Post by Fawn on Feb 11, 2019 11:47:51 GMT -5
Shadowchaser
Leafbare 11, Valley-Year #6
No sooner had he curled beneath the Moon Tree than he felt the gentle pull of StarClan's forests. Shadowchaser welcomed it, breathing deep of the misted pine and long grass as he awoke in Silver Pelt. Who would greet him this time? Would it be Sootfeather? Hollowcry? Shadowchaser briefly considered Pinefur, but selfishly prayed for a visit from his kin instead. He missed the sound of his father's voice, and he did not want to lose a precious opportunity to see Hollowcry--healthy, strong, and unendingly patient for Echobreeze's eventual arrival.
“Father?” He called, noting it unusual that the mists should be so thick and the starlit woods so dark. Had he wandered to the edge of StarClan's forests by mistake? No, Shadowchaser still felt safe. He still felt the presence of his ancestors, though many were unseen. He could close his eyes and walk miles without fear. But something here was not as peaceful as it should have been...
A low growl pierced the quiet. Shadowchaser's pelt prickled. We're they angry with him for misinterpreting the fox attack? For staying home during the leaf-fall meeting? A spike of fear jabbed Shadowchaser’s soul, and he crept close on leaden paws.
A voice broke through the mist, dangerous and cold and painfully familiar.
“You have no right to speak to him.”
“Hollowcry, listen to me. I was not a good father, I know.” The answering voice was heavy with frustration. Perhaps guilt. “But he deserves the truth. I--”
“He deserves the family that raised him. I will not allow you to destroy his happiness.”
Shadowchaser peered through the dense foliage, entranced by the argument he had stumbled upon. Slowly he could make out the shapes in the mist; the dark coats of Hollowcry - standing tall and unyielding - and Pinefur, struggling to win the argument.
Who are they talking about? Why is Hollowcry getting involved?
“I'm not trying to destroy his happiness. I just…” Pinefur squeezed his eyes shut. “I just want him to know who I am. Hollowcry, please.”
What am I doing? Politeness commanded him to stop eavesdropping, but Shadowchaser borrowed some of his mentor’s strength of purpose. He was a medicine cat, he had every right to be here - and to settle disputes, if he could.
“What's going on?” Shadowchaser stepped forward. Luminous yellow eyes met with the sharp gaze of Hollowcry and the widened stare of Pinefur.
“Shadowchaser,” Pinefur mewed, a look of relief and startlement wrestling on the tom’s face. “I need to speak with you, but there isn't much time.”
Hollowcry growled, claws flexing. A final warning.
“Someone tell me what this is about?” Shadowchaser glanced between the two toms. “Please, Father, let him speak.”
Hollowcry’s eyes narrowed. Then, quietly, with no trace of the aggression from a heartbeat earlier; “What you hear cannot be unheard, Shadowchaser.”
The medicine cat's heart piqued, curiosity and foreboding striking at once. He had to know what this was about. Wordlessly, he implored Pinefur to say his piece, trying to still the uncertain energy in his paws.
Pinefur's tail flicked for a few agonizing seconds, then he finally spoke.
“Hollowcry isn't your real --” Pinefur winced, then respectfully nodded to the StarClan warrior. “Hollowcry is your father, no one denies it. But he isn't your flesh and blood. I was young and stupid...and I didn’t want anything to do with you.” The words came out shakily, as unsteady and vulnerable as a newborn fawn.
Ice pooled in Shadowchaser’s gut, the mist seeming to distort around him as Pinefur continued - weaving together the truth at one end, and unraveling it at the other.
“...but then I was in Smokefur’s den, too sick to move, too sick to think. I saw you work so hard to save your Clanmates, to save me. I died, Shadowchaser. I died without my son even knowing who I was.” Pinefur gazed at him beseechingly, light green eyes alight with the need for forgiveness, for acknowledgment. ”I had moons to speak up, but I was selfish. I’m sorry.”
Shadowchaser’s heart heaved, lodging itself in his throat, making it almost impossible to speak.
”You’re… What? No. Echobreeze and Hollowcry are my parents.” Yet those words sounded weak and tiny, as if spoken by a kit lost in the woods, unsure of the way home.
Hollowcry was at his side in seconds, their dark pelts mingling.
