The Frozen Forest (A Warrior cats fanfiction)

Rowanpaw

Rowanpaw sat in the den that had been built for him in the corner of the camp furthest from the entrance. It was small and made of bushes filled with thorns. The floor was damp from the melting snow that had not been cleared away and, since they had not bothered to make him a nest, the damp had been making him sick. He stared absently through the entrance of his den, poking his face through the vines that blocked off the entrance. The camp was silent and bathed in moonlight. Aside from Rowanpaw's sniffles, no sound could be heard.
He was beginning to feel drowsy when movement caught his eye. His guard slowly got to his paws and darted silently toward the Medicine den. The figure re-emerged heartbeats later with another figure beside it. This second figure seemed to be holding something. As they drew closer to his den, he began to recognize them. It was Sorrelwing, one of the three medicine cats. The other was the gray warrior who had taken pity on him and who had been guarding him since.
In the quarter-moon Rowanpaw had spent here, Grayshadow had been doing all he could to make Rowanpaw more comfortable while also pretending he didn't care about the prisoner. If he were caught helping Rowanpaw, there would be consequences. This was the only reason why had hadn't set the apprentice free yet.
"Rowanpaw? Are you awake?" Sorrelwing asked in a whisper.
He stuck his head through the vines again and looked up at her.
"I brought these to help make you feel better." She explained, gesturing at the herbs she had placed in the snow just outside his den. She picked them up and passed them to him. He ate them quickly and looked up at Sorrelwing, hoping his eyes showed how thankful he was. Purring, she flicked her tail and darted back to her den. Once she had disappeared, Grayshadow glanced around the clearing. No one had noticed. They were all still asleep.
"I am truly sorry this happened to you." Grayshadow murmured, touching his nose to Rowanpaw's. "I'd save you if I could. I'll admit that I leave you here for selfish reasons. Who knows what would happen to me if I let you escape? I am supposed to be your guard, after all." He sighed.
If Rowanpaw could talk, he would tell Grayshadow not to feel bad. If Rowanpaw could talk, he would thank Grayshadow for taking care of him. If he could talk, he would tell Grayshadow that he didn't want him to get in trouble either.
But he couldn't talk.
Instead, he stared solemnly at the empty clearing, glowing white in the moonlight, behind Grayshadow.
"Why won't you say anything?" Grayshadow mewed, sounding somewhat annoyed.
He shuffled his paws.
"Can you even speak?"
He continued to shuffle his paws. After a few heartbeats, he shook his head.
"You can't speak..." Grayshadow whispered. Rowanpaw shifted his gaze so that their eyes met. He saw pity and sorrow in the warriors eyes, and he began to mirror those emotions. To have to act out in secret, to have to defy the rules of your own brother! Grayshadow was really trying, wasn't he?
"You better get some sleep." The warrior mewed. He turned away from Rowanpaw and lay stretched out in the snow, facing the empty clear.
Curling up awkwardly on the uncomfortable ground, he slipped into a fitful sleep, waking up every once in a while and checking to see if his guard was still there. And he always was. Stretched out in the same position, unwilling to close his eyes until the morning guard arrived.