Mapleshade's Vengeance: What Happened Afterwards?

Chapter 3 - Frecklewish's POV

Frecklewish was dreaming, playing in a golden field among the forest. She felt young and happy again, chasing a pretty bright orange and black butterfly. She swiped at it in the air and leaped, and fell to the ground and the butterfly flew away. Frecklewish got up and saw what she didn't want to believe.

Shinecloud, her mother, sat on a rock a few tail lengths away, as well as the dark tabby figure of Birchface with a small dapple gray cat, Flowerpaw. Even Oatspeckle was among them, and all had graved looks on their faces.

"Mother! Birchface! Oooh, Flowerpaw!," Frecklewish wailed, happiness surging inside her. She felt dreadful to ask the question. "What's the matter?"

Birchface and Oatspeckle parted ways to let a small black tom cat pad through, his dark blue eyes so familiar that Frecklewish couldn't believe it.

"Ravenwing?" she asked, "Are you visiting me in my dreams from the moonstone? How great!"

Ravenwing looked at Oatspeckle and she nodded. The small black medicine cat padded forward and looked at her with sadness him his rheumy eyes. Frecklewish was confused. What was happening?

"Frecklewish," Ravenwing began, "I am one with StarClan now."

Frecklewish twitched her whiskers. "I know, that's why you're here with StarClan. You brought my mother and brother to me, since you felt bad I guess."

Ravenwing's eyes flashed with hurt. "No, Frecklewish... I died. I have gone to join StarClan forever."

Cold sorrow and fear swept in Frecklewish's heart and veins. "Wh-Wha..? How? Why!? You're our only medicine cat! We need you, Ravenwing! Please don't go!" She looked up to the sky, eyes closed and so much grief Frecklewish couldn't contain it. "How did you die? What happened? You can't leave us, Ravenwing, you just can't!"

Hurt spiraled in Ravenwing's eyes and Birchface padded up to him. Frecklewish gasped at the sight of her brother and raw pain gripped inside of her.

"Frecklewish, my precious sister," Birchface began in a calm, deep voice. "Ravenwing was murdered. Murdered by Mapleshade, blind by anger to avenge the death of her kits. She took his life, and it was out of our paws, we couldn't have done anything to save him."

"No!" Frecklewish was taken aback. First she lied and now she kills? Out of what? Frecklewish felt nothing but anger surge inside of her. "I will avenge you, Ravenwing! I'll gout her eyes out! I'll make her bleed a lake of blood! I'll-I'll feed her to the crows!"

Shinecloud's eyes widened."No, my sweet, don't do that," her mother whispered, her sweet lilac scent wavered Frecklewish's nose. "Let Mapleshade go, she'll pay for what she has done. Trust me." 

Frecklewish felt sadness cloud in her heart. She felt the urge to ask many more questions, but soon the shapes of Ravenwing, Shinecloud, Oatspeckle, and Birchface all faded away, and the dawn rays of the sun glared in her eyes. She struggled out of her nest at once, feeling something fuzzy and stiff under her hind paw. Deerdapple raised her head, her blue eyes narrowed with slumber.

"Do you mind?" she grumbled, "I'm trying to get some shut eye."

"Sorry, Deerdapple," Frecklewish apologized over her shoulder. Her fur felt ruffled, and she was shaken with fear. A low yowl of grief echoed from the outside, and Frecklewish dashed out of the den. She saw two cats pad off, recognizing them as Sloefur and Larkwing. Oakstar was drooping, padding to the highrock with his tail dragging on the ground. Beetail padded over and both leader and deputy engaged in a small, silent conversation. After a couple of moments, Beetail had a shocked expression before, he too, was lost on some grief. Frecklewish watched as her father leaped up onto the highrock, lifting his tail with a conscious effort to announce the deadened news Frecklewish already knew.