Hello my lovely readers! You may not know but this is a pretty important day for me in terms of FFN, it marks the one year anniversary of my account here. This has been such a big part of my life for quite some time and I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped make this the special, wonderful place it is.
The forest was alive with the sounds of night, a chill wind played through the almost bare treetops, sending a few stubborn leaves twirling to the ground. Somewhere in the distance an owl screeched and from another part of the forest an answering call rose, sharp and ethereal in the empty night.
A lone pale brown she cat sat by the camp entrance, silent and still as a statue, a motionless sentinel guarding her clanmates as they dreamed in their dens. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on the shadowed forest, the dark spaces beneath the trees where no light seemed to touch. She shivered as the frosty air seeped through her thick pelt and into her bones, leaving her with the sensation that she'd never be warm again.
A rustling reached Featherfall's listening ears and she turned her head swiftly, only to find the source of the noise to be a single withered leaf coming to rest in a dappled patch of moonlight. Her tense muscles relaxed and she settled back into her place, wrapping her fluffy tail closer around her white paws.
She sat there for an unknowable amount of time, tracked only by her own heartbeat, with her blue gaze turned to the glimmering stars above her. Shining so far away in the great black expanse of the sky that arched over her, making her feel very small and very alone.
She shivered again, not only from the bitter cold this time, and lowered her eyes to the forest around her. The familiar trees and undergrowth were strange in the darkness and the branches seemed to scrape the sky like dark talons. Despite being only foxlengths from her camp and clanmates a heavy feeling of isolation settled into her heart.
She got to her paws, her cold-stiffened limbs complaining as they stretched, with the idea of moving to warm her up. She began to pace back and forth in front of the entrance, each step a challenge for her numb paws. In a last ditch attempt to get her blood moving she gave small bound, pouncing on a leaf and shredding it with palely glistening claws.
She stepped back, an overwhelming feeling of sorrow filling her as she looked down at the scraps of leaf at her paws. With a trembling touch she gently nudged the pieces closer together, as though they'd magically become whole again.
Biting her lip the young warrior blinked rapidly, trying to stave of the tears she could feel rising behind her eyes. She returned to her post, shifting on the cold ground and letting out a long sigh, watching her breath form a pale cloud then dissipate into nothingness.
A crunch of leaves from behind her made Featherfall turn and she found herself looking into the green eyes of Clovershine. The pale grey tabby offered her a soft smile, "I couldn't sleep and thought you might be lonely." She explained, sitting down next to Featherfall.
"You couldn't sleep? What about us?" A familiar grumpy voice sounded from the camp and Frostflower poked her head around the barrier followed by Foxfire.
Featherfall laughed, shifting over so Frostflower and Foxfire could sit with them. "I don't think any of you can complain, I've been out here all night and I'm frozen!" She scolded, unable to keep the purr from her voice.
"I think Mistywing might be coming, I stepped on her tail when we were leaving." Foxfur added, making a face that was half apologetic and half amused.
"Yup, here she is." Clovershine confirmed, her whiskers twitching with amusement as she pulled her head back from the entrance.
Sure enough Mistywing padded through the entrance, "Hey, I heard we were having a party over here, mind if I join?" She asked with a wry smile.
"Naw, there's room for everyone!" Foxfire grinned, "Everyone squish closer so we can share body heat!"
Featherfall looked up at the sky as her friends snuggled closer and saw the first delicate flakes of snow swirling down from the darkness. As they spun down to earth the soft chatter and sounds of laughter from the five she cats rose to meet them, warding off the chill of the night.
This is especially for some very, very wonderful people who have made my life so much better, so thank you from the depths of my heart and here's to another incredible year!
~ Feathers