"Er…" The timid voice came from a white, light gray and silver she-cat. Her eyes of amber darted across the ground nervously. Sometimes they saw her paws, or those of the tom whose gaze she deliberately avoided.
Mostly, they spotted places where the grass looked wilting while the rest of the ground was covered with a layer of fluffy snow. The she-cat had always loved snow, and somehow the cold brought with it. Now, the snow had stopped falling, yet a breeze stirred her long fur. She could not help but notice it blowing through the fluffy tom's, too.
"Dove?" The dark ginger and brown tom asked, head cocking to the right a bit. "Well? What is it?" Though his speech may seem impatient, his tone was relaxed. Was that a hint of worry she caught?
Dove glanced up at movement of his head, for a moment her eyes met his bright yellow ones. Despite the cold she felt her fur growing hot, and she quickly turned to face the right a bit. "I…" Dove swallowed as quietly as she could manage. Stop it! You must sound stupid, say it…
So deep in thought, the powerful ears that the group; Dove, her mother and father, the tom in front of her, and his mother relied on, did not hear the wolf's howl.
Several moons earlier…
Dove laid stomach to the ground, the dark ginger and brown tom crouched next to her. Both cats breathed heavily, having just finished a race to the yew tree sitting in front of their paws.
"Ha, I beat you." The tom said in a playful tone.
Dove's whiskers twitched, "Yeah, Oak," She giggled a bit. "go ahead and believe that."
It was sunset, the grass green and lush. Trees surrounded them, thin here. A few flowers or some foliage sprouted up here and there, the beautiful environment supplying no refreshing breeze as her flanks heaved.
Oak flicked her with his tail, "You're just jealous because I won." He tilted up his chin, a teasing feel to his voice.
The she-cat sighed, "O' great mighty Oak," Dove said, failing to conceal a bit of humor from her voice. "you have been beaten by a she-cat, deal with it." She jabbed him playfully with a paw.
"Hey." Oak protested, mock hurt in his voice. "No need for violence."
They uttered mrows of laughter for a bit, and then silence crept upon them. The sound of heavy breathing ebbed; they simply watched the sunset and darkening sky together. They even heard the hoot of an owl, making them both jump a bit. More laughter followed this.
Dove shifted around a pebble with her right forepaw, "Y'know… I, I really like you Oak." She said softly, only loud enough for Oak's ears.
His expression was happy, "I like you too."
MOUSE-BRAIN. Dove thought with an inward sigh. "So clueless." She muttered, not loud enough for anyone but herself to hear this time. Can't he tell what I mean? I like you more then like, clueless tom!
Dove was abruptly snapped from her memories when a snowflake landed between her ears, instantly melting to water. "Er, it's snowing." She said, hoping Oak would simply forget.
"I see." Oak nodded, a glint of amusement to his eyes. "Now, what were you saying before the snow?" He prodded deeper.
"Oh…" Dove hesitated even longer. Questions swirled around her head; What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if he feels like… like siblings? What if-
"Enough." She told herself, wiping 'what if' from her mind. She had feared rejection too long. Dove's claws dug into the wilting grass, and her mouth was slightly ajar. "I… I love you, Oak!" The she-cat cried, eyes squeezed shut.
But Oak didn't hear. Oak would never hear, because just as she said 'love', the faint wolf howl from before was heard again; much, much closer.
Dove's shut eyes flew open upon recognizing the sound. It triggered a memory; something hazy… she was only a kit then, that she knew, but the rest… a blur.
"Hurry!" A tom's voice yowled; she recognized the narrowed amber eyes of Shadow, his dark pelt. "Hurry, to the cave!" Her father ushered the two younger cats over to his mate, Cloud.
"Mother, what's happening?" Dove cried, eyes stricken with shock and worry. White pressed in on the edges of the ember depths.
Cloud looked more sad then worried, maybe she knew of this howling creature? "Please, Dove, just follow me." The emerald eyes were… regretful? Cloud ushered them into the cave, then bounded after Shadow who had recently disappeared into the leafless trees.
