Mapleshade

Mapleshade is a ragged, large, sturdy, thick-furred ginger-and-white she-cat with a fluffy white tail, a scarred head, thorn-sharp claws, and amber eyes.

Crookedstar's Promise

 * When Stormkit falls and breaks his jaw at Sunningrocks while escaping from Goosefeather, he spots Mapleshade. She looks down at him through the river, telling him that it isn't his time to die yet.


 * Later, when Stormkit, now known as Crookedkit, runs away from RiverClan, she appears and advises him to go back. She asks him a question, in which Crookedkit must abide by all his life. She asks Crookedkit to make a promise, saying that he can become stronger than his clanmates, as long as he follows the Warrior Code and remains loyal to his Clan. Crookedkit promises, and Mapleshade tells him he has a great destiny ahead of him. Crookedkit constantly thinks about how he is being mentored by a cat in StarClan.


 * When Crookedpaw is made an apprentice, he is eager to finally train with Oakpaw. Mapleshade constantly reminds him he must be loyal to his Clan, as he had promised. She tells Crookedpaw that he couldn't be friends with Willowpaw, because she would be a distraction from his training. Crookedpaw gets angry at Mapleshade as she says this, and retains his friendship with the young apprentice.


 * Later on, Crookedjaw is fighting dogs when his mother, Rainflower, dies on the riverbank. He wants to fetch Brambleberry and try to save her, but Mapleshade tells him to keep fighting, and that he needed to save the rest of his Clanmates. Crookedjaw reluctantly joins Oakheart, leaving Rainflower to die. Oakheart is angry at Crookedjaw for leaving her.


 * When Shellheart steps down to become an elder, Hailstar receives a omen from StarClan that Crookedjaw will be the new deputy. But Mapleshade later reveals to Crookedjaw that she was the one who created the "omen".


 * Crookedjaw finds out that Mapleshade is not from StarClan and is angry because she lied to him. He refuses to listen to her any longer.


 * When Hailstar is about to die in a battle with rats, Mapleshade tries to kill Hailstar, thinking it is best for Crookedjaw, but he refuses to let her kill his leader. He dies from severe wounds. Mapleshade does not approve of Willowbreeze and Crookedjaw being mates as she says he is breaking his promise to her.


 * After Crookedstar's leader ceremony, Mapleshade appears to him. She tells him that both of them kept their promise and asks him if he is going to thank her. When Crookedstar turns away, telling her to leave him alone, she tells him that he cannot run away from her.


 * When Willowbreeze dies shortly after delivering her kits, and two of the kits also die, Crookedstar is very angry and depressed as he knows Mapleshade and his promise to her are to blame. He visits her in a dream, and tells her that he lost Rainflower, Shellheart, Hailstar, Willowbreeze and his two kits, Minnowkit and Willowkit, due to the promise he made. She acts innocent, saying it was a sacrifice he had to make to become the greatest warrior ever reminding him that he promised. He then tries to fight her, but she stops him by telling him about her terrible past: ThunderClan casted her away for taking a RiverClan mate. She tried to take her kits to RiverClan, but they drowned by falling in the river. The father blamed her, and they exiled her from RiverClan as well. Her former mate then took a RiverClan mate. They had a daughter, and her son was Shellheart, the father of Crookedstar and Oakheart. She told Crookedstar the reason she sought revenge on him was because StarClan had destined him to be a great leader, yet she believed that he should not even have been born and it should have been her kin who had a great destiny. She tells him she was testing him to see if he was weak like his kin, and she tells him that he is. Mapleshade doesn't bother him after that, and Crookedstar improves his relationship with his remaining daughter, Silverkit.


 * In the manga at the end, Crookedstar sees his daughter, Silverstream, with Graystripe, and Mapleshade's words ringing in his ears. When Silverstream dies, Crookedstar sees her when he was on the border of StarClan and the Dark Forest. Mapleshade tells him his punishment is now complete, and he has lost everything. Crookedstar tells her that she is wrong, and that everyone he has lost is waiting for him in StarClan while she has nothing and no one. Mapleshade responds with a frail retort, although knowing that what he says is true.

