Beefrost | Warrior Cats OC Story

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

"Use your tail for balance!" Beefrost hissed, annoyed that Fallenpaw has been training for two moons and has yet to master anything that involves her tail. During battle training, she had been as lopsided as a badger with rabbit's legs. Her defensive move sent her sprawling into the snow, hissing curses under her breath. Beefrost had begun to plan out ways to hunt with her restless tail, but for now, she had to master the normal hunting moves.

Fallenpaw huffed, her breath billowing in the air before her. Beefrost could tell she was upset, and guilt gnawed at his muzzle for continuing to force her to train. But it's leafbare and we all need our best skills.

He remembered the previous leafbare, when he and all of his friends had been born, the cold air stung in his lungs, and the wind was relentless. He had been a carefree kit then, not understanding the direness of survival during the cold season. Pushing his memories aside, he watched Fallenpaw spit furiously at a mound of soft, fresh snow.

"Why don't we just cut off my tail?" She suggested angrily, making Beefrost flinch. "It's not like I'll need it! You always say: 'Fallenpaw! Tuck in your tail!' or 'Fallenpaw! Keep your tail still!' 'Fallenpaw! Use your tail for balance!'"

Finishing her rant, she dropped into a crouch, and stared off into the moor. "Fallenpaw," Beefrost mewed, but he couldn't think of anything to say that'd make things better. "I'm a horrible apprentice! I haven't even been to the Gathering yet!"

"Fallenpaw, you are an amazing apprentice," Beefrost started, padding over and sitting beside her, curling his tail over her back, dragging his tongue comfortably between her ears. "Don't let this get to you, we'll just have to work harder, but giving up is not an option." He felt his heart squeeze as Fallenpaw looked up at him miserably. "And we're certainly not cutting off your tail!" He purred, delighted to see her eyes light up.

"I can see the lake from here!" She mewed gently, making Beefrost's purr falter; he followed her eyes through the snowy mist and gazed down at the water. "Let's take a closer look?" Fallenpaw asked, and Beefrost's mind was sucked into the cold world of his dream. He opened his mouth to object, but she was halfway down the hill.

Following closely, sure not to let her out of his sight, he slid along the icy shore of the lake. Breathing out a shaky sigh of relief, he set a paw over the surface of the freezing water, small waves rolled beneath his pad, flicking up ice cold droplets at him. It's not frozen. He told himself.

But after seeing Fallenpaw stretch out a paw to bat at the water, he tensed. "Don't fall in!" He warned, and Fallenpaw gave a snort. Beefrost knew he had offended her, but it didn't matter, not to him at least. I'd rather be offended than dead any day. Fallenpaw shivered as a cold wind ruffled her pelt.

"Feel like hunting?" He asked her, mostly to get her away from the water. He watched her shudder as she hared away from the icy shore, her ears alert. Beefrost heard her claws scrape against the ice, it made him uneasy. He watched as his apprentice leaped into a frost-burned patch of brambles, and listened as she stalked away towards the trees.

Beefrost nodded. Good thinking! He purred. There will be sleepy prey under the trees, too tired and hungry to hear Fallenpaw's tail as it swishes through the grass.

Beefrost headed away from the moor and towards the camp, where Maelstrom was waiting for him, he looked upset. "You sent Fallenpaw out alone?" He hissed under his breath, his odd eyes narrowed to slits. "She wanted to hunt." He told him. Had he been watching? Maelstrom sighed, relaxing and letting his shoulders sag.

"I saw you by the lake." He admitted, and Beefrost felt anger warm him from the coldness of leafbare. "So what?" Beefrost challenged, leaving Maelstrom alone and strutting past him. You can't tell me how to train my apprentice! Pushing through the entrance of the camp, it was half empty, he spotted Frostbite teaching Palepaw how to care for the elders properly.