Tear the Trees Apart: Maple's Vengeance

Chapter 3: The River

"Watch this, Larch!" Wrinkling her muzzle in concentration, Iris gripped the bundle of dry moss in her jaws and shook it violently. Her brother grabbed the moss from her and tossed it across the clearing. Both kits scrambled after it, Iris winning by a nose. She flopped down on top of the moss. "Mine!" she declared.

"Don't you want to join in?" Maple asked Honeysuckle, who was lying in the curve of her belly. His fur matched hers so perfectly that it was impossible to tell where one stopped and the other began. "It looks like they're having fun."

Her son shook his head. Maple felt a slight annoyance. "I'm fine here," he mewed. He snuggled in a little closer. "You need me to keep you warm, don't you?" His green eyes blinked anxiously at her.

Maple stifled a sigh. She could barely feel his tiny body against hers. It was a rare cloud-free day in the rainwashed leaf-fall, and the sunbeams were just strong enough to bring cats out of their dens to bask, though there was a chill in the ground that warned of leaf-bare just around the corner. All she wanted to do was take a nap without being disturbed! Even just a few heartbeats with her eyes closed would do. All day every day she spent her time chasing after her kits. If she knew kits would be this exhausting, she would've never had them.

"Mommy will be fine without you, darling," Maple snapped. Honeysuckle flinched, and Maple softened. "Sorry, mommy is a little tired today."

Iris and Larch were standing side by side, looking at the moss.

"You've ripped it to pieces!" Larch protested. "It doesn't roll away now, look." He prodded the pile of dusty brown shreds with his paw.

Iris shrugged. "It was trying to escape and I caught it!"

Across the camp strode a golden warrior. Freckle.

"Looks like she's killed it," Freckle noted to Maple.

"Well, they must take after me," Maple purred, giving Honeysuckle a lick on the head. Strangely, Freckle did not share the amusement. Instead, she sat down near Maple. Her tail twitched nervously.

"Hey. So remember when you wanted me to tell Applestem about the kits?" Freckle asked. Maple nodded slowly.

"I've just been thinking about it a lot. He looked... scared. Really scared. He got nervous, and asked if he could see them," the golden warrior narrowed her eyes. "And at the last gathering he asked again. It was really weird."

Maple shrugged. "He could be afraid they'll avenge their father."

Freckle stared at Maple for a moment longer, then broke off. "Ha! Yeah, that makes sense." Her eyes continued to flicker nervously between the kits and the queen.

The discomfort hung in the air.

"They're Birch's kits, you're sure?" Freckle pressed. "I know how... flirty Applestem can get but-"

"StarColony, Freckle, of course they are!" Maple snapped. "If you're so worried about Applestem, why don't we let him see them!?"

"Are they allowed out without Morning Glory's permission?" Freckle asked.

"It's fine. I'll be with them, they'll be perfectly safe," Maple told her firmly. Pine Marten and Bumblebee were out on patrol, Talon and Seed had gone to check the barrier of stones at Snakerocks, Bloom was sleeping, and Dapple had taken Nettle out training. Apart from some dozing cats, the clearing was empty. No one would take much notice if she took the kits out.

Now, all she had to hope for was Applestem out on patrol.

With a whisk of her tail, she trotted toward the tunnel through the gorse. The kits bundled after her, chirping with excitement.