Hypocrites Unite! [Beechface]

Bloodstar had mulled the prophecy over and over after his initial suspicion that it was a warning to him specifically. Beechface was going to try to kill him.... maybe. He wasn't entirely sure. He would be both shocked and... not shocked at the same time if that turned out to be the case. The one thing he did know was that Beechface didn't do well with direct confrontation and tended to be betray herself with her emotions more often than not. So... why not just ask her directly?

"Beechface, I think I know what the prophecy was trying to tell us, could you come to the leader's den with me?" He asked her politely enough, betraying nothing of his intentions or his suspicions. He lead her into the leader's den and sat down, waiting for her to take a seat as well. He took a deep breath, knowing how this might end up going. And what if it was true? Was he going to just exile her? A part of him didn't want to. He'd rather try once more to work things out. If she was dead set on destroying him, or even Briarthorn, then he supposed she had that decision for him and there was no other option.

There had been a noticeable shift in Beechface after her discussion with Bloodstar and Muddythorn about becoming a warrior. She was trying not to let that strange, sudden burst of optimism and excitement show too much, but she was sure her clanmates could tell something was up anyways. The hopefully-soon-to-be-former medicine cat was sitting outside her and Muddythorn's den when Bloodstar's voice called her, and she stood, padding toward the den after him.

"What do you think?" She asked, sitting once she'd entered the den. She didn't know how he'd managed to make sense of the cryptic words Muddythorn received, but something was better than nothing... She hoped.

Bloodstar wasn't entirely sure how to start this off, so he figured he may as well just go for it. "Well, from what I understand of prophecies... sometimes they give you a name in a cryptic and aggravating way... The tree, I wonder, is not even really referring to a tree, but a name. ... Yours. A beech tree crumbles without it's roots." He eyed her for several seconds, searching for anything telling in her expression. "You're one of two cats in Skyclan with a name that has anything to do with a tree, and I don't really see Orchidmask breaking the code... Crumbling without roots could refer to me, possibly... as in a bloodline..."

And then it struck him right in that moment. He remembered how upset she was when Wrenspring died... He remembered their conversations from before this and how things would always so subtly point to Wrenspring, but Bloodstar had always easily dismissed it. Those alone wouldn't have been enough except... except for Birdsong. She had looked strikingly like Beechface... but he had always dismissed that as well with the logic that Ravenclaw and Beechface were blood related and how it was possible to have look-alike offspring.

... And Ravenclaw and Beechface were fairly close... It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that Beechface could convince her sister to lie to the rest of the clan...

Bloodstar's eyes softened as that clarity slowly came to light.

"So... do you have something you want to tell me? Why would Starclan feel the need to tattle on you?" He wouldn't just assume this... he wanted actual confirmation. Quite frankly, he would be relieved if she had only had a forbidden romance as a medicine cat and not that she had been plotting to kill him.

A forbidden romance he could forgive and move beyond, having had one himself (Beechface you hypocrite) but plotting to murder your own leader (Bloodstar, you hypocrite) wasn't as easily forgiven.

Beechface twitched an ear as Bloodstar talked. His reasoning for thinking it had to do with her was sound... And she didn't like it. Not one bit. Starclan made them waste time figuring out their foxdung message about her? She'd broken the code, but how was that important now after all this time? "Seasons late and a few branches short of a tree. How typical." She sneered. She didn't like the way Bloodstar's gaze had softened, either. She didn't need pity.

"Fine, it was with Wrenspring. Frail old Mossbloom figured it out when she ran into Birdsong at the border." She huffed, tail twitching. And it had taken a prophecy for anyone else to figure it out? Why had they even bothered? Who Beechface let into her nest was nobody's business but her own.

Bloodstar waited patiently for her to answer... and once she finally had... Bloodstar breathed a sigh of relief. While the news was... surprising... he was hardly upset about it. He eyed Beechface for a moment and gave her a slow blink. "...And you criticized me." He chuckled, but he wasn't going to push her buttons any further. "I'm not a medicine cat." He said in response with a shrug. Mossbloom figured it out with a glance, good for her. She was fairly well known for her expertise, so it didn't surprise Bloodstar that much.

