Hailwatcher's heart leaps into his throat as Slightclaw knocks into Birchstorm and unbalances him.
Attempting feebly to reassure himself that this can't be real and trying not to make any noise, Hailwatcher creeps closer to the action, ears quivering.
Birchstorm staggers back, swiping at the ShadowClan deputy's cheek and letting out an enraged snarl.
"Traitor," he growls.
He furiously lunges at his assailant, but Slightclaw thwarts the spotted warrior's retaliation; feigning right before swiftly ducking out of the way, he scores his claws down Birchstorm's side.
"Well, at least you're not rusty yet," sneers Slightclaw.
"You're getting up there, you know."
"Are you kidding me?" Birchstorm growls back, hissing in pain; droplets of blood leak from the lacerations on his side and start trickling through his fur.
"Is this some kind of sick game to you?"
"If it helps to to think of it that way, then sure," replies Slightclaw, unbalancing the spotted warrior with a precise tackle.
A shaking Hailwatcher briefly ducks his head as the two toms fight, willing himself to breathe.
He looks up to see that Birchstorm has Slightclaw pinned, though not in a particularly effective manner.
The ShadowClan deputy's unbothered expression betrays that he has something planned, but he remains quiet as Birchstorm leans down to snarl in his face.
"What is wrong with you?"
The spotted warrior's remark elicits no response- Slightclaw instead laughs dryly and delivers a swift jab to the inside of Birchstorm's foreleg.
Birchstorm hisses in fury as his foreleg suddenly goes limp; sneering, Slightclaw kicks up hard with his hind legs and sends his opponent staggering backward.
The ShadowClan deputy leaps again, giving Birchstorm barely a moment to catch his breath before he hits the ground.
Hailwatcher hears a grunt; Birchstorm glares up at Slightclaw, who now has him pinned.
Slightclaw's right paw slowly draws closer to Birchstorm's throat, claws fully extended; he starts to apply pressure.
Clearing lacking reservations about finishing off his opponent, Slightclaw instead seems keen to toy with Birchstorm a little.
The spotted warrior lashes out at his adversary's chest with a faltering swipe, his struggle to breathe becoming more and more prominent.
Slightclaw tightens his grip.
"What? Have you something to say?" the ShadowClan deputy inquires, staring disdainfully down at his trapped opponent.
Birchstorm, fighting for breath, curls back his lips in a snarl.
"...Don't you dare lay those filthy claws of yours on- them-"
Slightclaw hums amusedly, his free paw poised to strike.
"...No promises."
Digging his claws into Birchstorm's throat, Slightclaw tears.
Birchstorm begins to writhe on the ground, letting out a horrible, garbled screech as blood bubbles in his throat.
The blood pools out onto the grass; a small trail of it trickles from his opened mouth.
Horrified, Hailwatcher crouches closer to the base of the bush and sucks in breaths, hoping to relieve the burning pain in his chest.
Panic grips him tightly- a voice in the back of his mind screams at him to do something.
Slightclaw, nonchalant as ever, glances back into the undergrowth behind him, arching his tail and muttering something over his shoulder.
Three additional figures rise from the shadows; from what Hailwatcher could make out, they were Kestrelwing, Russetblaze, and Nightwish.
Kestrelwing's involvement in this barely surprises him, and Russetblaze is for the most part an unreadable enigma, but Nightwish's presence surpises him.
Being that she's one of the now-dead warrior's two little sisters, though not quite the popular one, Hailwatcher finds himself shocked at her involvement.
Birchstorm's gurgling screech stays stuck in the back of his mind, overlaying Slatestar's warning.
Slightclaw, more or less unscathed save a scratch on his cheek and a few unremarkable lacerations on his chest, flicks his tail sharply.
Hailwatcher notices that Slightclaw flicks the bundle of flowers into the stream before getting up.
"Russetblaze, dispose of the body. Kestrelwing, Nightwish, inspect the perimeter, would you?"
Hailwatcher freezes, realizing quickly that he's going to be discovered.
"Sure," replies Nightwish, hissing something into Kestrelwing's ear before slipping through the undergrowth toward Hailwatcher's hiding place.
Full-on panicking now, the small gray tom huddles down and feels his paws getting numb.
He stares blankly ahead as Russetblaze grasps Birchstorm's limp body by the scruff and hauls it to the stream's edge, dropping it in and dipping his muzzle into the water to cleanse it.
The spotted warrior's raggedly torn throat leaks blood into the water as his body slowly floats down the stream along with the flowers.
Hailwatcher stifles a yelp; a paw suddenly slams down on his tail.
"Well, what have we here?" Nightwish mews, feigning innocent surprise; her icy eyes twinkle with menace.
Recognizing the familiar hostility, the small gray tom wishes for someone to come save him.
Trying to stammer out a response, Hailwatcher lets out a rather pitiful whimper.
Nightwish clamps down on his tail and drags him out from under the bush.
"Slightclaw?" Nightwish calls out, paw planted on the young tom's back to prevent him from moving.
"What is it?" the silver tabby replies, now out of Hailwatcher's line of sight.
