Hydrowhisker's Friend - A Warrior Cats Fanfiction

Chapter 16

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Hydrowhisker jerked awake. What time is it? She rolled out of her bed and blinked open her eyes. She realized the cave was still dark and sagged with relief; however the dim light coming from outside told her it wasn't early either; at least some parts of the sun must be over the horizon already.

She sighed and dove into the storage room, which was a crack in the wall. Goldspark, Owlwhisker and Mudcloud would need some nit-grass when they wake up - the three ill warriors had already moved into the medicine cat den after Hollowstar's announcement. She dropped the right amount of herbs beside their beds quietly. On her way out, Hydrowhisker frowned at the fact that her den with plenty of space to spare would soon become crowded with four or five more cats.

She wanted to go out alone this time. That might help her think a little better, and pick some more herbs along the way. Besides, Coniferkit's apprentice ceremony was coming up in a few days, she wanted to get as much trouble out of the way as possible before that. She still didn't believe she was fully prepared for an apprentice, but at least much more ready than before.

Brightleap was standing outside in the middle of the clearing, talking to Spikefoot and Slateclaw. Hydrowhisker waited for the warriors to turn to face another direction, then raced her way across to the path out of the camp. If she were caught, she might have to get into another conversation about why she should be allowed to go out alone, and she didn't want to waste any time on that. She also didn't give a weasel-dung about the snakes. I'll be careful, she promised herself.

After reaching the top, she didn't look back to see if she had been noticed. Instead she trotted for a while more, then finally slowed down.

She went off to the right side of the path and explored some more, and finally found a large cluster of mansas. She always knew those white flowers grew around this area, since mansa plants tended to grow in moist soil, and there happened to be an almost dried puddle nearby. She sank her teeth into the stem and snapped the flowers off, then ripped off one of their large green leaves and wrapped the flowers inside.

While Hydrowhisker made sure she left some for the future days and picked some more of those flowers, she was thinking about meeting Swashgaze again. Since that medicine cat was sitting at the border last time, there was a chance that she would be there again - for whatever reason.

An idea popped into her head. Swash-the-single-lady. Yes. She remembered how much they both laughed at that nickname when she first came up with it. Surely that will cheer Swashgaze up? Just a little bit, at least?

The sun was far away from its climax when Hydrowhisker arrived at the gathering place alone. She dropped her herbs on the tree branches of a short pine tree and searched for a good place to sit and talk. Suddenly, a bright color flashed by at the corner of her eyes. She snapped around, scanning between the bushes. Nothing...? Maybe it was a snake. Hydrowhisker somehow shivered slightly at that thought. She didn't want to get bitten, whether the snake was poisonous or not. Well, maybe I really should have let a warrior come with me...

She tasted the air and a different kind of panic struck her. No... calm down. She swallowed and followed the scent.

"Swashgaze? You there?" She called, hopping onto a boulder. What is she doing here again? For the meeting, maybe? But it would have still been a while for the scheduled time.

But I won't ask her anything again this time.

A patch of silver pelt shivered behind a tree, then held still. Hydrowhisker held her breath. Please...? Just come out and talk to me?