Sylvatica

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Sagelight awoke with a start, morning sunbeams streaming into his den. Briskly shaking the sleep out of his fur, he got to his paws and hurried out into camp, mind reeling from what he had just witnessed. It was most definitely a sign from StarClan. It seemed that Beechpaw was to be his next apprentice. She was another one of his kin, more distantly related this time but related nonetheless. Beechpaw...From what he had observed, she was looking to be a strong warrior, and was making progress in her training. He hated to derail her life so suddenly like this, but StarClan had made their intentions clear and it was his job to act on them. The older tom stopped in the middle of camp, looking around for any sign of Beechpaw or Wolfcall, her mentor.

"Wolfcall! Beechpaw! Meet me in my den as soon as possible, it's urgent!" he yowled, hoping the cats in question heard him. Without stopping to wait, he rushed back to the medicine den, preparing himself for the discussion that was to come.

Beechpaw had slipped from the apprentice den and was wiping a forepaw over her face when she heard her name called. Sagelight... Asking for her and Wolfcall? Was she in trouble or something? Had the medicine cat somehow found out her latest spat with Dawnpaw? But if that were the case, surely Dawnpaw would have been called out too?

Maybe the medicine cat needed help with something? Beechpaw's mind was at a loss as to why he'd call for her and Wolfcall specifically. Wolfcall was deputy, and it made sense if he wanted to share something with him. But why call an apprentice, as well? Maybe he needed some cats to soak moss balls in the river. The heat had been truly unbearable, especially for the longer-furred members of the clan, not to mention the elders.

Beechpaw's eyes scanned the camp, searching for the dark shape of her mentor. Curiosity and confusion were plain on the apprentice's face as she stood up and made her way toward Sagelight's den.

"Err... Sagelight...? Did you need anything?" She mewed, somewhat hesitant to approach the medicine cat as she stepped into the den. She'd never really had cause to visit this part of the camp, and it was much less familiar to her than other areas.

((also feel free to have Sage notice the mostly-healed-but-still-noticeable-under-even-Beech's-long-fur cuts on her back from Dawnpaw. Because this thread clearly isn't gonna spawn enough drama.))

With a yawn, Wolfcall poked his head out from the warrior's den. It was around the time that he was supposed to take Beechpaw out hunting, and he also had plans to confront the apprentice about the wounds that had appeared on her pelt some days before. He'd let it slide for a little while, wondering if eventually she'd bring it up on her own, but it appeared that she had inherited something from her father, be it the nighttime wanderlust that he too possessed, or the inexplicable urge to start fights.

But he didn't even get the chance to search for her before Sagelight's voice captured his attention and he tilted his head. Was something wrong? The medicine cat certainly sounded a bit frazzled... but lately that had been Sagelight's default state of mind. Finally noticing Beechpaw across the camp, he tossed her a puzzled look before heading into the medicine den. "Uncle? Are you alright?"

The older tom paced around his den as he waited, running through the words he wanted to say over and over in his head. This was a tricky subject... Wolfcall, he knew, would most likely take this in stride with grace as usual, but Beechpaw... He glanced over, watching as she approached. She would be a different matter entirely. He didn't know the young molly particularly well, but soon he would know a lot about her. From what he had witnessed already, she was rather aggressive towards her equally-aggressive brother, so her training would probably be very interesting. Sagelight stopped his fretful pacing as the cats he had called over entered the space, instead opting to sit down. He still kneaded the soft dirt floor with his paws, though, tense, a bit of a worried look on his face.

"So..." he began slowly, taking a moment to clear his throat of the nervous bile rising up. He watched the faces of his kin, a troubled smile flickering onto his features. "I have news. For the both of you. I figured I should tell you both as soon as possible, to just rip the cobwebs off, so to speak." A pause, for steadying himself. He continued, meowing, "I've received a message from StarClan, just now. Last night, rather. It seems that...Beechpaw, you're to be my next apprentice." Sagelight's ears pinned back along his head for a moment. This was a very awkward conversation to have. "There's no doubt in my mind, honestly. There was some urgency in the message I got, and I have a feeling we will need extra paws around here as soon as possible...Not to alarm you two, though. Wolfcall...I hope there are no hard feelings." He chuckled a little, giving his nephew a half-hearted smile. "I'm afraid I'll have to steal your apprentice from you. And Beechpaw," now he squinted across at the young apprentice, his voice adopting a more serious tone. "I'm sorry to tear you away from your warrior training, but this is a serious matter, and I promise I will teach you all that I know. If we hurry, we'll be able to make it to the Moonstone today to get you named as a medicine cat apprentice under StarClan. I'm also fine with waiting until tomorrow, but we need to make this journey as soon as possible."

Beechpaw merely returned her mentor's puzzled expression as they headed into the medicine cat den after Sagelight. Wolfcall had said they would go hunting today, but it seemed like that would be postponed to deal with... whatever it was that the medicine cat had called them to his den for. "Wolfcall, can we talk later?" Said quietly, almost too quietly, more uncharacteristic discomfort than she was used to evident in her voice that Wolfcall would no doubt find concerning. But she'd asked. This time she wouldn't lose her nerve. Hopefully. She'd have to tell him about that stupid fight sooner or later.

