𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙬𝙥𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 the quarry, trailing behind Flutterstorm and Rosefall. Every action and every task she had completed over the last three sunrises seemed trivial, almost monotonous. She felt wary. Her movements were jittery and uncertain. She couldn't focus. She couldn't sleep. Even her Clanmates' praise from her first hawk seemed to go right through her.
Flutterstorm had been ecstatic, though she worried that Indigopaw would become a target for hawks much like Flutterstorm was. Indigopaw hardly accepted the praise. It wasn't hers alone to appreciate. But she couldn't tell her Clanmates. What would they say? Would they cast her out in fear that she was working with her father in secret? It was unfair, but Indigopaw kept her mouth shut and appearance scarce.
She jolted from her thoughts as she bumped into Flutterstorm's rump with an oof. Indigopaw immediately stepped backward, feeling her ears heat up with embarrassment. Flutterstorm cast a sidelong glance over her shoulder.
"Sorry," Indigopaw muttered. She ducked her head and followed Rosefall and her mentor to the fresh-kill pile. Flutterstorm had successfully caught a decent-sized mouse. Rosefall was empty-pawed, but her eyes were bright, and her tail was raised toward the sunless sky.
Indigopaw paused, taking a deep breath. The ground held a thin layer of snow, packed down by the paw prints of her Clanmates. The trees were empty of the snow that had fallen just before, melting in the sun that had shown itself last sunrise. But today was bleak.
The sky was filled with what seemed like an endless sea of light gray, much like many leaf-bare days. But as Indigopaw scanned the quarry, she could see drips of water shedding from the snow that clung to the dens. It was getting warmer, and it wouldn't be long before her Clanmates' ribs hid underneath sleek, well-fed bodies.
Indigopaw watched as Flutterstorm made her way to the dirtplace tunnel. Her eyes drifted to Dapplefall as the long-haired she-cat trotted into the medicine den where the remains of the hawk were stored. Indigopaw's belly grumbled. She ignored it. She didn't feel like eating.
Her eyes continued to wander, resting on Cedarpaw as he chatted with Featherbreeze outside the elders' den. She was glad that the dark reddish-brown tom was no longer sick. The last thing GroveClan needed was a sickness that took the lives of warriors who were still grieving from the events of the cruel leaf-bare. Indigopaw shuddered but continued to watch the Clan bustle with energy.
