A dark gray shape sprawled lazily over the rocks. Almost invisible among the varying shades of stone gray. A heavy sigh heaved from the tom cats chest, eyes the color of moss opening to blink sleepily across the river. And past, where fields of pale wheat rose. Going on and on into the distant. A sea of yellow. Interrupted only by a lone oak. It parted the yellow sea with its wide trunk, branches curling back down to the ground. Curving and twisting there before rising back up again. Its leaves full and mysterious, hiding the small hollowed out den at its base.
Where the tom cat lived, with his parents and littermates.
It was midday. The sun beating down on his thick, short coat. Warming the rocks and his fur. It was a nice feeling after the sudden cold that had frosted the grass and chased the fish from the waters. A rare day in leaf-bare, but a welcome one.
His father was likely taking advantage of this day. Urging his litter outside to train. Hunting and fighting. Learning the land and the plants.
Useful things, no doubt, but he felt no real urgency to learn them. To learn anything that pertained to his survival. And why should he? His sister, a pretty she-cat with blackness for a pelt, was confident in her abilities and had already stated that she would protect the family. Hunt and fight for them. Why do anything at all when she so clearly was willing to do it for him?
The adolescent tom reached his limbs forward in a taunt stretch. Startled prematurely, causing a muscle in his hip to spasm and tense painfully, when someone called out to him sharply.
Howling he leaped to his paws, rear leg shaking when he attempted to stand on it. Mossy eyes flashing onto the familiar face of his sister, Ebony. Her face was composed and stoic, but her dark amber eyes glinted with cool amusement. “I’m sorry,” she purred innocently, “did I do that?”
Gray gave her a harsh snarl in answer, twisting his leg in an attempt to ease the ache there. It was a slow, gradual ease. But it vanished eventually.
Only then did he settled back down. Giving his flustered chest a few, quick licks. “What do you want?”
Of course he already knew why she was here. Their father had sent her to fetch him. So that he could join his siblings for training. And their father had known that Ebony was likely the only sibling that could make him do anything.
The tom felt a flash of heated frustration in his chest. It made his eyes narrow and his nose flare. Breathe coming in loud, short snorts. And at the same time, meeting his sisters pretty amber stare, he felt love burst. His heart thumping unevenly in his chest. Playing a fine dance with his anger until at least he tore his gaze away.
Glaring angrily at the ground beneath his paws. As much as he hated their father, he could deny Ebony nothing. No matter how small or large the task she asked of him, he found himself pushing himself to his limits. Anything to please her. His sister. His lover.
He hadn’t realized she’d closed the distance between them until she was in front of him. Dark nose nuzzling briefly into his neck, her breath sweet and hot there. He closed his own eyes, nosing her ear. Enjoying for a moment this forbidden closeness between them. And all too suddenly she was pulling away, casting a blank glance towards the tree in the distance. “Come on,” she murmured gently, “if we finish early enough today we can go poke fun at that dog on his chain.”
Gray nodded, resigned to the fact that he’d have to spend yet another day in his father’s company. And days more to come before he retired as head of the family. Gray, as the eldest son, had been his father’s heir at one point. But his lack of ambition and his tendency to shove his responsibilities onto others, his reckless behavior and sarcastic manner, had left this father little choice but to give the title to the next in line.
But Gray hasn’t been offended. Didn’t feel slighted in the least. If anything he was glad he didn’t have to shoulder the responsibility of his entire family. Organizing daily routines. Making certain there was enough food and water. Their family wasn’t a big one but their territory was large. It needed constant patrols. And he knew himself well enough to know he wasn’t the cat to lead anything, let alone a family.
But with Ebony running things, with her brisk and confident personality, he was certain they would never be without. Gray didn’t even feel guilt for sliding his birthright responsibilities onto her shoulders. She had seemed eager for the duties. Hadn’t spoken a word of protest.
Slipping off the rocks that lined the river and into the smooth flowing water, he waded across. Shivering as the icy current tugged at his paws and licked at his belly fur. He shook himself on the opposite shore, glancing back to see his sister emerging, eyes dark and watchful as they continued on. Entering the towering field of wheat. the river soon faded from sight but the sound of it lapping gentle on the pebbled shore was proof enough it still existed.
They walked in silence. A comfortable one. Neither were cats that required conversation to be content. Their fur brushed with each step, sending sparks of warmth through his limps. Like a heart beating, each beat pulsing over him like a heat wave. Concealed by wheat, invisible to the world, he wished the two of them could stay like this forever. No father. No mother and siblings. No responsibilities other than to each other.
But if Ebony was anything it was loyal. She would never set aside the rest of them. Not even for him.
Ahead he heard a cheerful, high-pitched voice calling their names. Wheat stalks breaking and crunching under swift paws. Soon their time alone would be over and they would be nothing but siblings again. He leaned close to whisper in her ear, “I love you.” Feeling light when she returned the words with a quick lick to his cheek.
And then she was upon them. A small, pale figure that stumbled and rolled. Coming to a giggling stop at their paws.
Despite any detachment he felt with their father. Gray had a reluctant soft spot for their youngest sister. Being the runt she was smaller. Weaker. But where the others tended to be more serious in nature, she was full of happy energy. Their father didn’t seem to know what to do with her. She was clumsy, forgetful, and terrible at everything he tried to teach her. Which was why he hardly taught her anything anymore, not at all shy about stating his disappoint at having such a wasteful daughter. Perhaps it was because their father was so disgusted with Snow that Gray, and their other siblings, were so quick to defend her.
Surging to her paws the red-eyed, white she-cat grinned. “Papa said I was dismissed from training,” she seemed excited about having the day to do whatever she wanted, “but I’m to tell you two to hurry your tails! Today's the day for tracking and recognizing predators!” Her attempt to imitate their father’s voice was poor and coupled with her expression, horribly amusing.
Gray took a playful swipe at her, “if you were trying to sound like mother, you were way off.”
Snow crackled and bounced to her sister’s side, giving Ebony a sisterly shove. The dark she-cat, amber eyes coolly amused, responded in kind. “He’s quite right you know, nothing like mother at all.”
The trio slowed to a stop when another cat parted the wheat. A lean, splotched figure, with hard amber eyes. “Who doesn’t sound like me?”
