by stranger danger » Sun Oct 08, 2017 2:57 pm
leopardrunner's tale.
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"come on fuzz-for brains! get a move on!" a tiny kit shouts behind her, bounding to the riverside a small family had stumbled upon while traveling.
"leopardrunner i swear if you don't get your daughter." said his mate, silvermask chuckling. the small family had been traveling for days in search of a river. they were something of refugees, having left their clan in search of a new life. their previous leader had been a dictator, forcing harsh rules onto his clan and expecting them to be followed to the t. for example, mates were assigned and expected to have kits. to this day, leopardrunner considered himself lucky that he was paired with silvermask - every other she-cat in his clan was unbearable.
"riverkit, come here please." called out leopardflank, trying to sound serious. the glimmer of excitement in his daughter's eyes was too much to handle for him, and a smile cracked onto his face. she smiled as well, breaking herself from the water's edge and bounding to her father. "what? now that we're not part of the old clan we don't have to abide by their rules! you can teach me to swim now!" she insisted, giving her father a pleading look. before he could break, silvermask but in, giving her mate a knowing look. "not today my little minnow. your father and i are very tired from the days travel. and we still have to hunt - you may swim another day, alright?" she offered, and riverkit nodded wearily. "okay mama. i guess i'm tired too..." trailed the kit, breaking off into a yawn. silvermask chuckled, guiding riverkit into the underbrush. "i know dear. let us find a place to rest. leopardrunner?" she called out to her mate, who had been staring out onto the water with an uneasy stare. "hm? oh! coming silve." he called back slipping into the underbrush behind his family.
leopardflank awoke to the bouncing of tiny paws on his flank, and an excited chattering in his ear. "come on, come on, papa get up! mama said we could try to swim today!" chirped riverkit, hopping off of her father when he rolled over to get up. he rolled his eyes, standing and shaking the dust out of his fur. it had been days since the family had arrived at the riverside, and they found themselves making a small home little ways away. they fell into a schedule. wake up, hunt, play games with riverkit, nap, hunt, and go sit on the riverbank to watch the stars before bed. and maybe, if they're not feeling too tired and riverkit's fallen asleep, go for a swim. sometimes they'll catch a snack, but most of the time it's just playing in the shallows and having some time to just be leopardrunner and silvermask. today though, that was not the case.
swimming had been a long time dream of riverkit's. since she was so ill when she was first born, she was held back in the nursery, and it gave leopardrunner extra time to tell her stories of her fishing, bird catching, and swimming ancestors. riverkit was fascinated and wanted to learn how to swim ever since. silvermask didn't really approve of her learning but trusted leopardrunner enough to teach her well."now, river, when we go out there you need to listen to everything i say." he warns, and the kit nods taking in every last word. "yes papa." she answered, but leopardrunner's voice grew grave. "and i mean every last word." he stressed, and the kit nodded again. "alright then. let's go." riverkit yelped in excitement, taking off through the bushes. "silve, are we sure about this?" he asked his mate, once their daughter had bounced off into the underbrush. "she's ready, leopard. if she has your genes, then she'll be an excellent swimmer." she reasurred, pressing herself to her mate's flank and licking behind his ear. "alright. i trust you." he said, smiling.
out by the riverbank, riverkit danced along the edges, staring down at the waters in childlike glee. "come now river, follow me to the shallow end." said leopardflank, trotting a little ways down the river, and stopping when the waters gently lapped at some rocks, inviting the tom and his family inside. riverkit stopped at his side, expectantly gazing up at her. without looking down at his daughter, leopardrunner eased into the water, beckoning with his tail for riverkit to follow. she did,
wading just as slowly, watching her father's legs with curious eyes. "alright. once we get far enough i want you to tread water, but i'll be with you." said leopardrunner, going out a little further and stopping, picking up his partner and treading water. riverkit begins to tread as well, letting out little grunts of effort here and there. "there you go! we can do this for a little longer,
then we'll see you how you fare with actual swimming."
for the rest of the day, leopardrunner, silvermask, and riverkit spent their time splashing around in the shallows, and fell asleep in the sunlight.
"silvermask?! silvermask have you found her?" after a few days of spending time in the shallows - riverkit got tired of it. she ran off on night to the river to attempt to fish by herself - and hadn't returned.
leopardrunner ran a little ways down the bank, and stopped dead in his tracks. on the river bank lay riverkit's body - damp and unmoving. "no..." he murmured, racing to his daughter's side and sniffing her fur. it still had traces of the nursery on it - but it was overcome by freshwater scent. "nonono, silvermask?!" he shouted, and expected to see his mate's face from the bushes, but instead he was met with silence. "silve where are you?!" again, no response. distraught, he dragged riverkit's body from the edge and buried her a little ways from it, and went off to search for silvermask.
after days of searching, silvermask was nowhere to be found. hurting, leopardrunner left the family's previous home with heavy paws.
{fin.}
