Book 1 // The Maple's Flowers

Chapter 1

Mapleshade's heart could not be more agonized. Behind her, three small kits toddled in dead silence. Though it was greenleaf, and the sun shone above their heads, she felt cold. She could feel Oakstar's gaze burning in her direction, though there was no way she could see them.

"Mama," Petalkit mewled, her voice quiet yet jarring in the silence of the forest. "Where are we going?"

"To a safe place," Mapleshade said softly, turning to her youngster. She was so small compared to her brothers, so frail and sweet-faced. How could Oakstar look into her bluegreen eyes and exile her, or her sons? She sighed. It felt like the weight of the forest was put on her shoulders.

"What's the safe place?" Patchkit asked, wandering up alongside her. "Where are we going?"

Mapleshade dwelled. "Do you remember when I brought you swimming?" she asked softly, chuckling at the memory.

"Yes!" Petalkit cried out, and Larchkit nodded eagerly.

"We're going to go there. But this time, we're going to cross," Mapleshade said softly.

Larchkit gazed up at her. "We're going to cross the river?" he asked softly. "Isn't that wrong? I heard the warriors talking about the river being a... a border..."

"Yes, but it's okay, little ones. We're going to see your daddy."

Petalkit wiggled her tail. "We are?"

"Yes," Mapleshade purred softly.

"Isn't..." Larchkit narrowed his eyes. "Didn't daddy die?"

Mapleshade sighed. The lies ThunderClan pushed into her mouth were affecting her children as well. "No," she said. "That's what ThunderClan says. But they're wrong, your daddy is from RiverClan. His name is Appledusk. He saved Patchkit, remember?"

"But that doesn't make sense," Larchkit said. "We're ThunderClan cats!"

"I know. But you're also half-RiverClan," Mapleshade said. "That's why you like to swim. Because you have the river running through you."

Her heart ached as silence spread across her and her kits. They reached the sandy hollow and changed course accordingly, coming out of the trees beside the Sunningrocks. The water was flooded, nearly touching the Sunningrocks themselves. She trembled. It was as if she could hear Birchface and Flowerpaw, sitting on the rocks and hissing at her as she and her kits passed. She strode a little faster to the shore.

"Mama," Petalkit mewed, "The river looks bigger."

"It's flooded," Mapleshade said. "But you're good kittens, you're strong swimmers. You'll make good RiverClan cats."

Patchkit padded forward. "I don't like this idea," he said quietly. He hunched and sat by Mapleshade's paw. "What if we get swept away?"

"I'll catch you," Mapleshade promised lovingly. "I'll catch you, little one. I'll catch you. Do you want to ride on my back?"

"YES!" the three cried in instant unison. Mapleshade laughed through her pain and hunched down, letting the three kits crawl on her beefy, fluffy self. Once they were all situated she stood up and badger-lumbered in a circle, getting them all hysterical and teary-eyed with kitten laughter.

"Everyone ready? This badger-ride is gonna be an otter-ride!"

"Ready!" each kit cried, with Patchkit's being the smallest.

"One! Two! Three!"

Mapleshade threw herself into the water with a powerful bound, splashing belly-first into the water. For a moment all four of them were totally submerged, and she could feel the current pulling like claws at the fur of her underside. She kicked the water and returned to the surface, all of the cats taking a breath.

The river looked and felt a lot wider and deeper, now. As she churned her white paws, she gasped for air above the choppy water, holding her back arched so her kittens were at as little risk as possible.

"Mama, we're moving," Patchkit said quietly. She could feel his small heart pounding against her back. "We- We're drifting away, Mama!"

"It- it- it'll be o- okay," Mapleshade said, kicking her legs harder. She was forced to straighten out her back. Larchkit's tail tip fell into the water, and he flicked it back up with a small huff. She immediately knew the drop had landed on Petalkit, because she turned and hissed at him.

Mapleshade lifted her feathery waterlogged tail and drenched all three of them before a fight could start. "Hey!" Patchkit wailed, but he giggled.

The heartbroken mother reached the other side, and went for purchase on the bank. But there was none to have. None at all. She scrabbled, her claws filled with dirt, but soon her head dipped under the water.

"Mama! Mama!" the kittens cried above the surface. She hopped back up and gasped, scraping against the rocky shore again. The current was going faster. She couldn't gain purchase. It wasn't working. No matter how hard she tried, she tried, she tried-

Her legs hurt. Her head fell into the water again and her nose filled. She coughed and sucked in more air. Her legs churned desperately and she popped up above the water, looking at her kittens. "Hold your breath," she coughed, though she still struggled to gain hold. "Please!"

She heard three tiny breaths go in. Just in time. Her foreleg cramped hard, and she sunk fast under the water.