”No that can’t be right,” Shadowchaser whispered. That familiar sensation of wanting to be swallowed up by the ground returned; Shadowchaser pressed against his father’s side, thoughts reeling. ”That can’t be right.”
”We are your parents.” Hollowcry caught Shadowchaser’s jaw with his tail, tilting the younger tom’s face up to look at him.
”So it’s not true?” Shadowchaser cringed, his blood pulsing through his ears and making him deaf to everything but the sound of Hollowcry’s voice.
Hollowcry’s gaze, normally so definitive and reassuring, seemed unexpectedly weary. Almost… sad. ”Pinefur speaks the truth. I am not your birth father.”
The young healer flinched, taking a step back as though a little distance would lessen the reality distortion, would lessen the mounting sense of confusion and panic rippling through his veins.
”That can’t be right…” But it was. ”Wait, then Echobreeze--?”
”She is not your birth mother.” said Hollowcry.
”I’m sorry.” Pinefur was wincing now. ”I just wanted you to know. Maybe this was a mistake.”
Questions were bursting in Shadowchaser’s mind like stars, burning him with each one. He didn’t know which of his... fathers to look at; his vision was starting to blur, and Shadowchaser realized it wasn’t his reality actually falling apart - but the dream ending. Panic gripped him tight.
”B-But she named me Shadowkit because I was like a shadow of you, r-remember?” Shadowchaser’s heart fluttered, wild and desperate as he took a step towards the fading shape of Hollowcry. ”She called me your little shadow because we looked so much alike. I’m your son, not Pinefur’s. Wait! Please! Father, please!” He felt like a kit howling into the wind, voice lost and meaningless as the figures of Hollowcry and Pinefur dissolved into starlight. Like water down a drain, Shadowchaser was mercilessly drawn back into the land of the living.
He awoke in the cavern with his claws scratching at the stone floor, a pitiful mewl on his lips. Some of the medicine cats that had already woken up were staring at him; Shadowchaser breathed hard, sticking on a quick, reassuring smile when all he felt like doing was throwing up.
He was suffocating. As if the weight of the Moon Tree and all this rock was pressing down on him, crushing him to dust.
Hasty goodbyes were given, and Shadowchaser left the cavern, not even bothering to check if Smokefur had risen from her dream or was following him. The stars still gleamed overhead, though the light of dawn was sitting at the horizon line. Shadowchaser trembled, Hollowcry’s words a chilly echo on the leafbare wind.
What you hear cannot be unheard...
“Father?” He called, noting it unusual that the mists should be so thick and the starlit woods so dark. Had he wandered to the edge of StarClan's forests by mistake? No, Shadowchaser still felt safe. He still felt the presence of his ancestors, though many were unseen. He could close his eyes and walk miles without fear. But something here was not as peaceful as it should have been...
A low growl pierced the quiet. Shadowchaser's pelt prickled. We're they angry with him for misinterpreting the fox attack? For staying home during the leaf-fall meeting? A spike of fear jabbed Shadowchaser’s soul, and he crept close on leaden paws.
A voice broke through the mist, dangerous and cold and painfully familiar.
“You have no right to speak to him.”
“Hollowcry, listen to me. I was not a good father, I know.” The answering voice was heavy with frustration. Perhaps guilt. “But he deserves the truth. I--”
“He deserves the family that raised him. I will not allow you to destroy his happiness.”
Shadowchaser peered through the dense foliage, entranced by the argument he had stumbled upon. Slowly he could make out the shapes in the mist; the dark coats of Hollowcry - standing tall and unyielding - and Pinefur, struggling to win the argument.
Who are they talking about? Why is Hollowcry getting involved?
“I'm not trying to destroy his happiness. I just…” Pinefur squeezed his eyes shut. “I just want him to know who I am. Hollowcry, please.”
What am I doing? Politeness commanded him to stop eavesdropping, but Shadowchaser borrowed some of his mentor’s strength of purpose. He was a medicine cat, he had every right to be here - and to settle disputes, if he could.
“What's going on?” Shadowchaser stepped forward. Luminous yellow eyes met with the sharp gaze of Hollowcry and the widened stare of Pinefur.
“Shadowchaser,” Pinefur mewed, a look of relief and startlement wrestling on the tom’s face. “I need to speak with you, but there isn't much time.”
Hollowcry growled, claws flexing. A final warning.
“Someone tell me what this is about?” Shadowchaser glanced between the two toms. “Please, Father, let him speak.”