Sagelight almost seemed nervous to the young she-cat, was that just him? Or was the cause of it whatever he'd called them for? Beechpaw didn't know the older tom enough to be able to tell.

...Ripping the cobwebs off? That wasn't reassuring, at all. Beechpaw felt her fur prickle with unease of her own. Did the medicine cat know about the fight with Dawnpaw? Was she in trouble? She should have found time to tell Wolfcall about it sooner, she knew. But it seemed as though every time she'd mustered the courage to speak, Dawnpaw would look at her from across the clearing, or bound over to talk to her, tone just a bit too forced to be truly friendly, and she'd lose her nerve. Maybe after this she could speak to her mentor about it. Beechpaw knew he'd noticed the scratches along her back, because of course he did. The marks were healing, and didn't hurt as much as they initially had, but they weren't particularly comfortable. The slices through her belly fur could have turned out much worse than they were, she knew. She'd asked Wolfcall to talk before entering the den, was that what Sagelight was intending to spring on them now? That he knew? Was she in trouble? Stars, maybe she should just bring it up now...

Sagelight spoke again as Beechpaw was mentally preparing herself to open her mouth.

At Sagelight's next words, the apprentice nearly choked on air, fur fluffing up involuntarily as wide yellow-green eyes swept from him to her current mentor, then back to Sagelight, disbelief evident. Had she misheard? Surely he didn't just say what she thought he did. "I'm... What? You can't be serious." She managed to sputter after a few seconds of her brain processing what the medicine cat had just said. Sagelight's next... apprentice? Has he gone senile? But I've been training to be a warrior! Beechpaw's tufted ears flattened in dismay.

"Why me and not someone less..." Combative, unruly, short-tempered. All adequate words to describe her, Beechpaw was sure. "But I know nothing about herbs or healing." Even to her ears her voice sounded plaintive and unsure. And something about urgency and needing more paws soon? No, that wasn't reassuring. Not at all. Beechpaw felt her stomach twist, the disbelief and confusion slowly giving way to anxiety.

...He wanted to go to the Moonstone today? Or tomorrow? Beechpaw had always thought she'd be going soon enough, but not this soon. And certainly not for this reason. Beechpaw's eyes flicked to Wolfcall, waiting to see what he had to say about this. He'd tell Sagelight that this was preposterous, right? He wouldn't just give up his apprentice without a word, surely?

And then the thought occurred to Beechpaw that Sagelight was telling her she was to become his new apprentice... And neither he nor Wolfcall knew about that little spat with Dawnpaw... Should she tell them now? Would that change Sagelight's mind about this? She'd probably get in trouble for it, but keeping it to herself had been grating on her nerves. Beechpaw didn't like that it had happened, and part of her was ashamed that she'd helped cover it up. "Wolfcall... I'd asked to speak with you before about something. I'd meant to bring it up sooner but... Well, now seems like as good a time as any to bring it up. And I-I know the clawmarks on my back didn't go unnoticed either." Beechpaw cringed, body tensing just a bit more. A very large part of her didn't want to meet her mentor's eyes, but she forced herself to do so, swallowing hard.

"I was out hunting the other day when I saw a lot of fur caught in some of the brambles and thickets near the fallen oak. I recognized it as Dawnpaw's and decided to follow. It-" The apprentice looked less than comfortable, tail tip twitching in agitation as her claws absently made furrows in the floor, ears still flat. It was an effort to remain sitting, anxiety made her want to pace, or maybe run out of the den like her tail was on fire.

"I caught Dawnpaw when he was back on our territory, he admitted that he'd crossed into Thunderclan territory to spend time with an apprentice, Rosepaw. I told him it was wrong, and he tried to rip my fur off. I defended myself. He-" At some point her dark gaze had dropped from Wolfcall's own, and Beechpaw's words ended quietly as she stared down at her paws. If the earth below her opened up and swallowed her, she wouldn't complain about it.

Beechpaw gave her fur a shake, and continued. She had to get this out. "He told me not to tell anyone, said things would go poorly for me if I did... I- I agreed if only to stop him for the moment, but this isn't something I should have kept quiet for as long as I did." Would they punish her? They would have to, right? She'd still attacked a clanmate, even if it was self-defense. And Dawnpaw... The thought of him finding out made her flinch, ever so slightly. He'd be sure to make her pay for it, that was certain.

Sagelight's words caused Wolfcall's brow to draw together, deepening into a "v" at the center of his forehead by the time everything was said and done. Beechpaw, a medicine cat? She was quite possibly one of the least mellow cats he'd ever met - exactly the opposite of what one normally pictured. His sweet sister had fit the role perfectly, but now she was gone and it made sense that Sagelight would need a fresh apprentice. The deputy looked between her and his uncle several times, half-expecting with every moment that passed for one of them to yell, "Gotcha!" and start laughing, but to his dismay the apprentice seemed as bewildered as he did, and he'd never known Sagelight to joke at anyone's expense.

