Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 20

Bearheart awoke the next morning, feeling drowsy, but excited.

Flyfeather was stirring beside her, twisting and turning as though caught in a bad dream.

Riverscar was standing up, stretching.

"You ready for training?" He asked.

Bearheart nodded eagerly, feeling like an apprentice again.

Riverscar led her from the camp, not bothering to stop at the fresh kill pile.

"Let's start with swimming. We'll move on to hunting next." Riverscar meowed as he came to the river that ran through their territory.

"Alright!" Bearheart smiled.

Riverscar slid quietly into the water, barely making a sound. He ducked under the water and came back up a moment later, water streaming from his whiskers.

"Come into the water." He beckoned.

Bearheart tried sliding into the water, just as he did, but failed. She fell into the water with a loud splash, sending droplets of water flying everywhere.

She regained her composure quickly, but was swept off her paws by the currents of the river. Bearheart felt claws in her scruff, and felt herself being pulled to the surface.

"That was... okay." Riverscar laughed.

Bearheart felt her ear tips go hot.

His claws were still in her scruff, and Bearheart was squirming in his grasp.

"Why don't you try again? This time, try pushing back against the water with your paws, as if you were walking. It's simple. Just don't overthink it." Riverscar instructed. He let go and Bearheart did as he had instructed. She began moving through the water swiftly, her head above the water.

"I'm doing it!" She exclaimed. "I'm swimming!" She turned back towards Riverscar, gasping as she felt rain beginning to patter down on the surface of the water.

"Don't worry. Swimming in rain is the same as not swimming in rain. Kind of..." Riverscar laughed.

Bearheart growled playfully at him. "The currents get stronger, right?"

"Very good, my apprentice." Riverscar chortled.

Bearheart snorted.

"When swimming in stronger currents, you just have to work harder. If the waves get too big, you get out of the water. Unless, you're saving a clanmate. You never want to risk your life for prey."

Bearheart nodded. "It doesn't look like the currents will get much stronger. How about you teach me to hunt?"

"Of course." Riverscar agreed. Leading her from the water, he walked along the shore. They came to a shallow part of the river, a large eddy spinning in it's midst.

"Not many cats come to hunt here. Salmon and carp are plentiful." Riverscar told her.

"Alright. What are the techniques?" Bearheart asked, gazing into the water.

"Step back. You can't let your shadow fall over the water, otherwise the fish will swim away. Sometimes, the fish come close enough to the surface that you can just hook them out of the water. But most times, you have to dive in. When fish live in eddies, it takes time for them to get away. You can be loud, but try not to. When swimming into the eddy, you have to have a clear escape route. The currents are strong, but you are stronger. The fish will swim at the bottom. Often, you can catch more than one. Watch." Riverscar jumped into the water, Bearheart on his tail. He glanced back at her through the bubbles, then dove down. Bearheart followed, staying just outside the eddy. Her lungs began to burn as Riverscar clamped his jaws around a fat salmon and stabbed a bulging carp with his claws before swimming up to the surface. Bearheart struggled after him.

She emerged, panting, from the water. Her whiskers were weighed down by dripping water and her fur felt heavy around her.

"Good catch!" She meowed.

"Why don't you try?" Riverscar nodded toward the eddy.

Bearheart nodded and took a deep breath. She swam closer to the eddy, closing her eyes as she plunged into it.

Bubbles swirled around her, throwing her off balance for a few moments. She she regained her self-control, opening her eyes as her paws hit the sandy floor of the river. Fish wove around her and Bearheart slashed out at a salmon, hooking her claws into it's fin. She bought it closer and nipped it's spine, killing it. Her lungs were screaming for air and Bearheart swam desperately up to the surface, the salmon in her jaws.

"I caught it!" Her mew was muffled by the fat fish.

"That's great! Are you sure you're not part Moonclan?" Riverscar gazed at her joyfully, paws churning beneath the water.

"I'm pretty sure." Bearheart responded, her eyes smiling.

"How about we practice getting into the water, and then we can take the prey back and eat." Riverscar nodded to the shore, fur floating on the surface of the water.

"Let's go."

For a while, the two figured out the best ways to get into the water quietly and testing them out.

When the sun began to set, the two slid out of the water, sopping wet.

They made their way back to camp, leaving a trail of water in their wake.

The two were laughing loudly, nuzzling the other's muzzle. Bursting into camp, Bearheart walked slowly before dropping her catch on the fresh kill pile.

Boulderfrost emerged from the nursery. "Good catch, Bearheart! Care to bring it to me?" She asked.

Bearheart's eyes lit up, glad that someone was appreciating her catch.

She picked it back up and began to pad over to the queen, when the elder, Ravencall intercepted her.

"That looks good. I'll take it."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Ravencall. I'm taking this to Boulderfrost. I can get you Riverscar's carp. It's bigger than this." Bearheart said sympathetically.

"Oh. I think I'll get it myself. Rushwhisper's got her eyes on it. Thanks for lettin' me know." Ravencall lumbered away, glaring at Rushwhisper as the she-cat crept toward the fat fish.

Bearheart continued on, dropping the salmon at Boulderfrost's paws when she got to the nursery. 

"Thank you, Bearheart. This is a good catch. Is it your first?" Boulderfrost asked as she tucked into the fish.

"Yes. My first catch." Bearheart was practically glowing with pride.

"Good job. You learn to swim, too?" Boulderfrost licked her chops, the salmon at her paws nearly gone.

"Yes. It was very fun. I think I'll enjoy being a Moonclan cat." Bearheart turned away, her bushy tail curling happily. Some cats were beginning to accept her.

Riverscar padded toward her, carrying his salmon. "Share this with me?" He offered.

"I'd love that." She meowed in response. They crept to the shade of an overhanging willow, and began to eat. Within moments, the salmon was gone.

They stayed where they were and shared tongues for a while, watching the moon rise. The stars twinkled and Bearheart felt happiness swell inside her. She would miss her clan, but she would be happy here. She would.