"Your little friend is here. Did you invite 'im?" Nightwish replies, smirking a little.
"Little friend?" Kestrelwing echoes, creeping closer with a wide grin on his face.
Hailwatcher hides his face behind his paws, gripping desperately onto a little sprig of thyme.
"Nightwish, what are you on about?" Slightclaw mews, sounding rather exasperated.
"I think it'd be best if you came over here and got a look yourself." Nightwish flicks an ear.
Slightclaw sighs harshly.
"Very well.."
Hearing Slightclaw approaching, Hailwatcher's breathing becomes rapid and shallow.
The ShadowClan deputy's pawsteps eventually slow as he comes closer; Hailwatcher glances up to see the silver tabby glaring daggers at him.
"Slightclaw...I- I- can- explain.." he mumbles with a nervous smile, squirming uncomfortably in Nightwish's grip.
"Why are you here?" Slightclaw snarls, lunging at Hailwatcher but stopping a whisker-length short of his face.
"I-I was- getting herbs..?" the young tom mumbles in reply, recoiling with a shiver.
"That's real cute," Nightwish replies teasingly.
"Mind explaining to us why you were spying?"
"W-well- I-"
"Spit it out, pipsqueak!" Kestrelwing hisses, yanking hard on Hailwatcher's tail.
Less visibly annoyed now, Slightclaw scowls, flicking an ear in the mottled warrior's direction.
"Patience, Kestrelwing."
Kestrelwing sullenly ducks his head, kicking a rock at Hailwatcher and striking him in the shoulder.
Hailwatcher opens his mouth to mutter indignance but closes it again.
Slightclaw stares coldly into Hailwatcher's eyes, smirking a little as the young tom fearfully shrinks away.
"Now. It seems as though we have ourselves a witness."
"You know," the ShadowClan deputy hisses, his claws slipping out again, "-I could kill you here and now, vermin, and have my little dilemma solved."
"Please- don't," Hailwatcher stammers, shaking like a leaf.
He hears Nightwish snicker under her breath; Kestrelwing, while still subdued from Slightclaw's reprimand, grins widely.
"Hmph."
Appearing to consider this desperate plea, Slightclaw remains still for a moment before roughly grabbing Hailwatcher by the scruff and dragging him across the forest floor.
The herbs in the young tom's tail scatter all over the ground, though to his surprise Nightwish collects them and places them to the side.
Scrabbling at the ground, the gray tom winces.
The ShadowClan deputy pins him by the throat against a tree, and the bark covering the gnarled roots scrapes his skin.
"That's better," Slightclaw remarks, proceeding to angle Hailwatcher's chin upward and dig sharp claws into his jaw.
"As I was saying, although it would be entirely more convenient for me to silence you forever, I'm willing to extend a bit of mercy and give you a chance."
"W-what do you mean by that..?" Hailwatcher murmurs tentatively, squirming uncomfortably.
"What I mean," Slightclaw echoes, pressing lightly on the younger tom's throat, "-is that I am giving you one and only one opportunity to remain quiet."
"If I catch wind that you've talked to someone who has no business knowing about this, I'm sure you can piece together what would happen, even with a mind as feeble as yours."
Conflicted because it's likely no one will believe him regardless, Hailwatcher nods absently.
"How are we gonna make sure the kit doesn't squeal, Slightclaw?" Nightwish mews, skulking up to the silver tabby's side.
Hailwatcher notices Russetblaze has returned from unknown whereabouts, but lingers behind Kestrelwing.
Slightclaw calmly flicks an ear, starting to press harder on the young medicine cat's throat.
"I feel as if the half-breed has seen enough to make a smarter decision than that."
"Isn't that right?" the silver tabby inquires, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes, Slightclaw...I understand," Hailwatcher sputters, glancing desperately up at the older tom.
"I- won't tell anyone, I promise..."
Hailwatcher has an understanding that the very obvious terror in his eyes is doing him no favors as far as getting Slightclaw to take him seriously, but feels unable to calm down.
Slightclaw grunts, eyes narrowing in skepticism.
"...Very well. I advise keeping your word, for your own sake."
Hailwatcher nods vigorously, breaking into a choked coughing fit.
The ShadowClan releases the gray tom from his grip with a subtle eyeroll, watching coldly as Hailwatcher sinks to the ground.
"Now that that's settled, pick up your leaves and go back to camp like a good little medicine cat."
Hailwatcher nods, trepidation evident as he scurries over to the pile of herbs and methodically gathers them up in his tail.
Nightwish scoffs at no one in particular, swishing her tail from side to side and thwacking Hailwatcher in the face.
The small gray tom glances up at the black-and-white she-cat, feeling both insulted and injured.
After securing everything in his grasp, Hailwatcher stiffly ducks his head in Slightclaw's direction and scurries off into the woods, forcing himself not to look back.
-=-
Wavering uncertainly at the entrance to camp, Hailwatcher pushes his way in after hesitating for a marked amount of time.
Sunset falls over ShadowClan camp, cloaking the camp in orange light.
Pacing in front of the camp's entrance is Willowstar, looking a little ruffled like earlier in the day.
