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Chapter 0 Prompt: 603 words

Twinkletail’s head snapped up as a raucous cough rang through RootClan’s camp. Vervainsong was bunched up just outside of the medicine den, his body stiff as the dry, painful-sounding coughs forced their way out of his body. Twinkletail willed their fur to lie flat and uneasily returned to eating their lunch. Still, they kept watch on the deputy in their periphery. They saw Twigtail rush out of the den to pat the tom’s back and offer him another dose of herbs. His hacking slowly fell away into soft, periodic coughs once again. Twinkletail turned their head away, relaxing the muscles they didn’t realized they’d tensed. Vervainsong had been becoming more and more lethargic recently, but Twinkletail hadn’t thought much of it until the coughing fits began. There where whispers around camp that the deputy had caught a serious bought of whitecough once upon a time, and that he hadn’t recovered properly. Many cats were worried that his old illness was returning, and with a vengeance this time.

Twinkletail licked the remains of sparrow from their jaws and glanced toward the medicine den again. Vervainsong seemed uncomfortable and coughing fits weren’t uncommon, but otherwise he looked quite normal. Then again, if it was bad enough for Deerstar to order him to stand down from his duties...

Twinkletail shivered slightly as another bought of coughing split the air. They watched Vervainsong hack and sputter. In a flash of black fur, Twinkletail’s father Nightfall was at the tom’s side this time, patting his back and placing a mouse down before him. Twinkletail winced. Though they didn’t exactly LIKE Vervainsong, it still troubled them to see the proud deputy in such a state.

Hopefully it isn’t contagious, they worried. Nightfall was spending a lot of time around his deputy, bringing him prey and making sure he was as comfortable as his illness would allow. The kindhearted tom was too selfless to worry about the possibility of getting sick as well. But if it really was another case of whitecough, then Nightfall was just as much at risk as Vervainsong, not to mention if it developed further into GREENCOUGH. If Vervainsong infected their father with this mystery ailment, and if it was truly as serious as the Clan was making it out to be, Twinkletail would kill the deputy before the sickness got the chance.

Maybe that’s a bit extreme, they sighed inwardly. Even if Nightfall DID get sick, Vervainsong wouldn’t have passed the illness onto him on purpose. It wouldn’t stop Twinkletail from blaming the deputy to divert their anxiety over their father’s wellbeing, though. In any case, the somber atmosphere in the camp was beginning to rub off and spread its melancholy to Twinkletail. The warrior stood up and dusted themselves off before heading toward the camp entrance. A visit to the Twolegplace would doubtlessly improve their mood.

And some catnip to calm my nerves wouldn’t be unwelcome. They spared one more glance over their shoulder as they left, seeing their father once again lifting and offering the mouse to Vervainsong. The deputy stretched up to accept it before crumpling back down into a coughing fit again. Twinkletail squeezed their eyes shut as they left the camp. They took a sharp breath of the fresh forest air and exhaled slowly.

I don’t ask much of you, StarClan, they thought fiercely, and I might not like RootClan very much, but don’t let Vervainsong or Nightfall or anyone die because of that stupid cough. That’s an awful way to go. They began walking, paws dragging, craving the taste of catmint more than ever.

Please keep my Clan safe.

A rare moment of Twinkletail giving two shits about both RootClan AND its authority figures: the two things they hate most in the world.

In all seriousness, they aren’t as coldhearted and cruel as most cats make them out to be. They’ve been wronged my RootClan many times over, but in the end they do care about their Clanmates. At least a little bit. Okay, maybe not that much BUT they don’t want to see them die painfully. How sweet <3

Description

Chapter 0 Prompt: 603 words

Twinkletail’s head snapped up as a raucous cough rang through RootClan’s camp. Vervainsong was bunched up just outside of the medicine den, his body stiff as the dry, painful-sounding coughs forced their way out of his body. Twinkletail willed their fur to lie flat and uneasily returned to eating their lunch. Still, they kept watch on the deputy in their periphery. They saw Twigtail rush out of the den to pat the tom’s back and offer him another dose of herbs. His hacking slowly fell away into soft, periodic coughs once again. Twinkletail turned their head away, relaxing the muscles they didn’t realized they’d tensed. Vervainsong had been becoming more and more lethargic recently, but Twinkletail hadn’t thought much of it until the coughing fits began. There where whispers around camp that the deputy had caught a serious bought of whitecough once upon a time, and that he hadn’t recovered properly. Many cats were worried that his old illness was returning, and with a vengeance this time.

Twinkletail licked the remains of sparrow from their jaws and glanced toward the medicine den again. Vervainsong seemed uncomfortable and coughing fits weren’t uncommon, but otherwise he looked quite normal. Then again, if it was bad enough for Deerstar to order him to stand down from his duties...

Twinkletail shivered slightly as another bought of coughing split the air. They watched Vervainsong hack and sputter. In a flash of black fur, Twinkletail’s father Nightfall was at the tom’s side this time, patting his back and placing a mouse down before him. Twinkletail winced. Though they didn’t exactly LIKE Vervainsong, it still troubled them to see the proud deputy in such a state.

Hopefully it isn’t contagious, they worried. Nightfall was spending a lot of time around his deputy, bringing him prey and making sure he was as comfortable as his illness would allow. The kindhearted tom was too selfless to worry about the possibility of getting sick as well. But if it really was another case of whitecough, then Nightfall was just as much at risk as Vervainsong, not to mention if it developed further into GREENCOUGH. If Vervainsong infected their father with this mystery ailment, and if it was truly as serious as the Clan was making it out to be, Twinkletail would kill the deputy before the sickness got the chance.

Maybe that’s a bit extreme, they sighed inwardly. Even if Nightfall DID get sick, Vervainsong wouldn’t have passed the illness onto him on purpose. It wouldn’t stop Twinkletail from blaming the deputy to divert their anxiety over their father’s wellbeing, though. In any case, the somber atmosphere in the camp was beginning to rub off and spread its melancholy to Twinkletail. The warrior stood up and dusted themselves off before heading toward the camp entrance. A visit to the Twolegplace would doubtlessly improve their mood.

And some catnip to calm my nerves wouldn’t be unwelcome. They spared one more glance over their shoulder as they left, seeing their father once again lifting and offering the mouse to Vervainsong. The deputy stretched up to accept it before crumpling back down into a coughing fit again. Twinkletail squeezed their eyes shut as they left the camp. They took a sharp breath of the fresh forest air and exhaled slowly.

I don’t ask much of you, StarClan, they thought fiercely, and I might not like RootClan very much, but don’t let Vervainsong or Nightfall or anyone die because of that stupid cough. That’s an awful way to go. They began walking, paws dragging, craving the taste of catmint more than ever.

Please keep my Clan safe.

A rare moment of Twinkletail giving two shits about both RootClan AND its authority figures: the two things they hate most in the world.

In all seriousness, they aren’t as coldhearted and cruel as most cats make them out to be. They’ve been wronged my RootClan many times over, but in the end they do care about their Clanmates. At least a little bit. Okay, maybe not that much BUT they don’t want to see them die painfully. How sweet <3