, "Appledusk? I'm sorry I snapped at you..." She choked, "hey, it's okay, if I were you, I would've done the same thing."
He stroked her back with his tail, soothing her. But she couldn't, Patchkit was still in the river! She headed forward the river, but Appledusk stopped her again,
"No, I will come in." Appledusk jumped into the river, soaking Mapleshade's fur. Mapleshade padded and settled by her kits, licking them until all the water was out of their mouths.
A few moments, Mapleshade bit her lip, was Appledusk not going to return? She shook her head as a pale shape bobbed out of the river and dropped Patchkit,
"Patchkit, oh, Patchkit, let's get you warm." She landed curling her tail around them, all three of them. Patchkit was breathing, but barely, Mapleshade licked him until he was breathing Normally.
Appledusk watched them, "thank you, Appledusk." She touched noses with him, and his fur was rumbling in a purr.
"Is Patchkit alright?"
He murmured, "he's breathing," Mapleshade answered, "carry your kits, I want you to join RiverClan..." Mapleshade paused, "you'd do that for us?"
"Anything," Appledusk answered. Mapleshade slowly nodded then carried her kits to where Appledusk led her to, "here we are," Mapleshade grinned then plunged into the middle.
