Willowdapple shook her head sharply. "Don't. I'm fine."
Adderheart's tail tip twitched absently as he stood and padded a bit closer to her. "Are your kits due soon?" he asked, ears twitching as if threatening to flatten against his skull.
"Supposed to be," she answered, tone clipped.
The pale-furred warrior rose to his paws, unsure of what to do. Exhaustion tugged at his features, causing his shoulders to droop, but he knew that he couldn't leave the she-cat. If she was telling the truth, then, likely, something was to happen soon.
The she-cat's smooth white fur, accented by dark browny-ginger dapples, seemed to rise and puff up, her tail thumping against the ground as if to conceal herself. She notably gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut as she looked away from the senior warrior.
"Should I go fetch...?" he started.
"No," she hissed, edged brown gaze flitting to him. It cut through the warrior like a knife through soft cloth, slicing and heavy against the placid cotton. "I'll be fine."
She's talking like she's about to have kits... The tom's expression tapered as he glanced to the entrance of the den. He could easily go to the leader's den and interrupt the entire conversation that was likely occurring within its heavily guarded walls.
If he interrupted, though, he risked a scolding. But he couldn't put his reputation over the health and safety of Willowdapple and her future kits, could he? Would that show the leader that he had changed, and wasn't that awful cat from before?
"Awful" cat.
He realized soon that the leader would not care, for he only cared about himself, and he wouldn't notice he'd gone and assisted Willowdapple. What could he do? No, that doesn't matter right now. Willowdapple and her litter do. The tom's tail twitched absently once more as he gazed to the she-cat. This is difficult.
Her eyes were closed, yet they managed to open for a half moment, and within her gaze swam pain, sharp and bright. She was obviously hiding it from him, and not very well, clearly. The senior warrior rose decisively. He had to interrupt. He knew nothing about kits.
Would he ever know? Likely not, and now was most certainly not the time for him to learn. Other things had to be dealt with first. Not first. Other things had to be dealt with.
He pivoted upon his paw and skirted toward the entrance.
"H-hey!" cried out the she-cat, slamming a paw weakly down on the ground. "I said don't!"
Adderheart, approaching the entrance, glanced over his shoulder. A spark lit his dark gray gaze and a similar fire lit within her own. His ear twitched absently.
She needed help.
He was doing the right thing.
"I'm sorry, Willowdapple, but you need a healer."
"No!" she exclaimed, voice growing louder. "Don't y-you dare!" Her claws unsheathed and dug into the ground in front of her as she struggled to pull herself to a sitting position.
"I'm sorry," he responded again, dipping his head politely to her, but he slipped from the den and out into the clearing. He could hear the spilling of curses from the mild she-cat's maw, and he shivered, heading to the leader's den.
Adderheart took a deep breath.
Hisses and growls came from the entrance that he approached, infected by irritation and anger. A few feminine tones slipped through the overwhelming deep and low tones of toms, mostly Cougarstar's ugly and furious growl. Only a few clear words were notable.
"...patrol! I said..."
"No! That isn't...!"
"...bad! It isn't... be...!"
"...no, it's... really... shouldn't be..."
Random snippets of a conversation most certainly didn't assist Adderheart in ensuring that he wouldn't be causing too much of an issue when he slipped in to notify them of the queen. Absently, the pale-furred tom wondered if the healers and perhaps the queens would leave and the rest would continue to argue.
Seemed as though that could be the case, he reflected within a few moments. Cougarstar would likely be opposed to viewing the she-cat's birthing and it was unlikely that Pantherleap would skimp along. Though, he might try and leave... and who knew what would happen then.
"Hello?" he started, poking his head in.
"I'll do it again, I swear to-" Cougarstar had risen to his paws and glowered above a cat, particularly one that Adderheart would recognize as Pantherleap. A terrible chill ran down his spine as the leader turned to him, green gaze a whirling inferno.
"Willowdapple-"
"What do you want?" The leader stalked forward, baring his teeth at Adderheart. His tail flicked up nearby his throat and the warrior suppressed another shiver.
"Willowdapple is having her kits," he answered, allowing his voice to be smoothed over. His gaze was even as it carefully edged up to Cougarstar's. The tawny leader let out a low hiss.
"Get," he instructed harshly, glaring at the two healers. "Return back when she's dealt with."
In the corner of the den, Pantherleap had scrambled back to his paws, pulling himself into a sitting position. His green eyes were covered with a mask, one that showed no emotion, and Adderheart quickly replicated it, letting his focus drift back to Cougarstar.
The pale-furred senior warrior ducked out of the den, practically bowing. His tail swept out and fanned against the ground, paws slow as he turned to pad back to the nursery. However, the two healers darted out of the den from behind him, each bounding toward their den.
Within moments, they emerged, carrying herbs and a few random items within their jaws. He padded lightly after them, but Coalbelly whipped around. Her fur was spiked and she whipped her tail sharply at him.
As if to indicate that he should not follow.