Night Whispers

 * When Ivypaw is chasing after Antpelt in the Dark Forest, she runs into Mapleshade, who retaliates by pinning the apprentice down. Mapleshade threatens Ivypaw until Hawkfrost steps in and tells her to back off. She obeys, growling at Hawkfrost to try and keep his visitors under control, then stalks off. As she is leaving, Ivypaw notices that she can see through Mapleshade at the trees beyond. Hawkfrost comments that she had been there for a long time, but won't be there for much longer. Ivypaw believes him as her glowing figure fades into the outlines of the trees.


 * Later on, Mapleshade taunts Ivypaw when she tries to wake up from her dream in the Dark Forest. Ivypaw, nervous, asks Mapleshade why she won't just fade away. Mapleshade replies that she isn't going anywhere until she's settled some scores, then tells Ivypaw that she is training her. She forces Ivypaw to try and knock her paws out from under her when she's neck-deep in river water. Ivypaw tries, but Mapleshade pins her down underwater. Ivypaw struggles mercilessly until she kicks a rock with her hind paws, and she is able to swim away from her.

Sign of the Moon

 * Mapleshade is briefly seen after Ivypool wins a fight with Thistleclaw during a training session. She talks with Ivypool and tells her that she had her doubts about her in the beginning but trusts her now. She also reveals that a battle between the Place of No Stars and StarClan will be soon. She has a reputation for being one of the oldest cats in the Dark Forest, and many cats, including Tigerstar, are said to be afraid of her.

The Forgotten Warrior

 * While Ivypool is visiting the Dark Forest, she runs into Tigerheart, who is listening to Mapleshade talk about the fall of StarClan. Ivypool notes that she has begun to fade into mist, and she looked even paler then ever before. Ivypool reflects upon how terrified she'd been of Mapleshade when she tried to drown her in a training exercise. As Mapleshade is talking, she suddenly gets a whiff of fear, and instantly turns on Snowtuft.


 * As Brokenstar holds a Dark Forest meeting, Mapleshade is noted to be standing with Tigerstar and a few other Dark Forest warriors. When Brokenstar is interrupted by Hawkfrost, claiming that Ivypool wishes to speak, Mapleshade hisses, and doesn't seem too happy with the sudden intrusion.

The Last Hope

 * After Hawkfrost sends the living cats home, he meets with the senior warriors to discuss about the final battle, Mapleshade is seen with them. Ivypool comments that Mapleshade was even fainter, as for she could see the tree's almost clear behind Mapleshade. When they discuss ideas, Mapleshade plots to kill the kits in the Clans first. She believes that if the kits died, the mothers would have nothing left to fight for.


 * During the battle, Maple shade is seen attacking Dovewing, asking why she doesn't just give up. Dovewing continues to fight her, and when Dovewing is knocked down, Ivypool comes to her side and attacks her, biting deep into their shoulder and flinging her backwards.


 * Mapleshade attacks Sandstorm, claiming she had everything Mapleshade ever wanted, which results in Spottedleaf yanking her off. She taunts Spottedleaf about why she would save the cat that stole Firestar, to which she replies that Sandstorm made Firestar happy. Mapleshade then attacks Spottedleaf so badly, that in the end, Spottedleaf dies again. While Firestar grieves for Spottedleaf, Sandstorm chases Mapleshade out of ThunderClan territory.

Trivia

 * Mapleshade was originally described as tortoiseshell-and-white in an Erin Hunter Chat. This was later changed to her current ginger and white description. However, she has also been described or shown as tortoiseshell-and-white in the manga in Crookedstar's Promise and in The Last Hope.
 * Mapleshade has been described with green eyes.

Members
Mate:
 * Unnamed tom (formerly): Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Kits:
 * Unknown kits: Deceased, Suspected StarClan members