Warriors: Beetlestar's Path

Chapter Eight

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     "First one to the Flat Rock gets to be leader!" Ripplekit yelled, her feathery calico fur fluffing up as she took off on long legs. Flutterkit hurled after her with eyes stretched wide with excitement. The little tom pounced on his sister, pulling her back and sprinting on his large paws towards the rock. With a loud shout he scrabbled up onto the rock and stood at the edge, panting and laughing as Ripplekit approached.  

     "Now bow to me! I'm Flutterstar and I'm gonna lead WaterClan forever!" 

     Beetlewing watched through half lidded eyes as Kinkedtail padded towards them. "Flutterstar, who will you pick as deputy?" The warrior asked with his head tilting to the side. Flutterkit looked around the camp and pointed at Flutternose, his mother's mother.  

     "Flutternose will!" 

     The old molly chuckled to herself and Ripplekit whined. "But then she'll be Flutterstar if you die! And that's silly! We can't have two Flutterstars in a row!" 

     Flutterkit puffed his chest out. "Well I'm not gonna die so it doesn't matter!" 

     "Maybe we should choose a new deputy?" Kinkedtail suggested. He put on a devious expression and hopped up onto the rock. "I'm up for the job. I can be an excellent deputy." 

     Beetlewing shut his eyes and laid his head on his paws, electing to simply listen. His cuts and scrapes had mostly healed, but he still ached from the fight. His heart ached as well; the loss at the border four days ago still stung, and Yellowfoot's negligence left a bitter taste on the weary deputy's tongue. He refused to approach the warrior, hesitant to accuse him. The Clan loved Yellowfoot, respected him, and Beetlewing doubted they would be so quick to believe he could betray anyone. 

     Maybe I just imagined it. Maybe I imagined everything, and just misinterpreted it all. Maybe I'm just thinking on it too much. 

     Yet Yellowfoot seemingly went out of his way to avoid the deputy in the past few days. And for what? If there wasn't some hint of guilt, why dodge patrols and conversations? 

     Flutterkit and Ripplekit had begun to bicker about who would be deputy or leader in their game. Kinkedtail snickered. "How about neither of you?" He hissed playfully. "I'm going to take over WaterClan myself!" 

     "But you can't do that! You're a warrior!" Flutterkit huffed. 

     Kinkedtail let out his most evil of laughs. "Not anymore! I've decided I'm going to be leader of TreeClan! And I'm going to conquer you all!" 

     Beetlewing cracked one eye open and watched as Ripplekit leaped at Kinkedtail and began to wrestle with his paw. "Kill the TreeClan invader!" She cried, and Flutterkit giggled as he jumped onto the warrior's tail. Kinkedtail flopped to the ground and waved his paws about. 

     "Let me go! You will never beat me!" 

     Flutterkit climbed into his side. "I'm going to take every life from you, Kinkedstar! And then we'll destroy your Clan too!" 

     Acornpelt jumped to her paws and abandoned her resting spot by the nursery, walking briskly towards her kits. "Flutterkit, Ripplekit, get off of him and quit that!" She snapped. The kits and warrior turned their gazes to the queen in surprise, and she picked up Flutterkit and set him on the ground. "You two are a mess. And I don't want to hear anything about you two killing anyone." 

     The kits pouted and complained as they were herded back towards the nursery, leaving Kinkedtail alone in the center of camp. Beetlewing watched Acornpelt disappear inside with a flick of her tail. She's always so lenient. I wonder who put thistles in her nest.