"Honestly, as your father... I am impressed that you got away with it for as long as you did. As your leader though... I guess I have to do something about it." He got to his feet and approached Beechface, his face suddenly very serious. He raised a single paw slowly and ever so lightly bopped Beechface on the nose.

"Bad. Don't do it again." And with that, he lowered his paw and the seriousness in his face was gone. "Not that it will matter soon, as you'll be a warrior, but hey... Starclan can't say I didn't do anything." He shrugged and gave Beechface her personal space back. "Alright well... that's it. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm glad we cleared this up...." He thought about it for a moment and decided to say one last thing.

"I know this is late but given the circumstances... I am sorry for your loss. Is that why Birdsong and Shadewing abandoned the clan? They found out and couldn't handle it?"

"I had the decency to choose a respectable Skyclanner." Beechface retorted. "Unlike you. Or the Shadowclanner." She still refused to call her by name. She left it there, though. Strangely, Bloodstar didn't sound particularly angry. He almost seemed relieved, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

The last thing she expected was for him to walk over and bop her on the nose. Beechface stared at him, for a moment feeling more like a kit who had just been scolded than an adult cat. Her fur bristled in indignation despite his words, her defensiveness pure instinct and habit at this point. Smoothing her fur back down took effort, but she managed to hold back an irritable retort about his flippant response. This wasn't how she'd ever imagined this sort of conversation going. "Good thing neither of us care what Starclan has to say..." She muttered, "I almost feel bad for Muddy but... It's going to be my problem for much longer, is it?" At least, she hoped it wouldn't be her problem for much longer.

"Mossbloom seemed surprised that nobody else had noticed, I have to agree with her on that." She sighed, ears twitching back at the mention of Birdsong. "Yeah... Wrenspring was dying and we needed to tell them. It's the first time I'd ever seen Birdsong angry." Her words had cut deep, even now, though Beechface wasn't sure Birdsong had realized it.

"Ravenclaw volunteered to raise them, she... did a better job of it than I would've." The guilt still nagged at her, though Beechface knew there was little chance of her ever making that up to Ravenclaw or the kits.

Bloodstar rolled his eyes at her distaste for Briarthorn. They weren't necessarily close but he didn't hate the she-cat. He would give Beechface time to work things out herself, and maybe some time as a warrior and going on patrols with the former Shadowclan cat would help ease the tension. Now Birdsong leaving made sense. He didn't like it but at least he understood now.

"Everyone makes mistakes... and not everyone remembers that unfortunately. I won't judge you for your relationship with Wrenspring, but the lying you'll need to ask Birdsong for forgiveness for. I hope she hasn't inherited your stubbornness when it comes to holding unnecessary grudges." Was that a bit of a shot at her? Maybe, but it wasn't unwarranted. That said, Bloodstar was ready to settle in for sleep. Beechface would be his apprentice again soon and he wasn't interested in having complications on their first day.

"Now that we have the prophecy out of the way, we should get sleep. I don't know exactly when Ashstorm plans to announce you becoming a warrior's apprentice but I do know it's soon. I want you ready. I plan to take you out training immediately." He then settled himself in his... still too small for him nest. If she was willing to accept that as the end... great. If not, he would wait until she had said her peace and was ready for sleep herself.

Beechface lashed her tail once at Bloodstar's words, a low huff of frustration escaping her. Still, she swallowed back the sharp comment she wanted to say. With her luck he'd just rescind the offer of being made a warrior, anyways, and she wasn't about to put that in jeopardy.

"If she shows up again..." Beechface muttered. There hadn't been any sign of her daughter at all, not by scent or sight. Maybe she lingered around twolegplace, but Beechface hadn't seen anything when she'd last gone on a catmint run. She could only hope that wherever she and Shadewing were that they were safe.

"Fine," She agreed. There wasn't much else she could say really, at least nothing that would be productive. Turning, the medicine cat slipped out of the den without another word. Muddythorn should be told the prophecy had been figured out, that would give him one less thing to worry about.