You'll Come Back: A One-Shot

Owlstripe lay at the entrance to the nursery, her amber eyes wide with concern and fear. Her two kits, Silverkit and Patchkit begged for her to tell them what was wrong, but she refused to. She didn't have the heart to tell them that their father might not come back from the war.

Their father…. Owlstripe's mind drifted to the handsome silver tom that had grown to be her forever love. She remembered what Riverpelt had said before he had left the Clan with his fellow warriors to join the effort to stop Robin's rage from hurting the territories. "I promise you, Owlstripe," he had whispered into her ear adoringly. "I'll be back before you know it." She had looked into his mesmerizing gaze. "You'll come back?" she whispered back. Riverpelt nodded then set out of camp.

It had been several weeks since he had left and Owlstripe spent every minute of those weeks worrying for him. She glanced at the setting sun and again felt the now familiar stab of pain in her chest where her heart was aching for her mate to come back. "Come in, kits," she said, her voice hollow and blank. "Time to go to sleep."

The next morning, Owlstripe awoke to the sound of loud shouts from outside the nursery. She stood up and stretched, blinking as the dawn light streamed into the den. She stepped outside and was sure today was looking to a hopeful start when her heart literally cracked to pieces.

The first troop that had left for the war was covered with both major and minor wounds. So was the second and the third. Then finally, the fourth troop came, hauling a silver-furred body she recognized immediately. That was when her heart broke. It was Riverpelt, his handsome pelt pitted with deep claw-marks and huge teeth-marks on his neck. Blood scabbed on the crusty wounds and flies encircled him, but Owlstripe didn't care. She buried her nose in his cold fur, hoping to find a pulse and see that he was alive, that he could raise their kits together. But there was no life left in the warrior.

Tears surged forth from her eyes like there was no tomorrow. Owlstripe lifted her head and howled in pain and grief. She grieved for hours until she was finally pulled back into the nursery to her kits. She sobbed next to them. For days on end, she didn't eat or sleep, just cried. She refused for Riverpelt's body to be taken away. Finally, she paused from crying to clear her mind.

His last words were that he'd come back, she thought. You didn't keep that promise, did you? Riverpelt, if you can hear me, please apologize for what you've done to me…. Then she voiced her thoughts. "Your promise has been broken, Riverpelt," she cried out, her voice like broken glass. You'll come back? Then Owlstripe dropped into an endless slumber.

Inspired by The Call by Regina Spektor