"Well, Silentpaw," Maplethorn asked, breaking the silence. "When do you suppose you will receive your medicine cat name?"

She still internally shuddered as her mind wandered off to last night. She wondered how her mother was faring and whether she had been injured by Mapleshade.

"Oh, I suppose in a couple of moons. After all, I left only after I received the very basics of medicine cat training," Silentpaw shrugged, yanking ferociously at the leaf of another plant.

Maplethorn said nothing as she followed her sister, who was collecting herbs for Ghostwhisper. She wanted to help, to spend time with her sister, but Silentpaw still thought that she would do something fatal, and possibly kill herself.

"I survived the second half of my assessment perfectly fine-" Maplethorn whined again.

"With a fractured shoulder and a couple of cuts. I would not call that perfectly fine in any shape or form," Silentpaw retorted, plucking some deathberries from a shrub.

"I know now that those are deathberries and not juniper berries, at least," Maplethorn shot back.

"Well, you nearly killed yourself when you were a kit, so I could say otherwise," Silentpaw demurely meowed, as she stripped another branch bare of its berries.

"Well, I wasn't going to train to become a medicine cat!" Maplethorn fumed, annoyed that Silentpaw was penning her up like a three moon old kit.

The both of them stayed silent, the rustling of bushes, shrubs and the undergrowth the only sound that could be heard. She flicked her ear as she took in Silentpaw's scent properly, for the first time. She smelled of the same fresh rain, flowers and bright sunshine, mixed with a hint of peace. She smelled like the definition of optimism, warm and pure. But underneath, she could smell the harsh, acrid scent of another clan. Perhaps it was just because she had mingled with other cats too often that her scent wasn't as strong as it used to be in MistClan and shook off any other thoughts brewing up in her mind.

"Maplethorn," Silentpaw meowed. "Since you've wanted to help me so much, you can carry this bundle back to camp. No wait, take this bundle instead. I still can't trust you yet with deathberries."

"I saved myself once!" Maplethorn argued as Silentpaw swapped the bundles around once again and Maplethorn continued to mutter muffled obscenities under her breath as they both made their way back to camp.

As she returned to camp, Waspsting was waiting for her as he glared,

"Come with me, you two."

"Of course, father," Maplethorn spoke graciously, "that is, after we drop these bundles off at the medicine cats' den."

She saw Waspsting's whiskers twitch with irritation but he said nothing as they dropped off their bundles and Maplethorn greeted her injured mentor before following her father.

"Recently, Shadepool has been complaining about the two of you," Waspsting began.

"Oh?" Maplethorn asked, curious to see what profanities her brother had been spewing about to her father.

"He said that the two of you were conspiring against him and that is why the leader has taken less interest in him," Waspsting sneered. "Also, he informed me that you two were slandering within the clan to bring his reputation down."

Silentpaw opened her mouth, which Maplethorn could tell that an apology was to spill out before blurting out on top of her sister, her tail slapped over Silentpaw's mouth,

"Well, my dear father, the leader does not even wish to look at me, let alone talk or listen to me, especially more so after that damned skull was brought in. And, for the slandering part, have you any solid proof? Is such a legendary deputy going to be swayed just by the words of his son? Now that is something that is worth gossiping about."

Waspsting remained eerily quiet before speaking,

"Maplethorn, just because you are a warrior does not give you the right to talk so disrespectfully to your father."

"Father," Maplethorn smiled innocently, "I have always heard you were renowned for your skill in verbal sparring. Has your age reduced your skills so that the only retort you can think of is to not speak so disrespectfully to your elders? I might go easy on you if this is the case."

"Maplethorn," Silentpaw reprimanded her quietly, a warning tone beneath her gentle words.

"Former daughter, I believe that my age has only increased my skill. Anyway, I don't think you'd understand the meaning behind that skull, since you're a bit too naive and simplistic to know such things. Ashpool is solid evidence of the slander you've been spreading," Waspsting meowed.

"Oh," Maplethorn blinked, pretending to look shocked as a grin spread across Waspsting's face. "Then, I suppose the owner of the skull was Fangpaw?"

