𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Nineteen

Hailwatcher sits crouched in front of the SkyClan medicine den with Beechfoot and Featherstar, intermittently nudging the mouse at his paws.

The tang of blood pricks his tongue, and just the smell of the fresh-kill diminishes his appetite.

"You gonna eat, kiddo?" Beechfoot mews quietly, bent over the squirrel he was sharing with his leader.

Featherstar glances down at Hailwatcher, indiscernible emotion flickering behind her heather-blue eyes.

"..I...don't feel like eating," the little gray tom murmurs, tucking his limbs beneath him with a grunt of effort; the healing scratches covering his body are stiff.

Beechfoot glances down at the younger tom with a frown.

"..Alright, but make sure you eat when you can...you're growing and it's important that you're fed."

Realizing the depth in the senior medicine cat's words, Hailwatcher sighs.

Without even looking down at his sides, the young medicine cat senses that his ribs are visible beneath the thick fur covering his body.

"..I'll try," he mews softly, giving his chest fur a lick.

Trying to distract himself from the conversation topic, Hailwatcher glances around the SkyClan camp.

The sun shines down through the trees and the clouds that floated above- rays of light illuminate the camp.

Hailwatcher leans forward and a darkness abruptly consumes his vision; stifling a yelp, he recoils in alarm.

He feels like he is all of a sudden very far away, as Beechfoot's call to him is muffled and shaky.

Flashing in front of him is a cat hunched over in a pained position; its shadow-cloaked body seizes violently, and black foam comes flying out of its gaping mouth.

Its guttural, hacking coughs echo through the area, and its spasms intensify.

Scattered around and clutched weakly in its paws are numerous small black spheres with an eerie red shimmer.

He nebulously feels Beechfoot supporting his head and remains unsure of what is happening to his physical body.

Breaking his gaze away from the grisly scene, Hailwatcher glances down to find that his paws are a little transparent.

It occurs to him that perhaps this is a vision from StarClan and not currently happening, but it confuses him that he's receiving the vision while awake.

Hailwatcher feels a jolt and finds that his eyes are closed; as they flicker open, the young medicine cat sees Beechfoot curled loosely around him.

Featherstar is closer to him than Hailwatcher remembers her being, but she says nothing, instead glancing curiously at her medicine cat.

"You okay, kiddo?" Beechfoot mews quickly.

"Looks like you blacked out for a moment there."

Hailwatcher vigorously nods, feeling around with his paws to get a bearing on his physical state.

He feels a bit disoriented and dizzy, though the physical contact with Beechfoot is helping to ground him.

"Um- yeah, I'm good..I saw something just now...I think it was some kind of vision.." he murmurs, rubbing his face with a paw.

Beechfoot hums in acknowledgment, brow furrowing in thought.

"Could you tell us about it, if you don't mind?"