Post by phantomstar57 on Sept 3, 2022 16:20:51 GMT -5
Sky Fire- Moments before the Rains
As the rest of the Warriors slept, I stepped out of my den, scenting the air, which woke me with changes I despised. The rising sun painted the low roiling clouds to the southwest in flaming oranges, pinks and purples, and illuminated the snow-covered land around camp. The snow sparkled, but felt soft underpaw as I trotted nimbly on my long legs out of camp, giving the sentry a nod. My brother, blue-smoke Greyface, blinked his eyes, twitching his long thick busy tail.
"Take a good last look for me, too," he purred, flicking one of his white-tipped ears.
"I will," I replied, forgoing any further words.
"A first," he mewed with mirth, his huge furry bulk shaking. "Gabbiflight reduced to two words."
"No time to talk," I meowed back. "As much as I want to."
I trotted down to the lake. Snow squelched and ice crackled under my large paws, until I halted at the frozen edge. I stood on the icy shore, gazing up at the sky. The wind blew in, warm and moist, ruffling my long black-smoke fur, and a sadness enveloped my heart.
"Take a good last look for me, too," he purred, flicking one of his white-tipped ears.
"I will," I replied, forgoing any further words.
"A first," he mewed with mirth, his huge furry bulk shaking. "Gabbiflight reduced to two words."
"No time to talk," I meowed back. "As much as I want to."
I trotted down to the lake. Snow squelched and ice crackled under my large paws, until I halted at the frozen edge. I stood on the icy shore, gazing up at the sky. The wind blew in, warm and moist, ruffling my long black-smoke fur, and a sadness enveloped my heart.
“Gabbiflight,” a familiar voice called. “What are you doing?”
“Hi, Sunflight,” I greeted my niece, who ironically was many seasons older that I. “Why are you even up? You do love your sleep. The sun is. . .”
“True,” she interrupted my rambling, her golden eyes creased in a scowl. "Kyemama named you Gabbikit so many moons ago for good reason." Sunflight continued, her red-ticked pelt fluffed out. “But you love sleeping in as well.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” I answered, turning my attention to the lake. “The breeze woke me. Look at that beauty, all pelted in sparkling white and illusive colors. Here comes the rain, lighting the sky on fire, ready to take this all away.”
“I get it,” Sunflight mewed, stopping beside me. "I smelled it, too."
“Leaf Bare is wonderful. Snow's fun to play in, and even to hunt. It's beautiful, full of bright glittering colors. Leaf Bare has such deep blue skies. ” I lamented, as the clouds raced across the sky, aflame with the sun’s rays, ready to snuff them out. “We eat so well even in the cold. It isn’t as bad as the elders tell us it used to be, before Kyemama learned to catch the little Roe deer. I wish. . .”
“Not everyone can handle the deep cold, Blabbermouth,” Sunflight interrupted with a purr. “Not like we of Maine Coon blood can. Looks like patrol today will be wet and nasty.”
“Yes, and I hate it.” I meowed, glaring at her for cutting me off again. I refrained from retort, used to it, but on occasion, annoyance caused me to dig claws into the dirt, or in this case, snow.
“I do, too,” Sunflight grumbled, waving her fluffy, red and black-striped tail. “but it means New Leaf comes, and with it plentiful prey. I love New Leaf.”
“New Leaf is fine, but Green Leaf can be wretched,” I babbled on, nonplused by everyone's constant propensity to interupt. Did I really talk that much? No, I thought, and continued on. “The heat, the bugs, the thick air that makes everything harder. Why. . .?”
"I hate it, too," Sunflight admitted, stopping my tirade. "The itching and shedding. And you know I love Leaf Bare as much as you do."
"Yes, I do. So does Kyemama and Demonpoppa. All my siblings. . ."
"Most of us of half blood do, too." Sunflight cut me off with a growl. "Oh mousedung, here it comes,"
I looked back across the lake. I wanted to reach up and bat those clouds away, and slap the warm winds back the way they came. The clouds rushed across the sky, and, edged in fire, reached the morning sun. I pranced in place, wishing to stop the inevitable. They engulfed the sun, turning dark and ominous, snuffing out the colors across the snowscape.
"The moment before the rain," I muttered, glancing at Sunflight. We stood, rooted to the ice, as the clouds thickened, and a few raindrops plunked on our backs. My ears sagged, and Sunflight slanted hers back.
"I hate it, too," Sunflight admitted, stopping my tirade. "The itching and shedding. And you know I love Leaf Bare as much as you do."
"Yes, I do. So does Kyemama and Demonpoppa. All my siblings. . ."
"Most of us of half blood do, too." Sunflight cut me off with a growl. "Oh mousedung, here it comes,"
I looked back across the lake. I wanted to reach up and bat those clouds away, and slap the warm winds back the way they came. The clouds rushed across the sky, and, edged in fire, reached the morning sun. I pranced in place, wishing to stop the inevitable. They engulfed the sun, turning dark and ominous, snuffing out the colors across the snowscape.
"The moment before the rain," I muttered, glancing at Sunflight. We stood, rooted to the ice, as the clouds thickened, and a few raindrops plunked on our backs. My ears sagged, and Sunflight slanted hers back.
“Goodbye snowy Leaf Bare glory, until we meet again,” I mumbled, as the skies let loose their burden, drenching us, and turning the glorious snow to ugly grey slush and brown mud.