Waspsting's grin completely vanished as he growled, "Where did you learn that from? Heatherstalk?"

"No, not Heatherstalk alone. The elders as well, and the queens as well as some apprentices, as well as the majority of the clan," Maplethorn coolly replied, praying that Waspsting would not chase after her clanmates for answers. "It didn't seem like a secret. Is it though, dear father?"

Waspsting stared at her ominously, silence settling in the den before he spoke,

"Well then, if you think you're so smart, why did Cinderstar react so severely to the skull?"

"I don't know," Maplethorn meowed calmly, smiling at Waspsting's triumphant gaze. "Perhaps it was because Fangpaw was Cinderstar's sister and she was close to her. Perhaps she was jealous of all the attention her sister was receiving. Or, perhaps..."

Maplethorn leaned forward, whispering into her father's ear,

"She was jealous of Fangpaw's love interest, which was coincidentally her own, and intentionally led the both of them to their demise during their warrior assessment, but felt deeply guilty afterwards because she loved Adderpaw, and never wished for him to die, but the emotions only hit her after she had killed both of them."

She sat back, relishing the shock on her father's face as she could tell he was fighting to process the information.

"You can't know that...only I know about this!" Waspsting meowed, outraged, hissing in Maplethorn's face.

"Now, father, please calm yourself. A deputy like you shouldn't lose their composure so easily. What happened to the apathetic tom who didn't care about his own mate's death and kicked her body to the side after her kits were born, as though she was nothing more than a kit-making vessel?" Maplethorn whispered in his ear, before turning to leave, "If that's all, I shall take my leave. Besides, did you know that the skeletons of Adderpaw and Fangpaw still lie, entwined with each other, at the bottom of the abyss?"

Maplethorn left before her father's dismissal, Silentpaw trailing behind her. She knew there would most certainly be repercussions to come, but she wanted to savour this moment of joy, a triumph which she had secretly longed for such a long time.

"You know that was a reckless decision, right?" Silentpaw spoke up as they walked across camp.

Maplethorn stayed silent, but gave a taught nod of her head.

"Silentpaw," Maplethorn meowed, after a pregnant pause formed between them.

"Yes, sister?" Silentpaw asked.

"I want you to keep an eye on Ashpool. Don't ask me why. Just look out for him and report to me anything he does that seems out of line," Maplethorn ordered, swishing her tail as Hailroar approached them.

"Yes, ma'am," Silentpaw smiled, standing alert as she dipped her head jokingly before disappearing into the medicine cats' den.

"Hailroar?" Maplethorn asked.

"You have been ordered by the deputy to join the night patrol. It will begin just after sunset, so please join me at the edge of our camp then," Hailroar meowed.

"Of course," Maplethorn dipped her head and walked off to the apprentices' den.

It took her some time to realise that she didn't belong here anymore, but she wanted to settle some disputes from her kithood. Sure, she was petty, but that was how life worked here, no? If others were going to throw rocks at her face, she would pick them up and hurl them back at the offenders...after the wounds healed, of course.

"What are you doing here?" sneered Moonkit, now Moonpaw, the elegant she-cat grooming her hind leg.

"Pay respects to your elders," Maplethorn meowed simply, it wouldn't take much to work up this dense she-cat.

"Pfft, you're only two moons older than me and you're expecting me to pay attention to a deformed cat? No wonder why Waspsting prefers Shadepool over you. He's so much more chivalrous and courageous than you are," Moonpaw scoffed.

Maplethorn opened her mouth to spit something back at the insolent apprentice, but Cinderstar called,

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey, please gather under the High-ledge for a meeting!"

Maplethorn shot one last burning glare at Moonpaw before making her way in front of the high-ledge. She sat down, looking up at the leader, whose expression was grim.

"We have found a cat at our border who wishes to join our clan," Cinderstar began and a thrill of energy surged through Maplethorn's veins. She'd heard about an initiation before, an entrance test to see whether an outsider would be deemed worthy to have a place within MistClan's ranks. She'd heard about Glassflicker's initiation from Heatherstalk a couple of times before, and it was a true feat since Glassflicker was originally a kittypet, pampered and spoiled by her twolegs. Maplethorn's gaze travelled down to meet the innocent round green eyes of a dull golden she-cat dusted over with a darker overcoat on the lower half of her back. She looked like a blessing from StarClan with her dainty movements and even exuded an air of elegance. If anything, this she-cat reminded Maplethorn of her mother, but Scorchflame carried a flair of insanity along with her beauty, thus creating an even more enigmatic combination that no one could ever replicate.

