𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Twenty

Hailwatcher pads alongside Beechfoot and Mossyspots to the SkyClan camp entrance, trying to assuage his misgivings.

"You sure you'll be good, kiddo?" Beechfoot mews, snapping Hailwatcher out of his thoughts.

"I'm willing to stay back with you if you change your mind," he adds with a smile.

"Yeah, this might be more stressful for you than it needs to be," Mossyspots interjects, twitching a rounded ear.

Warmed a little by the older cats' concern, Hailwatcher nods.

"I'll be fine...I have a weird feeling that I should go, and I think I should listen to it," he murmurs, flashing a wavering, awkward smile at Beechfoot.

The senior medicine cat studies Hailwatcher's gaze for a heartbeat before sighing.

"Alrighty, kiddo," the cream-furred tom mews wearily.

"Just stick close to us, okay? I don't want anything happening to you."

"Okay," Hailwatcher affirms, leaning forward on his paws as the medicine cats pause at the camp's entrance.

Featherstar and Mudslip stand in front, having a quiet conversation amongst themselves, and the rest of the Gathering patrol's cats form a line that curves around a bush near the camp tunnel.

Beechfoot leans forward to murmur something to Featherstar, who turns to ensure all of the Gathering patrol is present.

Rimeshimmer, Twigtail, and Brindlespark linger impaitently, as well as Briarleaf, Haystep, Smokefur, and Timbernose, cats Hailwatcher hadn't had a chance to talk to.

Dustcloud and Olivebounce, siblings around the age of Acornwish and Fallowhop, stand shoulder to shoulder.

"I believe that's everyone," Featherstar calls out, surveying the group of cats once more with a sweeping flick of her tail.

Mudslip supplements her leader's statement with a nod, locking eyes with Hailwatcher for a moment.

The SkyClan deputy flashes Hailwatcher a polite smile then glances away, green eyes flickering with unclear emotion.

"Let's be on our way, SkyClan," the brown tabby adds, starting out of SkyClan camp without glancing back.

Hailwatcher shuffles forward, tail twitching back and forth as he wills his paws to move.

Something dreadful pulls at the corners of his mind.

Huddled against Beechfoot's side, Hailwatcher steps down from the wide log bridging the mainland to the Gathering island.

He grows tense, but a bit of his nervousness diminishes upon observing that only WindClan and RiverClan have arrived.

Beechfoot frowns at Hailwatcher as the medicine cats walk toward the distant figures of Rabbitwhisker and Ivyhawk, gently licking the younger tom's ear.

"You good, kiddo?"

"..As good as I'm going to be," the small gray tom mumbles in reply, pressing his paws hard into the ground.

From approximately a tail-length behind, Mossyspots heaves a wordless sigh.

Ivyhawk's expression brightens as the medicine cats draw nearer; he rises to his paws and pads forward with an energy Hailwatcher has never before witnessed.

"Thank StarClan, it's you all," he mutters, nodding to Beechfoot and Mossyspots before his green gaze focuses on Hailwatcher.

"Are you okay? Why are you with SkyClan?"