𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑨 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒕 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄

Chapter 8

Maplepaw stepped back. Once she realised that this was a sign of weakness, she took a step forwards, hoping that this cat wouldn't already view her as an idiot. Once Maplepaw found her voice again, she stammered as she unsheathed her claws,

"W-who are you?"

The she-cat lathered on a mask of utter hurt as she mewed,

"Don't you recognise me? I'm your mother, Maplepaw. I'm Scorchflame."

Scorchflame...Scorchflame...Scorchflame...the name echoed around in her head as  she tried to process the information. Despite Maplepaw having heard of Scorchflame, during that moment, she instantly forgot everything she had been told about her mother in the past.

A small, golden-furred kit popped its head through Scorchflame's front paws and wriggled through, like a fuzzy little bug, before making her way to Maplepaw.

"Hello sister, you've grown so much bigger than me!" She purred, nuzzling Maplepaw.

Maplepaw frowned slightly. Wasn't Silentpaw her only sister? The realisation slowly dawned upon her as she flinched slightly, remembering that not only did her mother die, but her sister did too.

"Indeed," Scorchflame meowed, as if reading Maplepaw's mind, "Goldenkit died...such a pity...you two would've grown so close to each other."

"Why am I here?" Maplepaw asked, her entire body tense.

Maplepaw's mother leaned down and Maplepaw could see what Speckledpatch had told her. Indeed inside Scorchflame's eyes, there was a flicker of insanity, darting to and fro.

"You're my daughter, Maplepaw. I've never gotten the chance to see you in real life until now. You're growing finely, darling," Scorchflame purred and nuzzled Maplepaw's head.

Maplepaw's breath hitched in her throat. Scorchflame must've noticed it, because she drew back and her eyes glittered with what looked like genuine pain.

"Don't be afraid of me, Maplepaw. I'm your own mother. I would never hurt you!" she meowed.

Maplepaw internally rolled her eyes but said nothing more.

"Where am I?" Maplepaw asked, flicking an ear.

"Why, the Starless Forest, of course," Scorchflame giggled as Maplepaw swept her gaze around everything that was within sight.

"What do you want from me?" Maplepaw hissed, her ears flattening as she took a step back from her mother. A light flick of her tail was the only thing that betrayed Maplepaw, showing the tension that roared to life within her.

Scorchflame's eyes flickered with amusement as she said,

"Now, my dear, don't be scared. I'm your mother. I'm only doing what's best for you. Remember that. I always will have your best interests at heart. I've only come with an offer. Do you want to hear it?"

Maplepaw swallowed slightly, as if she was swallowing her own fear, and replied, 

"Why not?"

A wicked grin was slashed across her face as she said,

"I know what you want. You want to be known. You want to be seen as someone out of the shadows. You want to finally be noticed by your clan, by your father and not someone in the shadows. I can and will teach you whatever you want and so much more. All you need to do is to say, 'yes'."

Maplepaw's heart spiked up in terror. How had her mother known about her thoughts? She knew that StarClan cats watched over them but they definitely didn't snoop in their thoughts...or did they? 

After a lengthy pause, Maplepaw choked out a strangled, half-dead sound,

"Yes." 

Maplepaw saw Scorchflame's lips twist upwards, so far, in a way that seemed unnatural, it seemed...maniacal. Fear and dread coursed through Maplepaw's veins as she stared up at her mother.

"Good. You've made a wise choice, young one. Meet me here next full-moon...your training will begin when you arrive," her mother smiled and sweetly replied as she faded into the darkness, along with Maplepaw's dead sister.

Maplepaw jerked awake instantly, her heart still pounding in her ears, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"It was a dream," she convinced herself, or at least tried to. Deep down underneath, she could feel that it was real. That it wasn't a joke. 

She knew, deep down beneath, her mother was truly coming for her.