#beaverspots

“Well,” Beaverspots glanced at his back leg. It was also covered in herbs. “Not dead, thanks to you. What are you doing here?”

“Eh, got badly hurt too.” He raised his front leg. “Yer leader and Wanstreaks got me patched up.” 

“You mean Streak - swan.”

“Er, yeah. Streakswan,” He dipped his head in apology. “Sorry, what’s a swan?”

“You don’t know?” Beaverspots tipped his head curiously. “Well, what about ducks? Swans are like them, but white and have long necks. They’re from our old territory.”

“…Have ye got a weird animal name too?”

“They’re not weird,” The warrior sighed. “But my name is Beaverspots.”

The stranger looked at him expectantly.

“…They’re brown, like my pelt, and they eat trees to build dams over rivers.”

“Now, how do I know you aren’t pulling my leg?” The stranger paused, looking at his front paw. “Or what’s left of it anyway.”

“I can’t exactly show you,” He meowed with a tinge of regret. 

While he didn’t mind explaining, it was still strange to meet someone who may never even knew an ounce of their old home. Someone who didn’t know of the strange birds, or the soft rocks by the river. Someone who’d never meet his precious clanmates, now gone.

But they’re all still here somehow. He fondly remembered his visit to the Moon Falls. The lecture from his first mentor for being a handful. The pride and love behind the licks his mothers gave. The attempts of his littermates to tackle him (they never got past 4 moons). All those moments… Until the moon could no longer light the crystal.

“Er, right. I forgot to tell ye my name,” The stranger, finally sensing the awkward silence, meowed. “Sorry ‘bout that. It’s Bluff.”

Bluff? Like a lie? Beaverspots tipped his head. So much for saying my name’s weird.

But he’d say that for another time— he had a more important question.

“Well, Bluff,” Beaverspots meowed. “Did you know those cats?”

“The rogues who ambushed ye?” Bluff meowed. “Nay, but I’ve seen ‘em around the area for a while now. I jumped in because...”

“Because?” Beaverspots prompted him.

Bluff paused, then the young tom’s voice grew serious. “Ye remember that whole speech before the skirmish?” 

The warrior furrowed his brow as he recalled the exchange. The rogues accused them of taking their territory.

“What about it?”

“Those cats claim territory for fun,” Bluff’s blue eyes narrowed. “They never eat prey, only take trinkets.”

“Now, I’m a wanderer— never had a territory of my own,” He continued. “But to disrespect the cats who need it to survive? Never liked it.”

“So you’ve been following them— wait.” Beaverspots frowned. “How long have you been on our territory!?”

“Er…” Bluff smiled sheepishly. “Like I said, I’m a wanderer. I go wherever, even if ye clan cats have borders. Of course, I try not to take much, unlike those rogues.”

“Still,” The warrior sighed. “If prey wasn’t so plentiful, that’d be a problem.”

“Ey, don’t get yer fur in a tangle. I did save yer life, eh?”

“I guess.”

“Don’t worry,” Bluff dipped his head. “Once my leg works, I’ll be out of yer clan’s fur.”

Beaverspots nodded, and his mind slipped into thinking again. How many trespassing cats have they missed? 

Our clan’s still small, so of course we can’t cover ever bit of territory…

He glanced at Bluff. He noted the muscles within his pelt and the scar along his eye.

“So why are you a wanderer? Isn’t it hard?”

“Eh?” Bluff blinked in surprise. “Er, it isn’t too hard. Sure, I’ve got no place to call home but… I like it that way.”

Bluff looked around the den. Crystals dotted the walls, and herbs were neatly stored along stone shelves. Meanwhile, Brushnibble and Streakswan were still fast asleep.

“There’s many things to see in this world. All sorts of cats to meet. Ye see, I’ve been to a cave like this once, but the rocks don’t glow. The fish and worms do. Though I wouldn’t recommend eating ‘em. Taste too funny.”

“But, er, it does get lonely sometimes,” He admitted. “Maybe that’s why I talk too much.”

“Well, I thought that was interesting.” Beaverspots meowed. “We never had any glowing fish in our old home, or found any here.”

“Heh,” Bluff seemed to enjoy the attention.

“Still, I’m surprised you’ve never seen a swan!”

