Post by nightstorm on Mar 17, 2010 19:27:16 GMT -6
“You used me…” The tom’s voice held a hint of anger, overwhelmed by the searing pain and betrayal he felt. “You used me to get Reedwhisker’s attention…”
Nightshade shook her head. “No,” she pleaded. “I didn’t…Dreamfur, I love you…Maybe that’s how it started out, but I love you, Dreamfur. I always have…”
Dreamfur hung his head. “If you love me,” he said in a pain-filled voice, “Then why can’t I claim the kits as mine? Why let Reedwhisker believe that they’re his?”
Nightshade sighed, and looked down at her paws. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. “Because…” she said softly. “He wouldn’t understand…not like you can, Dreamfur…” She looked up, her eyes clouded.
The tom snorted bitterly. “So, because I’m the stronger one, I get left out, while you and Reedwhisker live your happy life?”
Nightshade shook her head again, more forcefully this time. “No! I wouldn’t, couldn’t leave you out. Did you not hear what I just said? I love you! How could I just leave you out?”
Dreamfur met her gaze evenly. “Then tell him.”
The black she-cat bowed her head sadly. “I can’t…it’s too hard…”
“Tell him. I’m sick of these lies, Nightshade. I cannot live this lie much longer…If you can’t tell him, then I can.”
“No…I-I’ll tell him. He needs to hear it from me…I’ll tell him soon…”
Soon. She would tell him soon, she said. Dreamfur pawed at the ground resentfully. She hadn’t told Reedwhisker the truth yet, and probably wouldn’t, until after she had given birth. The orange furred tom sighed. He still loved Nightshade, more than she probably thought, but the lie that he was forced to live made Dreamfur more than irritable. Still, as time went on, and Nightshade’s belly swelled with the kits within, he had learned to cope. In fact, he had hidden his secret well, if he said so himself.
“Wake up! They’re coming, they’re coming! Oh wait..they’ve already arrived! But anyway…wake up!”
Dreamfur’s eyes snapped open, and he raised his head to see Heronstripe prodding Reedwhisker with one sheathed paw. The warrior’s eyes were excited.
“You mousebrain!” Reedwhisker growled, looking bewildered and groggy from the rude awakening.. “Who’s coming?! Who came?” Heronstripe prodded his younger sibling’s side, this time with claws unsheathed.
“Ouch!”
“Your kits, silly! Nightshade’s having your kits! Well, she’s had them already. You took so long to wake up that you missed the whole thing.”
As Reedwhisker jumped up and bolted out of the den at Heronstripe’s words, his fur disheveled, Dreamfur hissed quietly to himself in anger. “You won’t be laughing for long, you know,” he said cryptically as Heronstripe chuckled. He lay his head down again and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.
He couldn’t sleep, however. His thoughts were too disorganized to do so. He was going to tell him. He was going to tell Reedwhisker the truth, the horrible truth. The truth that should have been told long ago. He wouldn’t, couldn’t live this lie any more.
With another sigh – he noted that he’d been doing that a lot lately – Dreamfur stood, and shook himself. He padded out of the den. Whether he could claim his position as the father of Nightshade’s kits or not, he at least wanted to see them. He wanted to see his kits.
“I…I have to go!”
Reedwhisker’s choked voice rang out from the nursery, and Dreamfur paused, confused. Had Nightshade kept her promise, and told him? His thoughts were interrupted as Reedwhisker pushed out of the nursery, running towards the forest beyond.
“Watch my kits.” Dappleheart’s mew reached his ears, and when the young queen appeared, Dreamfur fell into step beside her as they followed Reedwhisker.
Soon, they came to a small clearing, and as Dreamfur pushed out of the bushes, he couldn’t help feeling a smug satisfaction that Reedwhisker had finally realized the truth. Now, he could claim his relationship to his kits. Still, he also felt pity. Reedwhisker looked shaken, shaken beyond reason.
“They’re not mine…” Hearing Reedwhisker’s broken, hollow voice, Dreamfur felt tired, more tired than ever.
