𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Eight

Hailwatcher begins to panic, recalling the other time he's seen his former mentor this angry.

Fallowpaw flinches, huddling beside her brother.

"We were just-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Raggedfoot hisses, lips curled back in a snarl.

"You have the audacity to disobey me by coming to talk to him while you're supposed to be getting ready for your assessments-"

Hailwatcher shrinks away from the chaos, flashing Acornpaw a look of profound sympathy.

"Dad- we were-" Fallowpaw pleads, her thin tail tucked under her legs.

"Quiet!"

A low growl echoes from Raggedfoot's throat as he shifts his gaze from his children to Hailwatcher.

"You two..go find your mentors and get your assessments over with," he mews, voice quiet and deadly cold.

Hailwatcher's eyes widen in fear and he finds himself unconsciously backing up against the stone wall; Acornpaw hesitates, seeming conflicted, and Fallowpaw attempts to nudge him toward the den mouth.

"Dad-" the golden and black tom sputters, trembling.

"Please- he didn't do anything wrong-"

"Go!" snarls Raggedfoot; Acornpaw flinches away as his father lifts one of his paws, but he only shakes dirt off it instead of what he and Hailwatcher both undoubtedly expect.

Fallowpaw quickly murmurs something into her brother's ear and nods subtly to Hailwatcher before herding Acornpaw out of the medicine den.

The small gray tom crouches down against the wall, thankful that Acornpaw and Fallowpaw are out of the situation for now but still terrified of the cat that stands before him.

"...You," Raggedfoot growls, edging closer to Hailwatcher.

"I-I'm sorry.. I- was just doing what they asked me to.." the young medicine cat stammers, pressing himself to the ground.

Raggedfoot has a familiar dangerous wrath flaring up in his eyes, and Hailwatcher draws in a labored breath.

"Didn't I tell you not to talk to them?"

"...Y-yes," Hailwatcher replies quietly, trying to break away from the cream and black tom's burning gaze.

He feels his limbs stiffening and sucks in a breath.

"But- they asked me to give them a check, and I can't turn anyone down.."

Raggedfoot leans in closer, growling rather loudly now.

"Is that your excuse?"

"I- I think that it's worth mentioning," he rambles, trying to shake off the mocking response, "-that I was- more or less, their-"

"Shut up!" Raggedfoot interjects, cutting Hailwatcher off.

The following silence is filled with the older tom's raspy, quick breaths- he stiffens, and his fur bristles.

Recoiling with a whimper, Hailwatcher feels tears stinging his eyes and immediately glances away.

Remaining silent for a few moments and forcing himself not to get too upset, Hailwatcher glances back up at Raggedfoot with a pained, glassy-eyed expression.

He gasps for breath despite his tightening chest and burning throat, squeezing the ground beneath him with his paws.

"....Why did it have to be like this?" he chokes out, ashamed at the prospect of revealing the hurt he had been covering up like this.