𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Eighteen

Hailwatcher pads hesitantly beside Mossyspots through the sun-dappled SkyClan camp, sticking close to her side.

Oak trees stretch up toward the heavens all around, sporting bushy crowns of elliptical leaves; the sun shines more brightly here than in ShadowClan, which offers the small gray tom a strange sort of comfort.

Although he's been in SkyClan for a few days, a few things weigh down his mind; the murders, and how Rosebush, someone he's seen little of lately, factors into them.

He tries not to think about it, not to let the grisly things he had seen creep into his mind and perpetuate the fear settled somewhere deep within him, but his guilt makes it harder.

Mossyspots glances down at the young medicine cat, nosing his shoulder with a glimmer of concern in her green eyes.

"Hey, you okay? Do you need to rest for a bit?" the bracken-colored she-cat mews, frowning.

Snapping back from his thoughts with a jolt, Hailwatcher shakes his head.

"Oh- er...no, I'm fine," he replies hastily, a bit relieved that the words coming out of his mouth are for once true.

Mossyspots flashes the little tom an encouraging smile, twitching an ear.

"Alright."

The two cats come up on the SkyClan nursery, a woven bramble den not unlike its ShadowClan counterpart, and squeeze through the entrance.

Inside, Rosebush lies near the back and a white and brown queen Hailwatcher assumes is Specklefrost crouches near her.

"Hey, everyone," Mossyspots mews with a purr.

Hailwatcher nods to Rosebush once she glances up; the black and ginger queen offers him a gentle smile that fills him with guilt.

Specklefrost's kits come wriggling out from underneath her at the noise and bound toward Mossyspots, clinging to her paws.

"Mossyspots!" the kits chorus, letting out delighted, squeaky purrs.

The bracken-colored she-cat gives a hearty chuckle and noses the kits off her, bending down to smile at them.

"Hey, kiddos."

Hailwatcher cracks a weak grin as Squirrelkit runs up to him; Silverkit lingers behind, staring intently at Mossyspots.

"Hi, Hailwatcher!" Squirrelkit mews, wrapping himself around Hailwatcher's foreleg.

"...Hi, Squirrelkit," the little gray tom replies, watching Mossyspots murmur something to Specklefrost's kits.

Silverkit approaches Hailwatcher, tilting her head and glancing scrutinizingly up at him.

"Hello," she mews monotonously, twitching an ear.

Feeling a pang of perturbed familiarity and suppressing the cold fear pulsing through him, the little gray tom stiffens.

Something about the way the little silver tabby carries herself feels viscerally wrong to him, but he tries not to show it,

"..H-hi, Silverkit," Hailwatcher mews, clearing his throat with a feeble cough.

He can tell that Rosebush is looking at him with a bit of concern now, but pretends not to notice.

Mossyspots is busy talking to Specklefrost's kits about something, and the way the little ones' faces are alight with joy softens Hailwatcher's expression.

"Are you two doing good..?" the little gray tom adds, vaguely aware of Squirrelkit still holding tightly onto him.

"Yeah! I'm doing awesome!" Squirrelkit mews, purring squeakily.