Warriors: Winged Hopes

~{Chapter 3}~

Things were beginning to get tense with WaterClan. Whenever the two clans met at the border, there was always hissing and arguing. Beepaw often tried her best to avoid border patrols, but she knew she couldn't abandon some of her duties as an apprentice of WingedClan.

Unfortunately, when she was finally forced to go on one of these patrols, it ended up being a, well... let's just say it was very violent one.

    Beepaw padded down the mossy trail with her clan mates at her side. She had finally fully recovered from her injuries and was ready to continue training. She felt a little tense, still paranoid about an enemy patrol jumping out of the bushes and tackling her, just like that one day. But her clan mates continued to reassure her that that wouldn't have again. Yet still, she found herself anxiously looking around at her surroundings, fur slightly bristling.

    "You shouldn't be scared in your own territory," hissed Hawkclaw tauntingly.

    "Well, guess what happened when I wasn't?" Beepaw replied, annoyed by his tauntings.

    "Be easier on the apprentice, Hawkclaw. You know she only just recovered," meowed Leaffall.

Hawkclaw went quiet after that.

As the patrol continued to walk along the border, Beepaw began to sniff around. But there were so many scents, she could hardly tell what they were.

I think there's a mouse somewhere nearby, and maybe vole, and WaterClan cats, and a- WaterClan cats?

Suddenly, a cat could be heard yowling for help. Beepaw spun around. Mynaflight was pinned to the ground, being tackled by a WaterClan warrior. Hawkclaw barreled into the enemy cat, yowling, "RUN!"

Beepaw pelted through the forest of cherry blossoms, the world rushing by in a blur. Her clan mates were most likely behind her, but she didn't dare look back to check. The scent of LightningClan was growing stronger and stronger, but she didn't even notice until she barreled right into one of them.

"Beepaw?!" said a voice. Beepaw, feeling dizzy from her tumble, finally managed to get a good glimpse of this cat.

"Duskpaw! I'm so sorry! I-" she didn't have time to explain.

The WaterClan cats had already caught up with them. A cat pushed her over, banging her head into the hard stone. Her ears began to ring, but she could still see clearly. She watched Duskpaw run in the other direction, the WaterClan cat charging after him. She stumbled to her paws, slightly confused at what was happening.

Suddenly, a bluish-gray warrior cat barreling towards her. Beepaw looked behind her, seeing if there was anywhere she could run. But no, she was at the very edge of a cliff. Beepaw knew she couldn't let this cat fall off a cliff, so she braced herself for the blow.

    But instinct took over, and, moments before the cat hit her, she leaped out of the way, watching in horror as the warrior plummeted off the cliff and into the darkness, never to be seen again.

    "BROOKSTAR!" she heard a cat yell. The WaterClan warriors dashed over to the cliff's ledge, peering over through edge, hoping their leader would be there, hanging on for their life. But no, there was no one. Hostile eyes turned towards Beepaw. She watched in horror as claws began to unsheathe, the cats slowly beginning to stalk towards her anger.
    "That was Brookstar's last life!" one hissed.

    "We should throw her down there too!"

    "I agree!"

    But WingedClan and LightningClan didn't seem to agree with this, their hisses and yowls echoing across the clearing. Suddenly, the WaterClan cats began to bristle in fear, "This is war, WingedClan!" and with that, they pelted off into the distance.

    Beepaw's heart was thundering in her chest. She was hoping she would get a chance to talk to Duskpaw, but a glare from Hawkclaw immediately told her she wouldn't.

...

    "What mouse-brain told you to do that?!" hissed Hawkclaw.

    "I-I'm sorry! It was either that the leader fell or I fell! I was going to brace the attack but-"

    "But what? You were too scared? I can't believe you were the apprentice I got. Look where you got us, Beepaw? Now we're in a war all because of you. If that ever happens again, I'm leaving you for the dead," Hawkclaw stalked ahead before any of the other cats could argue.

    But none did. The rest of the walk home went in silence.

    Hawkclaw signaled for Beepaw to come with him to the leader's den. Head held low, Beepaw made her way across the clearing anxiously. She could already see several pairs of eyes staring at her.

She listened in agony as Hawkclaw told Featherstar the story, angered by how he purposely changed the words to it so it made her seem more like a bad guy than someone just trying to survive.

Featherstar's glaring eyes were locked on to Beepaw, "I can't believe you! You nasty apprentice! You just let WaterClan's leader die like that? Not even attempt to save them? It doesn't matter if they are an enemy warrior. They are living, breathing cat, just like you, and you let them die. I'm so disappointed in you, Beepaw. I want you out of my sight. NOW!"

Beepaw sprinted out of the leader's den. All the cats were beginning to gather around it after hearing Featherstar yell. She knew that news of what she did would spread around the camp quickly. And the worse thing was that she knew it would all be a lie.

Trying not to cry, Beepaw pushed past the other cats and out of the camp, finding a bush to hide in. Her reputation was ruined. Everyone in the clan would hate her. Even her own mother. And the more she thought about it, Hawkclaw's lies began to sound more like the truth.

She let the WaterClan leader die.