One moment Sorrelhawk had been there, marching along with the patrol, and then Shattervenom glanced back to ask him something and the wounded warrior had been… gone. Her first instinct had been to double back and search for him. What if his injuries were slowing him down? What if he were in danger? She sincerely doubted that Sorrel would abandon his duties for a frivolous reason--anxiety twisted her guts, worrying for the worst case scenario--and then, Shatter realized with mortification, Fallownose had moved on without them. The deputy had not cared that a cat with cobwebs still holding him together had drifted off. Instead, the first thing that Shattervenom heard upon picking up Fallownose's scent again, was that she and her missing patrol partner had been
slacking off.
Pain punched into her chest. What had she done for Fallownose to
immediately assume such an unflattering narrative? Is that how he viewed her? As a warrior that shirked duties so brazenly?
Dainty paws carried her forward. Shatter held her crown high, but her tail skimmed mid-level, ever respectful despite the affronted ache in her heart.
"Forgive me, Fallownose. I did not feel… comfortable moving onward without knowing what became of Sorrelhawk."
Shattervenom didn't think it was necessarily fair for Fallownose to assume she'd disappeared; apparently it'd been the wrong move to fall back and wait for Sorrelhawk, but the tall warrior had truly balked at writing off her fellow patrolmate and going forth with Fallownose. She should not have tried to be polite. Her conscientiousness had only ended in punishment, in her deputy assuming the worst when so far the ebony-and-ivory huntress had done her best to support her clan and strengthen more relationships. This was a dance she wasn't used to yet: the balance of respecting the actions of a clanmate, and stepping up--aggressively, if necessary--cutting in front of stragglers to get things done.
"Next time I will not wait for my absent partners to respond. I will merely leave them behind, as you wish. Hopefully Sorrel is okay." Her tone left her cool and level, the flatness of ice over a frozen pond; her eyes regarded Fallownose with a distant, stony expression--not challenging his decree, not baiting his anger, but also not ashamed.
If her leaders wanted an unfeeling warrior, if they wanted to believe that her failure to step on her peers was a failure of her character--was
laziness--well, that was their choice. It hurt that the deputy was so quick to chastise loyal WindClan cats as if they were silly kits rather than question what might have lead them to a less than stellar performance, but Shatter did not have the energy to defend herself. Besides… the lithe fighter could think of worse things to do than collect herbs for Cowpaw.
And, Shatter had to admit, at least Fallownose was taking responsibility and gathering herbs
with them.
With a quiet exhale, Shattervenom folded herself into a seated position to wait for the medicine cat, looking toward the horizon with one ear flicked toward Fallow if the tom had anything more to say.