𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁.
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abandoned as a helpless kit and left to the mercy of the wild, hollyhockfang's early life was marked by solitude and struggle. found and nurtur...
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a soft hued pallet of a waking sky painted the dawn. morning tiptoed cautiously over the vast stretch and draped the misted, snowy terrain with a blanket of colour. a cold breath of wind intertwined with the naked trees, bellowing a harrowing noise across the barren camp.
the winter still embraced the marshland gently. dew stubbornly clung to the draped vegetation, adding a delicate bejewelled glow as the faint rays of sunshine caught them.
crunching footsteps whispered across the camp as felines sought refuge in the warmth of their dens, not risking the nip of the cold outside, unless called for a patrol. but, mothstar and milkfang knew not to send cats out unless absolutely necessary.
smallwillow stirred from her frostbitten sleep, and blinked slowly. hollyhockfang, perched beside her, felt his heart half for a moment. his eyes fixated on her and he slowly propped himself up on his paws.
his breath hitched as the she-cat groaned in pain and discomfort.
she stretched out her paws, squinting her eyes from the glow of the sun that splintered through the small crevices of the medicine den. hollyhockfang heavily swallowed a dry lump in his throat.
❝ she's awake! ❞ he spluttered, scrambling over to the entrance of the den, and watching as heads began to peer from the dens, and whispers travelled across the camp quickly.
❝ you worried us half to death, ❞ the tom-cat said upon returning to her side. the she-cat shifted in the nest and winced.
smallwillow wore a confused expression on her face, and she mustered up the energy to ask him why he too was in the medicine den, and she attempted to pull herself up. a guttural sound escaped her maw as a painful throb hammered at her side. she quickly fell back into the nest and feebly whimpered.
❝ careful. you've been in this nest for days, don't let brindlefur's work go to waste, ❞ he softly explained and leaned in to help her position herself upright.
smallwillow's face shifted from a pained one to one that bore a lot of confusion. puzzled, she turned her head and flicked her ear. ❝ days? ❞ she questioned.
concerned, hollyhockfang gulped. ❝ yeah... you fell into the marsh, nearly froze to death... i pulled you out and kept you warm until the others came by and found us... don't you remember? ❞
the ginger she-cat just shook her head. ❝ it seems so fuzzy. i remember chasing the creature, and now i'm here in the medicine den, with you... ❞ she began and she eyed the tom-cat up and down.
his fur was slightly matted and tangled in places, and his eyes looked dull from his sleepless nights and his tossing and turning, shaking the dream of what may have happened had he not saved her.
she weakly chuckled. ❝ you should've left me. you don't look too good yourself, ❞ she croaked with a small smile. she swallowed a dry, rough taste of nothingness and smacked her lips heavily.
