Maplestar's Light

Chapter 4

-- Ch. 4

Does it feel like a trial?

Did you fall for the same empty answers again?

"Great catch, Tallpaw!"

Reena purred next to Mapleshine, and she glanced at the young cat with amusement. She wasn't a big fan of the visitors, but they were kind and earned their keep - and Reena was an enthusiastic young cat, watching Tallpaw in awe as he licked his lips of the blood from the hare that had erupted from the tunnel just moments earlier. Woollytail poked his head out shortly after with a purr.

"I thought I smelled rabbit."

"Woollytail," Mapleshine laughed. "Were you hunting down there?"

"No, it gave me a good spook! One minute, I'm shoring up the walls of the tunnel - the next, this big rabbit's hurtling towards me! Of course, I'm not going to let prey run out of my claws if I see it, so I chased it."

"We're lucky you were there, then." She purred, glancing to Tallpaw as he perked up. "Who's down there with you?"

"Sandgorse and Plumclaw. They're working on the second gorge tunnel."

Mapleshine watched Tallpaw blink with surprise, and frowned. "... A second one? Isn't one enough?"

"Oh, no. The water's just too unpredictable, and the first one flooded when Tallpaw came with us on the trip."

Suddenly, anger shot through her veins, and she looked to her apprentice. "He what."

Tallpaw's head was dipped down, some sort of shame and fear in his expression. "Sandgorse talked me into coming when you were on border patrol," He chirped. "I wanted to make him happy..."

That damn tom! Mapleshine's tail whipped across the grass, and she took a deep breath, digging her claws into the dirt. He could have killed Tallpaw!

Forcing herself to stay calm, she turned to Woollytail. "Did you at least tell Heatherstar about the collapse?"

"No." Woollytail looked confused. "Why should she have to know? She's no tunneller."

"Oh, for StarClan's sake! She's your leader!" Mapleshine hissed, twitching her tail and thinking about the best course of action for a long minute. The sound of Hareflight and Shrewpaw approaching relieved her, and she turned. "Hareflight, do you have room for two more on your patrol?"

The warrior nodded, puzzled. "Uh... Yes. Why?"

"Can you take Tallpaw and Reena with you? Woollytail and I need to go see Heatherstar."

She could practically feel the warrior seethe with contempt, but ignored it, smiling as Hareflight nodded and beckoned the apprentice and loner along. She snagged Tallpaw's hare before leaving, leading Woollytail back to camp with a growl.

Enough is enough.

***

"Why did you have to tell Heatherstar you almost drowned?"

"I - I didn't! Woollytail told Mapleshine!"

"You're such a coward, you can't even own up to your own mistake!"

Mapleshine lost herself. One moment, she was following Heatherstar away from the hollow. The next, Sandgorse's shout caught her ears, and she spun around, racing over. The tom had done enough. He had gone behind her back, endangered her apprentice, and now he was yelling at him - for what? Tallpaw had done nothing wrong. She couldn't stop her anger, rushing over and scoring her claws across Sandgorse's face. He yowled, staggering back and staring at her in shock.