Mapleshade's story

Chapter 3

A gentle breeze slipped past the residents of ThunderClan. An odd peace had entered the air, and seemingly promising not to leave.

Mapleshade stretched her paws forward, yawning. The tortie layed still for a moment before letting her eyelids slip open to reveal green orbs.

Its still dark? The thought raced through her mind as she stepped outside of the warriors den. The sky was a pale dark colour if you could word it. Not quite dawn, but not too far off from it. Ultimatley the she-cat shrugged it off and decided to go for a stroll outside of camp.

She made her way over to the brambles that covered the camp entrance and slipped through them, releaved to taste the fresh and lively air, instead of the tangy RiverClan scent. It hadn't been much yesterday, but somehow the scent still haunted her.

I should check those borders... She thought, her pace slowing as she wavered on confirming that. But ultimatley she did, changing the dierection she was walking in to match the border. Her eyes were alight even in the early morning air.

Finally she reached the borders. Closing her eyes breifly and re-opening them, she quickly realized that she wasn't alone. A little bit further along ThunderClan's side of the border was an unfamiliar looking ginger tom with prey in his mouth. Muscles tensed, Mapleshade raced over already positioning herself with hostility.

"What're you doing here?" She demanded. According to this cat's stench, it was a RiverClan cat. The Clan her Clan had recently been having slight problems with.

"Calm down," The ginger visiter chuckled. "This is a fish. ThunderClan cats don't eat fish," He added, but he looked a little uncertain.

"Then how did you end up on ThunderClan's side of the border?!" Mapleshade hissed, hackles rising. The RiverClanner shook his head.

"I was fishing in the river, and when I climbed up onto land, I accidentally went onto ThunderClan's side." His green eyes seemed to gleam with truth. But the newly made warrior still wasn't ready to trust this cat. She had to be clever.

"By the looks of it, you're a warrior of RiverClan. How could a fully trained warrior make such a mistake? And at the scent of ThunderClan approaching are you telling me you didn't jump right back in the water?" She questioned, hackles falling. Hostlitly gradually faded from her stance.

"First of all, thats right. I'm Appledusk, a fully, and well trained warrior of RiverClan. Second, I actually didn't catch onto your scent right away. The stench of this fish here was blocking it out," The ginger tom replied, gesturing with a paw to the apparently recently caught fish. Mapleshade was starting to believe him, but still treated the situation with hostility.

"And it doesn't look like you got much experience yourself, ThunderClanner." His next words made her fur bristle. "Thats true! But that doesn't matter!" She replied harshly, gripping her claws into damp soil. But Appledusk just chuckled again, which angered her even more.

"Well I'll be on my way if your so hurried for me to leave," Appledusk meowed, before leaping in the water and swimming back to his own borders. Mapleshade watched as he jumped up onto the damp land and padded back to his Clan's camp, until he dissapeared out of sight. Yet the tortie could recall that his position looked proud as he left.

She'd surely remember his arrogant face.

-

Only a little bit of time had passed since Mapleshade's encounter with Appledusk. She had marked the borders and lingered around there a bit, enjoying the early morning all to herself. But since her Clan would be awake by now, and she didn't want them taking odd suspicons, she decided to make her way back to camp.

Turning her shape to face the dierection in which ThunderClan camp was in, she began padding forward. Just like before, the air still seemed fresh and peaceful. Clearly her Clan-mates hadn't been out just so yet.

At least it was peaceful until she saw a flash of white and black.

Tension rippled through her blood. Mapleshade slowed her pace, eyes narrowed in trying to get a glimpse at whatever had been lurking around her. She tilted her head left for a moment to see the creature approaching closer. Or creatures- they were badgers! And there was more then one of them.

-

Yeep! Mapleshade's first encounter with her future mate and enemy Appledusk! And why not end the chapter with an encounter with badgers?

Anyways, thanks for reading.

~Faith

-