“Ey, give me a break,” Bluff laughed. “Maybe I did, but I don’t bring a tour guide along.”

They stopped as a cat stirred in a nest. It was Brushnibble.

She yawned. At her spot near the den’s exit, the first rays of dawn were starting to show. She looked at them in surprise. “Hold on, have you two even slept?”

“Eh?”

“It’s already morning?”

“Great StarClan.”

“Well, in our defense,” Beaverspots meowed. “I was asleep for most of the day.”

“Aye, me too.”

“No, I found you awake already!”

“Nay. A lie.”

Brushnibble sighed and curled deeper into her nest. In her sleep, her dreams were already filled with their voices. If she had to listen more, she’d go insane!

Previous Moon Event - Sunbathing

“Uhm, three,” Badgerpaw timidly raised his paw. “I don’t have battle training yet…”

“Still! Three warriors!” 

“We don’t even know where they are, Beaverspots,” Brushnibble meowed.

“You said they smelled like kittypets,” He looked outside. “Then of course, we’ll start near the twoleg place.”

“It’s not that simple–”

“Well, I’m going either way!” He snapped. “It’s better than doing nothing and only finding more traces of them.”

He leapt out the exit, and the cats sighed.

================================================

“You think I’ll let you go alone?” Brushnibble hissed after catching up to him. He was a fast runner, she’ll give him that.

“Of course not,” He purred, then looked at the ground. “Look, paw prints. Do they smell like the rogues?”

“...Yes. Still fresh.”

He scanned the tall grass. They must be nearby. 

Finally, after all the reports we’ve gotten. Windstar believed they were just passing by, but after that stunt… Who knows what they’re up to!

He paused as his blue eyes met green eyes, hiding in the grass.

“There–” He yowled as sharp claws dug into his back, and the force sent both cats tumbling forward.

He kicked off his attacker and swiped at them. As the cat backed away, he turned to Brushnibble. She had dodged another rogue’s attack, and slammed him right into the ground.

Five more figures emerged from the grass, leaving the two warriors surrounded.

“There you are,” The rogue leader hissed. He had a brown marbled pelt, and a green collar that matched his eyes. “You lowlifes took our territory!” 

“Your territory?!” Beaverspots yowled. “You weren’t even here when we arrived!”

“Ever heard of a vacation?” Another cat scoffed. Her cream pelt wasn’t as shiny, but she did have prey bones affixed to her collar. “We leave to visit Nancy’s for a few weeks, and a bunch of cats have pissed on the lawn!”

“What— Hold on,” Brushnibble meowed. “If you wish to make any claims on the territory, you can speak to Windsta—”

“I’m not here for negotiations!” The leader hissed. “I’m here to send a message. You’re the youngest cats in that group, right?”

A black burly cat stepped closer. His amber eyes raged like fire.

“Your pelts are going on our list of trophies.”

Beaverspots leapt aside as the tom slammed his paws onto the ground, but he hissed as another cat bit down into his back leg. He kicked himself free, and came face to face with the same green eyes from earlier.

“Your threats mean nothing!” Beaverspots leapt straight at the leader, who screeched as the warrior dug his claws into his shoulder. 

Before Beaverspots could subdue him, claws tore into his pelt. He tasted both dirt and blood when he realized the leader was on him instead.

He struggled against the cats holding him down. Through his uninjured eye, he watched as Brushnibble shook two cats off her. She tried to run to Beaverspots, but another two blocked her path.

I can’t die, I can’t die–

“Not very tough, are you?” The leader raised a paw, claws ready to slash his stomach.

A blur of gray knocked the rogue off him. With a yowl, Beaverspots twisted and slashed the other cat holding on him.

As he stood and shook off the hazy feeling in his eye and leg, he found that the stranger had already killed one of the rogues. On the other side, Brushnibble had driven out two more.

“Tch, you– Hey!” The leader yowled. Shaken by their losses, the rogues had started to scatter. “Where are you going?!”

“I suggest ye join them,” The gray tabby growled.

“Tch!” 

He fled as Brushnibble and the stranger stepped closer.

“Yeah! Get out of here!” Beaverspots meowed. Though he tried to smile, things suddenly grew blurrier, and he couldn’t stand anymore. “Good thing… You......”

“Beaverspots!”

Previous Moon Event - First Patrol