A Cure's Call (ArchStem's Journey)

Ch.2

ArchStem limped into the warriors den, his head low.
His gray paws over his ears as he lay down. The ringing wasn't stopping-
It's supposed to stop after a moment right? That's what usually happened...
ArchStem snorted to himself, pulling his paws from over his ears and shifting to let his bad paw rest against the nest risen sides.
A pair of paws appeared before him, brown paws...,
"Get up..."
CopperWillow hissed, aggression or annoyance on the tip of the cat's tongue,
"MallowPad told me to rest."
ArchStem retorted. Sending a glare towards his clan mate. "Get out of your nest your fine. Your going to make up that hare and go hunting again."
The brown tom hissed, his violet eyes piercing ArchStem's green ones. "Your not my deputy I don't take orders from you..." The grey toms hackles lifted, the ringing in his ears vanishing.
"Don't be that way, I'm more experienced. Your paw is fine."
"Leave me alone CopperWillow, I know I'm useless but ya know? Thanks for reminding me." ArchStem's laugh was dry and bitter as he addressed his hostile den mate.
CopperWillow snorted his tail wipped as he left, not caring enough to agree or disagree with the younger tom.

As the brown tom vanished around the entrance the ringing returned again earning a growl from ArchStem.
Shutting his eyes tight the gray tom attempted to drown out the echo with sleep.
Successfully for a few hours.
•••
He awoke some time later to a sharp pain. He yowled his skull shooting up from its resting position.
"Sorry ArchStem!"
He flicked his tail, pulling it in and tucking it around himself. Glancing up at his clan mate who had stepped on it.
It was SoftBreath, a pretty curly furred she cat, she looking him over one paw in mid-step as she smiled another apology.
ArchStem sighed. "It's ok." He smiled at the apologetic cat.
He noticed others, in their nest or just coming in. He cringed to himself. 'I didn't mean to sleep that long-'
He thought.

There wasn't much he could do now, it had to be at least sunset or moonrise.
He could hunt but it'd be stale by morning and he'd rather not disappoint twice in one day cycle.
'Sleep?'
He asked himself, trying to curl back into his nest. Closing his eyes.
Unfortunately he wasn't really tired.
Rolling over he stood. Testing his injured paw, it wasn't painful a bit stiff, but not painful. Making his way in the dark past sleeping piles of fur and a few questioning looks. But non spoke out.
He sighed as the cold, refreshing wind hit his face. His shoulders slightly dipped as he walked. He wasn't sure where he was going, he was just following whatever. Following instinct? No. Just- following...
Usually he would go through the camp entrance but he didn't know who was guarding tonight. And if it was CopperWillow he wouldn't be able to leave without an argument.
So he slipped out through a broken part in the weeds.
The open moor spread before him as he lifted his muzzle. Heading wherever his paws could take him.

It wasn't until he had walked a good distance from camp that he noticed the ringing had returned. And that as he walked closer to the edges of the moor it changed. Not louder nor did it fade. But it changed. It beckoned him.

"What in the world-"
He mumbled to himself. It was confusing- could the ringing just be he had something in his ear after the hare had gone down the burrow. It had been dusty and messy...

Didn't explain why-
He stopped himself. ArchStem's eyes widening as he noticed how close he was to crossing the ShadeClan border.
Bristling he turned to walk back to camp. The noise dying away. Leaving the grey tom in silence.

——————
Sorry For The Short Update
This story IS continuing everything has just been busy lately.
But happy pride to everyone 💖💛💙

Word count:644