Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 12:41:41 GMT -5
"I'm sorry," she said.
"It's not your fault," he replied.
Together they sat, the night's quiet settling like a layer of snow onto the couple. The air was heavy and thick. Breathing seemed almost abnormal
She allowed herself to look back over at Mockingsong. His eyes held a deep yellow glaze in them, not their normal sunny color. "You are all that I have left," she said aloud, watching him for a reaction.
"And yet, am I enough?" he replied. His eyes were dull and cold.
She couldn't answer him.
xx
"I love you, Torrentpaw," he said, nosing the large iris towards her. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. When we're warriors, of course," he added quickly. Her eyes were shining as she accepted the token of his admiration.
"Thank you," she murmured, taking the flower in her paw and allowing the sweet scent to fill her nostrils. "I love you as well." Their eyes sparkled as they gazed at each other.
"Dawnpaw told me I should focus on warrior duties and training first, love second." Torrentpaw frowned. "She obviously has never been in love."
"Your sister was always inexperienced," the petite tom purred. "She will understand sooner or later." His sable coat glistened in the sun, sunflower eyes sparkling. "For now, it is only you and I together, and no one can break us apart. We'll be faithful, now and always."
"Yes." Torrentpaw nodded and purred. Though the smallest of doubts about her willingness to commit lingered in her mind, she pressed her nose to Mockingpaw's, then nuzzled his cheek.
xx
"Torrentheart, please. Listen to me." Quailstrike stood in front of the den's entrance, shaking gently from age, looking weary. "I'm telling you, his mother cursed him. Your kits shall not live. Don't give him false hope." She seemed desperate as she tried to keep her daughter from leaving.
The she-cat pushed past her mother, then glared over her shoulder. "That story isn't true," she snapped. "How dare you even say that? Our kits will be healthy and strong. Maybe we'll lose one for some reason. That's life. Get over it."
She stalked a few tail-lengths away from the den before noticing familiar golden eyes watching from the shadows. They disappeared in a flash when she crept towards them.
xx
His head on her back, she could feel his chest expanding and collapsing as he took in each breath. "It's not your fault," he meowed softly. "I promise. Next time, they'll be healthy. You'll see."
But was it false hope? A dream the parents for mere moments gripped to desperately?
The once-faithful lovers' relationship was beginning to crumble.
xx
Quietly, being careful not to wake Mockingsong, she stepped out of her nest and into the unusually warm night breeze. His scent was on the wind, carried from a slight distance away. She slipped out the camp entrance and crossed through the surrounding meadow to a hill sloping upward. Once at the top, she saw him sitting at a bluff that overlooked the Horizon Meadow. His dark scarlet fur glowed in the moonlight, turning it a deep, bloody orange. He fluidly looked over his shoulder, green eyes blazing.
"Hello, Torrentstar," he said. "Congratulations on the new title."
Together they sat, gazing at the stars.
xx
"Torrentstar, you're serious?" Her mate seemed giddy as she told him the news. "I can't believe it! We're having healthy kits." He pressed his face against hers, and she fought the urge to recoil.
"It is wonderful," she murmured. "I can't wait to see them." Though her heart soared at the thought of new life, its wings were clipped when she saw Mockingsong.
How would he react when he saw their dusky red fur and pine eyes?
xx
"Congra-" Woolfur began before collapsing into a coughing fit. Mockingsong winced, moving to stand in front of the mother and her five kits.
"Sorry," she muttered between coughs as she exited the den.
The charcoal tom was beaming as he looked over the kits. "Five! And all healthy." He nuzzled under Torrentstar's jaw. "Well done."
She muttered a "thank you" before glancing over the five new lives. Two dusky red females, one lighter grey male, a dull gray female tabby, and a white-and-red female. All breathing well and eating.
"Surprising that some are russet, and none black." The tom puzzled over the notion as he craned his neck to observe the kits.
Oh, yes. Quite surprising.
xx
"These aren't mine. Are they?" He showed only neutrality as he stared down his mate.
"I'm sorry, Mockingsong," she said. "I wanted a tom who could give me healthy kits. Not someone who's children didn't survive birth."
He winced, deep sadness filling his gaze and spilling onto his face as he stared at Torrentstar. "I can't believe you," he said. "You said you loved me. That I was the only one for you." His eyes hardened. "Am I not enough?
No. No, you aren't.
xx
Bodies piled up. Blood spilled. The coughing fits that had plagued so many now evolved into delusional madness as cats attacked their clanmates. Quailstrike was the first to go, struck down by Hollowpaw, who fell down and died moments later.
Dawnwatcher and Woolfur fought each other to the death only two days later.
Never had Torrentstar felt such grief as her clan and relationships crumbled.
xx
"You are all that I have left." Painfully, the words were true. They were all gone. Even tough little Duck-kit, spared from being eaten by a mad clanmate, had succumb to the disease.
Her heart shattered when she heard his response.
"No," she said honestly after a moment of silence. "No, you aren't."
His eyes shut as the words spilled out of her mouth.
