Chapter 27
"Towering Beech, Angry Bear."
4/12/17
Three weeks. Three weeks, and three stepsonhowto avoid Daisypelt in her new mobile life.
Step one. Look over your shoulder and pray she doesn't see you at the fresh kill pile.
Step two. Find your mentor and leave the camp almost immediately before she finds you. If your mentor isn't awake and is still sleeping, wake him up by force.
Step three. Try to stay out of the camp until dusk appears and you know for a fact that she is asleep.
Beechpaw completed steps through 2-3, as Birchfang is showing signs of aging and drags him back to camp. The next day in the evening, Beechpaw and Bearpaw were chosen to complete their warrior assessments.
Their job is to find the biggest trout they could find. Beechpaw decides to go near the Greenleaf Twolegplace and look for anything, Bearpaw doesn't argue and goes along with it.
In fact, Bearpaw doesn't speak to him as he look in the water for fish.
"Bearpaw."
"Not now."
Beechpaw bites his lip. "What happened while I was gone?"
"Applefoot had kits."
"Aside from that."
Bearpaw glares at Beechpaw. "I can't give you a full fledged report on the tales of RiverClan, but I don't have the time."
Bearpaw's paw hits the water and sends a big minnow flying from the water and hitting the ground.
"Dude. Something happened to you and I wanna know…"
"Well, stop." Bearpaw hisses.
Beechpaw sees a flash of silver and rakes his claws in the water, a trout flies out and lands on the ground.
"Of course you'd get a trout." Bearpaw snorts.
Beechpaw immediately stands in front of him. "You have a problem with me, obviously. Why? I didn't pick on you, I always stood up for you and looked out for you!"
"That's just it, you act so perfect!"
Beechpaw stares at Bearpaw quizzically, and his brother rolls his eyes.
"Everyone loves Beechpaw! Beechpaw is a warrior RiverClan will be proud of, but if only his screw up brother stepped up to the plate and put just as much effort into it as him!"
Beechpaw blinks at him. "Bearpaw, is that what happened to you…?"
"No!" Bearpaw spat. "I totally wasn't overworked to be like you! I totally wasn't pushed around into filling the void you left behind! I didn't become the center of everyone's disapproval and ridicule for not being as perfect as my sweet, dear brother!"
Beechpaw stares at Bearpaw in shock. He's never seen Bearpaw like this before.
"Bearpaw, I…"
Suddenly, a heron swoops down and knocks down Bearpaw while taking the trout in its beak and taking off. Bunching his hind legs, Beechpaw lunges at the heron from fox lengths off the ground, and grabs its slim neck.
The heron cries out and flaps wildly, causing itself to fall on the ground. The heron struggles with Beechpaw's weight as it flaps its wings and hits Bearpaw across the face, knocking him out.
Beechpaw bites the heron's slim neck, and the bird lets go of the trout. The black RiverClan tom gets off of the heron and watches the bird fly away from him with its feathers falling off.
Beechpaw runs to Bearpaw and shakes him. "Bearpaw, wake up!"
The black and brown patched tom doesn't move. Beechpaw hisses with frustration.
"Hmm, he doesn't look too good."
Beechpaw looks at Daisypelt padding toward him. Her strides weren't unsteady as before, she looks over Bearpaw.
"Nope. He looks almost dead."
Beechpaw gapes at her until she said, "Kidding. He's still breathing. Look."
Daisypelt places a paw on Bearpaw's flank. Her paw rises and falls, and Beechpaw sighs with relief.
"He's not out of the reeds yet. Grab your fishes and I'll carry him."
Beechpaw quickly gathers the trout and minnow and sees Daisypelt lifting Bearpaw over her back.
"StarClan! He's heavier than I thought!" She groans.
Beechpaw follows Daisypelt to the camp, and every cat crowds them and throw accusing glares at Daisypelt. Silversnow rushes to Daisypelt with narrowed eyes.
"What did you do to my son?!"
Daisypelt wrinkles her nose at Darkwater's mate. "Wow. A little thank you is a better choice of words."
Beechpaw drops the fish and looks at his mother. "Silversnow. Daisypelt didn't hurt him. We were attacked by a heron while we were fishing."
"And you did nothing?" Silversnow growls at Daisypelt.
Beechpaw bristles his fur. You're missing the point, Mom!
"I only arrived after the heron flew away. All I did is carry your other son back, he's unconscious but living."
Daisypelt drops Bearpaw on the ground, and Sootdust pads to the black and brown patched tom.
"You're welcome." Daisypelt sneers, pushing past Silversnow. Cats glare at Daisypelt as she enters the elder's den.
Olivestar pads to Sootdust. "Will he live?"
"Yes. He's just unconscious as she said."
Olivestar looks at Beechpaw, he tenses up under her light blue gaze.
"I understand that you fought a heron? As quickly as they take off, how did you manage to take your trout back?"
Beechpaw shuffles his paws. "I learned from the prey-hunters. We just got stronger in our jumps and to preserve our energy for pouncing."
Olivestar smiles as every cat murmur a praise for Beechpaw.
"That is amazing!"
"That's our Beechpaw, always living up to his potential."
Olivestar looks at everyone. "I believe it is time for Beechpaw to become a warrior."
"What?! What about Bearpaw?" Beechpaw couldn't leave his brother behind after hearing his rant.
Olivestar's gaze flitted over Bearpaw. "Has he caught a trout?"
"He caught a minnow!"
Olivestar waves her tail. "I'll take it as a no. He will earn his name some other time. Right now, it's your time."
"Everyone old enough to fish, meet me for a Clan meeting!"
Beechpaw sees Silversnow and Darkwater nodding and beaming with pride. The black and brown eared tom reluctantly pads to Olivestar as she recites the warrior ceremony.
"I do." He said.
Olivestar touches Beechpaw's shoulder. "Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Beechclaw. May StarClan welcome your dedication and loyalty, and as a full member of RiverClan."
Beechclaw licks Olivestar's shoulder as his Clanmates chant his name.
"Beechclaw! Beechclaw! Beechclaw!"
The black and brown eared tom looks around in pride until his eyes caught Bearpaw's wide eyed, outraged expression.
"Remember, you have to keep your vigil." Silversnow told him as he pads by.
Darkwater pats his flank with his tail. "Good job, son." Beechclaw nods. He stops in front of Bearpaw.
"Congrats, Beech-claw." He said sourly.
Beechclaw flattens his ears. "I tried to convince Olivestar, I really did."
"And yet you still went along with it."
Bearpaw shakes his head. "Perfect little Beechclaw gets what he wants. I just need to be more like you."
Bearpaw stalks away from Beechclaw without another word. Beechclaw stays in his spot accepting praise, and waits in the middle of camp in the night. A shadow caught his attention. Bearpaw picks out a tuna from the pile and doesn't look at Beechclaw as he eats his fill and goes back to the apprentices den.
He should be with me tonight. Beechclaw wishes he spoke up, but he didn't. Now Beechclaw sits alone at night, and listens to the owls as his only source of sounds.
Now he wishes he was with his friends. He wishes he was with Snowpaw, and her quiet supportive voice.
I wonder if Snowpaw earned her name yet.