Hawkfrost X Reader (Female biased)

Claws of the Enemy

         

          You rolled over onto your belly, trying not to disturb Hawkfrost next to you. Restlessness suffocated you. You felt anxious, and your heart pounded, as if wailing for help. You wanted to run. You wanted to escape. You couldn't take any more stress, and you needed to leave it all behind.

          But I can't. You took a deep breath, letting your mind cave in. You hadn't been able to sleep all night. You were supposed to be back in the Dark Forest tonight, but you couldn't. Your mind was overwhelmed with stress. Earlier, you were fine. You'd been enjoying the slowly-warning day, and noticed how soon newleaf seemed to be approaching.

          But that had brought flashbacks. Memories of the dream you had had of Hawkfrost's death. Memories of the dream of your father's death. The stress of your kits being born into a Clan that trusted neither you nor Hawkfrost. You couldn't take it anymore.

          Slowly, you rose to your paws. You stepped a bit to the side, brushing your tail against Hawkfrost's side by accident. He shifted, causing you to freeze. You waited until you were sure he wasn't awake before continuing to move toward the den exit, more careful now to keep your tail clear of any cat.

          You crawled through the exit, your previous warmth vanishing like mist during the afternoon. You ignored the chill, however, and padded silently out of camp, towards the lake. Small frogs and insects made noises, and the distant sound of the lake added to those sounds calmed your busy mind. You inhaled the fresh air, stretching your spine.

          Reaching the shore, you collapsed, laying your head on your paws. You finally felt a step closer to peace, and you realized how tired you actually were. Glancing up at the sky, you guessed it was a while after moonhigh. Sighing, you wrapped your tail around your paws, closing your eyes and falling into a blank, dreamless sleep.

          Morning came, the sounds of the night replaced with distant bird calls and lapping gentle waves a few tail-lengths ahead. You opened your eyes, watching the scene ahead of you contently. Newleaf was definitely approaching quickly. The trees were beginning to show a bit of green, and no snow had fallen for a while, not considering the brief occurrence two days before, when it had snowed as you'd been padding into camp. But since there had been no more snow yesterday, and the layer of it from the day before had melted by sunhigh, you concluded it must be getting much warmer with each passing day.

          The lake was no longer frozen, and it was instead a beautiful mixture of blues and greens. The island's trees shifted lazily in the wind, and you closed your eyes once again, relishing the feeling of peace. You refused to think, because you didn't want to ruin the moment of happiness you felt, the last one you presumed you'd be feeling for a while.

          You didn't know how much time passed as you drifted in and out of sleep. You didn't feel like moving, and no cat had come looking for you, so there really wasn't any reason to move. You rolled onto your back, your belly exposed to the cool air, your eyes closed. It was then that you heard a rustle in the bushes farther away from the shoreline.

"(Y/N)!" Mothwing's hushed voice sounded from a few fox-lengths away. You groaned inwardly. You didn't move, however, but instead replied briskly, "What?"

Pawsteps sounded, getting closer to you gradually until they seemed to be only a tail-length away. You kept your eyes closed. Mothwing spoke.

"(Y/N), you need to come back to camp. You can't stay out here forever."

You felt annoyed, and frustrated as well. Who was Mothwing to dictate your choices? You hissed, and your voice came out harsher than you meant for it to, but you didn't care. "Mothwing, last time I checked, being out of camp wasn't against the Warrior Code or anything. Neither is staying away from untrustworthy cats."