Mistflower and the Beavers
A Short Story that is trying not to violate any Copyrights
Jack Kinsey
As Mistflower finished grooming herself, she heard Crookedstar calling the Clan. She padded over to the others and found a seat. "It has been a half moon since we sent Paddleprint to see what was causing the shortage of the river," Crookedstar announced. "I think, and my senior warriors agree, that we should send another cat to see what has happened to Paddleprint. Are there any here who would go?" There was a general murmur as the Clan contemplated this. "I'll go," Mistflower meowed. "Well, it seems the position is taken, then," Crookedstar meowed. "This meeting is over. Mistflower, please come to my den to discuss this." As Mistflower padded into Crookedstar's den, she heard him say "I do not know what it is that is doing any of this, but now it is your job to go find out. You'll leave tomorrow."
The next morning, Mistflower set out towards the gorge. As she entered WindClan territory, she instinctively tensed. She traveled undetected until she got out of Clan territory.
***
She followed the river until dark, when she crawled under a bush.
The next morning she hunted, and caught a mouse. Prey wasn't very good because it was almost Leaf-Bare. I need to find something soon, otherwise I may be forced to turn back she thought. Then she walked out of the underbrush to a Thunderpath. She looked down it, but saw no monsters coming from either direction, so she darted across.
She continued like this for about two more days, until she came to a pond. That was when she discovered the problem. There was a beaver dam in construction. She hid in some bushes to survey the problem. The dam was about halfway done. Then she heard Paddleprint. "Help! Help! I'm trapped in here!" She snuck over to where his voice was coming from. She looked around for an entrance into the beaver hole, but found nothing. That was when she remembered that the entrances are underwater. So she slipped down to the water's edge and swam over to the hole. Then she dived. Underwater, she looked for the entrance. Seeing it, she swam towards it. She burst through to a startled Paddleprint, who jumped high into the air at the shock. "Mistflower," he stuttered. "Where did you come from?"
"From RiverClan," she replied. "We were wondering what had happened to you, you were gone so long."
"I've been trapped here," he meowed, "because I wasn't cautious and the beavers caught me and put me in here, and I didn't want to leave for fear that they would kill me. They're very powerful animals."
"Well, you needn't fear now, because I am also here."
"Did they trap you?"
"No, I made my way here by myself."
"OK, let's go."
"Agreed."
So Mistflower dived down into the water, and Paddleprint followed. They swam up to the surface, and to the shore. Then they silently slipped away. The beavers didn't figure out for awhile that their prisoner had escaped into the night.
***
They arrived back at the camp in about two days, having traveled faster than before.
They told Crookedstar of the beavers, and he announced it to the Clan.
"Mistflower has told me of the problem. Far up the river, there are beavers building a dam. This is why the river is drying up, and why Paddleprint didn't come back at first. We obviously need to confront this problem, and so we shall. We shall go up the river and defeat the beavers."
At this the Clan was both startled and relieved, to finally have Paddleprint back and to know what was causing the problem.
"I shall lead a group of our finest warriors up the river. Mistflower, Paddleprint, Bonefur, Bluetail, Gorgeclaw and Flowerfoot. You shall accompany me. We leave tomorrow!"
***
The next morning they set off, following Mistflower and Paddleprint's directions. They traveled for two days, and arrived at the pond on the night of the second day. Crookedstar brought them together to conference on strategy.
"How do you all suppose we do this?"
"Well, we could storm in and take a surprise attack against them," Gorgeclaw voiced.
"Or, we could slip in quietly and kill them," Bonefur suggested.
"Or we could just scare them off," Mistflower meowed.
"I think we should surprise them," Crookedstar decided.
So he instructed them to go around and get in the water, then swim under and scare them and make sure they don't come back.
They followed his instructions, and stormed the beaver holes, yowling like an entire Clan of warriors, not just seven. They fought valiantly, and eventually won over the beavers and drove them off, but not without casualties. Bluetail lost her life, and Flowerfoot was severely injured. They had to bury Bluetail there at the pond, after which they destroyed the dam.
They then returned to RiverClan, and Crookedstar announced their victory over the beavers. It was not announced at the Gathering two nights later, nor has it ever been mentioned since.
***
END