The Games

by snowygrin

He curled his long tail around the tip of his nose, falsely reasurring himself that everything would be fine. But he knew it was pointless. When it came to the games, so he had heard, you were padding into a death trap. He had also heard, that if you do survive, you will not be the same. If you return, you are broken beyond repair.

10. Hope Regained

Chapter Nine

Shard yawned, mouth opened wide, and body sprawled comfortably on the sun-warmed ground. He blinked his eyes open slowly and, regathering his thoughts, watched the blurry world come back into focus. Leaves rustled gently, soothing Shard and harmonizing beautifully with warm sunshine which stroked the ground lovingly with its rays.

His whiskers twitched as he observed this welcoming scene, but his insides twisted uncomfortably as he saw that Snowwhisker wasn't there. He forced his ruffled fur down, telling himself she was fine, and was most likely sitting by the river as she did each morning. But the thought of her being alone in this place caused a long shudder to prickle down his spine, and he began padding quickly in her direction.

He relaxed visibly as he spotted Snowwhisker's sleek figure outlined by the rising sun. Shard padded to sit beside her, the river lapping a few tail-lengths away from their paws. She turned her head from the glossy surface of the water to greet Shard, a smile dancing in her eyes. He felt something stir inside him.

"You were worried about me." She observed, eyeing him. He nodded reluctantly,

"I can't help it, not in a place like this." He sighed, it was a dry, unhappy sound, a sound that seemed to suck all the life out of the beautiful place and turn it into one disgusting word: death.

Snowwhisker's white fur glowed in the early sunlight, she smiled sadly at Shard, tucking her long tail delicately around her paws. Shard rasped his dry tongue against his chest fur, not sure what to say. Snowwhisker meowed,

"I can take care of myself you know. I just had an unlucky start." She glanced knowingly at him. He looked up, meeting her eyes and not looking away. There was something about her, something Shard couldn't describe. A good something.

Shard forgot about the things around him, the blood, the death, the evil. He found a new determination rising inside of himself. He made a decision. He would protect her. No matter what the cost.

"I know." He meowed back.

They sat in silence, but the world sang around them, the birds whistling, the water churning, and the rays beaming. As they padded back to their makeshift camp, tails twined, a new feeling stirred inside them.

Hope.

Hope for survival.

Hope for life.

Hope for love.