3. Setting Sun
Sunstorm sat at the top of the hill, staring down at the patrol below. Swallownest had returned from the quest safe and sound with no more than a few scratches but Sunstorm couldn’t fit in in himself to talk to the tom. “The goodbye was enough,” Sunstorm told himself and with nobody around to talk to about his negative feelings, they kept spiralling, growing worse with each comment they made.
The patrol didn’t look to be taking it seriously as Swallownest led them, turning back continuously and making the other cats laugh, grinning wildly at them. ‘They never look like that while I’m there,’ Sunstorm thinks, looking down at the ground, ‘Why can’t I do anything right?’
As Sunstorm looks up, ready to turn around and head back to camp, he finds Swallownest running towards him, a frown on his face. Sunstorm took a gulp, looking around at the open meadow, finding no easy routes for escape. He took off, running anyway back, not paying attention to where he was running, just knowing that he needed to get away. However, as he reached half way down the hill, his paw hit a rock as he lost his balance, tumbling down the hill.
Sitting up slowly, Sunstorm tried to get his bearings as a large cat pounced on him. “Where do you think you’re going?” snarled Swallownest, using his paws to hold Sunstorm down with his whole weight. “You can’t avoid me now.”
Sunstorm tried to struggle free, noticing in the process the three cats that the tom was with at the top of the hill but his eyes only focused on the one in the middle, Foxnose. With a snarl, Sunstorm attempted to swipe at Swallownest. “Let me go now.”
“Not until you talk to me,” Swallownest says quietly, not taking his gaze away from his mate. Sunstorm squirmed with the attention that was on him, needing to find somewhere to hide.
“Please, just let me go. Please,” Sunstorm cried out, struggling away.
“Talk to me. Why are you avoiding me?”
“I’m not avoiding you,” Sunstorm lied, looking away from the tom despite knowing it was pointless, neither of them believed the lied.
“What have I done wrong?” Swallownest asked, looking down at his mate sadly. “You haven’t talked to me since before I left on the quest.”
“Nothing, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Sunstorm answered, still not looking into the tom’s eyes.
“Then what? Do you just hate me?” Swallownest’s voice raised, hissing at the little tabby under him.
“No,” the tom answered, turning his gaze towards Swallownest with wide eyes.
“Have you found someone else?” Swallownest’s voice continued to raise as did his hackles, claws beginning to dig into the fur of Sunstorm.
“No,” Sunstorm huffed quietly, knowing there was no other cat for him, no other cat as perfect as Swallownest.
“Am I no longer lovable?” Swallownest asked quietly, looking away from Sunstorm for the first time since the yelling began.
“There is nothing wrong with you. It’s me,” Sunstorm said in shock, turning his gaze to look at the tom who had torn his gaze away, looking into the distance instead of at him.
“What are you talking about, my love,” Swallownest asked, slowly turning his gaze back to Sunstorm, loosening his grip on the tom.
“It’s me. I’m the unlovable one,” Sunstorm answered quietly as shame rose through him. “You’re the best cat in the clan, you deserve everything, but I’m the worst. I’ve done awful things and don’t deserve anything, especially not your love. I’m sorry. I’ll be better.”
At Sunstorm’s declaration, Swallownest’s grip on the tom loosened and Sunstorm took his opportunity to free him, running away from the crowd that had gathered as Swallownest simply stared at the ground in shock.
Swallownest snapped out of his shock a moment too late as Sunstorm ran off into the distance, leaving the tom alone with his thoughts.
The patrol didn’t look to be taking it seriously as Swallownest led them, turning back continuously and making the other cats laugh, grinning wildly at them. ‘They never look like that while I’m there,’ Sunstorm thinks, looking down at the ground, ‘Why can’t I do anything right?’
As Sunstorm looks up, ready to turn around and head back to camp, he finds Swallownest running towards him, a frown on his face. Sunstorm took a gulp, looking around at the open meadow, finding no easy routes for escape. He took off, running anyway back, not paying attention to where he was running, just knowing that he needed to get away. However, as he reached half way down the hill, his paw hit a rock as he lost his balance, tumbling down the hill.
Sitting up slowly, Sunstorm tried to get his bearings as a large cat pounced on him. “Where do you think you’re going?” snarled Swallownest, using his paws to hold Sunstorm down with his whole weight. “You can’t avoid me now.”
Sunstorm tried to struggle free, noticing in the process the three cats that the tom was with at the top of the hill but his eyes only focused on the one in the middle, Foxnose. With a snarl, Sunstorm attempted to swipe at Swallownest. “Let me go now.”
“Not until you talk to me,” Swallownest says quietly, not taking his gaze away from his mate. Sunstorm squirmed with the attention that was on him, needing to find somewhere to hide.
“Please, just let me go. Please,” Sunstorm cried out, struggling away.
“Talk to me. Why are you avoiding me?”
“I’m not avoiding you,” Sunstorm lied, looking away from the tom despite knowing it was pointless, neither of them believed the lied.
“What have I done wrong?” Swallownest asked, looking down at his mate sadly. “You haven’t talked to me since before I left on the quest.”
“Nothing, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Sunstorm answered, still not looking into the tom’s eyes.
“Then what? Do you just hate me?” Swallownest’s voice raised, hissing at the little tabby under him.
“No,” the tom answered, turning his gaze towards Swallownest with wide eyes.
“Have you found someone else?” Swallownest’s voice continued to raise as did his hackles, claws beginning to dig into the fur of Sunstorm.
“No,” Sunstorm huffed quietly, knowing there was no other cat for him, no other cat as perfect as Swallownest.
“Am I no longer lovable?” Swallownest asked quietly, looking away from Sunstorm for the first time since the yelling began.
“There is nothing wrong with you. It’s me,” Sunstorm said in shock, turning his gaze to look at the tom who had torn his gaze away, looking into the distance instead of at him.
“What are you talking about, my love,” Swallownest asked, slowly turning his gaze back to Sunstorm, loosening his grip on the tom.
“It’s me. I’m the unlovable one,” Sunstorm answered quietly as shame rose through him. “You’re the best cat in the clan, you deserve everything, but I’m the worst. I’ve done awful things and don’t deserve anything, especially not your love. I’m sorry. I’ll be better.”
At Sunstorm’s declaration, Swallownest’s grip on the tom loosened and Sunstorm took his opportunity to free him, running away from the crowd that had gathered as Swallownest simply stared at the ground in shock.
Swallownest snapped out of his shock a moment too late as Sunstorm ran off into the distance, leaving the tom alone with his thoughts.