Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Fifth Chapter

Ch. 20 - Bathed In Snow

The pack looked as if it had been bathed in snow, but the blizzard had taken no strength from its inhabitants. The caves were almost unrecognizable, the lake was frozen over completely, the overhanging trees provided a white wall against intruders and the ground underfoot engulfed my paws like phagocyte cells.

The kits played, laughing when they fell into the the deeper ends of the cold blanket. The teens made angels and started snowball wars. The adults watched from the warm safety of their caves.

I swished my tail calmly, nodding gently at those who smile at my return. I passed Nova's cave, which was filled with little mewls and giggles, which made me purr in amusement; it was her turn to raise kits, and though she would not have my help as much since I was at school, I would support her every pawstep of the way.

When I reached a spot about five meters in front of Shade's cave, I settled in the snow and watched the entrance with soft eyes. Snowy and Tobias emerged first, after about ten minutes, snuffling the ground and peering at the snow with little sneezes and giggles. There was a loud, protective growl and the two kits skittered back inside, disappearing altogether. My head tipped to the side as Shade emerged; he was obviously checking it was safe, and I noted in my subconscious that Snowy and Tobias needed to be taught that adults went first, just in case.

Shade still hadn't seen me, and I assumed he thought I was Nova if he had seen me. He gave a small, gruff nod and Tobias and Snowy barreled out, stopping a short distance from me. "Mummy!" Snowy squealed, followed shortly by Tobias. Both leapt onto my back, licking my fur, nuzzling my cheeks and purring loudly. "Hello, babies. Have you been good this Christmas? Did you get any presents?" I asked with a small laugh. They nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! Yeah! We were extwa good and got pwesents!" Tobias exclaimed, wiggling his haunches and leaping over his sister. He had taken to the family very quickly, and we had taken to him just as fast - he was my son, and nobody could tell me differently.

Shade was frozen at the entrance of our cave, so I told my kits to go and play with Blossom's children. "Go on, let daddy have some space." I told them, and they rushed away with waving tails and bright giggles.

I got up, shaking the snow from my fur and stretching out. I shifted back, rubbing my arms and slipping on my black woolly hat. Shade shifted too, making his way over to me. I looked up to him, "Hey, big guy." I muttered gently. He took me in his arms and kissed me; my hands threaded into his hair and I kissed him back like there was no tomorrow. "Oh mea umbra." He uttered under his breath, but I heard him and stroked his cheek with the soothing tint in my eyes of a mother. "Are you cold?" He asked, ushering me inside our cave anyway, without an answer. I nodded though, shivering, "Mhm." I sat in our mossy nest, which was still warm and cuddled him with all my love.

He warmed his blood temperature and I sighed in relief. I ran my hands along his chest, kissing his cheek with a bug hug on his part. "I love you so much, sweetheart." He clutched me tightly and I hummed my agreement. "I love you too, Shade." I nosed his nose and we chuckled quietly, just holding one another because that's all we needed to do.

"Mummy! Daddy! Can we go and visit Aunty Nova and Uncle Hawthorne?" Our peace didn't last long. Tobias and Snowy wanted to go see Olive, Kapok and Ivy. I laughed, stroking their heads warmly, "We'll come with you. I want to see Nova too."

We travelled to Nova and Hawthorne's cave, whereupon we discovered Sara the Healer with little Olive in her arms. He was shivering and mewling for his belly was empty. Hawthorne wasn't even looking at his son, for he was cuddling Kapok with a wide smile, throwing him in the air and catching him. Nova had Ivy between her paws, but was worrying deeply over her youngest son - only by a few minutes.

"What's wrong with him?" Shade questioned gruffly, taking the kit from Sara and warming him up. Olive stopped shaking, but instead started to tremble - Shade was a scary figure to an unknowing kit. "Shade you're scaring him!" I took Olive from my mate and cuddled him closely, "Oh you poor little thing." I kissed his head and he began to lick my neck. It tickled and I giggled, stroking his tiny body. Sara sighed, "I'm afraid he's got a certain condition that prevents him from controlling his temperature, even less so as he's so young. There's nothing I can do but if you give him a lot of care and attention, he should be alright." Sara left shortly after.

Nova tucked Olive and Ivy into her belly after I have her son back. She scowled at Hawthorne, "Don't you care about Olive?" Her voice broke and he looked rather awkward, "Nova, it's not like that-"

I growled furiously. "You do care about Olive, don't you?" I narrowed my eyes at him, snatching Kapok from his arms and giving him to his mother - all three kittens were crying. Hawthorne spluttered out some incoherent phrases before storming away from his mate and kits, into the winter wonderland outside. Nova gaped after her mate and then instantaneously broke into floods of tears. "He doesn't care about my babies!" She wailed. I crouched by her, soothing both my friend and her kits. Snowy and Tobias helped, happily cuddling their little friends.

I gave Shade a complicated hand gesture, "Go after him. Find out why he's being a jerk." We stated at him when he didn't move, and instead leant against the cave wall, folding his arms. "Isn't it obvious?" He muttered, slightly bitterly.

I glanced from Olive to Shade, and then it hit me like a brick wall of realization. Nova still didn't get it.

Shade looked to her with a grim expression, "Olive reminds Hawthorne of Lost."