Hey There (Delilah)

Challenge for Fireclan

Delilah balanced gracefully on the fence that encircled her yard and kept the wild forest at bay. She shivered slightly as she gazed into the trees, the stories she'd heard about the forest and, more importantly, the forest's inhabitants.

"Hey Delilah!" A voice called from her left.

Turning her head the orange tabby she cat waved her tail in greeting before lightly running along the fence to where her friend Socks was sitting.

"Hi! Whatcha' doing?" Delilah asked cheerfully, taking a seat beside the fluffy tortoiseshell.

"Eh not much, just hanging out." Socks purred, turning her head so a shiny disc around her neck gleamed in the light.

"You got a new collar!" Delilah exclaimed, admiring the blue leather with its gold tag. "It's lovely!"

"I know, my owner bought it for me today!" Socks purred, lifting a black paw to touch her new accessory.

"I wish I had a collar that nice, mine's getting really old." Delilah sighed enviously, pawing at her own somewhat shabby collar.

"I'm sure your owner will get you a new one soon, you are kind of overdue for one." Socks said, casting a critical eye across the worn pink nylon band.

"Yeah, I know." Delilah agreed, looking even more downcast.

"How about we play dares?" Socks suggested, wincing as Delilah's ears perked up and a grin spread across the tabby's white muzzle.

"Can I go first?" She asked slyly, she knew full well that Socks hated dares; but she'd suggested it; it was her fault.

"Fine, go on." Socks grumbled her face a mask of unwilling resignation; she'd been hoping Delilah would say no, she should have known better.

"I dare you to go into the forest!" Delilah announced triumphantly, the forest was a mysterious entity and most of the neighborhood cats feared it.

"You want me to go in there?" Socks asked, looking from her friend, who was sporting a smug smile, to the dark, foreboding forest.

"Yep!" Delilah sing-songed, her smug grin widening at Sock's expression or horror and shock.

"Fine." Socks jumped off the fence and, looking around for any sign of danger, darted forward until she was in the shade of the trees before racing back to the fence, Delilah, and the safe world of her neighborhood. "There, I did it, happy?"

"Come on! You didn't even go in!" Delilah said, glaring at the spooked tortoiseshell.

"Fine, I'd like to see you go further than I did!" Socks challenged angrily.

"Alright, I will! I'll go into the forest and show you how much of a coward you are!" Delilah said and, before she could regret her decision, she leaped off the fence and sauntered into the woods.

She came to the spot where Socks had turned back and continued on, passing through a bush and deeper into the gloom of the trees. She looked back to see if Socks was still watching her and found she couldn't see her fence at all, she was completely surrounded by vegetation and shadows.

A rustling sound caught her attention and she took a hesitant step forward, "Hello? Is anyone there?" She called hopefully.

"What are you doing in our territory?" A voice growled.

Delilah shrank back as the bushes in front of her rustled again and a cat stepped through them. He was a powerfully built grey tom with fiery amber eyes and very sharp looking claws.

"I-I didn't know this was your territory." She squeaked, stepping back as the tom advanced menacingly. "I didn't mean any harm, I promise!"

"I don't care, trespassers should be punished." He hissed; bearing his teeth and taking another step forward.

"Please don't hurt me, I'll leave, just don't hurt me!" Delilah begged, she took another step back and found herself up against a tree trunk.

"'Don't hurt me! Please!"' The tom mimicked in a falsetto voice, Delilah winced and gave a yelp of pain as he grabbed her by the scruff.

Delilah was surprised to feel the grip on her fur loosen and she looked up to find that the tom didn't look angry anymore. His gaze had softened to one of apologetic kindness; he carefully released her and then leaned in close to her.

"I want you to run up that tree and act like I'm chasing you, okay?" He said, his amber eyes begging her to understand.

She nodded mutely then cried out again before racing up the tree trunk with the tom on her heels.

"Sorry about that," he said breathlessly. "My clan doesn't take to kindly to strangers, I didn't mean to scare you but my mentor was watching."

