Hidden Mysteries (A Warriors Fanfiction)

Chapter 7

"Is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?" Crowfur asked Maplepaw.

"I don't think so," Maplepaw replied, waving a shriveled herb out of the pile she was sorting.

"Nothing unusual happened at the Starpool?"

Maplepaw tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Crowfur gave her a pile of juniper berries and shrugged. "Just wondering."

Maplepaw nosed through the berries, sorting out the good ones from the bad. Of course something unusual had happened during her dream, but she decided not to think about it. All I remember is that I saw Dustclaw, she tried to convince herself. The thought of it made her purr.

Crowfur eyed her curiously. "Something on your mind?"

"N-nothing in particular," she lied. Maplepaw didn't feel comfortable sharing her encounter with Crowfur. But I do wish I could tell some cat.

She pushed the unused berries into a cleft as Ripplefur walked into the den. Maplepaw inspected a clump of yarrow as the deputy talked with her mentor.

"Ripplefur." Crowfur dipped her head. "Is something wrong?"

"You bet there is," Ripplefur growled. "It's Eaglestar."

"Eaglestar? Did something happen?"

"He had a little skirmish with a rabbit," the deputy explained. "He got some nasty scratches but refuses to admit that he's hurt. Can't you do something?"

"Eaglestar's always been a skilled hunter. He hasn't gotten rabbit scratches since he was an apprentice!" Crowfur exclaimed. "What happened?"

Ripplefur sighed and lowered her voice so that Maplepaw had to strain her ears to hear her. "He's been a bit confused since Dustclaw died. I guess he's still grieving."

But Dustclaw is alive and well in StarClan! Maplepaw wished that she could assure her leader and cheer him up. Then she got an idea. Maybe I can...

"I-I'll help!" Maplepaw volunteered.

Ripplefur turned around in surprise. Before she could say anything, Maplepaw studied all the herbs in the wall and rested her gaze on some yellow leaves.

"W-would marigold d-do?" she asked Crowfur.

Crowfur stared at the apprentice. "Er... yes, marigold works. Come back to me if you need help," she told her.

"Okay!" Maplepaw grasped the marigold in her jaws and headed out of the den.

She crossed the clearing quickly and came to the Greatrock. Remembering the stone ladder she had built, she crawled over to it and started climbing. She shook out her pelt when she reached the top and trotted towards Eaglestar's den.

"E-Eaglestar?" she called around the leaves in her mouth.

"Come in," the leader replied. Maplepaw ducked into the den.

"I guess you've come to treat my scratches," Eaglestar muttered as he spotted the herbs.

Maplepaw sat beside him and dropped the marigold. "N-not only that," she meowed as she started chewing up the leaves. "I wanted t-to tell you s-something."

"Oh? What's that?"

Maplepaw remembered when Crowfur told her not to tell any cat about her dreams. But surely I can tell Eaglestar?

"W-well I..." She suddenly felt nervous telling the leader about her dream with Dustclaw. "I-I saw D-Dustclaw at t-the Starpool," she mewed uneasily.