Legacy: Infinity (Book 3)

Chapter 16: Little Life

Chapter 16: Little Life

The cycle of sun and storms was broken by a day of grayness. The sky was covered in dappled soft grays that hung around the mountain tops and the valley looked greener than ever at the height of green-leaf. But Jay knew this strength would soon decay under the pressing coldness of the coming season and the warmth would just be a taunting bliss to remember in the cold. At once both a hope and a memory.

After Thyme's death two days prior, Jay had been unable to bring herself to leave the Ivy Cats, or even her nest. She could still close her eyes in the darkness and remember that long night.

Thunderstorm had left his mate close to dawn and his father, Crag, had walked him around soothingly and taken him back to his nest where he quickly fell asleep, Thyme's blood still on his paws. Cats started slipping into their dens quietly, as if they hadn't just spent the better part of the night watching one of their cave-mates killing another cave-mate.

Sun and Silk had padded up to their daughter and silently said goodbye, returning to their den before dawn. Night and Tinge passed by with only a pitying glance in Thyme's direction. Rainfall had spent the longest amount of time grieving, standing over her sister with her nose in Thyme's bloody fur, her shoulders shaking with sobs until Olive led her away with a surprising amount of gentleness compared the the ferocity Thunderstorm had shown for his mate.

But Jay could still see the tears in Rainfall's hot gaze and for the first time had felt something other then annoyance toward the she-cat. When the cave had emptied out leaving only Jay, Ash, and Thyme in it, Jay dared step forward.

Thyme's body lay on its side in a pool of her own blood. Her silver tabby fur, usually so sleek and well-kept, was ragged and rumpled into bloody clumps. Her head lay against the ground, her eyes were closed and her breath was still.

She was gone, she really was.

Jay's heart twisted tighter, but the numbness of her mind that had encircled her and confused her emotions during Thyme's ordeal was crumbling. She didn't sob, for she didn't want Ash to see that, but as she bent her muzzle to Thyme's face, silent tears fell upon the bloody fur.

Suddenly there was so much she wanted to tell Thyme, so much she wanted to share. She had held back for fear of revealing herself to some cat, but now as Thyme laid lifeless before her, she wanted to share a bit of her life with Thyme. And she wanted Thyme to share hers, how had she grown up? What did she love? If she could do anything, what would it be? What was her biggest dream?

But now no questions could be answered or secrets shared and Jay grieved for the lost friendship. No dreams could be fulfilled and nothing would bring her back. Hot pain seared her chest as she pulled Thyme out of the bloody puddle and laid down by Thyme in exhaustion, licking the she-cat's bloody fur so that it looked clean and fresh and she arranged her legs to be folded by her belly so that it would appear she were only resting.

Jay closed her eyes and laid her head on Thyme's shoulder to whisper in her ear, "I hope you find StarClan, or a place like it, and can be happy and at peace."

At dawn Ash approached her again and told her that she should leave before any cat saw her grieving. But Jay shook her head stubbornly, "I'm going to give Thyme a proper burial," she growled and before Ash could say anything she had rushed to the herb den, giving a horrible glare at the sleeping Thunderstorm, grabbed a sprig of lavender from her herbs and came out again. She rubbed the plant all over Thyme to hide the scent of death and give a tragically lovely smell to her.

Ash told her that Thyme's body would probably be dropped off somewhere and she refused to allow that to happen, hardening her determination as she took Thyme upon her shoulders at the first glimpse of dawn. They left the cave, padding down the slope and she ignored Ash's offers of help, she would do this tiny favor for her friend all on her own.