Эрин Хантер - Mapleshade’s Vengeance

“I’m going to catch a badger!” Larchkit boasted.

“I’m going to watch that badger eat you first!” retorted Petalkit.

Patchkit was running at Mapleshade’s heels. “Don’t let a badger eat me!” he whimpered.

Mapleshade paused beside the tunnel entrance and turned to lick Patchkit’s ears. “I’ll never let anything bad happen to you,” she promised. With one more glance to check that they weren’t being scrutinized, she ushered her kits into the branches.

“Ow, it’s prickly!” squeaked Petalkit.

“Don’t stop,” Mapleshade urged. With a rapid beat of paws on hard earth, the kits burst out of the tunnel and stopped dead, staring around.

“Wow, outside of the camp is really big!” breathed Larchkit.

“It’s even bigger at the top of the ravine,” Mapleshade meowed. She nudged her kits toward the path that led up to the trees. Her fur prickled at the thought of being seen by a returning patrol.

The kits scrambled up the slope, Petalkit in the lead. They looked even tinier among the tree trunks, the towering oaks and beeches that overhung the ravine. Mapleshade hurried them along a little-used path beneath dense ferns; the kits wanted to stop and sniff every leaf, every mark on the ground, but Mapleshade kept them moving, ducking beneath the sweet-smelling fronds and hoping the fern scent would cover their tracks.

The undergrowth began to thin out, and the sound of splashing water drifted through the trees.

Larchkit pricked his ears. “What’s that?” he mewed. As he tried to peer through the stalks, he stumbled over a fallen twig and landed on his nose. Mapleshade whisked him back to his paws before he could let out a wail. I’m glad Rabbitfur didn’t see that , she thought. She couldn’t deny that these kits were clumsier than their ThunderClan kin.

Patchkit had kept going while Mapleshade picked up his brother, and Mapleshade heard his sudden squeak of surprise. “Water! Water everywhere, look!”

His littermates bundled forward to stand beside him at the edge of the bracken. Mapleshade joined them, and looked out at the dazzling brightness of the river as it flowed past, swift and sparkling.

“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Petalkit whispered.

“Where did it come from?” mewed Larchkit.

Mapleshade thought for a moment. “I don’t really know,” she admitted. “Farther upstream is a deep gorge beside WindClan’s territory —”

“Can we go there?” Petalkit demanded.

Mapleshade shook her head. “No, little one. It’s too far for you to walk today. But one day you’ll see it, I promise.”

Patchkit, usually so timid and happy to let his littermates try everything first, tottered over the stones to the edge of the water.

“Be careful!” Mapleshade warned.

Her son turned to look at her, his eyes shining and droplets of water glinting on his whiskers. “It’s okay,” he mewed. “Watch!”

Before Mapleshade could stop him, he launched himself forward and slipped into the water. For one heartstopping moment, he vanished, then his ginger-and-white face bobbed up on the surface.

“Look at me!” he squealed.

Larchkit and Petalkit raced down the shore and plunged in. For a few strides their little paws dug into the pebbles while the water lapped their fluffy bellies, then they were swimming through the rolling water.

Mapleshade felt a burst of love like the sun coming out. Oh Appledusk! Our kits are half RiverClan, for sure!

Patchkit reached a branch sticking out of the water and hauled himself onto it. Water streamed from his pelt, leaving it as glossy as a crow’s feathers. He looked no bigger than a mouse with his fur flattened to his sides, and his flanks heaved as he caught his breath. Mapleshade felt a jolt of concern.

“Are you okay?” she called.

Patchkit nodded, still panting too hard to speak. Mapleshade paced up and down on the shore. She hated the idea of getting her paws wet, but she wasn’t sure if Patchkit had enough strength to swim back on his own. The other kits were playing hide-and-seek in a clump of reeds close by the shore.

“Larchkit, Petalkit, go help your brother!” she meowed.

Suddenly the rushes on the far shore rustled and a dark gray head appeared. Mapleshade froze. It was Spiketail, the RiverClan deputy. In the middle of the river, Patchkit slumped on the branch, his cheek resting on the slick bark.

“What is that kit doing?” growled Spiketail. He stepped onto the shore, the fur along his spine bristling.

Mapleshade opened her mouth to speak but two more warriors were emerging from the rushes beside Spiketail.

“Is ThunderClan sending their youngest cats to invade us?” asked Milkfur, her white pelt glowing against the stones.

The third cat met Mapleshade’s gaze across the river. From this distance, his green eyes were unreadable. “I think one kit is hardly a threat to our territory,” he meowed. “I’ll return him to where he belongs.” He waded into the water, his pale brown fur turning black as he slid beneath the surface.

“Larchkit, Petalkit, come here!” Mapleshade hissed. The kits waded toward her, looking scared.

“Is that RiverClan warrior going to catch us?” Petalkit squeaked.

Mapleshade watched Appledusk’s head bob steadily closer to the branch. “No,” she mewed.

“You’re safe, don’t worry.”

Appledusk mewed something to Patchkit, too quietly for Mapleshade to hear. Patchkit slithered down the branch and into the water. The RiverClan warrior steadied him with one paw, then began to propel him toward the ThunderClan shore. Mapleshade realized that the other kits were trembling from cold and she bent her head to lick their fur.

“Are we in trouble?” Larchkit mewed.

“Hush, everything’s fine,” Mapleshade murmured between licks.

Appledusk waded out of the river with Patchkit dangling from his jaws. He set the kit down on the stones and nudged him to his feet. “I think this one’s worn out from all that swimming,” he commented. His eyes burned into Mapleshade’s. “You took a risk, bringing them this close to our boundary.”

“I wanted to show them the river,” Mapleshade meowed. She angled her body so that the kits were bundled behind her, out of earshot. She could hear Larchkit asking Patchkit what it had been like to swim so far out.

Appledusk leaned forward until his muzzle was almost touching Mapleshade’s cheek. “They are wonderful,” he breathed. “Strong and brave, and as confident as any RiverClan cat in the water. I am so proud of you.” He straightened up and raised his voice. “I don’t want to see you or these kits anywhere near the river again,” he meowed. The longing in his eyes told a different story.

Mapleshade bowed her head. “Of course, Appledusk. Thank you for bringing Patchkit back.”

Appledusk glanced once more at the kits, then headed back into the water.

“Those kits are not old enough to be out of the nursery!” Milkfur called across the river. “What were you thinking of, bringing them here? They could have drowned!”

“You may have won Sunningrocks, but the river still belongs to us,” yowled Spiketail.

“Appledusk has been merciful this time, but from now on, stay away from our territory.”

Mapleshade herded the kits into the bracken. They were bouncing on their paws—even Patchkit, whose fur was fluffing up like thistledown as it dried.

“That was the best thing ever!” squeaked Larchkit.

“When can we come here again?” Petalkit asked. “Swimming is way more fun than jumping!”

“I swam the farthest, didn’t I?” mewed Patchkit proudly.

Suddenly a dark shape blocked the path. Mapleshade looked up and met Ravenwing’s searching blue gaze. The medicine cat glanced down at the kits. “What were they doing in the river?” he asked.