Walking across the silent hill, Blaze rubbed her arms with her slender hands wearily. The black figure had haunted her dreams again, saying nothing, just gazing down at her pensively out of his bright red eyes.
But – for once – he wasn't the only one. As soon as that black face vanished, she saw that familiar grey and black striped face. But it didn't stop at his face, or just his torso. It was his whole and magnificent 6'2 body.
Sitting down on a small cluster of rocks, she leaned pensively on her knees, gazing down the wide valley, her tail flicking lightly back and forth as the breeze tussled with her long black mane, the morning light warming her body as the sun crept up over the horizon.
It had been around five weeks since they had taken up residence in the ruins, rebuilding them into a reasonably comfortable home for their little tribe and still, Little Dragon had been unable to face returning to the top of the tower.
And still, she and Grumbuskin had barely spoken since the day he had washed her face. A mute awkwardness fell on them whenever they got close to one another and they had resorted to sleeping as far from each other as was possible in the group. Both sides agreed – whenever neither of the duo were within hearing range – that the pair had to be in love. There was no other explanation.
"Talk to him." Little Dragon has whispered to her, the previous night, as they huddled together under the light of the moon.
"Shut up, kitten." She had hissed back, immediately regretted it. Now, sitting on the hillside in the light of a new day, she wished she could think of some way to make it up to the sweet little kitten.
A tear broke from the corner of her eye and trickled slowly down her dark cheek. He hadn't spoken to her for so long, she felt like her heart was being crushed in her chest. He couldn't have cared. He was playing with her.
Burying her face in her arms, she let the tears she had restrained for so long well up and sobbed softly against her folded arms.
*
"Where's Blaze gone?" Nudging Griddlebone gently, his voice was an urgent whisper. He had been woken by a jolt of mental pain that only came from her. He had been blocking her out so much because she had been blocking him and only now, when his guard was down, did he feel her as he had in those first days.
Raising her sleepy face, the Persian yawned, her sharp teeth as white as her fur. "She went for a walk…up the hill I think." Nestling back into McDuffs' firm back she sighed. "Try lookin' before ya wake me, next time."
Nodding, he ran out of the doorway, anxiety written on his face. The cliff was the place he should have thought of first. In the first days, they used sit up there all the time, but somehow they had drifted apart.
"Who am I trying to kid?" He growled to himself, as he propelled himself up the hill. "You love her. She might not love you, but dammit, you love her." That's why he hadn't been able to talk to her. He hadn't been able to face the fact she might turn him away. Reject him.
Coming over the top of the plateau, he paused to get his breath back, his eyes wandering over the hill top, spotting the familiar dark outline – so slim and shadow-like – crouched on a rock, barely visible.
"Blaze?"
Whipping around, she was on her feet in the blink of an eye, her claws out defensively. "What do you want?" She had been crying. He could hear it in her voice. "If you're coming to annoy me you can just leave now." Pointing back in the direction of the tower, she stamped her foot emphatically. "I…I just want to be alone."
"Blaze, please, hear me out." Taking several steps towards her, he could see she was fighting to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her again.
"Why?" Her voice rose slightly, taking on a hysterical edge. "Why do you keep on doing this? You ignored me for so long? Why now? Why?"
Shaking his head, he reached out to her. "Blaze, I'm so sorry if I hurt you…I'm sorry."
"You think that makes everything all better?" She choked, barely two paces away from him, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. " 'Oh, Blaze, I'm sorry.' Its not fair, Grum! Its not!"
Taking the final step he reached down and took her paw in his. "Look, Blaze, we were both as bad as each other, weren't we? We were stupid. Why can't we forget it happened and go back to the way we were in the first few days?"
Gazing down at their joined paws, Blaze raised her violet eyes to his golden ones slowly, her stomach flipping. "We can't ever be the same as we were in the first few days." She whispered tersely, her eyes filling with tears. Throwing her arms around his neck, she buried her face into his thick silvery mane.
Holding her close, unwilling to release her now, or ever again, he buried his face in the curve of her neck and shoulder inhaling her sweet scent, pulling her closer against him. Her hands pushed his face closer and he felt a tremor of desire run through him.
Unable to resist, he tentatively touched his lips to her neck, tenderly kissing his way to her lips, his paws resting on her smooth rump. Kissing along her jaw, he heard her moan softly and drew back to stare into her beautiful eyes.
"I have a confession." He whispered, one gentle paw caressing her cheek.
Nodding her own admission, she started to speak, but he gently touched a fingertip to her soft lips and shook his head.
"I know." He murmured, as his lips descended on hers finally, claiming her as his own. To at last be able to surrender to his embrace, Blaze felt like weeping with joy.
*
"Have you seen Grum this morning?" McDuff softly asked Griddlebone, careful not to wake the two kittens that snuggled on either side of her.
Nodding up at her lover's gentle face, she smiled tiredly. "He was looking for Blaze this morning…" They exchanged hopeful looks. There had been a lot of tension because of the duo's awkwardness. "Maybe they're together…"
"You talking about us?" The two peeked around the doorway, Cheshire cat grins on both their faces.