"I, uh..." he shook his head, blinking rapidly several times and letting out a long, low breath. "Okay." What else was there to say? If StarClan had willed it, they couldn't be wrong, right? Beechpaw, however, seemed less than thrilled, and her displeasure with the situation was evident in her body language. Guilt pricked at Wolfcall as her eyes bore into him, clearly expecting him to argue the medicine cat's declaration, but he had nothing. Especially since she hadn't given him a terribly long time to respond before rattling off the very thing he'd been intending to ask her about that day.

By the time she was finished, the deputy's gaze had darkened, his amber-gold eyes narrowed on her but not at her. The tip of his tail twitched ever so lightly. "Beechpaw, this is something you have to decide for yourself," he told her, voice level. "StarClan cannot force you to become a medicine cat, whether they will it or not. This is a decision that will impact your entire life from this point forward, so I urge you to think before you choose, but know that you have my support either way." His gaze flashed to Sagelight, and for a moment their shared grief about Honeysong was the only thing on Wolfcall's mind. Then he bowed his head. "I trust you, uncle. Feel free to seek me out if you need anything, but I must be on my way. Please excuse me,"

Wolfcall's tail trailed along the scratches on Beechpaw's pelt as he passed her, his whiskers twitching in barely-contained anger. He needed time to think about how he was going to approach this.

His brows furrowed in turn as he listened to Beechpaw's confession. Ah...He was wondering about those scratches on her, actually. That answered that question. Sagelight frowned but gave a nod towards his nephew as the dark deputy pushed past, leaving the den. Fighting within the Clan was a serious matter...Hopefully it wouldn't happen again. That Dawnpaw was, to say the least, a troubled kit. The fact that he was so quick to violence was concerning. But that was something for another time, he needed to focus on the task at paw for now.

Once Wolfcall was out of earshot, Sagelight turned his attention back on Beechpaw, his expression solemn. "Wolfcall is right," he said, his ears angled back. "StarClan can't force you to do anything, and neither can I, for that matter. But I do need an apprentice and, while I wasn't told the reason why behind this choice, StarClan has chosen you. I know this is a big thing to spring on you, Beechpaw, but please take this into careful consideration..." He craned his head to look out over the apprentice's shoulder into the rest of camp, watching Wolfcall's dark form with an equally dark glint in his eyes. "...Your in-fighting with Dawnpaw will not be taken lightly. I cannot say what Spottedstar's verdict will be, but in light of whatever his decision on the matter will be, I'll give you one day to decide on whether or not you want to take this path of becoming a medicine cat. Please let me know tomorrow morning, and be prepared to take a journey to the Moonstone. For now..." His gaze returned back to Beechpaw and he offered her a slight, pitying smile. "I'll let you think about it. And, you should probably prepare yourself for a meeting with Spottedstar. Good luck."

Beechpaw had been prepared for a lecture at her previous words. Maybe something along the lines of how she was In For It after fighting with Dawnpaw, something along the lines of how medicine cats were healers, not fighters, and maybe that Sagelight had been wrong to think Starclan wanted this confrontational apprentice for his newest trainee. They'd punish her somehow, and that would end this delusional discussion of her becoming a medicine cat's apprentice.

Beechpaw was disappointed. Oh, Wolfcall was furious, she knew. At her situation with Dawnpaw, at herself for fighting with her own brother, at possibly losing his apprentice, at the sheer absurdity of the thought of Beechpaw, medicine cat... All of the above, probably. Beechpaw hadn't expected his voice to sound so level. Nor had she expected him to say it was her choice. Definitely hadn't expected him to say he'd support her choice either way. Surely he couldn't be that featherbrained. The heat had to have gotten to him.

"I realize I'm not the only one affected by this decision, Sagelight." It was one thing to be in trouble, and Beechpaw had expected as much once she'd just blurted out the truth for both Skyclan's deputy and medicine cat to hear, but the possible punishments she could think of seemed a bit less dire than becoming a medicine cat did. Beechpaw knew how to hunt and fight. She didn't know how to heal, how to... communicate with Starclan, or whatever it was that medicine cats generally did. Fighting was something that came naturally to her, healing seemed foreign, opposite of what she did.

And if she decided to become Sagelight's apprentice... Didn't that make her responsible for the rest of the clan? The thought didn't sit well with Beechpaw. In fact, it was downright terrifying.

Beechpaw lifted her head, eyeing the older medicine cat warily. "I know you need an apprentice but... Why not someone that's actually good with other cats, like Primrosepaw or Sweetpaw? It's not that I don't care but... I'm a fighter, I'm irritable. Argumentative. I don't understand what Starclan- or you- would see in me as a medicine cat." Her tail began to twitch again, claws restlessly digging furrows into the ground beneath them. Was she trying to convince Sagelight that this was a bad idea? No. Beechpaw was merely stating facts. But he'd asked her to consider it, given her the day to decide. The least she could do was honor that request. Maybe Sagelight would just forget about it in the morning.

"I'll... Consider it. And... thanks for the warning?" She finished weakly, mustering up something resembling a queasy smile. Beechpaw turned, hoping that the medicine cat had nothing else to say before she would try her best to not bolt from the den like a piece of startled prey avoiding a cat's jaws.