Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 6

Bearpaw felt a paw prodding her in the side as she slept.

"Bearpaw! Wake up!" Doepaw hissed in her ear.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Bearpaw growled drowsily.

Lionpaw and Dustpaw were stretching just outside the den.

Bearpaw sat down and began to lick her ruffled fur.

Doepaw sat next to her, the shafts of early sunlight shining weakly on her spots.

"Doepaw?" Bearpaw asked.

"Yeah?" Doepaw replied absentmindedly.

"Do you wanna go hunting?" Bearpaw answered.

"Sure! Let's ask Lionpaw and Dustpaw." Doepaw turned out of the den to go and ask their littermates.

Bearpaw stretched luxuriously, and stepped outside into the late leaf-fall air.

"Bearpaw! Can we talk?" Pineclaw rushed over, looking flustered and embarrassed.

"What do you want?" Bearpaw snapped, her eyes as cold as ice.

"Somewhere private?" Pineclaw asked, glancing over his shoulder as if some cat was following him.

"Where to?" Bearpaw hissed impatiently.

"Follow me." Pineclaw responded, his voice quaking. 

Bearpaw followed him behind the warriors den, her claws flexing.

"I'm sorry. I was rude last night, and I should have thought over what I was saying." Pineclaw rushed his words out, his body shivering.

"Pineclaw. You're shaking. You don't need to get so emotional over this." Bearpaw put her tail on his shoulder but his body kept quaking, more forcefully now.

"Pineclaw! What's wrong!?" Bearpaw hissed loudly in his ear.

"I h-h-have to g-go." Pineclaw mumbled into his chest fur.

Bearpaw watched in horror as he whipped around, heading for the medicine den.

"He's sick!" She whispered.

Bearpaw shook her head in shame. She had been so hard on him! It couldn't be good for his condition.

"Bearpaw! We're going hunting!" Dawnpool called to her.

Bearpaw nodded and ran up to her littermate, who was standing next to Sunstripe.

"Doepaw!" Dawnpool meowed, watching the spotted apprentice nod.

"Where are Dustpaw and Lilyflower?" Bearpaw asked.

"Don't know. Lilyflower!" Sunstripe called.

Lilyflower poked her head out of the nursery, her eyebrows raised.

"Oh! Sorry Lilyflower! She's expecting my kits." Sunstripe shook his head.

"How about Stormfall? She can hunt with us." Dawnpool suggested.

Sandtooth nodded.

"I'll get them." Bearpaw meowed energetically.

She raced to the warriors den, and stuck her head inside.

"Stormfall!" Bearpaw hissed.

A white paw flew up, and a flurry of scrambling followed.

"Bearpaw? What's up?" Stormfall asked drowsily.

"Hunting. We need you to 'mentor' Dustpaw." Bearpaw answered.

Stormfall nodded and began grooming herself hurriedly.

"Hunting!" Dustpaw screeched from somewhere behind her.

Bearpaw whipped around.

Her brother was bouncing around by Dawnpool, his tail flicking excitedly.

Stormfall came out of the den, her jaws stretched wide in a yawn.

"You ready?" Bearpaw asked.

Stormfall nodded simply, and bounded up to Dustpaw, calming him down immediately.

Bearpaw braced herself as her group left camp.

"Maybe we should go to Owl Oak. Prey should be okay there." Bearpaw suggested.

Dawnpool nodded, and turned the group around, heading to the tallest tree in Thornclan territory.

When they arrived at the tree, the mentors sent their apprentices off to hunt.

Bearpaw stalked through the undergrowth, her tail tip twitching.

Suddenly, a tempting scent hit Bearpaw's nose.

As she crept along, following the strong scent of squirrel, she spotted a gray tail flicking around clump of bracken.

Bearpaw lowered her chest to the ground, raising her tail into the air.

Soon the squirrel peeked out of the bracken, oblivious to the cat standing tail-lengths away.

Bearpaw tensed her muscles and leapt.

The squirrel struggled beneath her paws for a moment before falling limp.

She picked up her prey and turned, praising herself for making the catch.

When Bearpaw returned to the tree, every other cat was standing there, few of them carrying prey.

"Bearpaw! I was about to go and look for you!" Dawnpool exclaimed.

Bearpaw nodded.

Everyone else was paying attention to the squirrel she was carrying.

"Looks like you made good progress." Lionpaw commented.

Bearpaw raised an eyebrow, barely holding in a mrrow of laughter.

"Let's head back." Sunstripe laughed, whisking his tail over Lionpaw's ear.

When they returned to camp, Sparrowstar beckoned them back outside.

"All of you are going to the battle tonight. Pineclaw will have to stay behind-" Sparrowstar was interrupted by Bearpaw.

"What's wrong with him?"

Sparrowstar shook his head.

"He's developed greencough, I'm afraid. But we should be okay. Also, I'm bringing Thistlewing as a mentor to Dustpaw, as Lilyflower is expecting."

Dawnpool nodded, his claws flexing.

"You all need to go get some rest. I'll wake you when the sky begins to darken." Sparrowstar dismissed them, turning into the forest.

Sandtooth led the warriors to their den, and Bearpaw walked by Doepaw's side, climbing into her nest.

Bearpaw woke to a claw jabbing her flank.

"What is it!?" Bearpaw leapt up, memories rushing back to her.

"We have to go!" Dustpaw hissed.

She raced out of the den after Dustpaw, her heart racing.

She followed the group out of camp, watching Sandtooth and Doepaw running side by side.

Bearpaw began to hesitate.

She shook her head.

There was no time for hesitation.

She needed to fight in this battle, and win this battle.