Maplethorn's teeth dug into Briar's pelt, albeit only gently, so that she wouldn't face further repercussions for her actions. However, her claws, on the other paw, told a different story. Rivulets of blood streamed from where her claws dug into the she-cat's pelt. After a few shocked seconds, Briar gave forth a wailing yowl, one that sounded so painful that even Maplethorn hesitated, withdrawing her claws slightly, wondering if she had accidentally inflicted too much damage.

Another snarl rippled from behind her and Maplethorn whipped around, claws still attached into Briar's pelt as she faced her brother.

"Let go of her, you filthy beast!" he roared, charging towards Maplethorn, sprinting faster than she'd ever seen before.

Maplethorn used Briar as a springing board and leapt onto a tree, mere seconds before Shadepool would've probably killed her thrice over before throwing her off a cliff, if she was lucky.

From her position on the bough of the tree, she surveyed the pair again, green eyes glistening with apathy.

"You savage!" he snarled, curling around the whimpering golden she-cat. "This isn't a fight-to-the-death battle for victory!"

Maplethorn merely swished her tail, blinking slowly as she crawled a couple of tail-lengths down the bough of the tree. Shadepool snarled at every step she took and Maplethorn slowly came to a halt.

Well, daughter, Scorchflame meowed, the only solution when you're cornered is to strike fast and disappear faster.

I'm not stupid, Maplethorn rumbled, disgruntled. I know how to fight.

But you're not perfect, Scorchflame replied.

Maplethorn shut out her mother's voice as her eyes darted across this portion of MistClan's territory. She inhaled the scent of pine sap and looked up. Barely discernible streaks of soft pastel pink littered the sky as she smiled.

Briar wouldn't have long to locate her before the test was over.

And then she'd fail, Maplethorn gleefully thought to herself as she narrowed her eyes at the pair.

With a quiet swish, Maplethorn leapt forwards, off the tree and dug her claws into both cats' pelts before dragging them a little to inflict more damage and darted off into the dense undergrowth, leaving nothing behind, no trace of a trail.

"That bastard!" Shadepool screeched in both outrage and pain, Maplethorn grinned as she ran, the trees and foliage beside her turning into abstract streaks as she headed directly towards camp, soaring up another densely packed clump of trees and nestling on a thin branch that swayed and bobbed precariously underneath her weight.

After closing her eyes for a few moments, Maplethorn stretched her muscles and glanced upwards at the darkening sky, her tail swishing, partly in boredom and partly in joy as she counted down the seconds until Briar's second part of the assessment was over.

3...

2...

1...

Maplethorn's eyes glimmered with excitement as she soared into the crater of MistClan's camp. Her paws came into contact with the damp ground as she sauntered over to the High-Ledge to await judgement by Cinderstar.

Moments later, the MistClan leader scaled up the High-Ledge and declared,

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather under the High-Ledge for an announcement!"

Her clanmates streamed out from their respective dens and gathered under the High-Ledge, looking expectantly at their leader.

Maplethorn watched as Briar emerged, leaning onto Shadepool for support, much more than necessary, more for show than anything, she supposed. Maplethorn heard shocked murmurs rippling among her clanmates as she saw Briar's fur matted with blood, certain portions standing up vertically due to the amount of gore it had absorbed.

She felt her brother's unforgiving blue eyes sear into her soul as she averted her gaze and looked at the leader.

"Briar," Cinderstar meowed, surprise reflecting in her own deep blue eyes. "Please step forward."

Briar stood up and fell slightly before limping in a slightly exaggerated manner, towards Cinderstar as the golden she-cat made her way to the High-Ledge.

"Briar," Cinderstar declared, peering down at the she-cat. "I am pleased to announce that you have passed your second stage of initiation. You have successfully located and escorted four out of five cats to the edge of the boundary. Thus, you may now advance to the third stage of initiation, which will commence at moon-high. You may rest until then. Clan dismissed."

Maplethorn stalked away to the medicine cat's den and was greeted by Ashpool, whom she immediately replied with an attempted hiss.

