i'm by your side.

[carpe noctem.]

like the wings on the strongest eagle,
we flew away into our own personal dreamland.

[ ✦ ] the form
[ ✦ ] the directory

[carpe noctem.]

dappledfern swiftly sprinted down the hard cement
street, ears pinned to his head and jaws holding a
small stock of leaves and stems firmly in place as
the screaming and snarling of the human that had
caught him raiding her garden slowly faded out.

His large green eyes were wild and frantic, though
He didn't dare look behind her in fear that the two-
legger had sent their dog on him.

The almost completely white tom only slowed
down as he neared the chain-link fence that
separated the city from the forest that laid just
beyond.

His paws easily guided him to the hole in the fence,
each time become easier as he made trips in and
out of the city.

Dappledfern really didn't care too much. Even
though he never liked the city, it didn't mean
much if it meant his friend would get better.

For the past moon, he had been stealing plants
from twolegs yards and using them to help with
felix—his best friend— sickness. And though
his herbal skills were good, Felix's health was
still dwindling.

His spotted muzzle shook as he tried to push
those thoughts away from his mind, instead
focusing his attention on the pathway that
led to the old oak tree that he and Felix
lived in.

Dappledfern didn't find it too helpful that the
forest was particularly silent, leaving him alone
with his thoughts while he trudged onwards.

Relief crashed over him like a wave as he saw
the familiar flattened-down grass that led up
to the gnarled old base of the tree. As he saw
the opening to the tree base, he quickly
picked up pace and crept in slowly.

"Felix, I've got some more herbs for you!"
Dappledfern said encouragingly, expecting a
response from the tom.

No reply.

Dappledfern felt a tremor of anxiety ripple
through him, and he quickly dove over to
where the tom was.

His breath caught in his throat as he
saw. Felix's expression was gaunt, his
whole body shuddering weakly as
he had trouble breathing. Dappledfern
raced up to him, already mixing the
herbs up and trying to get them in
the tom.

"Felix, Felix it's okay, I'm here!"

The tom's eyes were cloudy, though as
he saw his friend he smiled weakly.
"I'm going to a better place, dapple."

Dappledfern felt tears spark up. "No,
not now."

"To that place we talked about, Starclan."

He remembered when they told stories about
that cat's in the forest. "You're getting better,
you can't go.. You can't!"

The tom shook his head weakly, "Don't be sad."

Dappledfern tried to hold back his tears.

"One day you'll join me in the stars, but you have
much more ahead of you." He said peacefully.

"You have greatness ahead of you."

With those final words, the tom slipped away,
Dappledfern's body pressed against the ginger pelt
of Felix as he passed on to Starclan.

"I won't fail you." Dappledfern whispered.

He promised.