Also I like to say something to Hayjay. I was hinting at the injuries brown rabbit, the one Spiderpaw failed to catch but wounded it before it ran away into the forest. Hope this helps clear it up for you. :)

Chapter 5

"Ancient Dogs."

3/10/17 - 3/11/17

Beechpaw is pushed around by the water's current, while keeping a small salmon in his jaws. He grasps his claws on a slippery rock. Beechpaw struggles to stay on the rock, and jumps from it and hits the water, belly first.

Beechpaw quickly swims to shore, and shakes his fur free of water. His mentor, Birchfang, pads toward Beechpaw with satisfaction.

"Very good. I like the size of that salmon."

Beechpaw drops his salmon and sinks his claws into the pink scaly skin.

"It looks small."

"It's still a good catch… Although, I find it unorthodox to locate a fish and jump from the shore to reach it."

Beechpaw's ears burn with embarrassment. "It was a split second decision."

Birchfang rolls his eyes, and leads Beechpaw to the camp. Silversnow was still organizing the patrols and hunting parties that evening when Birchfang and Beechpaw returned.

Her pale yellow eyes grew wide when she sees Beechpaw's catch.

"Beechpaw, this is a good looking salmon." She said.

Birchfang nods. "Your son is becoming a promising hunter like you, Silversnow."

Beechpaw coughs, getting Birchfang's attention.

"Oh. You're excused, Beechpaw."

The black and brown eared tom sighs with relief and pads away.

Beechpaw tries not to shrink under the praise he is receiving lately. He's used to being praised as Darkwater's son, and now that his mother is appointed as deputy of RiverClan, everyone seems to expect more from Beechpaw and his brother, Bearpaw.

Speaking of which, where is he?

Beechpaw hears raised voices from the medicine cat den thorn bush. Beechpaw pads closer and realizes it was Applefoot.

"-of all the stupidest, most fish brained attempts! You could've been killed! Or maimed-!"

Beechpaw sees Applefoot and Bearpaw. His brother lays in a nest while Sootdust looks at his spine and flank.

"Whoa." Beechpaw says stepping inside. "What happened to you, Bearpaw?"

Bearpaw opens his mouth to say when Applefoot interrupts him. "Your brother thought he was strong enough to take on a heron."

Beechpaw looks at Bearpaw, unable to hide his smile.

"You took on a heron? I heard the last heron attack was back in the old forest when Crookedstar was a kit!"

"And hopefully it will be the last." Sootdust chided. The mottled grey she cat lifts her head from Bearpaw's pelt.

"You're lucky. You only have a few scratches, but you should do light work around the camp from now on."

"Oh, he will, I promise you that." Applefoot said giving Bearpaw a glare before leaving. Bearpaw rolls his eyes and makes Beechpaw snicker.

"I'll leave you two alone. Try not to step on any herbs, if you can help it."

Sootdust leaves the den. Bearpaw adjusts himself in the nest to look at Beechpaw.

"Sooo?"

"... So, what?"

"You didn't tell me how the Gathering went!" Bearpaw exclaims, exasperated. "It's been five days since you went! Who'd you meet? Who's the she-cat of your dreams ~?"

Beechpaw frowns. "What makes you think it's a she-cat?"

"You've been padding around with your head in the clouds. That's just how Dad looks at Mom, you like someone!"

Bearpaw smirks and adds slyly, "Is she from another Clan?"

Beechpaw snorts. "If you really must know, I met a few ShadowClan and ThunderClan apprentices. Then this ShadowClan apprentice, Dewpaw, started mocking one of the ThunderClan apprentices for defending an injured rabbit."

"... A rabbit?"

"Yup."

"... Can't say I don't find that weird, but this Dewpaw sounds like a jerk."

Beechpaw nods. "Him and Cheetahpaw, a WindClan apprentice. Then Dewpaw called his denmates over to mock Snowpaw some more, so I told them to stop teasing her for being-."

Bearpaw squealed like an excited she cat, Beechpaw stares at him in confusion.

"What was that about?"

"I knew! It was a she-cat!"

Beechpaw waves his tail dismissively. "Not only that, Cheetahpaw's denmate, Spiderpaw, called her out on it. Then Darkstar, Creekstar and Olivestar got involved and the whole thing was dropped."

Bearpaw nods. "You'll have to point me out to Dewpaw or Cheetahpaw when I go to the Gathering. I have very persuasive words to make them tremble in their pelts."

"Will do. I'll let you relax."

Beechpaw turns around and pads away as Bearpaw calls out,

"I wanna meet your ThunderClan mate one day!"

Beechpaw hears a deep howl. In a split second his camp is filled with screaming and snarls of a dog. Beechpaw gets out of his nest and races outside with claws unsheathed and freezes with terror.

These weren't dogs. They were bigger, with shaggy fur and big paws and heads. They picked up cats in their jaws and took bites out of them like they were pieces of prey.