"It's alright, I'm just a bit shaken." Delilah said, she would have said more but a loud voice sounded from the clearing below.

"Stormpaw! Hurry up and get that kittypet out of here before I do it for you!"

"Don't worry I've got her now, pesky thing ran up a tree." The tom, Stormpaw, called back; turning to Delilah he whispered, "I'm going to pretend to knock you out of the tree, when I say so you have to jump then run as fast as you can."

"Okay." Delilah said softly, she readied herself to jump then turned and touched her nose to Stormpaw's. "Goodbye." She whispered.

"Goodbye." Stormpaw whispered back, then with a loud hiss he yelled, "get out of here kittypet scum!"

Delilah leaped out of the tree and hit the ground running, she didn't stop until she was back in her garden with the fence between herself and the forest.

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Delilah looked nervously around as she stood, poised to flee, at the base of a tree. She shifted uneasily from paw to paw and jumped as something rustled in the bushes, her fur fluffed up then flattened down again when she realized who had arrived.

"Stormfire!" She purred, running up to meet the gray tom and rubbing her cheek against his.

"Hello Delilah, I've missed you." He purred back, his amber eyes shining with love as he regarded the ginger tabby. "You're looking lovely as always."

"You old flatterer!" She laughed, lightly cuffing him over the ear.

"You're welcome." He grinned, "how are the kits?" He asked, his look changing to one of concern.

"They're fine, you need to stop worrying." She teased, "Socks is letting me stay in her garden now and she brings me a little of her food."

"I know but I can't help it, especially when they're so close to being born." Stormfire admitted, twining his tail with his mate's.

"It'll be fine, I'm in good paws, what about you?" She asked, now it was her turn to frown with worry.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his eyes darting around and a nervous wobble making its way into his voice.

"You risk your life all the time, don't think I don't know about the battles you fight, I can see the wounds no matter how hard you try to hide them." She accused, her blue gaze boring into her mate's guilty countenance. "You have another battle coming up, don't you?" She asked, her forehead creasing along the dark ginger markings.

"Well, yes but I'll be fine, you don't have to worry!" He said, shuffling his paws and looking away from his mate.

"When?" She asked simply.

"Tonight, I wanted to say goodbye, in case I... In case I get hurt and we can't see each other for a while." He finished, the true meaning of his words hanging in the air between them, unsaid and unacknowledged, yet ever-present.

"I won't be able to stop you from fighting, will I?" Delilah asked, Stormfire nodded sadly, "just be careful, please, for me and for our kits."

"I will, I'll come back for you, I promise." He said, looking nervously at the sun, which was beginning to set.

Delilah seemed to understand, "I get the hint, go on, you have a battle to fight." She laughed, touching her nose to his, turning to leave.

"Wait," He called, she turned back, a look of confusion crossing her pretty face, "I, I love you Delilah!" He said, his eyes shining with conviction.

"I love you too." She whispered back, almost too quietly for him to hear, her face softened for a heartbeat as they stood, locked in a perfect golden moment.

"You should go." Delilah urged her mate; he cast a last look back at her before running off into the bushes again.

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"Come on Delilah, just push, you'll be fine." Socks said, licking her friend's ears in an attempt to comfort the pained she cat. Turning to the other she cat the tortoiseshell whispered, "Nymsy, is everything okay?"

"I think she'll be alright but it's hard to tell right now." The grey tabby whispered back, her face creased by a frown of concentration.

"I think the first one's coming. Delilah, on the next contraction I want you to push as hard as you can." Nymsy called, resting one paw on Delilah's striped flank.

[Insert Line Break Here]

In the same moment, Stormfire's eyes blinked closed for the final time, plunging him into darkness. As he slipped into oblivion the grey warrior, called out, a single name.

"Delilah!"

[Insert Line Break Here]

"What will you name him?" Socks asked; looking down at the tiny dark grey tom nestled at Delilah's belly.

The ginger she cat purred, looking down at her son with fond eyes. "I think I'll name him Storm, after his father.