Ember, Oak's mother, then showed them to a shallow opening in the small cave. It was big enough for two cats.
"What's going on?" Oak pleaded to his mother. In response, the ginger she-cat muttered something inaudible to her son, Oak nodded slightly in response. When they had backed as far as possible into the opening, the roof brushing their backs as they crouched, Ember gave them a long stare. Her gray eyes showed a fretful expression, but an odd emotion had ebbed. …She saw hate, surely it was towards this howling creature and not her and Oak!
"Be safe." She murmured weakly, bounding off. Dove's gaze darted after her, and she saw it. Snarls and loud paw steps announced its arrival.
It had a canine build, the animal was far larger then cat. Its yellowing teeth were bared in a snarl, the howling creature's eyes a deep brown. It held a pelt full of grays and black, fluffy to protect it from the cold but ruffled with the falling snow.
It triggered a nightmarish memory, wolf, it was a wolf. Was it a nightmare? No, another hazy memory, but Dove dismissed it. She smelt blood.
The wolf had already splattered the crimson blood of cat, it was driving them into the cave; trying to trap its pray. Closer, closer, it was inevitable. The wolf, so powerful… it snapped at the cats with sharp, large teeth. It shook off the pitifully weak slashes from the cats, though blood welled along shallow cuts.
Dove shut her eyes. She heard the yelps of cats, the snarling of wolf. She pressed against Oak, shivering from fear though his warmth was a relief. His courage calmed her, Dove felt as though everything was alright. That didn't last long. Her eyes fluttered open when Cloud screeched, the wolf's jaws clamped around her neck, her blood splattering the snowy cave floor. Dove simply pressed into Oak harder, unable to shut her eyes, though why she knew not. Watching, watching, as the wolf played with the cats. She felt as though her heart would break. Everyone she loved except Oak, being killed, and if she lifted a paw she would suffer the same agonizing fate.
The wolf worked swiftly, but it felt like Dove had already been watching the gruesome scene for hours. Ember could barely stand. Shadow, pelt coated in crimson, wobbled dangerously. Cloud… Cloud lay in the snow, soaking it with blood.
Oak's sudden voice made her cringe, nearly jumping out of her fur; "I'm going to help." His voice was a flat and plain murmur, but his eyes held such hurt… such pain… did her own eyes reflect this?
It took Dove a few moments to absorb this, "What? No! No, no, no, you can't leave me. No!" She protested, heart sinking as he smiled sadly in response. "…Promise me you'll come back?" Dove spoke passionately, a pained voice with much sorrow, and it often cracked. Yet, she could not speak higher then a whisper from fear and shock. Dove pressed her muzzle into Oak's neck, savoring the moment she already realized would be their last.
As if to confirm it, "I can't do that." A single tear streamed down his cheek, and he smiled sadly. Dove didn't bother to identify the other emotions; she breathed in Oak's scent and tried to lock this embrace in her memory.
"I'm coming with you." Dove's voice surprised herself, it was firm.
Oak slowly shook his head, "Ember's dying wish was for me to take care of you, I will do what I can to fulfill it." With that, Oak shook Dove off and left the shallow opening. The wolf seemed to take a delighted expression, Oh, yes. I know you'll enjoy killing my beloved. Tears streamed from her eyes, she feared she wouldn't be able to close them. Yet, she was surprised as Oak veered right. He began pushing a rock in front of the opening, blocking Dove. The wolf watched curiously.
"What are you doing?" Dove cried with a surprising volume.
"Protecting you." Oak replied, his voice now emotionless, robotic.
The wolf prowled towards him.
"I thought you'd never leave me, don't you know how I feel?" Dove wailed, yet her volume dropped a bit. Before the rock completely blocked her from her family, a sad smile flashed across Oak's face before she was encased in darkness. Sadness overwhelmed the yellow depths… wait, had that been love in his eyes?
Oak yowled, charging at the wolf and quickly closing the last tail length.
"Y'know… I, I really love you, Oak." Dove whispered to herself. She listened, listened as Oak's yowl became a screech, and no doubt the wolf devoured everyone she loved.