The Snow Leopard's Tail

31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hQyFca7mU

The hut came back to me slowly.

First, the feeling of hands holding mine.

The grip on my left was tight, almost desperate. On my right, a thumb moved gently over the back of my hand.

Back and forth…

Back and forth…

I recognized that touch.

Another hand settled against my ribs and stayed there, as though waiting for something.

“David?” a familiar voice called again.

Rain.

I drew in a breath. It hurt, tearing through my chest in a rough and shallow gasp. Something minty and medicinal caught in my nose and throat, and I coughed.

A deeper breath followed. Ragged, agonizing, but strong.

There was a shout as hands started moving against me. One supported my shoulders while another steadied my head. Someone spoke close to my ear, but my coughs drowned out the words.

By the time they had stopped, I was trembling.

I tried to open my eyes.

Everything was blurry, cast in the warm light of the fire. Something soft lay beneath me, and the pelt covering my body felt far heavier than it should have.

Slowly, my vision started to focus.

Rain leaned into view as he watched my face with wary relief.

“There you are,” he sighed, resting a hand on my shoulder.

His eyes lifted to someone across from him, and I weakly turned my head to look.

Raven was kneeling on the bed beside me, her hands wrapped protectively around one of mine. Her face was red from crying, and her eyes began to glisten as mine found hers.

I tried to offer her a smile, though I'm not sure if I had actually managed it.

My voice came out in a hoarse whisper.

“I'm here.”

Raven tried to smile back, but her mouth trembled too much to hold it. She let her tears fall from her eyes as she pulled my hand closer to her and pressed her lips against my knuckles.

I accepted the gesture, though my mind couldn't wrap around what it was supposed to mean.

From the foot of the bed, I heard Bone let out another sob. However, this time it sounded less mournful. Less grief-stricken. He sounded relieved.

A broad hand continued to support my head as Rain brought a cup to my mouth.

“Just a little water,” he said. “Slowly…”

I managed a small sip before turning away, exhausted by the effort.

The hand that'd been supporting me lowered me back down carefully before pulling away.

I struggled to turn my head.

My eyes found Blaze sitting at my side as he stared down at me with an expression that I couldn't quite read. Hopeful, perhaps? Expectant?

Whatever it was, it flattened within seconds as his eyes locked onto mine. His grip on my left hand loosened slightly.

Thorn’s words returned to me.

Don't say it just so he'll be quiet.

Be willing to stay.

I drew in a careful breath.

“Watcher…”

The name left my mouth in another hoarse whisper.

Blaze’s eyes flashed against the firelight. His grip on my hand tightened again, almost to the point where it was painful.

“Don't,” he said in a low growl. “Don't call me that unless you know what it means.”

His eyes remained fixed on mine.

Somewhere at the foot of the bed, I heard Bone get to his feet.

I waited until I saw Blaze’s ears lift up from against his head.

Even in the state that I was in, I could see the whirlwind of emotions that were running through him. He was tired, worried, angry, and suspicious. And yet he still chose to remain by my side, still holding onto me as if nothing else on this mountain mattered more to him.

This time, I managed to smile.

“I know where you are.”

The entire hut went still. Raven’s thumb froze over the top of my other hand mid-stroke as Blaze stiffened.

“Where did you hear that?” he asked quietly, accusation sharpening his tone. “Who taught you that?”

I closed my eyes as I let my head sink against the pelts beneath it. Even managing to say that handful of simple words took enormous effort. The urge to sleep rapidly set in.

My answer came as a breath.

“Thorn told me.”

For a moment, there was silence, save for the fire that crackled softly in the pit.

Rain eventually said something about letting me rest, and Blaze’s grip on my hand eased.

He didn't offer me the phrase Thorn had mentioned. However, before sleep could fully take me, I felt his grip shift slightly.

Two broad hands closed around mine.

The hut faded away. For once, nothing awaited me behind my closed eyes.

I slept.

After what could have been minutes or hours, I was pulled back by something soft brushing against my fingers.

At first, I barely stirred. I was comfortable, warm beneath the pelt that had been covering me, and I had no interest in opening my eyes.

Then it brushed against me again.

My fingers curled around it before I was awake enough to wonder what it was.

Thick, dense fur filled my hand, swallowing my fingers. It tried to pull away from me with a few quick jerks before suddenly going still.

I pulled it closer to myself as I opened my eyes and tried to get a good look at it.

I was met with a plume of black and grey fur.

I stared groggily at it until I made out an uneven line of dark rosettes extending past my hand. They led up to Blaze who had settled himself on the bottom corner of the bed, facing the entrance. He’d turned his head towards me, looking thoroughly unamused as his gaze shifted between me and what was in my hands.

It was his tail.