Hollowcry’s eyes narrowed. Then, quietly, with no trace of the aggression from a heartbeat earlier; “What you hear cannot be unheard, Shadowchaser.”
The medicine cat's heart piqued, curiosity and foreboding striking at once. He had to know what this was about. Wordlessly, he implored Pinefur to say his piece, trying to still the uncertain energy in his paws.
Pinefur's tail flicked for a few agonizing seconds, then he finally spoke.
“Hollowcry isn't your real --” Pinefur winced, then respectfully nodded to the StarClan warrior. “Hollowcry is your father, no one denies it. But he isn't your flesh and blood. I was young and stupid...and I didn’t want anything to do with you.” The words came out shakily, as unsteady and vulnerable as a newborn fawn.
Ice pooled in Shadowchaser’s gut, the mist seeming to distort around him as Pinefur continued - weaving together the truth at one end, and unraveling it at the other.
“...but then I was in Smokefur’s den, too sick to move, too sick to think. I saw you work so hard to save your Clanmates, to save me. I died, Shadowchaser. I died without my son even knowing who I was.” Pinefur gazed at him beseechingly, light green eyes alight with the need for forgiveness, for acknowledgment. ”I had moons to speak up, but I was selfish. I’m sorry.”
Shadowchaser’s heart heaved, lodging itself in his throat, making it almost impossible to speak.
”You’re… What? No. Echobreeze and Hollowcry are my parents.” Yet those words sounded weak and tiny, as if spoken by a kit lost in the woods, unsure of the way home.
Hollowcry was at his side in seconds, their dark pelts mingling.
”No that can’t be right,” Shadowchaser whispered. That familiar sensation of wanting to be swallowed up by the ground returned; Shadowchaser pressed against his father’s side, thoughts reeling. ”That can’t be right.”
”We are your parents.” Hollowcry caught Shadowchaser’s jaw with his tail, tilting the younger tom’s face up to look at him.
”So it’s not true?” Shadowchaser cringed, his blood pulsing through his ears and making him deaf to everything but the sound of Hollowcry’s voice.
Hollowcry’s gaze, normally so definitive and reassuring, seemed unexpectedly weary. Almost… sad. ”Pinefur speaks the truth. I am not your birth father.”
The young healer flinched, taking a step back as though a little distance would lessen the reality distortion, would lessen the mounting sense of confusion and panic rippling through his veins.
”That can’t be right…” But it was. ”Wait, then Echobreeze--?”
”She is not your birth mother.” said Hollowcry.
”I’m sorry.” Pinefur was wincing now. ”I just wanted you to know. Maybe this was a mistake.”
Questions were bursting in Shadowchaser’s mind like stars, burning him with each one. He didn’t know which of his... fathers to look at; his vision was starting to blur, and Shadowchaser realized it wasn’t his reality actually falling apart - but the dream ending. Panic gripped him tight.
”B-But she named me Shadowkit because I was like a shadow of you, r-remember?” Shadowchaser’s heart fluttered, wild and desperate as he took a step towards the fading shape of Hollowcry. ”She called me your little shadow because we looked so much alike. I’m your son, not Pinefur’s. Wait! Please! Father, please!” He felt like a kit howling into the wind, voice lost and meaningless as the figures of Hollowcry and Pinefur dissolved into starlight. Like water down a drain, Shadowchaser was mercilessly drawn back into the land of the living.
He awoke in the cavern with his claws scratching at the stone floor, a pitiful mewl on his lips. Some of the medicine cats that had already woken up were staring at him; Shadowchaser breathed hard, sticking on a quick, reassuring smile when all he felt like doing was throwing up.
He was suffocating. As if the weight of the Moon Tree and all this rock was pressing down on him, crushing him to dust.
Hasty goodbyes were given, and Shadowchaser left the cavern, not even bothering to check if Smokefur had risen from her dream or was following him. The stars still gleamed overhead, though the light of dawn was sitting at the horizon line. Shadowchaser trembled, Hollowcry’s words a chilly echo on the leafbare wind.
What you hear cannot be unheard...
Word Count: 1187 Words
Tags: @zen BlooRey DVD @poptart williams Taxx Phoenix
Notes: Shadowchaser's dream during the Leafbare Medicine Cat Meeting, just in case we didn't reach the dreaming.