His eyes were sad, and his voice reflected his sorrow, as he spoke up. “No, they’re not. The kits are mine, Reedwhisker. I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but Nightshade said she didn’t want you to know. Dappleheart and I decided we’d tell you after the kits were born, before she found out she was carrying your kits.” Dreamfur watched as Reedwhisker’s eyes flickered to Dappleheart’s, a strange expression in his gaze. Hope?
"Mine? Those kits I saw are mine?" Reedwhisker touched his nose to Dappleheart’s shoulder, and the she-cat licked his shoulder gently.
"C'mon...I can't leave our kits alone for long, and you still need to meet them." Dreamfur felt happy for Dappleheart. StarClan knew how she had suffered, watching her mate love another. Her next words made him look up indignantly. "Dreamfur will take care of Nightshade and her fox-hearts."
“Hey, my kits are not fox-hearts,” he said, laughing. It felt good to laugh, once more. His paws felt lighter, much lighter than the dead weight they had been for the past few moons.
“What did you name them? The kits,” Reedwhisker meowed, as he and Dappleheart turned to head back to camp to see their kits. Dreamfur shook his head with a smile, and he began to follow. The two cats in front of him talked on, barely noticing him. He didn’t mind, for it was their time to repair what had been broken.
When they had returned, Dreamfur slipped into the nursery behind Reedwhisker and Dappleheart. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Dreamfur sought out the one cat he wished to see. Nightshade. His eyes were soft as he spotted the black queen, and they softened even more as he saw the little bundles beside her. “Nightshade,” he murmured as he padded up to her. His pressed his nose into her fur. “They’re beautiful,” he breathed, nosing the little kits. His kits. “What are their names?” His throat felt choked as he looked up once more, into his mate’s eyes.
“This one is Dark-kit,” she said softly, blinking at him as she touched the tom with one gentle paw. “And this is Patchkit.” She motioned to the she-kit with her tail. “Dreamfur,” she said, raising her eyes to his, “I’m sorry…”
The tom licked her ears gently. “I know,” he said, his voice equally soft. “I love you.”
“I love you too…”
Dreamfur gazed down at his little family, pride overwhelming him. He felt alive, free. Gone were the feelings of resentment, jealousy, and sorrow. Gone was the guilt, of living a lie. Broken bonds would be mended, friendships renewed. He would no longer have to live under that horrible, terrible lie.
Nightshade shook her head. “No,” she pleaded. “I didn’t…Dreamfur, I love you…Maybe that’s how it started out, but I love you, Dreamfur. I always have…”
Dreamfur hung his head. “If you love me,” he said in a pain-filled voice, “Then why can’t I claim the kits as mine? Why let Reedwhisker believe that they’re his?”
Nightshade sighed, and looked down at her paws. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. “Because…” she said softly. “He wouldn’t understand…not like you can, Dreamfur…” She looked up, her eyes clouded.
The tom snorted bitterly. “So, because I’m the stronger one, I get left out, while you and Reedwhisker live your happy life?”
Nightshade shook her head again, more forcefully this time. “No! I wouldn’t, couldn’t leave you out. Did you not hear what I just said? I love you! How could I just leave you out?”
Dreamfur met her gaze evenly. “Then tell him.”
The black she-cat bowed her head sadly. “I can’t…it’s too hard…”
“Tell him. I’m sick of these lies, Nightshade. I cannot live this lie much longer…If you can’t tell him, then I can.”
“No…I-I’ll tell him. He needs to hear it from me…I’ll tell him soon…”
Soon. She would tell him soon, she said. Dreamfur pawed at the ground resentfully. She hadn’t told Reedwhisker the truth yet, and probably wouldn’t, until after she had given birth. The orange furred tom sighed. He still loved Nightshade, more than she probably thought, but the lie that he was forced to live made Dreamfur more than irritable. Still, as time went on, and Nightshade’s belly swelled with the kits within, he had learned to cope. In fact, he had hidden his secret well, if he said so himself.
“Wake up! They’re coming, they’re coming! Oh wait..they’ve already arrived! But anyway…wake up!”
Dreamfur’s eyes snapped open, and he raised his head to see Heronstripe prodding Reedwhisker with one sheathed paw. The warrior’s eyes were excited.
