A Warrior, A Poet, A King [Beech/Open]

Copperfox had taken several moments to regain consciousness after his fight with Dawnhawk. Birdpaw yelling at him had eventually brought him to. While every move and breath was agony, he was glad that she was okay. They walked back through Skyclan territory, with Copperfox occasionally needing to lean on the poor apprentice just a bit. The world swam around him and he he staggered here and there, but eventually he made it to the medicine den. He'd remembered about the mouse that he buried before going to look for Birdpaw, but with as much pain as he was in, he didn't care about a single field mouse. The predators could have it.

He stumbled into the den with Birdpaw beside him and gave a quick glance to Bloodstrike... who happened to be barely awake. Wonderful. The giant tom picked his head up and stared as Copperfox came in, clearly confused but not quite focused either. The copper tom ignored him. "Hi, Beechface..." He said sheepishly and with a dizzy grin. "Me again! I guess I'll be helping you find herbs later." He let out a nervous laugh... right before he collapsed to the floor. Bloodstrike was on his feet... also staggering... but tried to get to Copperfox and nudge him. He was covered in blood.

"What happened?" Bloodstrike asked, sounding incredibly sleepy for having been in the medicine den for most of the day. He wasn't asking anyone in particular, but he wouldn't shy away from an answer either.

It had taken a bit for Birdpaw to get Copperfox to wake up, and the trek back to camp was mostly quiet. The warrior stumbled frequently and had to lean on her shoulder. Birdpaw had came away from the fight with little blood on her, but as they neared camp, her gray tabby pelt was stained with more of Copperfox's blood than anything. She stumbled over a few apologies, but otherwise fell silent as the pair of them entered camp. The medicine den wasn't the place she wanted to be, but it was obvious Copperfox needed help, and Birdpaw figured she'd be able to leave him there and hopefully escape the medicine cat's notice. Beechface wasn't known for her gentle disposition, and being in the medicine den was scary.

---

"Two days, Copperfox! You've been out of my den for two. days." Beechface huffed out in frustration at hearing his voice. That frustration only grew as she turned and saw how much blood he was covered in. She grabbed a water-soaked mossball and gingerly pressed it against her younger brother's pelt. Much like her and mom, his fur was thick and disgustingly good at holding blood and dirt. The mossball helped get that off of his fur, and Beechface quickly grabbed another one and passed it to Bloodstrike. If he was too stubborn to stay in his nest like she'd told him, he'd make himself useful and help get the excess blood off of Copperfox.

Bloodstrike asked what had happened, and Beechface twitched an ear. She'd like to know why her brother had stumbled into her den covered in blood, too. She'd like to know even more why Birdpaw was standing awkwardly near the entrance of the medicine den, also covered in blood. Dark yellow-green eyes narrowed at the sight. If that blood was Birdpaw's, she was going to have words with her brother for whatever had transpired.

The flighty apprentice looked more like she was about to bolt than collapse, however. She looked spooked, and it was not a look Beechface liked seeing on most of her clanmates faces, but especially not Birdpaw's.

"Birdpaw, sit." Worry sharpened Beechface's tone, and she winced inwardly at the way the apprentice crept forward and reluctantly sat, looking very much like she wanted to be anywhere else.

"I was tracking a rabbit near the great ridge, I know I shouldn't have strayed off the territory as far as I did." Guilt, Beechface thought, tail starting to twitch back and forth.

"Twolegplace? Let me guess, there was a rogue." Beechface sighed, already thinking she knew the answer. Where else would she have gone from the great ridge. She discarded the bloody mossball, turning towards the apprentice. She padded forward, but a careful inspection showed that the blood staining Birdpaw's fur wasn't her own. It was a very good thing it wasn't her own. The apprentice all but cringed as the medicine cat sniffed at her, slender frame tensing slightly.

"I didn't even see him before he was on me. Then Copperfox showed up." Birdpaw more or less squeaked out in response, and Beechface fought down a low growl. Feather-brained apprentices! She stalked towards the herb stores near the back of the den, and padded towards Copperfox with a mouthful of goldenrod, horsetail and oak leaves.

Birdpaw was very lucky that she had a mouthful of herbs and was otherwise paying more attention to Copperfox' injuries. Very, very lucky.