"As such," the leader continued, "Tradition holds that an outsider must complete three exams of my choice before they are allowed to have a place within our clan. Before we begin, are you certain you wish to partake in these trials? There is a high chance of injury or even death, but this is something all of us go through on a daily basis."

The she-cat meowed, her voice much more elegant than her current state, which anyone could tell was still breathtaking, one filled with starlight and roses, laced with honey and sunshine. Cold, but warm at the same time, truly marvellous,

"I, Briar, agree to these terms."

Cinderstar dipped her head and meowed,

"Very well. Then, the first part of the assessment will be to fight a warrior of my choosing. If they deem you fit enough, they will tell you. However, you may not pause the combat until the warrior's verdict says so."

The rogue, Briar, dipped her head gracefully and Cinderstar's gaze scanned across the clan, but Waspsting raised his tail and called out,

"Cinderstar, a word with you, if I may."

Cinderstar gave assent and Waspsting leaped on top of the High-ledge. They whispered inaudible things to each other, looking as though they were having a heated debate amongst themselves.

After a long silence, Cinderstar gave a ginger nod before Waspsting sat down again, shooting inscrutable looks at Maplethorn.

"Waspsting and I have come to the decision that Maplethorn will be the warrior to combat Briar. This is because she is a new warrior and it will only be fair for you to fight someone whose skills are not extremely advanced," Cinderstar announced. "The fight will commence shortly in the training grounds. We shall now make our way there."

Briar elegantly leaped out of the camp, confidently, as though she owned this place and set a twinge of annoyance creeping into Maplethorn's heart.

I don't like that she-cat, Maplethorn growled, more to herself than to Scorchflame.

Neither do I, her mother responded anyway,  But-

Let me guess, you have another plan which includes letting this she-cat pass and letting the whole clan ridicule me because- Maplethorn began but her mother's voice cut right through hers.

I have your whole future before my eyes, darling. I cannot tell you, but I can certainly change it. You have to trust your mother and your instincts here, because from now on, your future is like descending the abyss. Deadly and perhaps even fatal if you make one wrong move, Scorchflame reprimanded her.

"Very well, mother," Maplethorn muttered as she squared up to Briar in the training grounds.

She scrutinised the she-cat, as she always did with her opponents when there was enough time to do so. Briar possessed little muscle mass, but her body was lean and compact. Her legs looked pretty solid and could probably deal some damage if she aimed correctly. This she-cat probably had no sense of valour or chivalry, due to her lack of clan knowledge, thus, Maplethorn would treat this like any Starless Forest battle, without the claws or bloodshed or torturing of defeated enemies, of course.

"You may begin whenever you're ready," Cinderstar meowed, perched up high in a tree, as the rest of the warriors and apprentices gathered in a tight circle around them.

There would certainly be no place to flee, Maplethorn thought gleefully, only realising her joy when she found the link between Briar and Grovepaw's body build. However, Maplethorn wouldn't underestimate Briar, and treat her like Grovepaw, as the appearance of a cat could be a surprising facade when it came to the actual battle.

Briar stood still, serene and calm, reminding her of the still nights during new-leaf.

"Well, I shall give you the honours of dealing the first blow. It is customary for outsiders who are completing initiation to deal the first blow as a sign of respect and good luck for the future," Maplethorn purred, glad, for once, of Heatherstalk's drilling of historical laws and rules.

"Oh?" Briar blinked, surprised. "I thought it would be warriors who would do so, since this clan has graced me with such an opportunity."

As Maplethorn opened her mouth to shoot out a condescending reply, Briar launched forward with astonishing speed for an untrained rogue, but it wasn't so magnificent after dead spirits constantly clawed, bit you and drew blood from the most painful parts of your body before darting away with speed faster than half a blink of an eye.

