Wavepaw and Ivyhawk trot up the winding path to the Moonpool, the latter entranced by the red and pink sunset.
"The sky's so pretty!" the medicine apprentice purrs, tail swaying from side to side.
"Glad you think so," mutters Ivyhawk, "-like you haven't been raving about it all the way here."
The RiverClan medicine cat cracks a facetiously annoyed smile.
Wavepaw wrinkles her nose at her mentor and continues up the path, emerging at the Moonpool.
Surrounding the glowing pool are Mossyspots, Hailwatcher, Starlingclaw, and Rabbitwhisker, along with Bumblepaw and Ashpaw.
Wavepaw immediately senses tension bouncing from all of the older medicine cats and frowns; Mossyspots and Starlingclaw stare challengingly at each other, and Rabbitwhisker sits solemnly off by himself, feathery fur mussed and full of leaves.
Ashpaw waves with her tail to Wavepaw, and upon being informed of the apprentice's presence Bumblepaw does as well.
"Hey, everybody," mews Ivyhawk cautiously, steering Wavepaw away from Mossyspots and Starlingclaw with his tail.
"What's...going on?"
Rabbitwhisker rises to his paws and starts toward the group, stepping on a sharp rock and cursing to himself.
"Great, everyone important is here now," he mutters, his half-lidded eyes dull with exhaustion.
Wavepaw guesses that the not-important cat is Nightshade, and quickly dismisses the train of thought.
"What happened, Rabbitwhisker?" Ivyhawk mews, raising a brow.
The pale-furred tom sighs.
"Wrenstar lost her ninth life two nights ago," he mutters, paws clutching bitterly at the rocks underneath him.
"What?" Mossyspots and Starlingclaw call in unison, forgetting their silent feud for a moment.
"Oh no," murmurs Ashpaw, frowning.
"Vineshade's got his lives and all. We came last night." Rabbitwhisker's voice gives out a little and he swallows hard.
Ivyhawk falters, eyes flooding with compassion; Wavepaw, a bit nervous, presses closer to her mentor.
"I'm so sorry," the golden tabby mews, resting his paw on Rabbitwhisker's shoulder for a moment.
"I know how close the two of you were. She'll be honored in StarClan."
"She better be," hisses Rabbitwhisker shakily, ducking his head.
"Let me know how I can help," Ivyhawk mews.
The WindClan medicine cat nods curtly, turning around and going to sit back down.
Starlingclaw moves to comfort him, but draws back after Rabbitwhisker notices him approaching and scowls.
"I feel bad for him," Ivyhawk murmurs to Wavepaw, moving to sit down.
Wavepaw nods slowly, picking up a rock and pawing it around.
The blue-gray apprentice notices Hailwatcher moving closer and waves her tail in greeting.
"Hey, Hailwatcher," murmurs Ivyhawk, drawing a paw over his ear.
"What have you been up to lately?"
"Not much," replies the gray and white tom, pausing; Wavepaw feels him tense up.
"...Beechfoot's been helping me use my claws again, for things like herb sorting."
"Oh? How's that going?" Ivyhawk mews, looking interested.
YOU ARE READING
𝚂𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #2
Adventure''The Clans are plagued by darkness, but a seer of truth will bring peace.'' As Wavepaw of RiverClan begins her apprenticeship, the shadows of a scandal that shattered her family push her to uncover the secrets that bind her Clan's past to an uncer...
