Icy Waters

Chapter 3

(As you know, credits for the above!)

Copperheart wished that he didn't have to watch Echoclaw pacing around camp in the rain, shaking, or wandering out of camp alone just to yowl her frustration. He would have much rather took all of her visions, and all of her stress, to have her be happy and...and.....grumpy again. Just normal. "Echoclaw....?" Poppykit meowed from the nursery, her voice rising in pitch. Echoclaw popped her head back into camp, her eyes narrowing. "I'm coming," She breathed, trying to sound angry but failing miserably. At this point in the day, all she sounded like was an exasperated and tired cat Copperheart had never knew.

"Echoclaw, Whitefeather's up!" Duskheart exclaimed excitedly, her sandy colored pelt ruffled with excitement. "I'm coming, I'm coming," Echoclaw murmured, steering away from Poppykit and towards the den. "Echopaw, it's time to go gather herbs." Whitefeather declared from his nest, his eyes a bit more clear and focused. Echoclaw hurried over to him, snatching up a bundle of herbs from a pile of herbs that looked.....all the same.

"I'm Echoclaw now." She corrected impatiently. Whitefeather's eyes widened. "Congratulations!" He meowed. "Fogbranch alway was the best of mentors," He added wistfully. Copperheart turned away, unable to watch the two poor medicine cats for any longer. "Super upsetting, huh?" Robinflight asked as he padded towards the fresh-kill pile. "Whitefeather? Or that my apprentice is still fixing dens and replacing moss instead of going out on patrols?" He grunted.

"I was talking about all the stress Echoclaw's under. You seem as upset as her, maybe even more!" Robinflight joked, prodding him playfully with a paw after she ducked down and grabbed a mouse by its tail. Copperheart leaned at the push before wordlessly padding out of camp, where he would head to his field. He could never tell Robinflight why he was so upset, or why Echoclaw seemed so helpless all of the sudden. He barely even knew what was going on. The one thing Copperheart did know was that ShadowClan was in a whole bunch of trouble.

"Hey, you can't just walk out like that!" Robinflight hissed, dashing after him. Copperheart narrowed his eyes at the mud-veiled ground. "It's c-cold, we'd better get back to camp," the brown tabby added more pleasantly. "You can, but I'll be out for a while. Tell Curltail I'm going to hunt, also." He added, still walking away. "Copperheart, you've been acting.....different lately." The she-cat began. "I'm growing up, Robinflight." He muttered. You should, too. He thought, curling his claws into the ground. Though, he did know that he had been acting less optimistic and playful lately. I just don't feel like it!

"Nonononono, your personality doesn't change over a moon's time." Robinflight argued, sliding in beside him, her ears flattened against the rain. Copperheart sighed. "Can't you tell I'm genuinely concerned about you?" She meowed. "Yes, I can. I'm telling you, nothing is wrong!" He exclaimed, wishing he could tell her what he was worried about. Or more like who he was worried about.

Robinflight fell silent and slowed her pace. "O-okay, I'll tell Curltail that you're hunting." She said sulkily. "But I'll be here to listen to you, unlike Echoclaw, I'll listen to your problems, not give you more."
. . .
"Woah!" Echoclaw raised her head at Stemthorn's voice. "I was on a walk with Shardstorm, and you all know that huge dip I'm the territory? Well, it's flooded!" The young queen exclaimed. Whirlwind dropped the paw that she was dressing with a gasp. "The dip?" He asked disbelievingly. "It hasn't been flooded in all my lifetime," he breathed. "It's more like a ditch," Petalbreeze commented from the shelter of the elders den.