Cascade

For The Sake Of A Flashlight?

The next three days had passed uneventfully, though Sil had felt free to invade my personal space more often. Ash had come by once, but Sil ended up not going with him after the two had a lengthy conversation.

Sil seemed a touch clingy, leaving only for short periods and staying close. Maybe it was because I'd humored him?

I found myself mildly regretting doing so. He'd taken to insisting that I sleep in his den. He'd nudge at me, mumbling as he did, until I gave in. It was warmer there anyway.

But going down dark stairs wasn't exactly fun. Especially with a cannibal trying to heard you along and not giving you enough time for your eyes to adjust. I'd ended up slipping and falling down the stairs.

Granted, he'd come to see about me with a whine, but I'd still given him a sharp glare. I'd snapped at him with a "Would it kill you to hold your horses?!"

He'd flinched at my tone, but he'd been quick to give me another whine and a nuzzle against my cheek. He'd apologized at least...

He'd also started giving me enough time to linger at the top of the stairs. But if this was to become the norm, then I really just needed a flashlight. Maybe I could get Sil to find me one? There was still the issue of batteries though. Hmm...

Then again, maybe it wasn't my humoring? Sometimes I'd catch him grimacing into the distance with glazed eyes. Perhaps our encounter with Scales had bothered him as much as it had me?

They were obviously from the same clan, and both were of high enough ranking to be doing missions with Ash. Had they perhaps been friends before?

The thought made me bite my lip. To have a friend not approve of who you'd chosen to court... then again, these were cannibals and courting a human seemed likely to be frowned upon.

All though, Ash seemed to be strangely okay with it. Maybe he just didn't care? That, or he didn't have time to worry about such things because of his duties to his clan?

Regardless, I'd done my best to distract Sil when I found him staring into space. I'd start up a conversation and we'd give each other responses that we knew we couldn't understand. It was comforting to indulge in such a mundane activity.

The morning of the fourth day had been just as uneventful as the others. Catfish for breakfast, but with the addition of a single trout. Maybe Sil had gotten better at fishing? It certainly didn't take him as long as it had before.

After we'd gone about our usual morning, however, is when Ash decided to pay us a visit. He and Sil had talked again as I'd sat on the sidelines watching.

Ash had been more insistent this time. He'd snarled in a stricter tone than before. Perhaps it was a more urgent mission?

Eventually Sil had caved, his shoulders sagging as he glanced my way with a frown. He'd been skipping his duties to take care of me, then? He was that worried about Scales?

He'd given me a rather cuddly goodbye, but his purrs had been lower and clipped. His smile hadn't quite reached his eyes. Just what had Scales said to him during our encounter?

If Sil and Ash were going out today, then what of scales? I frowned, squinting in the light from where I sat on the edge of the fountain. Maybe I shouldn't risk trying to leave if there was the possibility that a cannibal was waiting for an opportunity to kill me?

So what was I doing today, then? Really, I needed a flashlight. But where to find one? Hmm...

Wait? Hadn't that note I found said something about a supply shed in the woods?