Glancing up immediately, the ShadowClan leader hurriedly approaches Hailwatcher and flicks an ear.
"Ah! There you are," Willowstar mews, surveying Hailwatcher in a way that immediately makes him uncomfortable.
"I was getting worried..."
Hailwatcher respectfully dips his head, shuffling in the dirt while thinking of some excuse to give.
"I'm sorry to worry you, Willowstar.."
"No, no, it's alright," the dusky brown tom replies, flashing a distinctive smile-adjacent expression while continuing to look Hailwatcher up and down.
The small gray tom manages to smile weakly, hoping he isn't still trembling and that there isn't a noticeable scent of blood on him.
"Did you see Birchstorm while you were out? Or Slightclaw?"
Hailwatcher clenches his jaw, hesitating for a few tense heartbeats before slowly nodding.
"I did see the hunting patrol..they should be back soon. I didn't see Birchstorm," he lies, guilt making the fur along his back prickle.
Not seeming to notice Hailwatcher's apprehension, Willowstar nods with a flick of his tail.
"I see. Thank you," he mews, turning and padding off.
Hailwatcher hears the ShadowClan leader mutter something along the lines of 'Where could they be?" to himself as he trots away.
Exhaling shakily, the small gray tom continues on his way to the medicine den.
He wonders if anyone else is involved, including a certain mentor whose respect he'd lost.
Hailwatcher stops himself before he can even put a name to the thought, instead focusing on staring downward.
"Hailwatcher?" a quiet voice calls; the young medicine cat pricks an ear.
The small gray tom recognizes the voice as Rosebush's as he turns around; the black-and-ginger she-cat approaches him, her fluffy tail swishing behind her.
"Oh- um, hi,.." the small gray tom mews, immediately stiffening up again.
"StarClan, help me," he murmurs silently to himself, the fur on his neck prickling.
"I don't know if you're too busy right now, but could you help me with something? I haven't been feeling very well lately.." Rosebush frowns.
"Oh- yes...I can help," Hailwatcher mews, forcing himself to look the black-and-ginger she-cat in the eyes.
"You can follow me.."
-=-
Hailwatcher trudges back into the medicine den, comforted a little by the familiar darkness, and rests his bundle of herbs on the herb shelf.
Turning back to Rosebush, who's now sitting down with her tail curled tightly around her paws, he sucks in a breath.
"So- um- what's been bothering you?"
Rosebush visibly hesitates, smiling nervously as she starts to paw at her tail.
"Well, it's been difficult for me to keep anything down lately, and I've just been feeling sick."
Hailwatcher pauses to think, having an idea of what Rosebush expects the diagnosis to be from the way she's talking.
"How long ago did this start, d'you think?"
"Maybe a quarter moon ago, it may have been longer, though."
"And...are you sure you haven't eaten any sour prey or anything?"
Rosebush nods, though it's barely visible in the darkness.
"I'm sure."
"Well, that...narrows it down," Hailwatcher muses, tilting his head a little.
"I...think I have it figured out for the most part," Hailwatcher murmurs.
"I know this is kind of weird, but could you lie on your side for just a moment?"
"Oh- sure," Rosebush replies softly, obliging with such willingness that Hailwatcher begins to feel awkward for being hesitant.
The small gray tom carefully places a paw on Rosebush's stomach, trying to remember how Thornflight instructed him, and eventually draws away.
"Okay, so..." Hailwatcher hesitates, trying to force himself to say the words.
"I..think you're expecting kits, Rosebush."
Rosebush freezes, a small but audible gasp escaping her.
"Oh- well- that's-"
"Congratulations...?" Hailwatcher stammers out, trying to determine what he should do.
"Um- Hailwatcher...you saw Slightclaw out in the woods, right? Will he be back soon?"
Hailwatcher finds himself stiffening up as well, his ears flattening of their own accord.
"Uh- yeah, I- I did see him. I'm sure he'll be back- soon."
"What about my brother? Do you know if he'll...?"
At last faced with the horrible reality of the situation, Hailwatcher feels his paws trembling and quietly curls his tail around them.
All he can see now is Birchstorm's battered corpse; the smell of blood lingers in the back of his throat, choking him.
"Well- I didn't see him while I was out, but- I- I hope he'll be back soon," Hailwatcher mumbles, trying to reassure Rosebush.
The pain of guilt and anxiety clawing at his sides is next to unbearable, but he wants to make sure Rosebush doesn't suspect anything on his part.
Rosebush slowly gets to her paws, seeming worried.
"Well- that's alright. I'll just wait for them, in that case."
Hailwatcher nods, feeling hollow.
"Thank you," the black-and-ginger she-cat mews, dipping her head before quietly pushing her way through the vine curtain.
As soon as he hears Rosebush's pawsteps go quiet, Hailwatcher feels around in the darkness for a bundle of thyme and laps up a few leaves, hoping it'll help him calm down.
Hailwatcher shivers, curling up on the ground underneath the herb shelf.
Feeling pain start to radiate from behind his eyes and his jaw, he curls up tightly and hopes that he'll make it out of his newfound predicament alive.