eternal: hyacinth || warrior cats

chapter 11

viperpaw

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VIPERPAW'S JAWS FELT TIRED as he carried yet another bundle of water to a patient. "Here you go, Brooklight."

Brooklight gave the gray tom a weak smile. "Thanks, Viperpaw."

And in those two words, Viperpaw suddenly felt himself beaming. He'd never received a lot of attention from Clearfrost, and praise from any other cats were limited. But in this... Brooklight's words had made him feel wanted and appreciated.

"You're welcome," he chirped back.

Clearfrost padded over to check Brooklight's wounds. "Move," she meowed briskly to Viperpaw, shouldering him over. "Mintpaw, can you bring over the marigold?"

And just like that, Viperpaw's beam fell. 

His sister trotted forward, still looking uneasy after hours of returning to camp. Viperpaw frowned. He'd have to talk to her when she was done with all this.

Clearfrost stepped back, and crashed into Viperpaw. Her eyes flared with annoyance as she glanced over her shoulder, snapping coldly, "Get out."

The gray tom winced, quickly turning around and ducking out of the medicine den. He supposed he was dismissed.

Everyone in the camp seemed gloomy and quiet. Warriors stood at the entrance, guarding the camp, while the others were curled up inside their dens, trying to catch up on the sleep they'd missed last night.

Viperpaw learned that last night's battle ended with ShadowClan and ThunderClan successfully chasing RiverClan away, plus many cats believed there was now an alliance between RiverClan and WindClan.

Snakepaw had disappeared off to who knows where, leaving the medicine den about an hour before Viperpaw had. Ivorystar had disappeared into her den after her argument with Clearfrost, and no cat had seen her since.

Even the sky seemed dreary, now a depressing shade of gray as small drizzles of rain began to fall.

Viperpaw shivered, about to head to the apprentices den to take a nap, when he was intercepted by a small, white kit.

"Frozenkit!" Viperpaw meowed, feeling a spark of joy at the sight of his friend. "Are you alright?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Frozenkit answered. "I've been sitting in the nursery all night, but I heard you and Snakepaw snuck out."

Viperpaw shrugged sheepishly, remembering the loud roars and adrenaline of battle. "I think I'd prefer to just sit in the nursery too. I can't really fight if I don't know how."

Frozenkit's whiskers twitched with amusement. "Did you guys get into a lot of trouble?"

Rain was beginning to fall harder now, so Viperpaw ushered her under the ledge of the Clanrock near the medicine den, in the patch of fern, the closest place of shelter. "I guess so, but Sandstrike's been too busy to deal with me. Hopefully he forgets about it."

"I don't think he's going to forget that his apprentice snuck into a battle," Frozenkit pointed out wittily. 

Viperpaw shrugged with a grin. "Probably."

Just then, he saw something flash from the corner of his eye. Ivorystar was now climbing out of her den, and trotted to the medicine den. She passed by Viperpaw and Frozenkit without noticing them since they were crouched inside the ferns.

"Clearfrost," Ivorystar called, "come here. We have an unfinished conversation."

"I'm busy."

"I order you."