𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Thirteen

"..Hailwatcher, the medicine cat."

"What do you do in here?" Silverkit pipes up, her tone vaguely monotonous in an endearing but still-unnvering attempt to mimic her father's cadence.

"I heal our Clanmates with these.." Hailwatcher mumbles, motioning to the herb shelf; he admonishes himself for being put off by Silverkit but tries not to look at her.

"You heal them with leaves?" Squirrelkit mews, awestruck.

"..Yes, I- suppose you could put it that way," the small gray tom replies quietly, trailing off into nothingness.

"That's interesting," Silverkit quips, going back to methodically examining each neatly stacked pile of herbs.

Sighing, Hailwatcher curls his feathered tail around his paws.

"Can you play with us?" Squirrelkit inquires, pawing at Hailwatcher's tail.

"Um..I don't feel good today..maybe another time, though," the young medicine cat mews, nudging Squirrelkit off him.

"Aw.."

Squirrelkit pouts, pressing up against Hailwatcher with a childish squeak.

"Pretty please?"

"I-" Hailwatcher sputters, uncomfortable at the physical contact.

"Why can't you play? Is it because you're sad?" the little ginger tom mews, tilting his head and glancing up at Hailwatcher.

"I.. hurt my shoulder a little while ago, when your- your father and I got attacked by- foxes," the young medicine cat replies, having to practically choke out the lie; putting extra emphasis on the mention of nonexistent foxes for a bit of bitter vindication, Hailwatcher draws back into himself with a sigh.

"Okay.." Squirrelkit sighs exaggeratedly, trudging back over toward his sister.

Silverkit sits down, curling his tail over her paws, and stares blankly at her brother as she smooths down her striped pelt.

The three cats sit in an awkward silence for a while and Squirrelkit begins to blow raspberries, his little tongue poking out of his mouth.

Silverkit grows increasingly irritated with the noise, ears twitching rapidly, and eventually turns to her brother, giving him an unimpressed look.

Hailwatcher observes Squirrelkit defiantly sticking his tongue out at his sister before he stops making noise.

The vine curtain rustles; Russetblaze pokes his head in, expression slightly pained.

"Silverkit? Squirrelkit?"

Letting out a whistling breath, Hailwatcher glances warily at the russet tabby.

"Yes?" Silverkit mews, pricking a tufted ear.

"Rosebush told me to come get you two. She said that it was time for you two to eat," Russetblaze responds softly.

"Yay! Food!" Squirrelkit bounces to his paws; Hailwatcher, feeling rather old all of a sudden, winces as the pain in his shoulder becomes more pronounced.

Silverkit calmly rises to her paws and trails after her brother as he scampers out of the medicine den.

"Bye, Hailwatcher!" Squirrelkit calls over his shoulder, though by the time Hailwatcher registers that something's been said to him both the kits are already gone.

Lingering behind is Russetblaze, who shoulders his way into the medicine den with a forced cough.

The russet tabby limps on his front paw, and some sharp object is nestled in his paw pad.