Flame

Chapter Fourteen

Three long weeks passed, and still the mountains seemed no closer. By that time, Flame was getting gloomier and gloomier with every pawstep; Dove was getting more plump each day. She wondered if they would ever reach their destination. The Forest gradually grew fuller with every step, seeming to engulf them.  Birds assailed them at every turn, calling to others. Dove sat wearily, her eyes pleading for Flame to do the same. He nodded tiredly, agreeing to a time of rest. 

“Why am I so tired?” Dove asked angrily. 

“I am too,”

“Not like me! Do you feel like you are carrying four cats instead of one? Well?”

Flame’s forest green eyes clouded, “No”

“Sorry, Flame, I think I’m just so exhausted that I can’t think straight. Forgive me.” 

He walked over to her side, “Always,” 

Dove stood shakily, and they continued their slow walk.To Dove’s puzzlement, Flame began to purr. “What?” she asked. 

“Nothing,”

“It’s something, and I know it,”

Flame looked optimistically ahead, “We’re almost there,” startled, Dove looked up and gasped. “Its true,” The mountains looked close; They were huge. The peaks were invisible in their cloud coverings. ‘Why are we making so much noise?’ Dove wondered. She stared at the ground, paralyzed. Flame noticed she stopped and looked back. 

“Dove what are you doing? We’re almost there!” 

“Come look at this!” she called. Obediently, he turned around and came back. 

“What is it?”

“Look,” 

“At what?”

“The ground,”

he gingerly lifted a paw and looked. “Oh no,”

“Leafbare is here, Flame, and there is nothing we can do to stop it,” 

“We have to keep moving, hopefully these leaves are newly fallen and leafbare is just beginning.”“I hope you’re right, Flame,”

Both spirits dampened, they continued for a few hours, happy that the mountains were almost here, but frightened of the approaching leafbare. Suddenly, Flame spoke up.

“Dove, is it just me, or is the river getting skinny?” Dove looked to the right, astounded. If anything had seemed like home, it was the river. The winding, blue expanse, a source of prey, beautiful, if nothing. Now it was going away. Dove blinked back tears. Flame noticed and pressed closer to her pelt.

“I know its silly, Flame, but I can’t help it. It was the beginning of our journey together,” 

They continued to walk, Flame deep in thought. He alternated between growling in frustration and purring in delight. When Dove could stand it no more, she said, 

“Flame! What is the matter?”

“Your symptoms,”

Dove was confused, “Symptoms? What symptoms?”

“You know, you feel like you are carrying extra weight, gaining weight around the middle,”

“Yea? So?”

“So, I think.. I think you are carrying our kits,”