Darkwater and Silversnow were lying dead in the clearing, and one big black canine grabs Bearpaw from the medicine cat den and clamps its jaws down, crushing Bearpaw's bones.

"Let them go!" Beechpaw races toward Bearpaw's killer only for another wild canine to knock him down. Beechpaw stares into his captors yellow eyes.

Everything around him swirled around in a chaotic blur of colors, and a voice whispers in his ears.

"Snow of the rose and night of the falcon, spider woven in web of lies, a restless owl and a towering beech. All must go to the mountain and fight the ancient enemy of cats or risk the fall of the Clans forever."

"Beechpaw, Beechpaw!"

The black tom jolts awake and sees Birchfang looking at him with concern.

"You weren't waking up quickly. You were shaking so much I almost went to get Sootdust."

"I-It was a nightmare."

Birchfang frowns as he leads Beechpaw out. "Must have been a terrible nightmare. You kept saying 'Mountains, enemy'. Did you eat something bad?"

Beechpaw swallows, his throat dry. "Yes… I guess that's it."

That evening, Beechpaw rests near the elder's den. He waits until Nightfang and Mudfoot leave their den.

"Uh, can I ask you a question?"

Nightfang looks at Beechpaw. "Sure, ask away."

"I understand that our ancestors were lions, tigers and other giant cats. Is there any other animals with ancestral ties?... Like dogs?"

Mudfoot blinks. "Maybe… But most of that information is lost to most of the Clans. Except Ivystar."

"Yeah. Ivystar had a great respect for the ancestors of dogs, but she only talked about it with her daughter."

"Graysky?"

Beechpaw heard that the RiverClan queen who died many moons ago. But Nightfang curled his lip. "No, her oldest daughter, Daisypelt."

Oh… That might be a problem.

Mudfoot nods. "If you want to ask her about it, go right ahead. It's just that Daisypelt hasn't even made a noise since the Soulless Battle, but she might be tempted to tell you if you give her a tuna fish."

Beechpaw raises an invisible eyebrow. "Why specifically tuna?"

"Tuna is her favorite prey. She used to overindulge herself with every piece of tuna in the pile until there was nothing but bones."

Beechpaw excuses himself to leave on his own and waits near the shore. He sees a silver flash of light, and strikes the water in lightning fast reflexes. A silver grey tuna fish flies out of the water and hops on the pebbles.

Beechpaw quickly kills it in one bite and the tuna falls limp. He pads back to camp and went straight inside the thicket bush that is the elder's den. Beechpaw sees an unmoving body of Daisypelt.

She's not dead, is she? She's still young.

Beechpaw sees her light grey tabby flank rise as she tries to raise her head, but drops her head on the rim of the nest.

"I know you're there. Come over here and face me like a cat."

Beechpaw quickly stifles his fear. He was told horror stories about Daisypelt's treacherous ways. He pads around her nest and she looks up at him.

"... You're Darkwater's kit." She declares. Beechpaw places the tuna near her nest.

"I never told you who my parents are."

"Didn't have to. I practically worshipped him and admired every feature, I recognize his face on yours."

Beechpaw picks up the tuna and holds it near her muzzle. Daisypelt opens her mouth as Beechpaw places the tuna in her mouth. Daisypelt immediately bites down.

Beechpaw waits until Daisypelt finishes eating the skin off the tuna, and spits out the bone. Beechpaw quickly pulls the fish skeleton out of her mouth.

Daisypelt licks her jaws. "Lovely. The only joy I had left in life, it's amazing I didn't get fat from tuna… But I suspect this isn't a spur of the moment to be kind, right?"

Beechpaw took a deep breath and said, "I was told that Ivystar had a fascination with dogs' ancestors."

"More like an obsession." Daisypelt sniffs. "I was an apprentice and I followed her one day near the Horseplace. She didn't hesitate to try and get close to an annoying, yappy dog that used to live there.

"She would always tell me stories as a kit, about the dogs descended from these big, magnificent beasts with shaggy, short fur and eyes that pierced into your soul. They live in a group, like us, and hunt down beasts bigger than badgers and the size of horses using skilled teamwork.

"They even howl at night to communicate with each other. She even said that they might be still out there."

Beechpaw feels his heart race. "Did she say what color they were?"

"Nobody has seen those supposed ancestors personally. Ivystar said everyone used to talk about them in ancient times, but because nobody seen one they were written off as a legend."

"Do you know what they're called?"

Daisypelt narrowed her eyes. "Ivystar said they were called wolves. And unlike dogs, she said they're not afraid to go after animals smaller than them, especially cats."

Remember what the prophecy said? "Face the ancient enemy of cats", that was referring to wolves!

If you manage to figure it out, then I applaud you for it.

… Even if you didn't, I'd still applaud you for trying. :)

Thank you for reading this and I hope you have a great day. ~ Kyubi