DragonClan- Lol, I loved that and it made my morning just a little less frightening (first day of school). I kinda did just gave Beepaw a chest injury, stacked already on her being a cat with a human mind, small because of not eating during kithood, now shes stuck in FlameClan, and somehow poor SaltClan has to deal with Whiskertail until they find his daughter!

8-31-20 7:28 Am.

The nursery was a large underground den, it's entrance a small hole that had been mainly covered with ivy. Inside was dark but her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting as she curled up in a nest.

There was at least five other she-cats that she could smell at first. But it was hard to tell, as the den wasn't just a single room, but many rooms branches off by small tunnels. The ground was covered in wet moss, which she was thankful for as she lapped up droplets of water.

"Hello, you must be the new queen. I'm Heathertuft, we'll be sharing this first den." Explained a heavily pregnant she-cat, who sat down in her own nest just beside Beepaw.

Flicking an ear she sighed inwardly. How was she going to get out of this? Being a queen meant having kits, and there was no way that was going to happen! Could her small body even take that? In the real world female cats as young as six moons could end up getting pregnant, but usually that was way to young, and anyways they at least had size on their side - what did she have?

Another queen lifted her head, amber eyes shining in the dimness. "Ah, this must be Smallpaw, I heard that Crackedstar invited another queen to stay in FlameClan." She shifted, pointing her ears forward as she added. "You're a bit young, and need some meat on those bones!"

Beepaw flattened her ears. How could she explain her situation to these she-cats when they seemed so.. content with this? As if it was normal! And Smallpaw - that's not my name. After being named by Owlpop and Whiskertail she adopted the new name, ready to at least comment to that in this life. But now that name had been stripped from her, just as the name Jade had been.

Shaking her head she let out a small huff. It didn't matter much, with her injured leg she wouldn't be going anywhere. And if magically she was saved, how long was that going to take? Until she really was a immobile queen that would have no chance of continuing her warrior training?

"Smallpaw, you should meet my son, Ashpaw." The amber eyed queen was now sitting up. Eyes shining with pride as she looked over to a gray pelted tom who padded into the den carrying a few mice by the tail.

The tom almost jumped out of his skin as his mother mentioned his name. Ears flat with embarrassment as he dropped the mice into a pile. "I was just brining by some food." He mumbled softly, paws scuffling on the moss.

Beepaw watched the tom with narrowed eyes. She didn't want to meet anyone, and that was final. Already done with making up her mind she made sure to keep her gaze slit as he passed her a mouse. Ashpaw gaze a small squeak as he spotted her glare, scrambling off with his tail tucked between his legs.

The queens gave a small purr of amusement. Their gazes flickering from one another before turning back to her. "I have another son too, Graypaw. He isn't as shy as his littermate, but nonetheless Crackedstar will have final say on who's your mate."

I don't want a mate! Unsheathing her claws she forced them under a piece of moss. There was no use in becoming hostile to these poor she-cats. How brain washed could they possibly be? If you're raised a certain way I guess that becomes the normal. Did they even know how the other Clans worked? That this was nothing but wrong?

The tabby watched as everyone dug into their prey. A part of her didn't want to eat the mouse, but after a moment she gave in to the hunger that clawed at her belly. Beepaw bit the head, hearing a snap as it broke off before she tossed it to the side.

*

The nursery wasn't to bad, they were always cooled off, had fresh water from the moss to drink, and we're fed more then enough. There was always a new cat coming and going, either someone's mate, or just an apprentice giving out food.

Beepaw began to learn names slowly. And she knew three of the queens that she shared a den with, others just ignored her or didn't have the time to talk. Sighing loudly she looked outside, wishing to feel the sunlight on her back instead of just sitting in the cool shade.

Sadly she was told over and over again that she wasn't allowed out. Not until she was here for a while, in what she retold herself as them making sure that she was stuck here before trusting her like that.

Anyways it wasn't like she could move much. Her leg was still bend weirdly, and it hurt to even move a little bit. Silvermist would come by everyday, give her herbs to stop the pain, but by his leaders orders he couldn't fully heal her. Beepaw knew this meant she would be crippled for the rest of her life, meaning she'd never get to train again as a warrior.

Never train again with Briarberry. Would she even get back to SaltClan? It's been over a week at least, she couldn't see the moon but it had to be drawing close to a gathering, right?

Eyeing the entrance her legs inched to run out. To just see the sky once more, feel the sun's warm rays burning into her back. Tail twitching someone cleared their throat, and as she blinked to her side she saw a tom standing there.

"What is it?" Beepaw snapped.

The tom grunted as he set down a rabbit. It was still warm, blood puddling out from a clean bit mark on it's throat. Beepaw glanced up to see the tom staring back at her before he dipped his head. "Freshly caught," he meowed.

I get freshly caught prey? Beepaw was a little surprised by that. She was nothing more then a prisoner surely, but then again - now she was a queen. Are they expecting me to get use to this? Snarling she glared at the rabbit, she didn't want to get use to this!

"Do you want me to take the head off?" The tom seemed pointingly confused as she glared down the rabbit. His ears flicking as he slowly crept over to her side.

The tabby bristled, pleased that he stopped in his tracks. "How do you know about that?" She hissed, tail curling to her hunches as she lifted herself into a sitting position.

The tom shrugged as he smoothed down a patch of fur on his shoulder. Sullen blue eyes studying her before he offered. "From the other queens," he explained, "and us apprentices have to carry those heads outside - they make good bait to lure in crows though."