Turning around, the warrior simply slipped into the warrior's den. Once there, he miserably laid his head on his paws, feeling an uncomfortable prickle run along his spine. His dark gray gaze sparked with irritation, soon followed by general despair.
He seemed to be generally disliked by the Clan. Or at least, by the higher cats of the Clan, which was most certainly not what he wished to occur. He wanted to be liked, or at least felt neutral about. He didn't like being disliked because being disliked meant that one was bound to be isolated.
He didn't want to be isolated.
Adderheart liked being alone, but he didn't like being lonely.
Absently, the lean tom shuffled his position, shifting back into the shadows of the den. If anyone were to enter, he'd be doomed. Already more doomed.
But he didn't have to be doomed, did he?
If I work harder, will they notice?
Cougarstar wouldn't. But would the warriors around camp?
Likely, he reflected. That was how he originally came to be a senior warrior, right? Working hard, being intelligent... Couldn't he reprove that? Over and over again, until everyone knew he was in his rightful position.
But where could he start?
Patrols, hunting, training... Training would be difficult, though, for the time being it was unlikely he'd be invited to assist in Finchpaw's training. Bearpatch might even be more useful than him for the time being, and at this thought, he suppressed a snicker. The pale warrior comfortably nestled into the mossy nest beneath him.
He had always been skilled at hunting, so would it really be a surprise that he'd done more hunting now? If he tried to some things that were more... well, centered around fighting, would they notice? Or would it simply be another thing to brush off, as if to ignore his every movement?
It seemed that way. He could presume that Runningfoot was somewhat irritated with him, and he couldn't bare to think of Streamfang's thoughts of him. She was likely angry with him... still. And now Willowdapple was at least somewhat irritated with him.
Every interaction seems to be a mistake. Maybe it'd be in my interests to just stop talking and focus on working.
The thought crossed his mind and swiftly he smothered it, pressing it away and out of his mind. He knew that wouldn't work. His mother... had attempted it.
The she-cat, donned the name Tigerstripe for her lean, dark brown form, accented by white stripes, had always been the quieter type. She hadn't really ever left the den up until she was five moons old. Of course, he knew this was likely an exaggeration made up by her minimal friends.
But she'd not been bullied. She was simply a silent cat, one of small and tiny words. It wasn't that she wanted to be noticed. Tigerstripe, as a kit and as an apprentice, had just been... quiet, and that was all there was to it.
However, Adderheart had heard the many rumors surrounding her. It had been spread around that she had somehow encountered a badger, a fox of some kind, some sort of horrific creature that had killed a close friend or family member of hers.
And for that reason did she throw herself into work. There was nothing else for her to turn to, for the friends she used to speak to decided to stop for reasons she'd not known. The she-cat had continued to work, almost comically hard, all day.
She had also passed the assessment, excelling in all parts. It made her a respected warrior of the Clan that many adored, despite the fact that none made an attempt to speak to her. However, one day, she broke free of the cycle of working constantly.
It had only been whisked away by a creamy tom, also adorned with white stripes. Particularly, this cat happened to be Dewfrost, his father. The well-respected within the Clan as well, and happened to catch her out by her own.
The two had cradled mutual respect for each other for as long as what seemed necessary. Dewfrost had taken an eye to her since apprenticeship, the she-cat following suit. Yet the latter had simply blocked off the feelings in favor of working.
Nobody truly knew what had occurred that night out on their own, but it had been assumed that Dewfrost and Tigerstripe had planned to have kits.
Planned.
Adderheart doubted it. From his kithood he recalled the she-cat being rather brash and sharp, yet not rude. Simply, she appeared to transform over time. She originally had been a bit, well, work-oriented, sticking around in the nursery for minimal amounts of time.
Since Adderheart didn't have siblings, he was alone in the nursery. His mother didn't stop by very often, only pausing to feed him.
Though, the she-cat had transformed to be more of a softer she-cat overtime. Did he know why? No. But had it happened anyway? Yes.
She had practically clung to the side of her mate ever since she'd started to warm up to him a bit as if she appeared to be sown to his side. Of course, she would stop by and coddle Adderheart, then Adderkit, for a bit, but it never seemed to last long.
His father had been more of a figure within his life that appeared concealed by shadows, or at least some sort of gloom. It wasn't really his fault for the tom had instantly appeared to shoot more for the Clan's likeness after he had been born.
Buried in his memories, he seemed to recall a day in which the tom had entered the nursery. Adderheart remembered Dewfrost's mannerisms enough to presume he'd been harsh in entering, a quick snapping of words escaping his muzzle.
It had likely been a jab at his mother, for he believed that at that time, the she-cat hadn't been too involved with him. As per usual, she'd stopped in earlier to give him a feeding, and Dewfrost had stopped in to say hello.
To say hello? Had he really done that?
He usually didn't. He usually just stopped in to offer prey or simply keep his relationship with his son up in order to appear somewhat relevant to his life in the eyes of the Clan. Most fathers let their kits to do whatever, really, and that wasn't too favorable in the eyes of most she-cats.
Perhaps that was why many liked Dewfrost.
