𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙬𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙝𝙚𝙧head pounding. Even though Mountainpaw had comforted her without saying a word last night, she still hadn't slept well. Her nest felt warm and slimy, like the murky pond in her dream, but it was dry when she got to her paws. She expelled a heavy breath. The dream was haunting her, and she couldn't think straight. She didn't know if she should tell Wrenflutter or if the medicine cat would shrug it off because she was so young. Don't think about it; it's not that important. Indigopaw shook her head, stretching her legs.
"Are you alright, Indigopaw? You seem shaken," Frostpaw asked as he approached from the back of the den.
Indigopaw jolted slightly, unaware that the tom was even in the den. It was empty except for him and her. "Er...yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, staring at her paws awkwardly.
Frostpaw didn't look convinced, but he didn't say anything else. His ears were perked as he padded toward the exit of the den. "Hailflurry is calling for me. See you around."
Indigopaw watched him go, assuming it wouldn't be long before she was next. She stepped outside. The quarry was washed with weak sunlight, and the air was calm. Indigopaw appreciated the lack of wind, but she could tell it was colder than a few days earlier.
Sunflare sat on the rocks leading up to the Stonepile, naming warriors and apprentices off for patrols. Indigopaw turned her head away from him as she heard the patter of rushed pawsteps coming from the camp's entrance. Foxstar was bounding down the slope, Jaggedstripe, Cinderdash, Mountainpaw, and Brackenleap following after her. Cinderdash dismissed his apprentice with a flick of his tail as the warriors trailed after Foxstar.
Mountainpaw nodded to his mentor, going to the fresh-kill pile to pick off a small vole. Indigopaw peeled her eyes away from the tom, curious about why Foxstar was leading a patrol. It wasn't unusual for the leader to join patrols, but they seemed hasty, and tension cracked around them. The patrol began murmuring amongst themselves in the shadow of Foxstar's den. She padded over to the fresh-kill pile, pretending to search for a piece of prey. Mountainpaw flicked his tail in greeting to her as he passed by on his way to the elders' den. She nodded to the tom, feeling her pelt heating up.
"...hardly even apprentices. It was their second time out of camp."
Indigopaw perked her ears as she heard Jaggedstripe's belligerent meow. Foxstar's gaze was uncertain as she considered the dark brown-and-white tabby tom's words.
