Chapter 4: Nothing but Mice

"Beechpaw!" Robinpaw exclaimed, padding over to her littermate. "I need to talk to you… alone."

The two left camp, giving their mentors the excuse of going hunting, and went far out onto the moorland. "I had a dream…" she began hesitantly. What if Beechpaw thought she was as crazy as a badger?

"I had a dream, too!" Beechpaw said excitedly. "From StarClan!"

Something in Beechpaw's eyes looked shadowy, as if he wasn't being entirely honest, but Robinpaw pushed the thought away. "Really?" Her eyes grew wide. "What was-" She didn't get to finish.

"Beechpaw! Robinpaw!" a voice called. Midnightstorm. Midnightpaw and Fernpaw had recently become warriors, and seemed to think that they were Clan leader and deputy. Now they were Midnightstorm and Fernsky. And bossy know-it-all mousebrains.

"CloudClan cannot afford to have its apprentices stand around and gossip. You two told Rabbitwind and Foxwhisker that you were going hunting, and I see no trace of prey, nor do I see any indication that you were trying to catch prey. No more talking. Hunt," the new warrior demanded, his arrogant eyes blazing.

Robinpaw didn't dare speak to Beechpaw the rest of the time they were hunting. Midnightstorm may have been a senseless, ignorant mousebrain, but he was still a warrior. Robinpaw respected that.

Most of the time.

"Bluestar… is this wise?"

"Whatever do you mean, Cinderpelt?"

The cat called Cinderpelt shook her star-spangled head in doubt. Her blue eyes were clouded. "I am not convinced that this will solve our problem."

Bluestar's piercing gaze narrowed. "Of course, Cinderpelt, this will not solve our problem at first. No, not at all. It may even set us back even further. But, when it is over, trust me, he will be banished to the absolute depths of his world, and will not return for many, many generations to come. Then, and only then, will this plan contribute to the resolving of our issue," she replied.

"But, Bluestar, are you willing to let perfectly strong, valuable cats join us, in StarClan?" Cinderpelt pointed out.

Bluestar looked intensely at her companion. "Everything that happens, happened, and will happen, my friend, has been set to happen since the beginning of this world. Every decision we make, every pawstep we take, has been foreseen by higher beings than us. You know who they are."

"Naturally."

"Well, then you should infer that we did not make this decision. No, this decision has been made for many, many seasons."

Cinderpelt flicked her tail in slight irritation. "I see."

Bluestar shook her head. "No, you do not. But you soon will. We are nothing but mice. They are the cats. We are mice being controlled by the cats. The cats toy with us, and they fool around, trick us into thinking we'll live. If you were a mouse, surely you would think that you are in control? That you know what you are doing and you decide for yourself? But what the mice do not know is that the cats are the ones whom shape their lives. They decide whether to let the mice reach that last nibble of food, or whether to let the mice scuttle in a circle before they end their lives."

Cinderpelt said nothing.

Beechpaw growled. "You don't know anything about me!" he said angrily. "You're just a mousebrained, foxhearted warrior!"

Midnightstorm hissed. "You should not speak to me that way!" Fernsky came up behind him. "Beechpaw, calm yourself!" she commanded.

"You don't control me!"

Moonwing, Beechpaw's father, stepped in, along with Foxwhisker. "Beechpaw, control your temper!" his father said sternly.

"Shut up!" Beechpaw yelled. "Just everybody, shut up! I can't take it anymore!"

With that, he fled out of camp and ran as fast as his legs would take him.

Robinpaw, hearing the sleep-disturbing commotion, came out of the apprentices' den to see Beechpaw speed out of camp. She ran after him. Great StarClan, what happened now?

Beechpaw had run farther than he'd ever gone. He wasn't even sure if he was in CloudClan territory anymore. He found a dead tree to perch on, and fell asleep.

"Beechpaw."

He opened his eyes to see Starkthistle in front of him. He sat up. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I told you I'd come back for you soon, with cats who will help. Here they are," Starkthistle said. He flicked his tail and a swarm of cats emerged from the shadowy undergrowth. Beechpaw looked around uneasily. He didn't feel comfortable. "Don't fret, young one," Starkthistle said gently, as if sensing Beechpaw's worries. "We are your friends. I want to introduce you to someone I think you will get along with…"

A broad-shouldered brown tabby tom stepped forward, his massive, dangerous paws thumping against the dead grass. His amber eyes glowed with ambitious, merciless vengeance. His pelt was battle-scarred and his claws were sharp.

"Tigerstar," he gasped in a frightened whisper.

Tigerstar purred. "So you've heard the dreadful, unfair tales they've fed to you? I'd hoped you weren't like the others, Beechpaw, that you'd be able to hear me out and see past what you think you know. After all, we are the only ones who can help you and your Clan from the dreadful outcomes of the future," he mewed.

Beechpaw hesitated. "Explain," he said.

"Surely, you do not think that the nightmares they tell you are true? I was not a traitor! Firestar disliked me strongly. He wanted to get rid of me; he wanted to be deputy, you see, and I was in his way. I would try to talk to Ravenpaw, warn him away from his fiery-pelted friend. Ravenpaw wasn't happy with Bluestar's choice in appointing me as his mentor, and, of course, he went to Firestar. He was still Firepaw then. He ran his mouth to everyone who would listen about how I was dangerous, trying to murder Bluestar. And then a pack of rogues attacked her. I tried to stop them. Bluestar was in shock and Firestar-he was Fireheart now- talked her into thinking I had tried to kill her. Can you imagine the humility and complete sadness I felt when they banished me? I had done no wrong! The rabbit trail? Firestar, himself, had laid it. I was trying to mess the dogs up. I didn't want Bluestar to be murdered! But he had killed her anyway. I had failed. He became leader. Then her brought the twolegplace cats in and framed me so that I looked like I had brought them to the Clans! By the time I figured it out, I was dead. Scourge had murdered me. And StarClan sent me here! I want to help the Clans, no matter how different they are from when I walked the forest. Please, Beechpaw, won't you understand?" Tigerstar pleaded. His amber eyes were wide and watery with tears. Beechpaw found that he believed Tigerstar.

Beechpaw was silent for a few moments, then finally said, "I know what it is like to be an outcast. I know what it is like to have nobody believe you, to have everyone doubt you and treat you like dirt. I believe you, Tigerstar. Now, will you help my Clan?"

Tigerstar looked unbelievably grateful. "I thank you with all my heart, Beechpaw. But the only way we can possibly help you is if you help us first. You see, StarClan, as cruel as they really are, trapped us in the dead tree on which you sleep. We are bound here until a living Clan cat older than seven moons finds us, and frees us," he explained.

"How do I free you?"

Tigerstar looked into Beechpaw's eyes seriously. "Break a tree branch from a living tree. Tuck it under one of the uprooting roots of this tree. Slash the trunk of the tree three times, then say, 'I release you in the name of StarClan.'"

Beechpaw nodded. "I will."

And then, he awoke.

AN: Hope you liked it! (Reviews make me smile) :)