sweet salt [c]

The darkness was swallowing him, warm and fuzzy and always gripping his paws and sucking him back inside when he tried to reach out. It left him powerless and exhausted, and he was on the verge of giving up. He slept, unaware for how long. It might've been mere minutes, or days on end, but he didn't feel refreshed when he woke up, but rather more disheveled than ever.

Haypaw turned his head around, scanned the area. His nose was dry and he could barely smell anything besides the scent of herbs, but it was all he needed to know he was in the medicine cat's den. And he felt lighter than ever, as if a gentle breeze could blow him away easily. Barely mustering the urge to try and move, he kept on looking around as his vision cleared and he could finally see . The apprentice recognized the small, white and black tom busy with his own work farther away, his back turned to him, as Goosepaw, the clan's medicine cat. 'It must be tough for him to work alone.' Haypaw though as his eyes followed him, unblinking, expression drawn out and tired.

"Ahem..." the cat mewed coyly before breaking into a series of violent shivers and coughs, accompanied by pitiful, involuntary whines. He paused to gather his strength, visibly shaken. "W-what exactly... happened?" the tomcat hesitated and stuttered, averting his gaze to stare at the image of WindClan camp through the den's exit. It was bright outside, and even in his cold, shaded nest he could sense the hotness of the air.