What if Mapleshade's kits lived

Chapter 20

Every instinct, every scrap of logic, every hair on her body, had been constantly yowling at her, to keep away. To just stay away, that's all she needed to do and it was sealed deal. That piece of filth would be out of her life forever. Yet, she just couldn't. Every whiff of his rotten scent or a glimpse from distance gave Mapleshade a dreadful, painful reminder Bloomheart was still out there. Still breathing, still alive. And Mapleshade couldn't allow that. Every step he was allowed to take, was another injustice. He had to die, he deserved to die. Which would be happening tonight.

She'd absorbed his every movement since he'd left her with her father's killer. Seemly starting to set up a routine, his scent trail would linger up here every other day, mingled with another Thunderclan scent. Obviously, that of his son, the newly named, Nettlebreeze. Even exile couldn't keep the father and son apart. Using this rocky wasteland as their secret meeting place.

The limp Shykit dangled from her jaws like a dead rat, barely breathing as the ferns brushed against them while they moved silently past them. Without milk or rest, the kit had completely collapsed. What made it worse, every few heartbeats or so, Mapleshade thought she could make out the slight noise of a weak cough. White or greencough. Curse the Leafbare weather. If Reedshine had just given birth to the maggot earlier, she wouldn't be having those unnecessary problems. Not that it mattered too much. All she needed to do was the same thing as Patchpaw, ambush another Medicine cat at highstones and force them to treat the useless lump. Maybe she could give the Riverclan Medicine cat, Echopaw- if that was still her name, a visit. A sick warmth tingling through her matted fur, at thought of getting revenge on that little snitch. Just like her friend, Ravenwing.

A purr of satisfaction tumbled in her raw throat as the echo of a raging river meets the hollow carven of her ears. The Gorge River. Vicious waves slapping against the rocky cliffs with a furious hiss and an explosion of foam. Climbing up a cluster of steep boulders, only a few scrawny weeds and scrubs could grow amongst the cracks of the barren sloping cliff slide. Hardly a sign of life. Just falling short of Thunderclan's lush forest of oaks, teeming with plump prey.

Usually, no Thunderclan cat would have any reason to journey to this isolated corner of the borders. But the cats' scents that lingered around here like ghosts of the past, had very good reason to come here. After the wearing climb to the top, through the field of jagged stone teeth, Mapleshade made out a distant tree line, the beginning of Thunderclan territory. Despite it being unlucky for any patrolling warriors to spot her from this distance, Mapleshade descended down the hillside again, in search of a place to hide.

With the bursting torrent far below her, Mapleshade perched herself on a nearby ledge, narrowly avoiding the cliff's peak. Roughly dropping Shykit onto the bare rock, Mapleshade tucked her paws in for the possibly long wait. Forcing herself to constantly keep her senses as sharp as claws, struggling not to let her mind wander with the drifting clouds soaring high above. Though surprisingly, she wasn't forced to wait long, her prey already arriving.

She strained her neck, when she noticed the silhouette of bright orange tom, almost glowing gold, his figures washed out by the blinding sun. Standing tall, Nettlebreeze, barely a warrior, gazed at the rampaging waters from a protruding ridge. A gale echoing in the narrow valley, blasted Thunderclan scent into her face. Pressing herself against the stone to remain concealed, Mapleshade quietly grasped Shykit by the scruff, sliding up the sloop on her belly, like a slivering snake, never keeping her eyes off the ginger tom for a moment. One advantage of Shykit's sickness, meant the kit would shut up for once, ensuring she couldn't give Mapleshade's position away.

Gradually, she crawled onto the moss-covered peak, now able to the Thunderclan cat clear as snow in a green forest. Nettlebreeze, sitting peacefully with a fluffy tail settle around his paws, blissfully enjoying the wind as it ruffled his thick fur. Holding her breath, Mapleshade slipped behind a pile of pebbles, peering around it's crusty corners, Nettlebreeze still remained idle like a frozen tree. Mousebrain. Carefully, she swerved past the pebbles, spreading out her toes on each paw, making each paw step was as silent as motionless eerily night. Now just a few fox-lengths away. Lowering her head, Shykit's dangling legs began scraping against the hard ground. So laying Shykit down, shoving her behind her with her back leg, Mapleshade rose from her crouch, withdrawing her claws and teeth.