𝚂𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #2

Chapter Eleven [Goosedown]

Goosedown and Elmshade pad toward the ThunderClan medicine den, huddled together to shield each other from the leaf-bare winds.

Since the riot, it seemed even the air was colder- the only thing more frigid and brittle was the Clan's community.

Becuase of Stormstar's death amidst the chaos, no one was trusted- accusations and rumors swirled, further aggravating the Clan's current issues.

"You know, you didn't have to come with me," Elmshade murmurs, glancing up at her mate.

"I want to support you," Goosedown murmurs back, giving the dark brown tabby a gentle nudge.

"Plus, I need to talk with Starlingclaw. I'm worried about him."

The speckled black tom hadn't failed to notice his brother's more heightened anxiety and withdrawn behavior as of late- estranged as they were, Goosedown still worried for Starlingclaw.

The riot, leadership change, prey shortages and the apparent new alliance with ShadowClan was enough to have anyone anxious, but Starlingclaw was ThunderClan's detector; if he was uneasy about something, it usually meant something dark was on the horizon.

Elmshade frowns.

"He has been kind of withdrawn lately...I hope he's okay."

"I guess we'll find out," Goosedown mews solemnly; reaching the medicine den's mouth, he pushes aside the vine curtain and lets Elmshade enter before coming in behind her.

To Goosedown's surprise, he enters to find Starlingclaw sitting with Donalbain and speaking quietly to him.

The thin-furred tom seemed nervous and twitchy; he fidgets with his white tipped paws before glancing up to meet his brother's and Elmshade's gazes.

Starlingclaw murmurs something quickly to Donalbain, who smiles at his friends, and scurries toward Goosedown and Elmshade.

"H-hello, you two...you're here for your check-up, Elmshade?" Starlingclaw mews quietly, eyeing his brother with a nervous glint in his orange gaze.

"That's right," Elmshade replies, looking a bit concerned.

"Come right over here," the ThunderClan medicine cat mews with an obviously forced smile, motioning toward one of the vacant moss nests.

Donalbain rises to his paws and trudges over to Goosedown, sitting down in front of him once the latter is situated beside his mate.

"Hello, Goosedown," the golden brown tom mews, smiling softly.

From the concern lingering in his eyes, it seemed him and Starlingclaw had been speaking about something rather important.

Goosedown was a bit surprised by how quickly Donalbain and his brothers had adapted to the mutiny and subsequent christening of Meadowstar, but it seemed like everyone was trying to forget about it so perhaps they were too.

"Hey," Goosedown replies absently, gaze still drawn to his brother as the skinny black tom begins speaking quietly to Elmshade.

"I've been talking to Starlingclaw this morning," Donalbain murmurs to his friend, "-and without violating his privacy I think you two need to have a conversation...a very long one."

"I've been wanting to for ages, but I haven't figured out what I should say," Goosedown whispers back, ears dropping a little; Donalbain nods and murmurs something inaudible to himself.

Meanwhile, Starlingclaw gently probes Elmshade's stomach with a paw, brow furrowed in thought.

"Can you tell how many of them there are yet?" the dark brown tabby mews, twitching an ear.