Mapleshade

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

Crookedstar's Promise

 * Mapleshade is first seen when Stormkit falls and breaks his jaw on the stepping stones. She appears while looking down at him through the river, and tells him that it isn't his time to die yet. Later, when Crookedkit runs away from RiverClan, she appears and advises him to go back. She asks him a question, in which Crookedkit must abide by his life. "I can give you everything you ever dreamed of, power over all your Clanmates, if you promise to be loyal to your Clan above all things. Do you make that promise?" Crookedkit eagerly promises, and Mapleshade often 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. Crookedpaw is angered by her, as she says he can't be friends with Willowkit.


 * Later on, Crookedjaw is fighting dogs when his mother, Rainflower, is dying by the water. He wants to fetch Brambleberry, but Mapleshade tells him to keep fighting, as he has to be more loyal to his Clan than his kin. Crookedjaw reluctantly keeps fighting, and Rainflower dies. Oakheart is angry at Crookedjaw for leaving her. When Shellheart steps down to become an elder, Hailstar recieves a omen from StarClan that Crookedjaw will be the new deputy. It is confirmed later that the omen was not from StarClan, but Mapleshade in the Dark Forest.


 * When Shellheart dies, Crookedjaw is deeply sad, and does not know that Mapleshade had something to do with it. 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 is 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, and reminded 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 believed her kits were perfect, 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 rang 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 mews: "No Mapleshade, you are wrong. I still have a Clan that I love, and am proud to lead, and now... now everything is precious to me here, in StarClan. My family is waiting here for me, when my ninth life has passed."

Night Whispers

 * While 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.


 * 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 her paws kick a rock and she is able to swim away from her mentor.

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 afraid of her.

Trivia

 * It was revealed on Vicky's Facebook page that an evil she-cat called Mapleshade would appear in Night Whispers.
 * It was also revealed that we would find out more about her in Crookedstar's Promise.
 * In the 7th Erin Hunter Chat, Mapleshade's description was mentioned and she was said to be cold and desiring revenge.
 * Mapleshade is described as a tortoiseshell and white in an Erin Hunter Chat.
 * Mapleshade is has been described with green eyes.
 * Mapleshade is shown in the manga for Crookedstar's Promise as a tortoiseshell.

Members
Mate:
 * Shellheart's Grandfather (Formerly): Deceased, Suspected StarClan member

Kits:
 * Unknown kits: Deceased, Suspected StarClan members