“You mousebrain!” Reedwhisker growled, looking bewildered and groggy from the rude awakening.. “Who’s coming?! Who came?” Heronstripe prodded his younger sibling’s side, this time with claws unsheathed.
“Ouch!”
“Your kits, silly! Nightshade’s having your kits! Well, she’s had them already. You took so long to wake up that you missed the whole thing.”
As Reedwhisker jumped up and bolted out of the den at Heronstripe’s words, his fur disheveled, Dreamfur hissed quietly to himself in anger. “You won’t be laughing for long, you know,” he said cryptically as Heronstripe chuckled. He lay his head down again and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.
He couldn’t sleep, however. His thoughts were too disorganized to do so. He was going to tell him. He was going to tell Reedwhisker the truth, the horrible truth. The truth that should have been told long ago. He wouldn’t, couldn’t live this lie any more.
With another sigh – he noted that he’d been doing that a lot lately – Dreamfur stood, and shook himself. He padded out of the den. Whether he could claim his position as the father of Nightshade’s kits or not, he at least wanted to see them. He wanted to see his kits.
“I…I have to go!”
Reedwhisker’s choked voice rang out from the nursery, and Dreamfur paused, confused. Had Nightshade kept her promise, and told him? His thoughts were interrupted as Reedwhisker pushed out of the nursery, running towards the forest beyond.
“Watch my kits.” Dappleheart’s mew reached his ears, and when the young queen appeared, Dreamfur fell into step beside her as they followed Reedwhisker.
Soon, they came to a small clearing, and as Dreamfur pushed out of the bushes, he couldn’t help feeling a smug satisfaction that Reedwhisker had finally realized the truth. Now, he could claim his relationship to his kits. Still, he also felt pity. Reedwhisker looked shaken, shaken beyond reason.
“They’re not mine…” Hearing Reedwhisker’s broken, hollow voice, Dreamfur felt tired, more tired than ever.
His eyes were sad, and his voice reflected his sorrow, as he spoke up. “No, they’re not. The kits are mine, Reedwhisker. I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but Nightshade said she didn’t want you to know. Dappleheart and I decided we’d tell you after the kits were born, before she found out she was carrying your kits.” Dreamfur watched as Reedwhisker’s eyes flickered to Dappleheart’s, a strange expression in his gaze. Hope?
"Mine? Those kits I saw are mine?" Reedwhisker touched his nose to Dappleheart’s shoulder, and the she-cat licked his shoulder gently.
"C'mon...I can't leave our kits alone for long, and you still need to meet them." Dreamfur felt happy for Dappleheart. StarClan knew how she had suffered, watching her mate love another. Her next words made him look up indignantly. "Dreamfur will take care of Nightshade and her fox-hearts."
“Hey, my kits are not fox-hearts,” he said, laughing. It felt good to laugh, once more. His paws felt lighter, much lighter than the dead weight they had been for the past few moons.
“What did you name them? The kits,” Reedwhisker meowed, as he and Dappleheart turned to head back to camp to see their kits. Dreamfur shook his head with a smile, and he began to follow. The two cats in front of him talked on, barely noticing him. He didn’t mind, for it was their time to repair what had been broken.
When they had returned, Dreamfur slipped into the nursery behind Reedwhisker and Dappleheart. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Dreamfur sought out the one cat he wished to see. Nightshade. His eyes were soft as he spotted the black queen, and they softened even more as he saw the little bundles beside her. “Nightshade,” he murmured as he padded up to her. His pressed his nose into her fur. “They’re beautiful,” he breathed, nosing the little kits. His kits. “What are their names?” His throat felt choked as he looked up once more, into his mate’s eyes.
“This one is Dark-kit,” she said softly, blinking at him as she touched the tom with one gentle paw. “And this is Patchkit.” She motioned to the she-kit with her tail. “Dreamfur,” she said, raising her eyes to his, “I’m sorry…”
The tom licked her ears gently. “I know,” he said, his voice equally soft. “I love you.”
“I love you too…”
Dreamfur gazed down at his little family, pride overwhelming him. He felt alive, free. Gone were the feelings of resentment, jealousy, and sorrow. Gone was the guilt, of living a lie. Broken bonds would be mended, friendships renewed. He would no longer have to live under that horrible, terrible lie.