After a quiet moment, he got up and walked away.
"It's not your fault," he replied.
Together they sat, the night's quiet settling like a layer of snow onto the couple. The air was heavy and thick. Breathing seemed almost abnormal
She allowed herself to look back over at Mockingsong. His eyes held a deep yellow glaze in them, not their normal sunny color. "You are all that I have left," she said aloud, watching him for a reaction.
"And yet, am I enough?" he replied. His eyes were dull and cold.
She couldn't answer him.
xx
"I love you, Torrentpaw," he said, nosing the large iris towards her. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. When we're warriors, of course," he added quickly. Her eyes were shining as she accepted the token of his admiration.
"Thank you," she murmured, taking the flower in her paw and allowing the sweet scent to fill her nostrils. "I love you as well." Their eyes sparkled as they gazed at each other.
"Dawnpaw told me I should focus on warrior duties and training first, love second." Torrentpaw frowned. "She obviously has never been in love."
"Your sister was always inexperienced," the petite tom purred. "She will understand sooner or later." His sable coat glistened in the sun, sunflower eyes sparkling. "For now, it is only you and I together, and no one can break us apart. We'll be faithful, now and always."
"Yes." Torrentpaw nodded and purred. Though the smallest of doubts about her willingness to commit lingered in her mind, she pressed her nose to Mockingpaw's, then nuzzled his cheek.
xx
"Torrentheart, please. Listen to me." Quailstrike stood in front of the den's entrance, shaking gently from age, looking weary. "I'm telling you, his mother cursed him. Your kits shall not live. Don't give him false hope." She seemed desperate as she tried to keep her daughter from leaving.
The she-cat pushed past her mother, then glared over her shoulder. "That story isn't true," she snapped. "How dare you even say that? Our kits will be healthy and strong. Maybe we'll lose one for some reason. That's life. Get over it."
She stalked a few tail-lengths away from the den before noticing familiar golden eyes watching from the shadows. They disappeared in a flash when she crept towards them.
xx
His head on her back, she could feel his chest expanding and collapsing as he took in each breath. "It's not your fault," he meowed softly. "I promise. Next time, they'll be healthy. You'll see."
But was it false hope? A dream the parents for mere moments gripped to desperately?
The once-faithful lovers' relationship was beginning to crumble.
xx
Quietly, being careful not to wake Mockingsong, she stepped out of her nest and into the unusually warm night breeze. His scent was on the wind, carried from a slight distance away. She slipped out the camp entrance and crossed through the surrounding meadow to a hill sloping upward. Once at the top, she saw him sitting at a bluff that overlooked the Horizon Meadow. His dark scarlet fur glowed in the moonlight, turning it a deep, bloody orange. He fluidly looked over his shoulder, green eyes blazing.
"Hello, Torrentstar," he said. "Congratulations on the new title."
Together they sat, gazing at the stars.
xx
"Torrentstar, you're serious?" Her mate seemed giddy as she told him the news. "I can't believe it! We're having healthy kits." He pressed his face against hers, and she fought the urge to recoil.
"It is wonderful," she murmured. "I can't wait to see them." Though her heart soared at the thought of new life, its wings were clipped when she saw Mockingsong.
How would he react when he saw their dusky red fur and pine eyes?
xx
"Congra-" Woolfur began before collapsing into a coughing fit. Mockingsong winced, moving to stand in front of the mother and her five kits.
"Sorry," she muttered between coughs as she exited the den.
The charcoal tom was beaming as he looked over the kits. "Five! And all healthy." He nuzzled under Torrentstar's jaw. "Well done."
She muttered a "thank you" before glancing over the five new lives. Two dusky red females, one lighter grey male, a dull gray female tabby, and a white-and-red female. All breathing well and eating.
"Surprising that some are russet, and none black." The tom puzzled over the notion as he craned his neck to observe the kits.
Oh, yes. Quite surprising.
xx
"These aren't mine. Are they?" He showed only neutrality as he stared down his mate.
"I'm sorry, Mockingsong," she said. "I wanted a tom who could give me healthy kits. Not someone who's children didn't survive birth."
He winced, deep sadness filling his gaze and spilling onto his face as he stared at Torrentstar. "I can't believe you," he said. "You said you loved me. That I was the only one for you." His eyes hardened. "Am I not enough?
No. No, you aren't.
xx
Bodies piled up. Blood spilled. The coughing fits that had plagued so many now evolved into delusional madness as cats attacked their clanmates. Quailstrike was the first to go, struck down by Hollowpaw, who fell down and died moments later.
Dawnwatcher and Woolfur fought each other to the death only two days later.
Never had Torrentstar felt such grief as her clan and relationships crumbled.
xx
"You are all that I have left." Painfully, the words were true. They were all gone. Even tough little Duck-kit, spared from being eaten by a mad clanmate, had succumb to the disease.
Her heart shattered when she heard his response.
"No," she said honestly after a moment of silence. "No, you aren't."
His eyes shut as the words spilled out of her mouth.
After a quiet moment, he got up and walked away.