Hello Feline Friends

"I'm fine!" Hazelpaw snapped uncharacteristically before closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

Graypaw frowned. “You don’t sound fine.”

“Yeah. Fine,” Hazelpaw lied, breathing a little too quickly for it to be believable.

Graypaw had his ear flicked by his sister when she started awake, the tom waking up as well. “You alright?” Mewed The tom, concern in his gaze as he craned his neck to look at Hazelpaw.

Hazelpaw started awake only a couple of hours later, hastily stifling a whimper.

Graypaw slept beneath Hazelpaw comfortably, unaware of any dreams she might be having.

Hazelpaw flinched slightly at his words, her ears pinning back. But I might not, she thought mournfully. She didn’t want to sleep in case she got the dreams again but she knew she needed to. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let the darkness take her.

For the first time since his apprenticeship started, Graypaw let out a purr, snuggling into his sister’s company gratefully. “I’m glad you’ll always share a den with me,” the tom sighed sleepily, managing to drift off to sleep after some time.

Hazelpaw finished grooming her brother and rested her head on his side.

Eventually, Graypaw shifted so that Hazelpaw was finally resting in a spot that Foxfury hadn’t clawed and let out a deep sigh, laying his head down to finally go to sleep.

Hazelpaw's frown deepened every time her brother flinched, the she-cat already planning to take this to her father.

Graypaw pressed gratefully against his sister, whining quietly and occasionally flinching when Hazelpaw’s tongue ran over something that still hurt.

Hazelpaw frowned and pressed close to her brother, starting to groom his pelt.

“I made Foxfury mad,” mewled Graypaw, shame dripping from his mew. He didn’t have to explain the rest.”

Hazelpaw frowned at him. "Graypaw," she said seriously. "Tell me."

Graypaw pinned his ears back, tucking his muzzle under his tail in a weak attempt to hide another clawmark. “Nothing,” whined The tom, clearly lying, showing it in his eyes as he glanced up at his sister.

Hazelpaw mewed an apology, quickly pulling away. "What happened?"

Graypaw flinched slightly when Hazelpaw blindly muzzled into his back. As it turned out, she’d run straight into a few claw marks scored along his back.

Hazelpaw made an incoherent grumble, burying her face in his fur.

When Hazelpaw pressed close Graypaw lifted his head, opening his eyes with a surprised mewl. “Hazelpaw?” Squeaked The tom.

Hazelpaw abruptly decided to not go to her nest and instead curled up next to her brother.

Graypaw was already lying there, curled up tightly. A little dried blood was visible from a single scratch on his muzzle.

Hazelpaw went straight to the apprentices’ den, intent on curling up in her nest.

Yellowfoot used his closeness to gently nudge The she-cat out of the way of danger when he saw a tree root or rock she risked tripping on in her inattentive State. Eventually, they finally returned to camp.

Hazelpaw seemed deep in thought as they made their way back to the camp, hardly even watching where she walked.