Perfection [ warriorcats fanfiction ]

xi.iii

She waited for the others and then realized there was no one to wait for. Puddlepaw was already in his nest, having slipped away from the warrior ceremony before Nightpaw, though if he was sleeping Nightpaw was not certain.

The apprentice's mind began to wander. It's just us, she found herself thinking, it's just me and Puddlepaw.

A strange feeling she attributed to the cold twitched inside her stomach and she brought her front paws closer to herself, trying to trap in more heat.

Nightpaw shivered, curling into a tighter ball in her nest. Maybe it was just the absence of the other apprentices who were usually there, the fact that there were two now--just two, she kept telling herself, her and Puddlepaw--or maybe it was actually colder. They were getting closer to leaf-bare, after all.

Nightpaw decided that it was a combination of both.

She shivered, her tail over her nose. She glanced at Puddlepaw and could make out his also-shivering form in the darkness. He didn't seem to be able to sleep either.

"Nightpaw?"

Nightpaw didn't reply right away, and Puddlepaw asked again.

"Nightpaw?"

She quite liked the way he said her name.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to see if you were still awake," he returned lamely.

Nightpaw laughed shortly. "Yup." Pulling her front paws tighter under herself, she added, "it's too cold to sleep."

Puddlepaw nodded, though Nightpaw didn't see the slight movement in the darkness. "We'd probably be warmer if we were closer together," he ventured.

His ears were burning and he was glad Nightpaw didn't know.

"I'm-I'm okay," Nightpaw lied, trying to stop her voice from wavering as her cold body shook. "I'm good."

Nightpaw's thoughts immediately turned to the morbid.

We're going to die tonight, me and Puddlepaw.

She mentally admonished herself.

That's not true, she thought. If it was, if it was cold enough for that to happen, the entire clan would be dead by morning.

Her internal conversation turned into an argument.

Actually, it's quite possible. Nightpaw's shoulders shook involuntarily as a chilly breeze crept into the apprentices' den. It's just me and Puddlepaw in here, and we're quite spread apart- quite far away from each other. Rosepool is in a den full of cats, and I bet Blackpaw and Dawnpaw are right next to each other- none of them are cold.

Nope, we're the only ones who are freezing.

Just me and Puddlepaw.

Imagine if Rosepool had to guard the camp alone tonight, Nightpaw continued in thought. At least Froststar realized how dangerous it was for her to stay out in the cold.

Hopefully we don't get attacked. I don't think any cat is guarding the camp.

She sighed and pushed her thoughts elsewhere.

"Puddlepaw?" Nightpaw tried to keep her voice from shaking. Her heartbeat quickened when the other apprentice took a moment to reply.

Oh, Starclan, he's dead already!

"Puddlepaw!" Nightpaw's whisper was more urgent this time.

Puddlepaw smiled, though there was no way Nightpaw could have seen.

He quite liked the way she said his name.

"Huh?" Puddlepaw raised his head slightly. "What, Nightpaw?"

"I-I thought you were dead," she replied, embarrassed.

"Oh." Puddlepaw couldn't suppress a slight snicker. "I could be by morning, though," he muttered with an unseen grimace, "it's only going to get colder as the night goes on."

Nightpaw nodded then remembered he couldn't see. "Yeah," she said, "it's-it's very cold."

She winced. I sound like an idiot.

Puddlepaw didn't reply. Nightpaw was certain that if it was light enough, she'd be able to see her breath. In the cold darkness she was miserable and tired.

This might be what death feels like.

"C'mere." It was meant as a question even though Puddlepaw didn't say it as such. Nightpaw understood. She knew it wasn't a command.

She wouldn't have obeyed if it was.

Crushing her pride, she stepped out of her nest on wobbly legs and padded over to Puddlepaw. The coldness seeped into her exposed legs, her thin fur doing little to keep her warm. Puddlepaw motioned with his tail and she curled up next to him, pressing her back against his.

She felt better within minutes, the warmth from Puddlepaw's body and his fluffy fur against her back aiding her fast fall into sleep.

"That's quite a bit better," she whispered sleepily, resting her head on her paws.

Puddlepaw meowed something indiscernible, already nodding off.

Nightpaw smiled in the darkness and knew he didn't see.