"Well, lookie you!" Griddlebone couldn't help but exclaim, looking from one contented face to the other. "Whoda thunk you'd actually have been talking to each other again?"
"Talking?" Grumbuskin grinned wickedly, his arm sliding around Blaze's waist, his lips ruffling the fur on her shoulder. "Who said we'd been talking?"
"Oh great!" Rolling his eyes, McDuff shook his head in mock-despair. "Just what we need. Two love-struck kitties. Isn't it terrible, Grid?"
Glancing passed the tall tom, at Genghis, the white queen nodded with a sad little smile. "Yeah," She replied softly, stroking Bill Bailey's back absently. "Being in love…Its really terrible."
Although she and McDuff were mated, there still wasn't that special flame that she had felt for the Siamese tom in the first few days. She was happy now, but she had felt something for Genghis that was more than just desire.
Paw-in-paw, the new lovers took a place beside the fire burning in the small fireplace they had built in the wall. Leaning back against the wall, Blaze slid between Grumbuskin's thighs, nestling her head against his sweat-matted chest.
"Grid?" Her eyes half-closed, she directed her question absently at the white queen. "Do you think we'll have a babies or a kittens?"
"You can't be pregnant already." Genghis laughed from the other side of the room, where he sat – carving a spear from a flint – his small pile of weapons increasing by the day. "I mean, you just stopped fighting today."
"Yes." She murmured quietly, closing her eyes, one paw straying to her stomach. "I couldn't be pregnant yet." Grumbuskin smiled, kissing the top of her head, his paw settling over hers. "Could I, love?"
"I wouldn't bet on it." The tom purred in her ear, their original mental connection once again reopened. I'm always right about these things, you know.
Giggling against his chest, she shook her head with a laugh. Don't be daft!
"What are you two laughing at?" Genghis looked at the pair curiously from tying a flint spearhead to a long cane.
"Nothing." Grinned Blaze, biting her lip, trying to ignore the cheeky sendings that Grumbuskin was presenting to her.
"Enough messing about, you two." McDuff cautioned, noticing the pained expression on Griddlebone's face. "Today is the hunt day." Pointing at the chunks of dried meat strung along the wall, he turned to them. "We're running low, so it's your turn, Grumbuskin and Genghis."
Reluctantly standing up, the silver-grey tom easily caught the spear that his brother-in-law tossed to him. "I'll be back for you later." He murmured deeply, bending to kiss his mate once more.
*
"What's the deal?" Creeping through the undergrowth, Grumbuskin glanced at Genghis. He and the Siamese had become good friends on their frequent hunts together.
"What do you mean?" He asked softly, raising a silvery eyebrow. "I'm in love with her. What's wrong with that?"
Genghis grinned. "That's not what I meant!" Nudging the tom, he grinned cheekily. "Ya know…how does it work now that we're…well…cats?" Still infatuated with Griddlebone, he hadn't been able to find the nerve to ask her lover how it felt to mate with the queen he adored.
"You'll find out soon enough." Grumbuskin winked back at the Siamese tom, before melting into the bush with the stealth of a tiger.
"I hope so." The tom murmured, smoothing the creamy fur on his forehead down, his ears flattening against his skull as he took up the attack position and crept after the shadowy silver-grey tom.
*
Braiding long stems of grass, Little Dragon looked up as Blaze approached, her ears flattening against her creamy skull.
"I just wanted to say sorry, kitt." Kneeling down beside the kitten, Blaze twisted her black paws together guiltily. "I was upset last night…I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"I told you to talk to him. You did and now you're happy, aren't you?" Handing the older queen a bunch of the grasses, she showed her how to braid them as they talked.
"I am happy now." Blaze acknowledged sheepishly. Feeling the kitten's gaze on her, she looked up from braiding the grasses. "Is there anything you need or want to know? I mean about anything, kitten?"
Hesitantly, the kitten shrugged her shoulders, rubbing her face nervously, finally drawing the courage to ask. "I was just wondering about the big black thing I saw that day in the tower that day…"
"What about him?" A flood of relief washed over the black queen. At last the kitten would listen and perhaps accept her duty.
"If I talk to him…listen to him…do what he says…" She paused as if mentally weighing the question. "He won't hurt me will he?"
"Of course not!" Hugging the small queen, she chucked her chin reassuringly. "He just needs someone to talk through. I may be able to eventually, but he chose to appear to you…you can go back any time you want at all."
"He won't be angry that I took so long?"
Shaking her head, Blaze smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure he won't mind at all. Just talk to him and learn about who we all are." Squeezing the little queen's paws, she reassuringly murmured. "I'm sure you'll find out just how important you are to him."
Standing up, the Siamese queen brushed some strays tufts grass off her smooth fur with a slim brown paw. "I'll go now and see him." She said firmly, a new confidence and resolution in her silky voice. "Thanks Blaze."
"No problem, kit." Sighing, Blaze lay back in the grass, still braiding the bundles and twisting them into small baskets. As the Siamese made her way towards the tower, the black cat whispered to herself. "Maybe we'll get somewhere now. Just maybe."