That filthy mongrel, Maplethorn hissed in her mind, however, merely stepped out of the way, causing Briar to crash into the sand.

"Hey!" she squealed, her voice containing a tone of hurt. "You're supposed to fight me! This isn't called fighting!"

Maplethorn merely ignored her as she leaped atop of Briar, the same way she did to Waspsting, causing the she-cat to wriggle and squirm beneath her, but to no avail.

"This isn't how you fight!" The she-cat bawled, tears streaming down her face. "Fighting is supposed to be where you hit each other in alternate turns until the opponent faints. That's what I was taught!"

The she-cat wailed and Maplethorn was ready to completely cut the tongue out of her mouth, along with a few inches of the she cat's fur and flesh and her eyes and her ears...

Maple, Scorchflame warned. What did I tell you before? You have to let her win.

Fine! But I better have the right to kill this flea-bag in the future, Maplethorn sulked her tail whipping furiously as she stepped off the she-cat and the second she did so, Briar, with blinding speed, whacked Maplethorn on the head as she sat down and raised her tail before meowing,

"I announce Briar victorious and she shall continue to the second stage of initiation," Maplethorn began as snickers and whispers arose from the crowd, clearly aimed at Maplethorn, but she continued to speak, "It is also customary to give feedback on your performance, Briar. You have incredible speed and reaction time, and that will definitely serve you to your advantage in your training, however, you must learn that not all fights are fair, and it is your skill that determines who wins a fight, not your crying abilities about what is and isn't just. Who are you to determine what you believe is correct for some place which you have never visited before?"

The snickers stopped and murmurs of what seemed to be approval at Maplethorn's words arose and she stood there, shocked by her clan's support. Perhaps when it came to matters like this, even one's clan would support their members, rather than some outsider whom they've never interacted with before.

She could see tears welling up in Briar's eyes again, but whipped around and joined the crowd, leaving the she-cat on the training grounds alone. She began screaming at her mother,

Why wouldn't you let me win? Now the whole clan is going to see me as someone who is easily swayed by emotions and let a crybaby win a fight!

Maple, you know why. It's because I only ever mean the best for you. That is why I took you under my wing to train. Because I know what your future holds and I want you to cultivate the most of it. You show more promise than any of your siblings and I want to be able to help you gain the most benefits from every situation that arises, Scorchflame reasoned calmly.

Maplethorn grunted, not seeing how letting a weakling win a fight would help 'cultivate the most' of her future. She followed the horde of cats deeper into the territory as Cinderstar announced,

"The second stage of initiation will be a game. You, Briar, will need to locate four out of five cats in our territory in order to pass. This will test, not only your skill at tracking, but your ability to see in the dark. We MistClan cats have enhanced night vision that allows us to see in complete darkness as though we might during daytime. We cannot let you pass if you do not have close to the vision that we do. Before this stage begins, Dawnflower, Heatherstalk, Halfmoon, Wolfhowl and Nettleshade, please mark the boundaries of this assessment. Once you return, I will pick five cats which Briar will be seeking."

Maplethorn smirked. The second stage of initiation was the hardest for most cats as they did not possess the refined night vision that was an absolute necessity for MistClan cats as their entire territory was shrouded in darkness, only three shades lighter in some areas during the daytime. Sometimes, MistClan cats were so used to the darkness that when they were on daytime border patrols, the light could temporarily blind them.

After the cats returned, Cinderstar continued the rules of this stage,

"The five selected cats must stay within the boundaries marked by the cats that were sent out. If they fail to do so, it will be considered as a point for Briar. The cats whom Briar will be seeking may move around however they wish within the boundaries and do not need to stay in a fixed position. Briar, you will have until sunset to locate the cats. Once you locate one, you will need to escort them to the edge of the boundaries without them escaping. Without further ado, I shall pick the five cats now. Shadepool, Moonpaw, Vixenleap, Glassflicker and Maplethorn. You may go hide now and I shall send Briar to locate you at sun-high."

Maplethorn blinked, astonished that Cinderstar had chosen her once again, but was certain that it was because the leader knew that Briar would locate her in no time at all. Maplethorn didn't waste another moment as she dashed off, stirring up a storm of leaves and undergrowth within her wake.

