Omsc, thank you all! After the last chapter y'all have me a lot of queens, and I thank you for that! Please keep this up, I'll tell you whenever there's enough queens, but remember that they might end up dying, being paired off to someone else's OCs and all that.

~ Crimson.

September, 3rd, 2020

The group of queens was large as they padded outside. Some stayed behind, those who were heavily pregnant, or nursing newborns, or just old queens who would stay behind to watch the kits.

It was still a bit dark, gray clouds covering the sky, though the rain had finally stopped. Ears perked she hobbled after Heathertuft, trying to stay close to the familar queen.

Critters raced away, leaves being scattered into the air. Beepaw felt her paws tingle as she watched a mouse run away. The urge to chase and hunt down the small brown pelted creature made her heart pound. Why couldn't she be able to just hunt?

Heathertuft laid her tail across the young tabbies back. A warning shined in her eyes as she leaned down, maw brushing against her tufted ears. "Don't, we may look to be alone of warriors, but theres always someone watching. If they even think for a moment you can hunt.." Eyes flashing her tan pelt fluffed out before being forced flat.

Pelt bristling nervously she nodded. The fear that raised off of Heathertuft's pelt was more then a real warning. And for once she followed rules without second doubting it, paddling after the group as she glanced longing into the forest.

Soon they came to a small area of trees, short green grass with a little creek running through the area. Moss clung to almost every part of this forest, as if it was placed like carpet. Beepaw followed her queen-mentor, stopping to help claw up moss.

It didn't even take long for everyone to gather more then enough. With so many queen gathering enough for three of them - this really shouldn't have even been a problem. But as she stopped she watched more and more pile up, ears flat she blinked. Why were they wasting so much?

"Keep gathering," Heathertuft meowed, tailtip tapping her shoulder.

Beepaw sighed inwardly. "Why - we have enough."

The tan queen sighed lightly as she paused from gathering the moss. Claws flexing as she shrugged, head tilting. "We need enough for nests and to cover the flooring. You don't think all that moss grows naturally, do you?" Heathertuft purred, eyes lighting up good naturally.

"Oh, uh - right I knew that.." Flattening her ears she felt them grow red. The older she-cat purred with laughter, giving her head a brisk lick.

Going back to collecting the moss she heard a twig snap near them. Ears perked she looked into the forest. Shoulder fur bristling as she spotted two blazing amber eyes glaring at her from the shadows.

Before she could react the eyes moved. Disappearing into the shadows, a tailtip lashing, showing off a gray tail. Beepaw glanced to her side, the others weren't even looking at her. Who was that?

Beepaw padded off, tail lowered as not to brush against anything, but not to low so that she didn't touch the ground. Creeping into the bushes she paused, mouth opened and she breathed in a toms scent.

Following the scent trail it stopped abruptly, eyes flying wide she felt jaws snap onto the back of her next. Hissing she twisted, claws tugging on fur before her attacked let her go.

Bristling out her dark gray tabby pelt she spat. Eyes narrowed, claws digging into the dirt. She and Briarberry never spent to much on fighting skills, but she knew enough to defend herself.

It was a light gray tom, his pelt dappled in darker grays with some white flecks. Amber eyes narrowed down onto her, lips peeled back into a snarl, his tail lashing, fluffed out. "You just made a really stupid mistake girly!"

Beepaw flattened her ears to her head. Fear made her entire body freeze, and as the tom leaped, teeth digging into her shoulder she screeched. Claws unsheathed she dug them into his sides, raking them down, feeling blood poor down her legs.

The tom didn't even have a problem with lifting her and tossing her aside. Head crashing into the dirt she gasped, eyes wide as she felt her broken leg hit the ground, a cracking noise ringing into her ears.

"Beepaw?" Being nudged on the shoulder she hissed. Leaping from her spot, claws unsheathing as she glared down the tan tabby.

Heathertuft yelped, scrambling back with her eyes widened. "Y-you blanked out," the she-cat mumbled, shifting as she had a worried look flash into her eyes.

Feeling her felt begin to flatten she blinked. With a quick search of the area she found that she was back in the same spot, not have moved one inch from the moss collection. Beepaw quickly moved forward with her eyes lighting up in apology.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to snap at you!" Crouching down low she lashed her tail. Eyes stared at her with either worry, fear or frustration.

Heathertuft nodded as she let out a small reassuring purr. But there was still shock that shined in her eyes, and the faint scent of fear made it hard to breath. "How about you take this pile back to camp? Use it to cover the floor," she advise softly.

Without a word she picked up the moss, stinking another ball of it under her chin, and went off. Her shoulders slumped, eyes narrowed onto the ground, doing her best not to cry she sighed outwardly.

A squirrel raced up a tree just a few inches in front of her. But she couldn't even think about hunting now. Not with everything going on, ears flat she pushed past the bramble, which snagged a tuft of fur.

Crystalpaw raced up to her, a mouse dangling from her jaws. Upon seeing her friends fallen face she frowned, tail flicking. "What happened?" She asked.

Just a shake of her head was enough to keep the older she-cat quiet. Instead she dipped her head, letting her pass with worry prickling off her pelt.

So, the next chapter will be the last chapter of this book. Then we'll move onto the second book, and go on from there on. Just to let you know, the next book will have some trigger warnings that may or may not show up sometime in the next book.

Anyhow, once again thank you so much for the queens! But we also need more apprentices, and warriors.

~ Crimson.