Greetings! As you all may know, I'm currently working on Jaws of Defeat (along with many others to come). However, seeing as I have slight writer's block at the moment, expect it to be updated occasionally. To make up for that, I'll be posting random oneshots to try and give out new reading material, whilst trying to compete against this minor block.
Hopefully, you enjoy! And please, I'd love to have some sentence prompts to suggest me. Those really help me along with the story! And remember, you're always welcome to give me constructive criticism on all my stories. There's only one way for me to become better, isn't there?
Without further ado, let us get this started!
| The Past Echos in Firelight |
Holly flicked a glance in his direction, and her serious expression immediately grew into the smirk that Dark was so used to seeing. She looked back at the fire, nodding at the flickering amber flames. He followed her gaze, mesmerized by the sight. How could a cat ever have such control over a thing that always seemed so feral? Even the mightiest of cats in the past had never been able to tame such a wild beast of heat and hunger.
"'Surprised that yer not tired, kid," She chuckled, flicking a torn ear, "Several moons ago, you'd try to nap whenever ya had the chance."
Dark flattened his ears a bit, gritting his teeth, "I guess I've just adapted," He shrugged, watching the flames dance in an almost hypnotic way. "Back when I was in my Clan, we had to work every day. We had little chances to sleep."
She grew quiet at that statement, and he heard her let out a heavy exhale. Confused, the dark gray tabby cast a glance toward her, afraid that he'd hit a nerve. Despite the molly's usually feisty behavior, she did have her out-of-character moments. Her emerald gaze locked onto the flames, her expression was twisted into a bitter sadness. Almost...a longing.
A bitter smile flicked on her lips, though it wasn't as sincere as before. "You know, kid. Havin' company is better than being alone." She murmured. "Don't ya ever miss yer family? Yer silly Clan?"
The gray tabby frowned, admittedly disturbed by this new mood of her's. "O-of course I do." He stammered, finding this new topic touchy. He dropped his gaze to his paws. "B-but you know I have to do this."
"Yeah, yeah, kid. I know." She mused, breathing out a light laugh. "It's just...I'm glad that we have each other. As company, as friends." Her smile fell a bit. "When I was out here, all alone, it hurt a lot. It hurt to know that I was somewhere where my family wasn't."
"I, uh, just want ya to know that I'm here to be yer support if you ever miss 'em. I know it can be hard."
Curiosity flickered through the apprentice, and he cocked his head. "You..had a family? Like mine?" Immediate excitement jolted through him. "Did you live in a Clan, like me?"
She let out a more hearty chuckle, shaking her head. "Not quite, kiddo. Nah, I lived in what 'we' called a Tribe." Her one untouched eye flicked to the sky momentarily. "My actual name's 'Holly that grows among the rocks'."
Dark blinked. That was definitely a weird name. He was about to ask her where exactly this tribe was located, but caught himself. Pushing her probably wasn't the best idea. Even though she had his complete trust, he still wasn't sure of her capabilities. Instead, he asked quietly, "...What was your Tribe's name?"
She fixated him with a look that he couldn't quite place. Though, among those mixed emotions he could detect a pain. When she spoke, however, her voice didn't waver. The only thing that gave away her unease was her bright emerald eye that glinted and reflected the flames. "If I tell ya, you promise to tell me?" She smirked lightly. It still wasn't genuine enough to reassure Dark.
He nodded. Her smile dropped a bit, but it still held that sort of bitter happiness and pain. "'The Tribe of Twisting Tunnels'." She chuckled softly, flicking her gaze back to the buildings silhouetted in the distance. The firelight made her scarred features more prominent, making her appear far more intimidating. But Dark wasn't bothered. He had been with this molly long enough to know that she was a cat who never deceived or attacked someone without reason, however threatening she may seem. And even though he'd never tell her, the kitten truly did look up to her as a role model.