Beepaw lashed her tail. Ears flat as she sighed heavily with a small mumbled. It pained her everytime she ate anything, having to chew off the head by herself was something she never did. There was always Hornetpaw or Whiskertail that would do it for her, and she had been grateful for that.

"Don't cry," the tom sat beside her, his tail pulling her into his side. Beepaw let herself grow numb, was she crying? Silently she was grateful for the apprentice's comfort, but a part of her wanted to lash out, what gave him the right to comfort her?

That had always been something Hornetpaw did, her brother, one of her only brothers that ever cared for her! Giving up she relaxed into the larger tom's side, ears flat as she stared ahead without any real focus.

*

The days began merging together as she just laid there. Blankly staring ahead as cats came and gone, leaving prey that she ended up eating long after it had gotten cold. Beepaw didn't even notice when the sun would rise or fall and soon she was able to tune out the voices around her.

It wasn't until the gathering had ended that Crackedstar walked into the den. He nudged her side a bit more roughly then needed, which tugged her out of her numb state of mind.

"SaltClan mentioned you going missing," the ginger tom grunted, his gaze narrowed.

Beepaw nodded, but flinched outwardly at the sudden movement. Burying her face back into the soft moss she flicked an ear. The tom stayed there for a while longer before get raised to his paws. "You need to get out of this den. Everyday you should go and speak with our apprentices, maybe find one that would suit you."

Before she could reply the tom walked out. His tail waving high in the air as another tom squeezed past him. This tom was a large brown tabby, yellow eyes narrowed as he slipped past the first den and into the next.

Perking her ears she could smell a heavy scent of fear raising into the air. It was sudden, almost instant once the tom had let his appear be known out loud. As she huddled herself deeper into her nest she heard a loud yowl, it sounded painful before a she-cat raced into the den.

"Streamtail!" The brown tom growled as he chased the she-cat, his claws glistening red in the dim lighting that managed to shine into the den.

Silence followed before Heathertuft sighed. She looked worried, eyes wide with sympathy. "Poor Streamtail, having to deal with a mate like him." The expecting queen muttered with a shake of her head.

The others nodded, and even Foxlight added her silent agreement. Beepaw flattened her ears in fear. Would she be paired with someone like that? As she felt her pelt fluffing out she turned her back to the entrance, nose buried under her tail to keep out the fear scent that hung in the air.

Soon night passed and once again day raised. It was like there had been no time in-between, all blurred together into one. Beepaw felt like she was slowly going mad, but as she was starting to fall asleep once more a paw poked her side.

"Wake up," a tom growled just beside her ears. And as she slowly lifted her head she saw a gray tom standing before her, eyes narrowed with annoyence. "We don't have all day." He added, snorting as she just rolled her eyes.

Who's this? The tom was gray with a darker underbelly, and he shared somewhat of the same scent as Ashpaw. But the shy, lean apprentice couldn't possibly be related to someone who looked more bulky then a badger with a personality to go along with his appearance?

Beepaw stretched out her legs one by one. Ignoring the pain that raced up from her broken limb she limped after the tom. Ears flat as she squinted, swaying as sunlight blinded her.

"Hurry up, she-cat." With one last glare behind his shoulder he set off towards a den that was placed near the back of camp.

It was a large area, flat, smooth stone with patches of grass where a single tree had grown. It shaded the entire area, and she couldn't help but sigh in relief as they reached the shaded place, her stinging pads cooling down.

The den was big too, not big like the queens dens, as if many rooms, but just one large cave. Ivy clung to the stone front, most hanging down and touching the floor below, which they ended up curling up at.

A group of toms were rustling just in the front. While a few she-cats watched, sharing prey with their ears perked, as if waiting for something. Beepaw was pushed towards the group of she-cats by the bulky tom, who just lashed his tail and raced into the battle of apprentices.

"What's going on?" Huffed the tabby as she sat down. Grooming her fluffed out tail as she watched out the side of her eyes.

One she-cat gave a snort. She didn't look very happy to be here, and instead shook her head. "Soon the pairings will happen, and some times Crackedstar will let she-cats pick, other times it's the toms that pick. So usually these nucklehead's as apprentices try to impress any she-cat they can."

Twitching her ear tip she frowned. The pairings? With an uncomfortable shift on her paws she looked back at the she-cat. "Who chooses this time?" Asked the small queen, a building feeling of doubt churring in her stomach.

"No one knows," replied the white tabby with a small growl.

Beepaw grew quiet once more. She watched the battle, or play-fight, whatever it was, with minor interested. Instead her thoughts kept coming back to what the blue eyed tabby had said - the pairings. All this time she had been worried, and seeing how some cats treat their mates..

Streamtail and her mate... Shivering she tucked her paws closer to her chest as she crouched down. Not all mates were bad, Heathertuft was happy, and even if Foxlight was grumpy, snappy and stuck to the rules through every word she said - she and her mate were on good terms.

Even though there was good pairings she still felt her chest squeeze tightly. Her breathing begining to slow down as she lashed her tail back and forth. It would be her luck to be stuck here with someone like Clawswipe as a mate.

The white tabby from before had lifted herself up. Coming to sit beside the undergrown apprentice with her tail wrapped neatly about her paws. Beepaw didn't move as she sighed, pulled out of her thoughts as the bulky gray tom was tossed through the clearing and another tomcat let out a yowl of victory.

I was able to finish this chapter before school!

9-1-20 8:05 Am.