I immediately let go of it, allowing him to whip it out of my reach. I tried muttering an apology to him, only for it to be broken by another painful coughing fit.

Blaze quickly moved and eased me upright, allowing me to lean on him until it passed. Once my body stopped shaking, he offered me another cup of warm water followed by another dose of his bitter High Mountain remedy. I managed a few sips of the water, but pulled away when he brought the second cup to my lips.

“I know,” he said with a rumble. “Nasty stuff, but it’ll help.”

I reluctantly swallowed it, cringing at the taste.

“That’s it, cub. Tastes worse when you fight it.”

The warmth that followed the bitterness soothed my throat. The next cough that escaped me was lighter and rattled less in my chest.

Blaze lowered me back down to rest against the pelts, moving in the same careful manner that he’d maintained since he’d first brought me inside. It was only when I had settled again that I realized his had been the only set of hands that had moved me.

“Where is everyone?” I managed to ask.

“They’ve gone out,” Blaze replied. “They left once they saw that you had settled.”

I blinked. “The storm…”

“The storm has passed. Swift Legs ran to fetch more supplies. He should return soon. Flower and Raven left to help tend to the far-hunters.”

I paused, giving my brain time to process his words.

“Shade?” I then asked.

Blaze let out a snort. “With Echo. He wouldn't sleep here. Not with you being like this.”

I looked down at my arm. Bunny lay folded awkwardly beneath me, pinned underneath my shoulder.

Of course he couldn’t sleep. He’d left Bunny with me.

“Bone?”

Blaze’s tail thumped once against the floor. “I think he left to grab some ingredients for stew.”

In my head, the idea of a nice hot bowl of one of Bone’s stews made me salivate. My stomach, however, wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic. I had no appetite.

I paused again.

“You?” I finally asked, turning my head back towards him.

Blaze didn’t offer a reply for several seconds. His expression remained flat as his eyes swept over me.

His eyes narrowed.

“I will remain until I know you’re well away from Death’s door,” he stated as he moved back towards the foot of the bed.

That seemed reasonable.

With everyone’s whereabouts accounted for, I closed my eyes again, determined to get some sleep. I felt the bed shift as Blaze settled back to where he had been sitting before. Something slid over the surface of the pelt.

Then something soft brushed against my fingers again and twitched.

My fingers moved, and my claws managed to catch on a tuft of fur before it pulled away. I was about to mutter another apology before it returned, and my hand grasped it again.

I opened my eyes, looking between Blaze and the portion of his tail that I’d managed to catch. He appeared to be ignoring me, choosing to remain facing the entrance. But as I let go of his tail again, it moved, lifting off of the covers and hanging in the air about a foot away from my face.

Something stirred inside of my fever-ridden mind as I watched it. It was ridiculous. I knew that it was, but that didn't matter much at that moment.

I wanted to catch it.

My hands weakly reached for it. For a few seconds, I had it caught in my claws again before Blaze lifted his tail higher and let it drop beside me. My fingers curled around it again.

I looked back over at Blaze as he glanced over his shoulder at me. His expression remained flat briefly before I saw his features slowly soften. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was slight, barely noticeable, but there.

I messed with his tail for a few more minutes before my attention was caught by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the hut. Bone pushed his way through the hide covering the doorway with a sack slung over his shoulder. He took two steps inside, then paused as he looked from Blaze to me to his tail in my hands.

A bemused smirk settled onto his face.

Blaze let out a deep growl as he pointed a finger at him.

“Speak, and I’ll rip out your tongue!” he warned.

“I second that…” I rasped, pointing to him as well.

Bone backed out of the hut briefly. Even from the bed, I heard a few airy laughs escape from him.

At that point, though, I didn’t really care. Exhaustion started to pull at me again as I sank back down into the bed.

Before I drifted off, I felt Blaze’s tail land beside me one last time. I reached for it, rolling over onto my side as I pulled it closer to myself. It was warm and soft.

Sleep came easily afterward.

I was still holding onto Blaze’s tail when I woke back up again.

The smell of meat, rich broth, and something earthy reached me, reminding me of the evenings I’d spent sitting at the table in Bone’s hut.

I drew in a slow breath through my nose, only to have it be tickled by the plume of spotted fur tucked beneath my chin. One of my hands lay buried beneath the snow leopard’s tail while the other held it against my chest.

I loosened my grip and lifted my head enough to look past it.

Blaze still sat at the foot of the bed. One of his ears turned towards me, but his attention was fixed on the fire. Bone was crouched down there, tending to the contents of a steaming pot suspended over the pit.

“You’re awake.”

Raven’s voice drew my attention to the other side of the bed. She sat close beside me, her arms folded loosely over her lap. Her hair was slightly disheveled, the feather in her braid looking more like a black cowlick than an accessory.

She studied my face as I settled back against the pelts.