Maplethorn ended up hacking and coughing again as she stumbled past Ashpool, struggling to breathe and made her way to Tinycloud who was still resting in his nest, glancing up in alarm at Maplethorn as she coughed, managing a small smile through her tears as she lay down beside her former mentor.

"How are you, Tinycloud?" Maplethorn asked after a few strenuous seconds of quiet coughing.

"I'm doing pretty well," her former mentor replied, stretching his thin, lanky body in the makeshift nest of moss, feathers and small twigs. "However, it'll probably be another couple of days before I can finally leave the den."

"I see," Maplethorn meowed, relieved that her mentor wouldn't be permanently disabled for the rest of his life.

"How's the rogue's initiation trials going?" Tinycloud asked, trying to break the heavy silence within the den.

Maplethorn bit on her tongue so hard she tasted the metallic tang of blood within her mouth as she cursed herself for not having enough foresight to convince another clanmate to prevent Briar from passing the trails.

"Pretty well," Maplethorn managed to finally utter without bursting into a fit of rage.

"I see," Tinycloud replied, consternation clouding his face as he saw Maplethorn seething beside him, shuffling discreetly away from Maplethorn, fearing her temper.

Maplethorn saw her mentor shuffling and forcibly flattened her fur. Perhaps she would forever be feared, being dubbed 'the apprentice who killed another' in the stories of future queens. Not that she minded, of course. It would be exhilarating to leave a legacy behind, just like how Mapleshade did. Sometimes, when the more faint-hearted cats whispered her name, they would freeze in fear for the next couple of days, spooked by any movement or noise, thinking they had awoken the infamous she-cat from the dead. And Maplethorn did see some sense in those cats now, especially after seeing how unstable the tortoiseshell was the last time they met.

Maplethorn sighed and said to her former mentor, rather stiffly, not too sure whether her words would be perceived as a threat,

"Rest well, Tinycloud. I hope you get better soon."

Her former mentor nodded and almost fell asleep instantaneously as he placed his head on his paws and Maplethorn wondered if he had only been putting up a charade to not anger her. Maplethorn sighed as she bumped into Silentpaw on the way out.

"Is your throat alright?" her sister mewed immediately.

Here we go again, Maplethorn sighed internally but smiled, regardless.

"I'm fine," Maplethorn replied. "How did you even know-"

"News travels fast in a confined space with slanderous cats," Silentpaw meowed and Maplethorn blinked. She blinked again and thrice more times, trying to process what her sister was saying. Never in her entire life had she ever heard the soft-spoken sister whisper a negative thought out loud.

"Ok," Maplethorn replied, not too sure what else to say, especially with Silentpaw's reply, practically like a slap to her face.

"I think the blood on your chin says otherwise," Silentpaw meowed. "Here, take a honeycomb. It'll soothe your throat. And remember to drink plenty of water. I'll tell Heatherstalk that myself, in case you try to worm your way out of this."

"I'm perfectly fine!" Maplethorn spluttered as Silentpaw unforgivingly shoved a piece of sweet honeycomb into her mouth.

Maplethorn choked on it for the first couple of seconds, not used to the almost sickening sweetness that it carried.

"And here you go," Silentpaw commanded, tone soft but firm as she thrust a dripping-wet mouthful of moss towards her face, seemingly retrieved from out of nowhere.

Maplethorn obediently lapped it up, knowing that she wouldn't be able to leave the den until she did so.

"Am I done yet, the almighty medicine cat?" Maplethorn rolled her eyes but a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Yes you are," Silentpaw giggled in response. "Wait, hold on a moment."

Silentpaw walked towards Maplethorn and licked the semi-dried blood off her chin, rubbing her head on Maplethorn's shoulder before saying,

"Now you're ready to go."

Maplethorn dipped her head in gratitude as she left the den. She scanned the camp and sure enough, saw her former brother, Shadepool, playing with Briar, in an almost kitten-like manner. The beautiful she-cat chortled at Shadepool, behaving in an even more kitten-like manner than Shadepool, playfully batting his nose or whacking him.

Maplethorn rolled her eyes and stalked away in disgust. Couldn't they find a more private place to act like three-moon old kittens? Maplethorn made her way to the warriors' den and lay down in her nest, eyes closing as she plunged into oblivion, falling...