Mist That Shrouds The Sun

A thin wail was all that broke the silence of the cold, clouded night, followed by a weary hushing. The plaintative cry had woken Mist yet again from sleep, and instantly an anxiety had pricked through her pelt, before she forced herself to relax as she saw the little kit was fine. Jaws stretching in a yawn, she allowed her tail to sweep the wandering kit closer, guiding it blindly to her belly. The little snowy bundle had yet to open its eyes and ears, yet it still released a contented murmur as it began to nurse, resulting in a sigh of relief from its mother. Relaxing, she settled her head back on her paws and closed her eyes, willing herself a few more moments of sleep before he arrived.

However, it would seem trudging pawsteps had other ideas, and her eyes blinked open once more as she stiffened.

Before long, a scent floated forth in accompaniment, and she relaxed once more, relief glimmering in her golden gaze as she sat up. This time she tuned out the complaintative squeak from her kit and simply drew it closer, using her tail to trap it against her warmth so it wouldn’t wander. A yip drew the pawsteps weaving in the right direction, and soon, a grey-brown head poked through the entrance to the small burrow. The hardness in his gaze had not been what she’d expected, but she put it down to worry. He always had been one to fret. This time she couldn’t blame him.

“A she-kit,” she murmured proudly, raising a forepaw to reveal the tiny kit. It shrunk back against her now, likely confused by the unfamiliar scent when all she’d ever know since her birth was her mother. Mist had been terribly afraid when Shadow hadn’t been there to help her birth the kits, and her gaze shadowed as it drifted toward the tiny mound of fur nearby, still and lifeless. “I-I couldn’t....I...he didn’t make it,” she admitted faintly. Birthing alone in Leafbare...she wasn’t surprised one had died, she was pleased enough that any had lived at all. Still, her heart seemed to break in two at every glance she cast him. She’d been too exhausted to bury the stillborn kit.

In silence, her mentor took the kit, and she knew he would go and bury it. She waited, and with time, he returned. “I have been thinking.” Shadow admitted immediately as he entered once more, and Mist felt herself tense. Warily, her forepaws shuffled. That tone had been what had led to her leaving her clan before they knew she was pregnant, and birthing her kits in the snow. She didn’t want to know what would come next. “You cannot keep this kit.”

Immediately, Mist flinched so harshly that her kit squeaked in protest, but she ignored the noise as she flattened her ears, hurt and betrayal shining in her wide golden eyes amongst swirling disbelief. Her stomach seemed to plummet, and she could feel her mind whirling and spinning. “No, I have to keep her! She’s my kit!” she pleaded helplessly, drawing the small bundle closer still as she fixed a lame, desperate glare on the old reynard. “I-I could lie! I could say I found her!”

Immediately the male got to his paws and paced a few steps with a disbelieving snort. “Lie! To your clanmates? To your mate? You are still so naive Mist.” He rounded on her, and she whined slightly at the way his lips peeled back to reveal yellowed teeth in a snarl. “No one would believe you! And who would feed her?”

Immediately, Mist straightened, incredulous as she raised her chin. “I would!” she snapped. His only response was a growl, and she shrunk back again, realising how idiotic her proclamation was. If the clan knew the kit was her’s, then her disappearance would be even more suspicious and imply the truth, if they took the kit back and pretended it was found, they’d have to cut her milk supply. Fieldclan had no nursing queens. The kit would die without milk, and that would break Mist’s heart all the more.

Still, she released another pitiful whine, desperately drawing the kit closer. “I don’t care,” she murmured weakly. “She’s my kit. I can’t abandon her!”

“You’re not abandoning her. You’re giving her the best chance you can. Would you rather leave with her? Where would you go, Mist? How would you keep her alive? She wouldn’t last more than a day out there, and you couldn’t protect her and hunt at the same time.” His voice had softened now, but as she opened her mouth to argue, his gaze sliced to her’s with a fierce irritation. “This is not up for debate.”

Defeated, Mist bowed her head, touching her nose sadly to the small kit. It had been terrified of the raised voices, but now it was relaxing slightly as their tones softened and it felt its mother’s warmth enveloping it. Mist’s eyes were round with hopelessness and grief. The one kit who’d survived she had no choice but to lose as well. “Where will you take her?” she asked weakly, her eyes fixed solely on the tiny kit, as though imprinting the image of it in her mid would keep it by her side forever.

“Nowhere,” Shadow responded, continuing before she could respond to the furious confusion his words swarmed within her, or hope he had changed his mind. “You will be taking it to it’s father - don’t think I don’t know who he is, because we both know I do. Lakeclan announced a new litter at the last gathering not long ago, I’m sure that nursing queen could care for your kit.”

“Swan...” she murmured faintly as she rose numbly to her paws. “Her name is Swan.”

Tag: None
Notes: This is a past thread, just a little solo thing for me to write and anyone to read, in order to detail part of my characters pasts. Their names and ranks in my posts will reflect who/what they were at the time of said scene, rather than what they currently are now (hence Mist’s rank of tyro above). This post is for Mist, but I may do some scenes below with other characters.