Bloodstrike hardly understood what was going on before Beechface handed him a mossball. Taking it in his paw, Bloodstrike glared at it as if it had done horrible things to him. Eventually, he started using it the way Beechface was. He observed carefully, but it was no secret that he was a bit... uncoordinated. He still managed to get a bit of the job done, though just from that he knew he was thankful he was no medicine cat. Getting passed his son's thick fur was more work than he ever wanted to do in his life. Once it had become reasonably soaked in blood, he discarded it as Beechface had... then slowly backed away in the attempt to get away from doing more chores. He loved his son... just not so much the doctoring part.

---

"It was Dawnhawk. He's alive still. If Birdpaw hadn't have saved me... I may have died." Copperfox reported truthfully. His head hung in shame as he admitted it. "I know what it feels like... to lose all sense of self preservation and have no care in the world with how much you hurt someone else now..." He wasn't saying this with pride. As a matter of fact, he couldn't look anyone in the eye. "I thought Danwhawk killed Birdpaw... all I could do was cry at first but he said things to me... he said things that made me realize that just because I don't like fighting doesn't mean it will stop others from getting hurt or killed and..." His voice cut off there, legitimately ashamed of the way he felt towards his brother. He sighed loudly before continuing.

"I'm sorry. I would have killed him if I had won. I was so close to doing it too... But I would have taken his life if the opportunity came. I've never felt like that... I hope I never feel that way toward another cat ever again. Is that cowardly?" He leaned forward and ate the herbs that Beechface pushed toward him, though his eyes were wet now.

Bloodstrike slowly backing away after he'd discarded one bloodsoaked mossball was almost enough to make Beechface smirk. She was being petty and vindictive, but maybe that would get it through his thick skull. If he wasn't going to do what she asked him to, he was going to wind up helping her. And it was no secret her father wanted nothing more to do with herbs and caring for the sick and injured. Not that Beechface could blame him, a part of her still wished she was a warrior, instead. Less responsibility, less to deal with... Less stress.

Copperfox explained the rest of what had happened, and Beechface felt icy fear grip her stomach at what he said.

"Dawnhawk? You ran into Dawnhawk? In twolegplace. You shouldn't have even been off of our territory! Neither of you!" Beechface hissed, ears flattening and fur bristling. "You do know what he's done, right? Stars, you should have killed him." What if Copperfox hadn't been there? He could have killed an apprentice easily. Birdpaw was no fighter to begin with, and Dawnhawk, for all she hated him, was well trained and good at fighting.

"You two are the luckiest feather-brained idiots alive right now." She growled, "And you-" she bit out, turning a furious gaze towards the apprentice, who looked very much like she wanted to sink through the floor, "You're my- my niece. You are not leaving camp without an escort, understand? Maybe elder duty would keep you too busy to wander off?" She'd almost said 'my daughter' before she'd managed to correct herself. Copperfox said that Birdpaw had saved him, and the medicine cat let out a low snort of disgust.

"You mean to tell me one scrawny apprentice saved you? He's an opportunistic foxheart, brother. He knows how to pick and choose his battles." She retorted, then forced herself to chew the herbs she'd collected earlier. Applying the poultice might sting a bit, but she refused to leave her brother in the state he was in, no matter how much of a mousebrain he was. And they gave her something to focus on that wasn't anger. Her brother continued to speak, and Beechface carefully exhaled at the mention of what he'd thought had happened to Birdpaw. She wasn't dead, thank the stars. Beechface didn't know what she might've done if that were the case.

"You aren't a coward, Copperfox. Mousebrained idiot? Yes. But not a coward. Fighting wasn't your first choice and I... I'll admit I'll never understand that. But you fought in the end. That's not cowardice." She huffed, continuing to carefully apply the herbs and cobwebs where needed.

"Are you sure you don't want to become my apprentice? I could teach you everything I know and retire. Let you deal with this sort of nonsense every day instead." Her waved tail clearly included Bloodstrike as well as Birdpaw, who was quietly trying to look more interested in the moss beneath her paws. Despite her words there was very little humor in Beechface's tone. Instead the medicine cat just sounded tired. Every day it was something. Every. Day.

