The Power of Four: A Warriors fanfic

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 - Willowpaw

Willowpaw fought the urge to rip the strange leaves and ointment on her scratches off of her body. Amberpaw told her to keep those on there all the time, but it was getting insufferable. She could feel every single little inch that the leaves moved on her body, the slathered, sticky, thick paste on her fur, bunching it up and messing it all around.

It made her sick. She padded over to a shady spot in camp. It was the middle of leaf-fall, beginning to be leaf-bare, but for some reason the sun was a little too hot. Leaf-fall was like that sometimes, according to the elders.

Willowpaw sighed.

Part of her wished everything would stay the same. That battle did a number on her, and the memory of Crowpaw's skull getting crushed under the monster's paws. It made a shiver travel down her spine, just the thought of that happening to someone she knew.

How could you do that, Maplepaw?

Willowpaw was surprisingly calm today. The calm before the storm, maybe. Or the calm after the storm.

Usually she'd be racing around camp, running (theoretical) laps and smiling. But right now she felt like she'd rather die than move her paw and inch out of her nest.

Willowpaw sighed. Again.

Outside she could hear Toadstar grumbling orders to a patrol of ShadowClan cats.

Her ears rang a bit, but perked at the sound of her father. "Just... patrol the borders, or whatever," he said, Willowpaw barely making out his words.

Was he being... apathetic?

That's a little strange, Willowpaw noted, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Her mind began to race, like normal. Is he out of his weird-nice phase? Oh no. Next he'll be making Amberpaw fight, she thought, half-joking.

"Uh... yes. Who else should go with us? We need two apprentices." A cat responded. It was Appletail, Willowpaw's mentor.

"Er... couldn't we have Featherwink come?"

"You bumbling idiot," Doveflight croaked behind him. "Snaptooth, she's in the nursery."

Snaptooth sat there, blinking stupidly. "Uh. I didn't know that,"

"Well now you do." Toadstar growling, interrupting the conversation among the warriors. "Just... take Willowpaw or something. Appletail, your her mentor, and the patrol leader. Just take her and Pinepaw or something."

Oh no, Willowpaw thought. I don't feel like it, though. She fake yawned, trying to look as exhausted as possible. Maybe they won't take me if I look like this. I shouldn't go because of my herbs, too. Surely they'll cancel on me.

In the distance she could see Appletail's assertive nod. He swerved and padded into the shady spot that Willowpaw laid peacefully in.

"Oh, Willowpaw..." Appletail winced. "Toadstar! She can't patrol like this!"

Toadstar's blazing eyes swerved to glare into Willowpaw's (theoretical) soul. His eyes were glazed with a weird... sympathetic look? Willowpaw didn't know. Never did Toadstar or Lightstep feel sympathy for her. This was a weird new feeling.

"Fine. Get Pinepaw, then."

Willowpaw yawned and settled back into place, dropping her bedraggled facade. The leaves and ointment rippled on her fur and Willowpaw winced, the weird dumb stupid feeling falling back into place. She almost forgot the healing objects were there, listening to Toadstar's conversation.