Spirit's Journey

Chapter 53- Spirit: Quri

Me, Midnight, Storm and Aspen all stared up at the Great Spot, seemingly larger now that we'd all hit the top of the mountain. The wind rustled our ears and brought with it a chill, though I was glad that it was not as cold as yesterday and that the snow under our paws had become firm enough not to send any cat slipping down, down, down the rocks to a swift death.

Midnight looked over at me, and gave a small smile. Storm joined in on it and Aspen took in the entire sight with wide yellow eyes that swallowed up every detail of the landscape. Behind us, I could hear Diamond mewling for food again and felt a twinge of regret that none had been found since this morning, when I had been the only one to find a scrawny bird and given it to the kit. Storm had managed to track down a very young rabbit, and shared it with the three of us which he was closest to, afterwards even offering a bite to the sullen Fallan. She had returned with frozen whiskers, shivering and saying quietly that she had snow stuck between her paw-pads and claws. Hannah, still angry about my sister stealing Diamond's food, had simply turned her head away with a snort and ignored the cheetah all-together.

"It's alright, Fallan," I had come to say to her before the cheetah started bawling in failure. These were the only words I had spoken to my sister in a long time, but Fallan had simply sniffed, flattened her ears sadly, and turned away. Now she stood behind us, stiff-tailed with her eyes down. I didn't have to take a second glance to know that she would've sat down in exhaustion from being out for so many hours during the morning.

Eventually Hannah had let out a hiss and explained to Blaze she was going to go out in search of prey- but came back with nothing.

Fallan hadn't returned until mid-day, and after that the rest of the time had been spent traveling. It was night now, the sky dark and unwelcoming. My fur stirred with unease as I smelled more snow on the way; the crispness of it filled my nostrils, but I hadn't wanted to stop until we made more progress.

Right now, I was letting the pride rest to take in the view and lay down for a minute. Storm's eyes looked dull, and Aspen's pelt had begun to cling to his frame like it was in danger of falling off.

The tom's flanks had shrunk to almost the same size ours had, and I let out a feeble cough to try and let some of the tightness out of my chest.

Yesterday had been long, cold, and harsh but yesterday we hadn't been traveling at night. As I beckoned for everyone to rise to their paws again, Fallan moaned as if in pain but I knew better. The cheetah's paws and muscles must have been very sore, but otherwise she was, and would be, fine.

I shivered with cold as we started heading down the mountain, and took a few paces back to grab Diamond's scruff lightly in my teeth. Hannah said nothing, but looked away without gratitude and fell farther behind next to Blaze. I simply shrugged, for I didn't need any thanks, and hunched my shoulders against the wind.

The night dragged on uncomfortably, until I felt like I might collapse from exhaustion. We made it down this side of the mountain faster than we had come up, because there was less rocky outcrops and more smooth stones. I found that there was a bit more undergrowth; even a few spindly trees without leaves, dead from the wind. My neck ached from Diamond's little body weighing it down.

"Spirit, c-can we stop?" Fallan meowed from behind me, her teeth chattering. I gave a small nod the cheetah's way, scanning the landscape and deciding the best luck we had was sleeping under one of the low-sweeping trees- pine ones, that had needles to block a bit of the wind.

I led all the cats over to it, and placed Diamond far under the branches so she could curl up and sleep. Hannah pushed herself under, her ear-tips brushing the pine needles.

Fallan took the other spot under the tree before anyone else could reach it, curling her nose into her tail. Her fur was less than a whisker's away from touching Hannah's, yet they didn't share warmth still. I said nothing, but sighed and then turned away.