In The Storm (short story)
Perchclaw curled his lip in distaste as rain began to splatter the ground, liquifying the already muddy floor and soaking his pelt, chilling it to the bone as if the perpetually freezing air didnāt already do that. He ducked beneath a cluster of overhanging ferns with Vireosong, who he was meant to be having a romantic walk with.
āWhere is this even coming from?ā He hissed, wishing it could scare the water away from him. Peering through the gaps in the leaves above his head, he saw dark grey, almost black clouds. There wasn't enough wind and rain to call it a rainstorm, but it certainly was enough to call it a nuisance.
Vireosong tilted his head and gazed up thoughtfully. āA youngling, this one was, making beasts in the mind from the sounds of the sky. Tears of fright fell in the beating rhythm of their onslaught, sheltered only by the dark guardian with inner gold, loving smile warming this one even now, moons with her gone. She had soothed that little one. The rain were tears too, said she, weeps of joy and sorrow our blood sends in comfort and celebration. Odd, this one thinks, to have tears of pure blood spill from eyes who cannot see through these shadows. But brightening too, though dark as it may be, to think this water came from blood, shed by our loving kin. Perhaps, even by the dark guardian. She cannot send her warmth through a sky in which she cannot reach, yet this one feels the embrace all the same, burrowing through flesh and shell and curling around this oneās heart. This oneās mind goes back, now, to those days curled by her love. The heart aches for those long-lost days, but a smile is evident, all the same, for the memories they give.ā
Perchclaw listened patiently, ears pricked and working out the meaning of each sentence as they came. Since he and Vireosong had first gotten together, back when they were apprentices, it took a lot of time for him. The first time, he went to his father, Alderstar, for help figuring it out. Now after much practice, he had gotten much better, and could usually respond with only a little hesitation.
He will admit to himself that he does, most often, enjoy the sentences he canāt quite understand. Heās grown to love figuring it out, and he can tell by the gleam in his mateās eyes that Vireosong enjoys watching as the moment of realization becomes clear on Perchclawās face.
Perchclaw nuzzled him now. āYour mother sounds sweet,ā he replied. āYou deserved all the love she could give you. Iām sureāI know she still loves you, where she is in Starclan. And in the Dark Forest, well, you have me, and Redpaw, and your fathers and sisters, and my family too.ā They hadnāt talked much about their mothers before. Perchclaw wasnāt sure he wanted to talk about his own now. Maybe someday.Ā
Vireosong nuzzled him back. Then, pulling away, he opened his mouth again. His gaze drifted off as he spoke. āSweet love dies on this oneās tongue as they see a spying bird.ā
āWhat?ā Perchclaw tilted his head. Realizing that Vireosongās drifted gaze was in fact focused on something else, he turned his head to see behind him, and nearly jumped at the sight of Magpieshine, whose face he almost collided with.Ā
He whirled around. āMagpie! What are you doing here? Canāt you see weāre having a moment?ā
Magpieshine smirked. āIt was a really sweet moment,ā she agreed.
Perchclaw fluffed out his fur in embarrassment. āYeah? So go!ā
āI came to tell you something important, dingus,ā Magpieshine said with amusement. āIām sure your snuggling can wait.ā
āItās not snuggling!ā Perchclaw stood hotly. āWhatās so important anyway?ā
At that, Magpieshineās eyes brightened. āDrizzlestare went into labor. Sheās having her kits!ā
āShe is?ā In an instant, all awkward frustrations evaporated, and Perchclaw shot out of the den, forgetting entirely about his own freezing bones. The rain was still pouring hard. āIn this weather? Where is she? Is she okay?ā
āI donāt know, mom sent me,ā Magpieshine told him, still amused, though more serious. āIām sure sheāll be fine, she has dad and Fleathistle with her, and her mates. But they wanted family near.ā
āMay this one attend the arrival of such precious lives?ā Vireosong asked, coming up to stand next to Perchclaw.Ā
āOf course!ā Magpieshine beamed.
āBut is she safe?ā Perchclaw repeated. āThis weather is no place for newborn kits, and Grand Dark Kits are still so new, we have no idea what problems they might have! Are they at least somewhere warm?ā
Magpieshine poked his shoulder with her nose. āPerfectly warm, worry-wart. Now, how about you stop asking how they are and come see for yourself?ā
Perchclaw was already racing off before she finished, stopping only to let his sister take the lead when he remembered that he had no idea where to go.
======================================
consider it a gift for all the school work youāre doing. Perchclaw, Magpieshine, and Vireosong all belong to them.
--Redpaw is either with her mentor or being looked after while her dads get some alone time. Someone is fetching her as well.
--Perchclaw is a concerned big brother. I said before that Iād be interested in more dynamic between theĀ āfirst litterā (Stone, Perch, and Magpie [not exactly a litter but itās easy to say]) and the younger ones. So, hereās a story!
--Yes, the longest part to write was Vireosongās paragraph. Can you figure out what heās saying? 00