I haven't updated any of my stories in about a thousand years, I've had less time than usual lately. I'll try harder to keep updates frequent. Thanks for reading!
Sky woke around sunhigh. As soon as she opened her eyes, she started to cough violently. A faint sense of shock and fear settled over her. When the Tribe of Burning Clouds was weaker, sickness spread rapidly through the cats. For some odd reason, Sky had never caught the awful disease. She'd had a few colds in her life, but this was the first time she had ever really felt sick.
Timber's scent was fresh around Sky. She remembered that she had vaguely felt someone curl up next to her the previous night. I'll go find Timber, she thought. Then I should probably let Angeni check my sickness, or whatever it is. Sky coughed again as she shakily stood up. Her vision was hazy, and she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Suddenly very worried about her condition, Sky forced herself to ignore the sickness and walk out of the den. She spotted Timber eating a small mouse on the other side of the clearing. She slowly limped over to him, feeling like she was made out of stones.
"How are you feeling?" Timber asked casually once Sky reached him. There was an anxious look in his eyes. Sky sighed, which took effort, and replied, "This is the worst I've ever felt." Her mew came out sounding desperate and choked, and her heartbeat felt quick and unsteady. Is this what sickness normally feels like?! How could any cat live through this?! Sky thought in a panic. She remembered the next few moments as flashes of color and blackness. She felt herself collapse against Timber, and a numb feeling spread through her entire body. The next thing she was aware of was Angeni looking down at her with faint curiosity.
"What's with that look in your eyes? What's so interesting about sickness?" Sky snapped, suddenly feeling angry. Angeni winced slightly, but responded with a steady voice. "This kind of sickness doesn't happen often. I'm just wondering how you got it." Sky sighed with exasperation. "I exhausted myself. Last night I went too far looking for Hawk and I came back feeling awful," she said defensively. She didn't understand why she felt the need to be defensive in the first place. Maybe it's part of the sickness. I still don't understand how some kinds of sickness aren't lethal.
Angeni lightly brushed a paw across Sky's side. She continued to examine Sky, muttering to herself with that same look of wonder. Sky felt exhausted. She wasn't sure if this was normal illness at all. Most sick cats weren't seen limping around, coughing violently, and being terrified. Sky glanced around the den, realizing Asura was still there, his nose buried in his tail. She didn't feel like wondering more about what had happened to him. With a deep sigh, she let herself drift off to sleep again while Angeni continued to work.
...
Timber paced around the center of the camp, worrying about Sky. She didn't look okay at all. He closed his eyes, unexpectedly recalling memories. Him playing with Sky as a kit, challenging her to jump higher than he could. Him and Sky in warrior training, their mentors telling them to practice fighting each other. Him supporting Sky to Angeni's den, her breaths fast and heavy against his side. Timber wondered why he remembered certain things now. When he was younger, he had never really taken notice of Sky. But, he thought, now that she could be in danger...her life could be in danger... Timber refused to keep thinking like this. It was probably just anxiety. He shook himself and padded into the den to lay down for a while.
The brown warrior found a row of spare nests in the back of the den, constructed from the materials used to rebuild. He sighed, stretching himself out across one of them. As he started to let his mind wander, he heard a voice behind him. "Are you worried about Sky?" Timber turned around. His littermate, Hail, was standing nearby and watching curiously. Hail was a cream colored tom with brown ears, paws, and tail. Timber liked to think Hail's unusual pelt made him unique. "Yes, I'm worried. No cat has ever been that sick before, at least not that I've heard of," Timber replied, staring at the ground a paw-length away from his nose.
Hail flicked his tail across Timber's ear in a friendly way. "Maybe we could go hunting together? We would be helping the Tribe, and it's something else to focus on," Hail said. Timber got to his paws. He believed Hail, always putting others before himself, was the best brother any cat could have. "Sure, I'd like that," Timber said, following Hail out of the den. Clearing his mind, Timber thought, Once in a while, it's a great thing to be distracted from life...