- Aug 4, 2024
- 64
- 14
- 8
The scent of herbs clings to Howlpaw's fur, stifling and unfamiliar. He shifts restlessly on the bed of moss in the medicine den, his chest tightening with every shallow breath. The rasp of whitecough scrapes through his lungs, leaving him feeling weak and raw, but his amber eyes burn with defiance. The confined space of the den presses in on him, a cage as much as the Clan itself is to him. He doesn't belong here, surrounded by the cloying smells and the low voice of the medicine cat. His claws flex against the soft bedding, yearning for the bite of cold earth beneath them. Every fiber of his being screams to be anywhere but here.
"You need to stay put," he had been told earlier. The words still linger, heavy in his mind, spoken with firmness. He didn't argue then, too exhausted to muster a response, but now the weight of those words feels unbearable. Howlpaw isn't the kind to sit still, not even when sickness coils around his chest and claws at his throat. The den is quiet now. The other patients are asleep, their shallow breaths mingling with the faint sounds of minor activity outside. Howlpaw lies still for a moment, his tail flicking against the moss. His heart beats loudly in his ears, each thump a reminder of his growing frustration. He coughs suddenly, a harsh sound that rattles through his body. It leaves him momentarily dizzy, but he grits his teeth and forces himself upright. The world wavers slightly as he moves, the edges of his vision slightly bleary with tiredness. But he doesn't care. He can't stay here any longer.
Step by step, Howlpaw rises to his paws. His limbs feel a bit weak beneath him, but he refuses to let them fail him. Each movement feels heavy, like trudging through deep snow once more, but the fire in his chest pushes him forward. He glances toward the entrance of the den, the faint light beyond promising freedom. He takes a step, his paw brushing against a stray herb stem. The faint sound seems louder than it should, and his ears flick nervously. His amber eyes dart to the shapes of the sleeping cats, half-expecting someone to stir. But the den remains still, the soft hum of sleep uninterrupted. Howlpaw swallows hard, his breath rasping in his throat as he moves another step closer to the entrance. The cold air seeps through the small gap in the den's walls, brushing against his warm face. His tail twitches, the resolve in his eyes hardening.
[ please wait for @GENTLESTORM to post ]
"You need to stay put," he had been told earlier. The words still linger, heavy in his mind, spoken with firmness. He didn't argue then, too exhausted to muster a response, but now the weight of those words feels unbearable. Howlpaw isn't the kind to sit still, not even when sickness coils around his chest and claws at his throat. The den is quiet now. The other patients are asleep, their shallow breaths mingling with the faint sounds of minor activity outside. Howlpaw lies still for a moment, his tail flicking against the moss. His heart beats loudly in his ears, each thump a reminder of his growing frustration. He coughs suddenly, a harsh sound that rattles through his body. It leaves him momentarily dizzy, but he grits his teeth and forces himself upright. The world wavers slightly as he moves, the edges of his vision slightly bleary with tiredness. But he doesn't care. He can't stay here any longer.
Step by step, Howlpaw rises to his paws. His limbs feel a bit weak beneath him, but he refuses to let them fail him. Each movement feels heavy, like trudging through deep snow once more, but the fire in his chest pushes him forward. He glances toward the entrance of the den, the faint light beyond promising freedom. He takes a step, his paw brushing against a stray herb stem. The faint sound seems louder than it should, and his ears flick nervously. His amber eyes dart to the shapes of the sleeping cats, half-expecting someone to stir. But the den remains still, the soft hum of sleep uninterrupted. Howlpaw swallows hard, his breath rasping in his throat as he moves another step closer to the entrance. The cold air seeps through the small gap in the den's walls, brushing against his warm face. His tail twitches, the resolve in his eyes hardening.
[ please wait for @GENTLESTORM to post ]