Diverging Paths (Warrior Cats Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

Two days had passed since everything had happened, and Highwings still was feeling the effects strongly. Both Mellowsigh and Sickbreath refused to talk to her. Though Sickbreath had congratulated Highwings on "remaining loyal," he had not spoken to her about anything else, as he continued to withdraw himself due to her decision on kits. Hollowfortune mentioned he was talking to Sickbreath less, too. Archpounce was really the only one who remained in close contact, but even she admitted to Highwings that their interactions were often tense.

And of course...Mellowsigh had cut her ties, and Highwings couldn't fault her for it. She even was sort of grateful, because if they did talk, Highwings wouldn't know what to say anymore. It was better for the both of them this way. It was just that Highwings was unsure how long they could keep it like this, especially once Mellowsigh's kits were born.

That didn't matter right now, though, as right now she was in the medicine cat den with Whirlpaw, who was all in a huff after a hunting lesson.

"Just lie down," Highwings grumbled.

"It's just some bee stings," he protested. "I didn't fight ThunderClan or anything."

"It'll take longer to get out of here if you don't just do as you're told and lie down," Highwings snapped, glaring at him with slit eyes.

Whirlpaw reeled back a bit by the warrior's aggressiveness, but angrily submitted as Offpaw nervously applied blackberry leaves to his stings, which he had acquired after jumping up a tree to follow a squirrel and smacking his head right into a hive.

Whirlpaw had not been as close as usual, either. Of course, they had not cut contact, and the respect between them was still mutual, but Highwings' relationship with her apprentice had withered quite a bit to the point that she wouldn't be surprised if he asked Murmuringsoil for a new mentor. Highwings and Whirlpaw's interactions were quite stale and mainly formal, not platonic.

He believed that the rogue should have lived.

The medicine den was filled with silence as Offpaw nervously and quietly treated Whirlpaw's bee stings, and Highwings sat nearer to the entrance, twinging her tail and glancing at everything with either an aggressive or bored expression. It was an awkward and tense atmosphere, with total silence hanging between all three cats. Nimblereach was off elsewhere collecting more herbs, as they had run low on stock for something, but Highwings couldn't recall what it was at the current moment.

Then out of nowhere, the den livened up as a very irate deputy burst through the lichen, his fur on end. All three cats turned a surprised gaze to him, as his mere entrance had a ridiculous amount of energy in it.

"Where is Nimblereach?!" he snarled towards Offpaw, who dropped his blackberry leaves out of fright.

"Collect- Collecting herbs," the medicine apprentice answered, staring back at Murmuringsoil with a frightened gaze.

"Ugh! And at the worst time too!" He sat down, fuming. "Well, if you would so indulge me, I think I'll just wait here for him."

Highwings was wholly confused by Murmuringsoil's intentions and attitude, and was even more surprised when Offpaw spoke as though he already knew about it. "Something happen with Scatterstar again?" the gray, dark-gray-striped tom inquired with sunken eyes.

"It's none of your business," Murmuringsoil growled. "It's none of their business, either." He was referring to the patients in the den.

"Maybe not theirs, but I'm eleven moons old now," Offpaw muttered back, sounding more confrontational now, but still a tired version of confrontational. "I'm only one moon away from becoming a medicine cat. I'm qualified for talks like that now."