I'm not going to let her find you, Scorchflame promised.

Is this your form of apology because you embarrassed me in front of the whole clan last time? Maplethorn growled, barrelling forwards as she caught the scents of her clanmates up ahead.

No, Scorchflame responded. Anyhow, remember that dead river filled with sludgy undergrowth-

Roll in there? Maplethorn shuddered in disgust.

Yep, Scorchflame meowed.

Maplethorn grimaced as she jumped, landing with a squelch, into the river and rolled around, shuddering in disgust as she felt the slimy undergrowth leeching between her toes and into her fur.

I hope this is worth it, otherwise...Maplethorn threatened.

Have you no faith in your own mother? Scorchflame gasped, pretending to sound shocked and hurt.

Maplethorn didn't respond as she could feel the precious moments ticking away every second as she tried to hide her own scent underneath the misty, enigmatic, scent of the territory, which was something one couldn't possibly describe.

Alrighty, my daughter, Scorchflame meowed. We're going to go...to the cemetery.

Maplethorn blinked and ran, at full speed, towards the darkness that loomed in front of her. The cemetery in which MistClan buried their dead seemed to be nothing natural. It was a complete field of darkness, even with MistClan's special eyes, and was difficult for most to navigate through.

She dived into the utter darkness and squinted her eyes as they adjusted to the complete lack of light. She inhaled deeply, glad she was still within the limits set by Cinderstar. Her body froze and Maplethorn's senses activated as she tried to decipher what was wrong.

She heard a patter of pawsteps as they made their way towards her, completely freezing up on the spot, her fur puffing out.

Calm down, Maple. It's not Briar, Scorchflame reassured her.

She blinked and saw her brother, Shadepool standing in front of the darkness that Maplethorn had been consumed in.

"This is perfect," she heard Shadepool meow, satisfied. "I'm so lucky that Waspsting helps me in every situation. No one will find me here!"

She saw Shadepool march proudly into the cemetery, his scent littered everywhere as Maplethorn gritted her teeth and scaled a tree as quickly and quietly as she could.

"Ugh!" she heard her brother exclaim in disgust. "What's with the dampness and the sliminess of the ground? Ewwww!"

Maplethorn smirked. Clearly Shadepool was a sheltered one, whom had no idea what torture was. The ground and the sludge was nothing compared to the rigorous training delivered in the Starless Forest, and getting dumped in a river of decaying flesh and rotting corpses.

She stretched on the branch she was resting on and surveyed the scenery below. She saw Briar sprinting over and was surprised that she had already located them, gritting her teeth at Shadepool's naiveness. How could he just let his scent stay there on the ground for everyone to locate?

Maplethorn watched as Briar hesitated in front of the wall of darkness before cautiously stepping inside.

My, my, what a courageous one she is, isn't she? Scorchflame meowed.

"Indeed," hissed Maplethorn aloud, watching the she-cat from afar, muscles tense, in case she needed to get away at a moment's notice.

She saw the flashing eyes of the rogue in the darkness and as she scanned around, she heard Shadepool make a weird, grunting noise that sounded like something between a half-roar, half-ewww, half-groan. Briar, instead of leaving, flew further into the cemetery and a couple of moments later, Maplethorn heard a triumphant meow, accompanied by Shadepool's groan of defeat, but it sounded as though he was glad he got caught by Briar.

"Well," Shadepool giggled, Maplethorn intrigued as she had never heard her brother make such a sound in his entire life. "You certainly are a clever rogue aren't you? I'm sure at this rate, you'll pass the assessments in no time!"

"Really?" Briar meowed, astonishment. "Thank you so much for the praise! I really appreciate it!"

"Well," Shadepool whispered. "I'm also going to help you. Such a beautiful and skilled cat that doesn't get into MistClan would be a complete waste."

Not unless I interfere with this, Maplethorn thought, a wicked grin carved into her face as she leaped down from her branch, as she sprinted across the territory, in search of another clanmate, unease brewing in her chest as she could feel the complete havoc this she-cat would bring upon the clan if she were allowed to pass the trials.