Behind her, Rain sat with several small bundles of herbs spread across a hide. He separated leaves from their stems, setting some of them aside and crushing others into a shallow bowl in front of him. A folded piece of cloth lay ready at his side.

“How does your chest feel?” he asked, glancing up at me.

I took in a small breath as if to test it.

“Sore,” I replied.

“Breathing any easier?”

I managed a small shrug. “A little.”

He nodded as he poured a small amount of steaming water into the bowl and began working it into the herbs. The sharp smell that rose from them briefly cut through that of the stew, making me wrinkle my nose.

One corner of Rain’s mouth lifted.

“Yes,” he said without looking up. “That’s for you.”

I closed my eyes again as Raven let out a quiet laugh.

I felt Blaze’s tail shift beneath my hand. I loosened my fingers further, expecting him to take it back, only to have it settle more comfortably across the pelt.

“Leave it,” he rumbled.

I did.

For a while, I lay there, listening to the soft sounds of Bone stirring the pot and Rain working on the herbal mixture in front of him. Raven reached over to brush a few strands of hair away from my eyes, her hand lingering against my forehead before withdrawing.

Eventually, Bone pushed himself up onto his feet.

“Alright,” he said, reaching for a bowl. “Let’s see if this helps.”

The smell grew stronger as he approached the bed. I watched the steam that curled above his hands, trying to find even the slightest bit of hunger it should have stirred.

Nothing came.

“Think you can sit up?” he asked, kneeling beside me.

“Do I have to?” I moaned tiredly.

“It generally helps.”

I sighed, and immediately regretted it when it caught in my chest.

Raven slipped an arm behind my shoulders. Just as I’d barely managed to lift my head, Blaze turned to help, supporting me as she arranged the pelts behind my back.

His tail slid out from underneath my chin and came to rest across my lap.

By the time they had me settled, I needed a moment to catch my breath.

Bone waited until I looked at him again before offering the bowl.

I reached for it. My hands trembled.

He adjusted his hold on the bowl, letting it sit securely in one hand as he scooped up some broth with a spoon in the other.

“Perhaps we should do it this way,” he commented.

I stared at it.

Bone’s brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head.

His eyes dropped to the untouched spoon, then returned to mine.

“Smells good,” I offered.

“But?”

I swallowed. “I’m not hungry.”

Bone’s expression softened. “Just try a little.”

Reluctantly, I opened my mouth.

The broth was warm and tasted exactly as good as it smelled. A familiar tang lay underneath the richness of it.

Salt.

I had no idea where he had gotten it. I knew it wasn’t a common commodity that the mountain tribes were able to come by. But, oh, how I’d missed it.

I swallowed and waited. Somehow, I found that I still didn’t want any more.

I turned my face slightly away as Bone dipped the spoon again.

“David…”

“I had some,” I said.

“You did,” he agreed. “Have a little more.”

I looked over towards Raven.

“Just what you can manage,” she encouraged, rubbing her hand gently along my arm.

Unfortunately, everyone seemed to be willing to wait as I tried to work out what exactly that was.

I accepted another spoonful.

This one had a small piece of meat that was soft enough to break apart with my tongue. Despite that, however, chewing it felt like far more work than it should have been. I swallowed and let my head fall against the pelts.

I felt Blaze reach for me.

“Cub…” I heard him breathe beside me.

“Still here,” I muttered.

We sat quietly for a few seconds.

When I opened my eyes again, Bone was still watching me, spoon at the ready.

“You’re very persistent,” I rasped.

He let out a snort. “So I’ve been told.”

I gave him a tired look before allowing Raven to pull me forward again and accepting the spoon.

After that, I managed another mouthful of broth. When he went to offer me more, I shook my head.

For a moment, I thought he was going to argue.

Instead, he nodded.

“Alright. We can try again later.”

I glanced at the bowl. It looked like I had hardly touched it.

“Sorry,” I said weakly.

Bone followed my eyes.

“Don’t worry,” he grunted. “It’ll keep.”

He set it aside and rose to speak quietly with Rain.

Beside me, Raven adjusted the edge of the pelt where it had slipped from my shoulder. With Blaze’s help, she eased me back down onto the bed.

I lay still afterwards, waiting for the ache in my chest to settle.

Something soft moved against my wrist. My fingers found it without much effort.

Raven’s eyes dropped to the tail, then lifted briefly towards Blaze. Whatever she saw made her smile, but she said nothing.

I was grateful for that.

She settled beside me again and rested a hand over my free one.

Across the hut, Bone scraped his spoon against the inside of the bowl as he returned its contents back to the pot. Rain murmured something in response to him as the fire snapped softly between their words.

I closed my eyes.

What little stew I’d managed to eat warmed my stomach.

I slept deeply. 31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZkJxQumsk

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