Secrets Embedded Within

Chapter 3

Eaglepaw's POV

I had been on her paws for what seemed like days. I was exhausted, limping and panting as I made my way to the slave den. My stomach was yowling as I thought about the last time I had eaten. 

As I finally reached the den, I let out a loud yawn and stretched my aching muscles, careful not to twist my immobile leg as I lay down on my belly. But before I could even close my eyes, I was interrupted by a growling voice.

"Hey, you!"

I quickly shuffled up, not wanting to displease the tom who had spoken to me.

"Y-yes?" I stifled a yawn.

"You still have lots to do! What do you mean by sleeping?" Yarrowstream growled. "Get up and go see if the apprentices need anything!"

I bowed my head and tiredly limped to the apprentice den. I was greeted by the sound of Maplepelt's kits and Slimefoot's toms sharing tongues and eating.

"Hello, Eaglepaw," Hawkpaw, one of Slimefoot's toms, mewed.

Daffodilpaw, one of Maplepelt's kits, snorted. "Don't be friendly, Hawkpaw. She's just here to clean up after us."

I felt a pang of hurt in her chest. I had always been kind to the apprentices and had never expected to be treated this way. But I swallowed my pride and started to gather up the bones and uneaten bits of prey.

"I wanna go see Duneheart after this!" Hornetpaw, another kit of Slimefoot, interrupted, seemingly unaware of the looming quarrel.

"And then let's see Blizzardstorm!" Hawkpaw suggested.

"Oh, let's don't," Daffodilpaw yawned. "Hawkpaw's going out with me, aren't you, Hawkpaw?"

"Uh, yeah," Hawkpaw said sheepishly. "But we can visit them after that."

"Ooh!" Willowpaw giggled. "Hawkpaw likes Daffodilpaw!"

"I do not!" Hawkpaw exclaimed, burying his face in the moss.

They all laughed. Even I managed a small smile.

As I finished cleaning up, I couldn't help but feel a sense of isolation. I was exhausted, alone, and unappreciated. 

This is OakClan for you, I thought bitterly.

I assumed that Yarrowfur would pick on me for trying to sleep again, so I headed to the elder's den to see if they needed anything.

"Hello, young one!"

It was Oatstone.

"Greetings, Oatstone," I said, bowing my head.

"No need for that," he grumbled, meeting my eyes with a friendly glint. "I don't need formalities."

"But you're a tom!" I exclaimed before I could stop myself.

"I am," he agreed, "But all this she-cat thing is unnecessary."

I didn't know if I'd heard him right.

I was just...

so... so... tired...

I closed my eyes.

***

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine. She just passed out."

I groaned and opened my eyes slowly, the dark medicine den flooding my vision.

"Eaglepaw!" Meadoweyes cried out. "Are you okay?"

"M-mother?" I said incoherently. 

"You need rest, My Dear," she soothed. "Go on. Sleep."

I nodded and closed my eyes once again.

***

The medicine den was eerily silent as I slowly opened my eyes. I looked around and realized that no one was inside. I got up from my nest, stretching my limbs and yawning. I padded curiously towards the herb storage.

There were all sorts of herbs arranged neatly in different compartments. I could see yarrow, marigolds, dock, extra moss, some catmint, and more. I sniffed them in curiosity, trying to figure out what each one was for. As I walked a little further, I found even more herbs, some sweet and some foul-smelling.

But then I paused as I found a little pocket in the ground covered in leaves. 

I wanted to see what was inside. 

As I pushed the leaves aside, I gasped in horror. 

An orderly assortment of deathberries, vines, sharp objects, and other deadly objects lay there, fresh and new. 

My blood turned cold. 

The silence in the medicine den was now suffocating.

I heard Badgerleg coming inside, but I was frozen. I couldn't move if my life depended on it.

I was terrified as I heard the medicine cat freeze right behind me. 

His voice was cool as he addressed me.

"I see you've found my storage."

"I-I'm sorry!" I stammered. "I was just curious about w-what was in the s-storage and I-I just stumbled u-upon this!"

Badgerleg padded up to me.

"What people don't know is that I'm very good at self-defense," he said. "And not just with my claws and teeth either."

"W-what?" I gasped. "How can you use stuff that isn't just teeth and claws?"

"It's simple, really," he mewed. "I can teach you."

I lowered my head. "I can't. I have an immobile leg."

Badgerleg chuckled, meeting my eyes. "That doesn't matter, Eaglepaw. You don't need all four legs, you just need ambition and courage."

The chapters are getting shorter and shorter, I KNOW!

It's just I hit the good part to stop too soon.

Oh well!

Hope you enjoyed it!

We have an assortment of weapons to use against Badgerleg.

10 Knives 🔪

10 Swords ⚔️

10 Nuclear Bombs 💣

10 Guns 🔫

10 Electric Chairs 🪑

10 Trips to North Korea ✈️

"𝓣𝓸 𝓪𝓬𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓬𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓪 𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓾𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓪𝓵𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮."―𝓦. 𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓽 𝓜𝓪𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓪𝓶, 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓨𝓸𝓾