Copperfox flinched at Beechface's scolding. "It's not like I didn't try to kill him. He's got more experience than me. I couldn't pull it off." He wasn't ashamed to admit things that were painfully obvious. Copperfox had avoided fighting as much as possible for as long as he could remember. Dawnhawk was similar to Bloodstrike in the way that he seemed to thrive on conflict. Copperfox was also surprised that he got no praise for protecting Birdpaw... even if she had to save him in the end. Still... he plucked up a bit of courage when Beechface called Birdpaw a scrawny apprentice.

"Don't call her that!" A small growl could be heard in his voice when he spoke. Copperfox was even surprised at himself. Maybe he just needed to calm down still. That had been... harrowing at the very least. He was still a bit amped up. "Birdpaw was brave. I'll admit that fighting Dawnhawk is... ill-advised... but she ran him off! She had to have or I would have gotten teeth in my neck!" He'd defend her now, even if it wasn't physically anymore. He was a coward no longer...

---

Bloodstrike stared at them, eyes darting from one to the other. He shot a sympathetic look towards Birdpaw as well. "Try dealing with your own nonsense. That's a chore in itself." His tone wasn't angry, but it was obvious he was tired of the lecturing. Was it the best thing he could have said? Not even close, but his head still felt fuzzy and he was tired. Him... a medicine cat. Ha! Killing things was easier than saving them. "Still, as deputy, Birdpaw... I know you probably didn't mean to, but it is important that you stay within the confines of Skyclan territory. Unless you absolutely must be alone, and I don't see many situations where that would be the case, you need to take your mentor with you. Dawnhawk didn't hurt you... this time... but there are other things that will absolutely hurt you that live here too. I'll spare you a lengthy lecture, I know you're intelligent enough to not repeat this mistake a second time." There. He had done deputy duties. Now if everyone would hush up and let him sleep he'd be grateful.

Beechface took a breath, and forced herself to focus on the poultice she was applying to her brother's wounds. The hint of a growl caught her off guard, and for a moment the medicine cat stared at Copperfox in surprise.

A growl. At her. From Copperfox. It was enough to break through her anger, though the medicine cat's hackles were still raised and her tail still flicked back and forth. She took a moment to consider his words, and... Maybe she had been harsh. Still, someone had to drill it into their heads. She was sick and tired of watching her clanmates, her family, limping into her den with injuries. Sooner or later they wouldn't be limping into her den at all, and that thought terrified her. They'd both returned in one piece... This time.

"She was lucky you were there, Copperfox." She sighed, "Just... Be careful, alright? Both of you." Her father spoke up, and Beechface's whiskers twitched. She agreed with him, as tired as he sounded.

---

Birdpaw shifted, paws kneading at the moss beneath them in discomfort. She remained quiet as Copperfox snapped at the medicine cat, wishing very much that she could hide and not have to listen to this. The medicine cat was even more of a grump than she had thought, it seemed, and she couldn't quite put her claw on why. Maybe it was just stress, but then, there was something else. Maybe she was just protective of the clan. She knew the medicine cat had very little love for Dawnhawk and seemed to think the worst of him.

The deputy was in terrible shape, but that didn't prevent him from giving her a lecture, either. Though, Birdpaw supposed she'd earned it, though her feathered ears twitched back anyways. It was more of what the irate medicine cat had said, just worded far more tactfully. Though looking at the deputy, Birdpaw wasn't so sure if that was because he actually was better at talking to wayward apprentices or if he was simply too worn down to get as fired up as Beechface was.

"I won't do that again." She promised meekly. She'd just wanted to enjoy being alone and catch that stupid rabbit, and how well had that gone? She was sure the lecturing was only going to continue of Ravenclaw or Wrenspring caught wind of what had happened.

"Sorry, Copperfox." She added with a grimace, green eyes flicking briefly to the injured warrior before returning to her paws.

Seeing that everything was apparently starting to settle down and Copperfox was getting the treatment he needed, Bloodstrike nodded, satisfied with Birdpaw's apology. That would do. He settled back in into his nest with a quiet sigh and laid his head back down. The den was going to be crowded again, but at least he'd be out cold for most of it.

---

Copperfox settled down as well, allowing his sister to do whatever she needed to to make him feel better. With his adrenaline worn off, the cuts and scratches certainly hurt. "You have nothing to apologize for, Birdpaw. Pain is just... part of life." It bothered him to admit it. But it was true. He was done pretending that he could get by on just words alone and that violence was everywhere. He would have to adapt or he would die.