Warriors: Beetlestar's Path

Chapter Twenty-Four

     Yowls of anger arose from the TreeClan cats, and Beetlestar looked over them with quiet satisfaction. Some spat insults, others questions, and cats from WaterClan began answering them with accusations.  

     "Quiet, everyone!" Hailstar commanded. There was no fear or anger in his voice, instead he sounded cool and authoritative. 

     "Settle down!" Briarstar of FireClan ordered. Beetlestar shot her a look of annoyance. It was not her place to command his Clan's silence. 

     "We haven't done anything wrong!" a TreeClan warrior howled. 

     Murmurs came from the rest of the Clans. Growing impatient, Beetlestar cleared his throat. "Everyone, be quiet!"  

     Finally, the noise began to taper down. When the Clancats had grown nearly silent, Hailstar sighed. "Beetlestar, really? You want to start trouble now?" 

     "You're the one who started the trouble, Hailstar," Beetlestar countered. His fur bristled as he glared down the leader, who simply shook his head. Briarstar spoke up. 

     "Beetlestar, please explain before making wild accusations." 

     "Wild accusations?" Beetlestar gulped hard, trying to suppress his growing dislike for the FireClan leader. "TreeClan has been terrorizing us for moons now, and we've had enough! We demand justice." 

     "We've done no such thing!" Moonclaw howled from the front of the gathered group. Hailstar gave her a look of annoyance, and the molly frowned and lowered her head. 

     "Nothing we've done is out of the ordinary for Clan life, Beetlestar," Hailstar began, "but please, go on. I'd love to clear up any misconceptions that you or the other leaders might have." 

     Beetlestar gave his tail a wide, hard lash, and he spoke clearly. "TreeClan has been stealing our territory! In the past several moons, they've moved the borders and taken our land." 

     "Is this true?" It was Kestrelstar who spoke next, eyeing Hailstar suspiciously. MarshClan, his Clan, was neighbors to TreeClan. Surely this will concern him! 

     Hailstar scoffed. "Yes, we have taken WaterClan territory, but it has been won fairly in battle. They invaded our own territory four moons ago in response to us moving the border, and we defeated them with ease. We've defeated them at the very border as well." 

     Kestrelstar huffed. "Why did you move your scent lines?" 

     "We were still recovering from Leaf-Bare, at the time. We were able to defend the land we took from the very beginning. Does that not make it ours?" 

     "Clans have exchanged territory through battle for moons," Waspstar said. "It's been this way since the beginning! If WaterClan is not able to defend a few strips of land, then that's their problem." Her green eyes flashed with amusement. "Clearly it wasn't of any use, if you have all that land and aren't strong enough to defend it. It's not like it was helping you any." 

     Beetlestar seethed and hissed at the molly. "That isn't all!" he snapped. 

     "Yes, what is this about being foxhearted killers?" Briarstar mused. 

     "Just over a moon ago, TreeClan raided our camp!" 

     Briarstar's eyes widened. Border skirmishes were one thing, but to attack a Clan's camp? "Were there casualties?" 

      Beetlestar felt his chest tighten. "Two! They slaughtered one of our older warriors, Shatteredstone, and they-" he felt his tongue tie at the thought of Troutpaw. "They injured my own apprentice. He died of an infection in the wounds they inflicted on him!"