Chapter 8

"Right is Wrong."

3/13/17 - 3/14/17 - 3/15/17

Owlpaw finishes the last bit of his lizard. He washes himself in the afternoon light as Rabbitstep finishes organizing the patrols.

"Flowerpetal, Dewpaw, Frostpool, Patchflower and Owlpaw will go in Heatherstar's patrol."

Owlpaw's whiskers quivered with excitement. He was being put in the same patrol as Heatherstar!

Swiftpaw is gonna be so mad when he returns from his morning patrol with Marshfoot!

Owlpaw follows Patchflower as Heatherstar pads near RiverClan's border. Owlpaw wrinkles his nose at the rank, smell of fish.

How can they live like that?

Heatherstar's movements were stiff, and her paws were shaking from each contact with the ground. Leafbare took the energy from the ShadowClan leader, and everyone is noticing her frail health and worries for her.

Even now she had trouble with turning around without having Flowerpetal to support her.

Splash!

Owlpaw looks at the stream. A black tom is struggling to stay afloat, and the water is pushing him against a rock and pushes his head down.

"Is that apprentice drowning?" Asks Flowerpetal.

"He's from RiverClan. He should help himself out." Patchflower said.

Owlpaw, however, couldn't sit back and watch. He pads forward and jumps in the water. Owlpaw struggles to keep his head above the current. The RiverClan apprentice's head comes up to gasp for air, and Owlpaw firmly grabs his scruff and kicks his back legs to swim to shore.

Owlpaw feels his head slowly sink under, and completely underwater and water entering his mouth. Teeth grasps his scruff and pulls his head above water.

Heatherstar pulls Owlpaw out of the water, who pulls out the RiverClan apprentice. Heatherstar coughs up water as her patrol surrounds her and Owlpaw.

"What is wrong with you?!" Patchflower snaps at him. "You're a ShadowClan cat, not RiverClan!"

"Patchflower… that's enough…" Heatherstar said, hoarsely. "Flowerpetal, carry the RiverClan apprentice on your back. Kestrelwing needs to look at him."

Flowerpetal wanted to protest, but she didn't argue with her leader and places the black tom over her back. Heatherstar shudders and lifts herself on her shaky legs.

"Heatherstar…?" Owlpaw whispers. The light brown tabby she-cat shook her head and allows Frostpool to support her. Patchflower glares at Owlpaw.

"Of all the frog brained decisions, you had to drag Heatherstar into it!"

For the first time since his apprenticeship, Owlpaw feels anger and bushes his tail.

"What was I supposed to do, let him drown?! Plus I never asked her to go in after me!"

"But she did. And now she could lose a life because of your stupidity!"

Owlpaw waits outside the medicine cat den where the RiverClan apprentice is being treated by Kestrelwing. Word of the apprentice go around and a few warriors were giving Owlpaw snide looks.

"Patchflower's right. It'll be your fault that Heatherstar lost a life."

Owlpaw glares at the stuck up Dewpaw. "Heatherstar didn't lose a life, frog brain."

Yet.

"Not yet." Dewpaw sniffs. "But she will sooner or later, she's old after all."

"What did you just say?"

Dewpaw jumps to the voice of his father, Marshfoot.

"Didn't Frostpool and I teach you anything about respecting your leader?"

"But-! But-!"

"Why don't we go for a run around our border? My father did it with me, and it will certainly do you some justice."

Marshfoot turns around and Dewpaw glares at Owlpaw. "This is your fault!"

Owlpaw rolls his eyes. "Oh, just get lost. Your father is waiting for you."

"Yeah, and that's something you'll never know!"

Dewpaw gives Owlpaw a smug look before padding to Marshfoot, leaving Owlpaw with bitterness and resentment.

"Owlpaw?"

The light brown tom feels Splashpelt's muzzle touch his ear.

"I heard what happened. I can't believe you jumped into a stream - you can't even swim!"

Splashpelt sighs. "Although, you did rescue a cat from drowning, it was at ten cost of Heatherstar's health."

Owlpaw flattens his ears. "Are you saying that she's dying?"

"No, she's not. Heatherstar was always frail, even as a kit." His mother said. "Don't take Dewpaw's nonsense into account. Despite what happened, you did the right thing to help that RiverClan apprentice."

Owlpaw perks his ears. "You heard everything Dewpaw said?"

"... Yes, even the part -."

"About my father." Owlpaw finishes for her. "Who is our father?"

Kestrelwing pokes his head out. "Owlpaw, would you please come inside?"

Owlpaw could've sworn he heard Splashpelt mutter, "Thank StarClan…" He turned to look at Splashpelt as she nuzzles Owlpaw before leaving.

Owlpaw growls with frustration as he enters the den. The RiverClan apprentice looks at him with curious amber eyes. Owlpaw stops in his tracks.

There was something about this cat that made Owlpaw not focus.

Kestrelwing says, "I'll discuss this with Heatherstar. I trust you to keep him company."

