𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Two

[revised 1/17/24]

Hailwatcher hesitates outside the entrance to ShadowClan camp, glancing up at the pale sky.

Roused from sleep immediately after his conversation with Slatestar, he groggily stumbles forward.

Through drooping eyes, he examines every tuft of fur caught in the bramble tunnel's thorns and every greenleaf bloom and toadstool sprouting up from the ground.

Slatestar's words reverberate tirelessly through his mind, forcing his paws to remain on the ground despite his half-hearted willingness to enter.

Hailwatcher draws in a breath, coughing feebly to try and clear the lump in his throat, and wriggles into the bramble tunnel.

He examines the camp through fresh eyes upon entering, hoping to extract some meaning from his newfound responsibility.

Doubting seriously that anyone will respect him anyway, he shuffles closer to the heart of camp in search of Willowstar.

In his view, the ShadowClan leader is an eccentric character, always up in the wee hours of the morning, though whether his punctuality stems from insomnia or discipline remains undecided.

Hailwatcher eventually spots Willowstar basking on a rock, accompanied by an amber-eyed silver tabby- ShadowClan's deputy- keeping watch over the camp.

Sighing through gritted teeth, Hailwatcher pads over to the pair of cats.

"Hello, Willowstar," he mews softly, taking care to dip his head.

"Hm? Oh- hello there," replies the ShadowClan leader curtly, folding his paws in front of him.

The silver tabby sitting next to Willowstar surveys the young medicine cat pointedly, neutral expression giving nothing away.

"Hello to you too, Slightclaw," Hailwatcher adds more quietly, shifting his balance from paw to paw.

Slightclaw simply stares back at Hailwatcher, flicking an ear.

''Salutations," replies the silver tabby in a bizarrely challenging tone.

"Anyways! Was your ceremony successful?" Willowstar gazes intently at Hailwatcher, green eyes flickering with vaguely artificial positivity.

"Yes, Willowstar...I'm Hailwatcher now."

Willowstar considers this momentarily before his expression shifts from curious to smile-adjacent.

Hailwatcher wonders if his ceremony going well is the only thing Willowstar cares about, but busies himself with shuffling around.

"Lovely, lovely...congratulations, Hailwatcher. Lovely name."

"Thank you." Hailwatcher's gaze wanders over to Slightclaw, who seems extremely disinterested in the conversation.

"Willowstar? Was there not a matter we needed to discuss with Hailwatcher? A rather...pressing one?" the silver tabby mews, glancing pointedly at his leader.

"Oh! Yes, yes," Willowstar replies, getting to his paws with a slight wobble.

"Do you mind if we have a bit of a conference in the medicine den, Hailwatcher?"

Slightclaw rises from his seated posture, maintaining his trademark reticent composure.

"I...don't mind," Hailwatcher replies, eyeing the leader and deputy warily.

"Well then! Let's go!" Willowstar trills, carrying himself with an energy much too extravagant for this early in the morning.

Slightclaw, sporting a disinterested and lethargic expression, follows silently after.