Caɾղaցe Ɱօօղ ~𝙰 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌

61 🌙

TWO DAYS LATER 🌓 

Crescentsky and Tinyflame were still confined to their nests in the warriors den. A dry, itchy scab had formed over most of the teeth-marks in Crescentsky's haunch, as well as the other wounds along her flanks, face and neck. Her tail-wound was still matted with old blood, and the missing patches of fur would take weeks to fully grow back. That isn't what troubled her most right now, though.

Houndspots passed from his wounds around early sun-high. Crescentsky and Tinyflame took a few weary steps past the den entrance together, to watch and participate in his vigil. After the tribute they both walked up and touched their noses to his cheek.

"Thank you for keeping my secret," Tinyflame whispered.

Crescentsky looked at her with quiet resonance, feeling regretful that she had forgotten to thank the tom herself. He'd never brought it up when they were healing together in the warriors den; most likely because he thought that Crescentsky didn't know. Tinyflame had never told him that it'd happened to her as well.

He held tight to Tinyflame's secret until the very end... He never told her she couldn't be a warrior because of her missing claws. What an amazing mentor. She wished she could say the words out loud.

Crescentsky's gaze then slid over to her chestnut sister, but she couldn't say anything right now out of respect for Houndspots.

Rowanpaw's been avoiding me for two days.

"Maybe there would've been a chance, if the medicine cat was appointed as soon as we got back." Tinyflame said when she stepped back, her voice thick with acrimony toward Starclan's lack of urgency.

No cat had challenged her. In fact, a few of them had agreed.

Crescentsky felt that it was too late for Houndspots either way. The raging infection had plagued his body for over a quarter moon. His belly had been swollen, red, and weeping with a foul-scented pus. No cat had known how to keep the wound treated or closed.

The next morning, when Rowanpaw still hadn't come to visit, Crescentsky left a grieving Tinyflame in her nest. She stretched out her damaged hind-leg, pleased to find that the pain was sort of bearable as she paused at the den entrance.

"Since Rowanpaw won't come to me, I'm going to go to her."

Her sister waved her tail placidly, then cozied into her nest and stared across at Houndspot's empty bedding. Frowning, Crescentsky left Tinyflame and padded into the weak sunlight.

The clouds were layered thick today, coupled with a strong and gusty wind. The outside air was moist and rich. Crescentsky thought she could smell rain on the breeze, and the treetops that rocked together sent a few half-brown leaves spiraling down.

Leaf-fall is coming.

She needed this fresh air. She'd hardly left the warrior's den for the past two days, except to make dirt or eat or drink. Cheetah and Trufflefur had been offering to bury her and Tinyflame's prey bones, or replace their cobweb dressings.

"Hey! Where's Rowanpaw?" She called to Alpinefog, who was headed for the camp entrance and followed by Jadestar, Sootface, and Racoonstripe.