Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonestar23
'It's going to be okay' were the first comforting words that came to the mind of the black feline. But he could tell that she wasn't okay. She wasn't going to be okay. Whatever had happened, it wouldn't be right for a long time. And, it wasn't his place to ask. Jasperpelt had a naturally worried and caring nature, but he could tell from her expression and the strain that seemed to be active in her voice that she just wasn't okay. He didn't need to know what happened. He didn't need to know whether or not another cat was involved, or who it was. All that Jasperpelt needed to do was be there, just in case. Just to be on the safe side. Some cats could get rather careless in a distressed state, and he wanted to make sure nothing would happen. Whether it involved wandering across another border, or accidentally hurting herself - Jasperpelt had seen both. He hadn't been able to stop it that time.
But this time? He could. Perhaps there was a way to fix the brokenness he could sense. "Wh-what's your f-favorite... favorite, um... kind of... f-flower?" Jasperpelt asked, trying to sort the words out. It was a subject change. An interesting one, but the first thing he had associated her with in his mind was a flower. Delicate, beautiful petals. Gentle, supple stem. Both seemed to describe Shellfeather in a way. Shellfeather. Such a unique sounding name, a name that Jasperpelt liked a lot. He thought it was pretty. When she leaned into him, the tom wasn't quite sure what to do. This was not the most common of occurances for him. For, while the tom seemed to very much enjoy bringing a little hope to others, and while he might be good with physical contact, normally the cats he was helping didn't seem to appreciate it quite as much as he thought.
And so he just sat there. Keeping his tail around her in a manner that was firm and strong, but gentle and caring in a way as well. He made it seem like he was there for protection. Although the contact seemed to say 'I'm here for you' in a way. A talent indeed, but it was underappreciated by even the black feline himself. He seemed to think it wasn't anything special. And perhaps it wasn't. But maybe, just maybe... to Shellfeather it would make a difference. Maybe tiny, and maybe huge. |
Shellfeather's breaths started to regulate as she lay against the tom, a quiet calm in the air around them. The only sounds were the rushing of the river not too far away, the birds chirping in the nearby trees, and the rustling of reeds. This is what the she-cat needed. Just a quiet moment to take in nature's beauties, erasing her mind of all of the hurt and sorrow she'd experienced in the past few moons. The physical and emotional hurt. And her mental incapability to handle it all. Especially with how every little thing that could go bad seemed to be going bad. Every thing that she believed in, loved, hoped for, had seemed to just be crumbling around her. It's like she was trying to hold up a cracked stone. It just crumbled in her paws and fell to the ground. That was her life right now. And she tried to make it better. She tried to continue to look for the good in each and every day. But she couldn't do it alone. She needed someone by her side, someone to support her, and someone she could help support. But the cat wS gone. Russetstar was far away now, leader of Ricerclan, mate to Whisperblaze.
The cat he had loved all along. Shellfeather felt as if he hadn't really ever truly loved her. As much as she had loved him. By it was all over now. That part of her life, the part that was perfect, was gone. She was now living in a world where things didn't go her way, a world where she was alone.
As Jasperpelt's words broke the silence, Shellfeather lifted her head up to look at him. He at least, this cat she just met, deserved some respect from her. He was helping her, comforting her in the best way he could. Even though he didn't know her all that well. "My favorite flowers are... W-at-ter lilies." She stammered, tears starting to pool at the edges of he eyes. "Russetswirl a-always b-brought some to me when I-I w-was in the nur-nursery." Shellfeathet couldn't help it. The memory just broke her heart over again, knowing that she could no longer have what she used to have. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her head in Jasperpelt's fur once more, her kind racing with images of water lilies. The white ones with pink tips, perfectly shaped, and smelt amazing. Russetstar had always known wgich ones were perfect, which ones were her all time favorite.
But now, water lilies only broke her heart more, shattering it into more tiny little peices. Soon enough, there would be no more left of her heart. The heart that had always been quite fragile.