But, as much as he wanted to remember it, Adderheart truly could not remember what he had said.
However, in retracing his memories, he bored himself, in a way, and the tom seemed to slip into a comfortable yet uneasy sleep, for it was clear he could wake up with any slight movement.
So for a while, he appeared to be fairly safe, slumbering away within the shadows. He was concealed from anyone who happened to just waltz in, but with a little inspection, his light-colored pelt could easily be discovered, no matter who the cat was.
The first cat to pad in delicately was Pantherleap and Adderheart woke up instantly. His head shot up, eyes blinking open rather quickly. He was still tired, that was for sure; exhaustion still settled within his bones and his eyes still drooped, but he felt somewhat more awake than before.
Pantherleap, on the other paw, looked as though he had been dragged through mud, placed upon the other side, swam an entire lake, drowned halfway through, and was forced to do it all over again, except carrying three sticks and a whole Clan upon his back.
Adderheart felt bad for the other tom. He knew that Pantherleap valued his reputation far more than he did, and it was clear that it was going to suffer soon enough. Adderheart didn't want that.
"Adderheart?" Pantherleap's voice was broken as he spoke.
"Pantherleap, yes? What is it?" Adderheart lifted his head, dark gray eyes flashing up to him.
"I... ah, did you just sleep?" His head tipped slightly to the side for a moment.
He nodded, and the other tom seemed to collapse next to him. His limbs were weak, clearly, shaking from the effort of constantly standing and sitting over the past few days. Soon enough, both tom's pelts were camouflaged within the shadows of the den. They fell perfectly over both figures of the warriors, concealing them from prying eyes.
Adderheart tentatively pressed against him in a comforting way. He didn't want the other tom to feel even more isolated from the rest of the Clan.
"Do you know how Willowdapple's litter is?" Adderheart asked softly. He wasn't about to alert the Clan of their presence.
Pantherleap's head shook slowly as he laid it on his paws. "No, I don't," he answered quietly. "Do you?"
Adderheart's tail tip twitched absently. "No, I don't. She was in a lot of pain before I left... I'm not sure if her kits were actually coming or not, but she seemed to be fairly close, anyway."
Pantherleap muttered something else, but it was hardly recognizable. His muzzle, pressed into his paws, made his voice muffled, somewhat twisted and curled so that nobody could understand it. Adderheart understood that the tom likely wanted to sleep, but he really didn't want to sleep the entire day.
It appeared to be around midday, Adderheart assumed. Running off the small amount of sun, there's probably clouds.
He wondered if Cougarstar was taking a nap, too. Or maybe he was bossing around the warriors within the camp. It was possible that he was even just relaxing with his mate. Perhaps Bearpatch was around and was chattering away with his mate.
Adderheart shivered absently, and Pantherleap murmured, "Cold?"
"No," he replied, shaking his head. He paused and then admitted, "just... thinking." He laid his head on his paws too, tail curling tightly around his form.
"Me too," murmured Adderheart, position shifting.
"What about?" questioned Pantherleap, but not in an intruding way. It was more good-natured than anything.
Adderheart wasn't really up to sharing his thoughts, for he felt as though most of them were considerably personal. At least, the ones about his family earlier were. He presumed that the older warrior knew his parents, but perhaps not too well. His tail tip flicked absently.
"Not much... just about Willowdapple," he lied, emotions bubbling in his chest. "What about you?"
Pantherleap's eyes flashed and he shifted a little, a light frown quirking across his features. "Cougarstar... and what you saw in the leader's den."
A jolting of shock seemed to travel down Adderheart's spine. He'd forgotten all about it, all about the position that the leader had been in, the glare in his eyes, the fury within his green gaze... How had he forgotten so quickly?
"He'd threatened to throw you out again, was that not it?" Adderheart's tone dropped to a much quieter one, which was certainly an issue for the other warrior, for it had already been quiet. Pantherleap's ears swiveled.
He nodded. "He was going to do it. I know he was."
"He shouldn't, he shouldn't. It isn't... " Adderheart trailed off, frustration sparking within him. It wasn't fair, he knew, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. An urge to protect the other tom filled him but he couldn't do anything. And that was what was the worst about it.
Pantherleap's tail flicked dismissively. "It's something... to get used to, is all."
That isn't fair! Adderheart lifted a paw sharply to his skull, trying to play it off as pain after realizing it came off a bit odd. The other tom glanced at him sideways.
"Sorry... just a bit achy," he lied - again. It felt wrong coming off his tongue, rough and immoral. He didn't like it, but he knew that Pantherleap wouldn't like him being against the leader's actions. There wasn't anything that they could do, after all.
And if he could tell the truth, would he? At the thought, a million emotions surged in his chest, strong and fierce. The warrior shoved them down and away. He didn't like them.
"Best you get to sleep, then," he murmured softly, laying his head back on his paws.
Adderheart's head dipped in a nod and almost as soon as he rested his features to be slack once more did he fall asleep, slipping away to a pleasant world with the baseline as Pantherleap's fluid breathing.