The ShadowClan medicine cat leaves the den. Owlpaw looks at the RiverClan apprentice and feels that same, bothersome feeling again.

"Uh, I'm Owlpaw."

"... I'm Beechpaw."

Owlpaw crouches down comfortably. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

Beechpaw blinks and flattens his ears. "Yes. I was on my first assessment and I slipped. The current must have been strong. I blacked out afterwards and woke up in…"

"ShadowClan."

Beechpaw looks around the den. "Seriously?" He looks at Owlpaw, and stares at him intensely. "Hold on… Your that ShadowClan apprentice who backed out when Snowpaw was getting picked on!"

Owlpaw winces at the anger in his tone.

"I stood up for her!"

"Until your denmates started ripping on you!" Beechpaw snorts. "She was on the verge of crying if the leaders hadn't stopped it!"

"You don't know what Dewpaw and his sister are like!"

"I know they're cowards who pick on the weak." Beechpaw growls. "And they know how to push spineless cats around - like you."

Owlpaw feels white hot shame burning in his ears. Beechpaw was right, but…

"If I hadn't left, Poolpaw and Dewpaw would have told my Clan that I'm disloyal for standing up for a cat in another Clan. I already have enough distrust on my shoulders."

Beechpaw gives Owlpaw a disbelieving glare. "What could be so bad that justifies turning a blind eye?"

"I don't know who my father is."

Owlpaw surprises himself for revealing a personal detail to a cat he barely knew. Beechpaw stares at the ShadowClan apprentice.

"Splashpelt still refuses to tell me. And because of her choice, my Clanmates don't like me, nor do they trust me. Even my own mentor is disappointed with getting me as her apprentice, and as for Dewpaw…"

"I've seen him." Beechpaw said.

"Yeah… I mean, my littermates don't care, but they're not the ones taking the discrimination from the senior warriors."

"... I know what it's like to be judged. I'm the son of Darkwater and Silversnow."

Beechpaw notices Owlpaw glaring at him.

"Well - it's not so much judgment - it's more about expectations!"

Beechpaw shuffles his paws. "Everyone is always praising me for small things, like cleaning out the elder's nests and catching small fish. But when I mess up it's like a dark rain cloud hanging over my head."

Beechpaw sees Owlpaw scrutinizing him with his eyes. The RiverClan apprentice frowns.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make myself sound ungrateful. Darkwater is always checking in with me and my brother's mentor to see how we're doing, and Silversnow works on her paws all day, but still has time to listen to us. I shouldn't have tried to…"

"I get it. I only wish Splashpelt was that open."

"Maybe, in a way, she's trying to protect you."

Owlpaw snorts. "I'm beginning to doubt that. I was asking her about my father before Kestrelwing called me here, she was almost relieved to have my attention diverted from her."

Beechpaw frowns when he hears that.

"... Well, she can't hide it forever, but it's kinda her decision to tell you."

"Whatever…"

Kestrelwing overhears their conversation from the outside. They've started off rough, but he believes that they can sense a faint bond between them.

Now he can excuse Beechpaw to go back to RiverClan and tell Sootdust the good news.

Owlpaw watches Beechpaw leave the medicine cat den that early evening. The black tom fell in beside Owlpaw.

"See you later?"

Owlpaw feels the eyes of his denmates boring into his pelt. He fights it off and nods.

"Okay."

Beechpaw nods back and follows Kestrelwing out of camp.

"What kind of loyalty is that?"

Owlpaw glares at Poolpaw. "I am loyal."

"Hardly." Her brother, Dewpaw, scoffs. "Talking with a RiverClan cat like he's one of us - that's treason!"

Owlpaw's sister, Mosspaw, immediately jumps to his defense. "You two are overreacting. Owlpaw is a loyal ShadowClan cat!"

"Oh please. Owlpaw's a back stabbing traitor, just like his father."

Poolpaw and Dewpaw stride away from the greatly distressed Owlpaw. He sees Splashpelt and Swiftpaw. Splashpelt gives him a long, heart broken stare before leaving for the warriors den without a word.

Owlpaw's fur rises on his spine. "She still won't say a word, even when I get mocked…!"

Swiftpaw pads toward Owlpaw. "Are you still obsessing over our father?"

"Again?" Mosspaw whispers.

Owlpaw looks at the ground. "You guys may not care, but I'm still getting harassed because Splashpelt decided to not tell who her mate is."

"Or was." Swiftpaw said, earning a glare from Owlpaw. "Our father could've died before we were born. Or, StarClan forbid, was a cat from a different Clan."

"So that gives her the right to keep quiet and watch me get picked on, for the sake of her reputation?!"

Owlpaw flattens his ears. "I don't feel hungry anymore…"

The light brown tom leaves his brother and sister to go inside the apprentices den. He tries to force himself to sleep, to forget about the many other things that the warriors claim were his mistakes.

Maybe I'm just a big mistake.