The silence told the tabby kitten that it was his turn to share. He suddenly found it difficult to speak as a torrent of memories crashed upon him all at once without a hint of a warning. "U-uhm.." He inhaled, before drawing out his breath slowly. His mother's face appeared in his mind, smiling...happy. The last time he saw her, she was sobbing over the broken and mangled corpse of her brother. He fought back the lump in his throat, letting out another shaky sigh, "T-the...the 'Clan of Towering Redwoods'."
Holly cocked her head slightly. "Tree climbers, were ya?"
Dark found it odd that she caught on so quickly. But, then again, the name was kind of...uncreative and self-explanatory. "Y-yeah." He murmured. He took a glance to her. "Did you...happen to dig tunnels?"
Her chuckle was a whole lot warmer than last time. She seemed genuinely amused by this observation, and in turn it made him smile slightly. He decided that he liked it when she was happy. It fit her far better than any other emotion. For some reason, this triggered another memory of his mother. He bit his tongue, his smile falling. But Holly didn't seem to notice as she cackled. "Close, kiddo. We kind of just lived in caves and tunnels made by Mother Nature herself."
He forced himself back into reality, mentally scolding himself. Stop it. You need to be strong. Remember what you're here for. He nodded again, faking a grin. She still didn't look, instead gazing warmly at the lashing tongues of the fire. He tried to distract himself with more questions, hoping that they wouldn't lead to more things of the past. He had to forget about the past. "Did it ever get scary?"
"How do ya figure?"
"Like.." He tried to find his words. Admittedly, he was never very good at forming his sentences correctly. "Did the dark ever scare you? O-or did scary animals ever get in?"
"Nah. Ya get used it." She shook her head. Her demeanor seemed to change a bit. Did she notice his change in mood? Panic swelled within him, but he tried not to reveal it. "The few animals that got in rarely ever stuck around, ya know? We tunnel dwellers were feisty beasts. Definitely not to be reckoned with."
Were? Once again, he held his tongue. It was rude to ask so many touchy questions. "Oh.." He laughed nervously, shuffling his paws a bit beneath his chest. "That sounds scary. I wouldn't have made a good member.." He sheepishly smiled at her. She finally met his gaze, winking in a reassurement. Dark was unsure as to what she was reassuring him about, and silently begged that she still hadn't caught on. He didn't want her to worry. He didn't want her to know.
"I'm sure ya would have been just fine, kiddo. All it takes is havin' to live in those situations."
He looked back at the fire, the sight soothing him a bit. But not much. That homesickness began to come back in a heavy wave he hadn't been expecting. This hadn't happened since the first few moons he'd left. Why was it happening now, of all times?! He bit back a whimper and curled in on himself. He suddenly yearned for familiar contact. He wanted to be home. He wanted his mother and father. He wanted to see everyone happy again. He clamped his eyes shut, shuddering out a breath.
He stiffened when he felt a larger, warmer body press up against his side. His eyes flew open, and he sneaked a glance to the owner of the figure. Holly's dark brown fur had blended into his own, but she wasn't looking down at him. In fact, she had her eyes closed, features illuminated with bright ambers, oranges, and reds cast from the flames. He felt her flanks rise and fall against his, and instinctively he allowed himself to breathe in the exact same pattern. He felt himself calm, and he promptly shut his eyes once more. He didn't question her sudden act of reassurance. He was just happy that it reminded him of when he was a much younger kit, pressed against his mother's stomach, enveloped in a soothing warmth.
He briefly felt the sensation of a large tail curl around his body before he slipped into a heavy, much-needed slumber. He nuzzled into her forelimb, trilling out a final purr before the darkness completely took him.
Holly opened her eyes, gazing down at his sleeping form. She let out a light sigh, shaking her head. Usually she didn't let herself do that. But, usually she wasn't acquainted with a kitten. She wasn't really a mothering cat, either, so doing such an action was even stranger to her. She was just satisfied that it had calmed the obviously panicking kitten down.
"Ya still have a long way to go, kiddo.." She murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Promise me you'll hang in there, just like ya promised yer Clan.."
