~Blood and Flare~

“Whatcha thinking about?” Thistle’s curious mew shoved its way between Echo’s thoughts.

“Nothing.”

Thistle whipped his short tail to the side and sat down with a dramatic hmph! “I’m bored.”

Thorn’s brown paws scuffed the floor of the den. “We could play a game.”

Thistle cocked his head. “What game?” His claws worked in and out. “I know! I’m an infected cerrien, and you’re my next victim!”

Thorn let out a squeal as Thistle sprang for him. They wrestled on the den floor, a tumble of flying paws and tails.

“Will you two ever behave, for once?” Echo jumped to his paws when a gray blur barged into his shoulder.

Thistle righted himself in a couple heartbeats, his downy fur sticking out in clumps. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“We’re sorry.” Thorn didn’t meet Echo’s irritated gaze. “C’mon, Thistle. Let’s go play in the corner where we won’t disturb Echo. Let’s play something different. There’s not enough room in here to play a fighting game.”

“Okay.”

The two kittens scrambled to the far side of the den.

Echo took the final bite of his mouse. They shouldn’t be playing a fighting game like that—this infection could become something really serious.

“You two shouldn’t being playing an infected cerrien game, anyway.” Echo shifted himself around. “Make a ball of moss or something instead.”

“You mean we can use your moss?” Thistle dived for Echo’s nest, ripping away a chunk before Echo could give him a cuff over his ear. “Thanks!”

“Don’t waste it. That’s all you get.”

“Echo?” Thorn shuffled slowly towards him. “Why is she so mean?”

Echo blinked. “Who? Feather?”

Thorn nodded. “Did she ever treat Bramble like how she treats you?”

“Well…” Had she? Once again, the space in his mind that should be full of memories was a vast expanse of fog…Abandoned. “Look, this isn’t really the kind of talk for kittens. I’m telling you both—if Feather does anything to either of you that you find hurtful or anything like that, I want you to tell me, okay?”

Echo hardly noticed the kittens’ little nods. Had there been a time when he had known what those days were like? How had he even filled his days? I must’ve had to sneak out to even see Inferno. I can imagine that was something he had to talk me into doing. His heart ached. He searched the swath of mist once more. Brief flashes—flashes of Inferno—flicked in his view for just a heartbeat before sinking away.



“Come on, you two. Let’s go.” Feather’s order sent the two kittens scampering towards their mother.

Echo found himself holding in a breath. Why aren’t you leaving already?

“I found your stupid little friend on the way here.” Cold green eyes locked themselves in Echo’s gaze. Her hiss was like that of a snake. “He warned me to stay away from you, or else he or you would do something bad to me. It’s actually quite pathetic that the little ball of fluff has to protect you.” She snorted. “I hope you know I won’t listen to any friend of yours. It’s not like you could possibly harm me anyway. You’re just not brave enough to. I’ll have you know, if you or that stupid friend try to threaten me again, you both will face brutal consequences.”

Her long claws slid out, revealing shades of scarlet red tinting the sharp tips of her white claws.

Is that…cerrien blood? Some freezing sensation found it’s way right to Echo’s bones. Is she really threatening to hurt me? Invisible claws scored through his pelt, as though Feather had actually lashed out with one great paw. But she was still sitting there, daring him to reply.

“I’m—I’m sorry!” Echo found himself backing away. “I told Inferno not to get involved—”

“And you couldn’t stop him, could you? Because no one wants to listen to you.”

“Don’t hurt Echo!” protested Thistle.

“Shut up!” A gasp escaped her and she whipped around, ushering her kittens outside with a harsh nudge of her muzzle. “Come on, we’re going home!”

Where did the blood on her claws come from? Echo watched as her cream-colored tail-tip disappeared. Are Inferno’s suspicions true?

He shook himself. What am I thinking? Feather was probably out hunting and left the blood on her claws as a way to scare me. I’m just letting myself get caught in Inferno’s fantasies!

As though his thoughts had summoned him, there was a flash of dark brown and piercingly bright orange rushing to the entrance of his den.

“What did you do?” Echo demanded.

“I warned Feather.” Inferno skidded to a halt at the opening. He stood tall, his tail erect and his eyes glowing. “I told her to stay away.” He tipped his head to one side, his triumphant stance dropping away. “What’s wrong? You look like you just saw a mob of the diseased cerriens try to attack you!” He straightened and his claws slid from their sheaths. “Did you?”

“No.” Echo forced himself not to hang his head. “Feather pulled some stunt to try and scare me. It’s nothing.”

“The blood on her claws?”

He nodded. “She probably left it from prey she was hunting or something.”

“She wasn’t carrying any prey.” Inferno narrowed his eyes.

“She could’ve eaten it.”

“Alright, stop making excuses!” Inferno took a step towards Echo. “That was cerrien blood! I know it!”

“Did you smell cerrien blood?”

“Did you?”

“I—I wasn’t paying attention.” Echo flexed his paws. “Did you see any scratches on her? What if an infected cerrien attacked her and she decided to use that as an opportunity?”

Inferno rolled his eyes. “Her fur was so ruffled it would’ve been impossible to tell. I think she attacked someone!”

“You’re being ridiculous! What were you thinking, warning Feather like that? Are you trying to make a bad situation worse?”

“I had to! After all she’s done to you! At least I’m actually doing anything about this!”

You’re just not brave enough. No one wants to listen to you!

His frustration bubbled over like a surging, flooding river breaking past its banks and sweeping everything in its path. “Look, I get it, okay? I get that things can’t stay like this. You and Spire don’t have to keep reminding me over and over.”

“If we don’t remind you, then you’ll sit back and do nothing!”

“That’s not true! You think I don’t already get plenty of reminders every time I even look at her?” Echo’s vocal pitch climbed higher and higher into a panic. Or when I time-travel?

“You never act on them, though. We’re just trying to help.”

“You’re not helping every time you run off and make everything worse by arguing with her!” Echo forced his bristling pelt flat. “And now we’re wasting our breath arguing!”

Inferno lowered his head, mumbling a half-hearted apology. “We could at least try reporting her again.”

“That won’t work.”

“See? This is your problem. You never stop doubting yourself! How do you know it won’t work? Trying again only sends the message that this is a serious issue.”

Echo’s whole body drooped. “I guess. But we still have to think here. Running off and yelling at her does nothing. She isn’t fazed by either of us.”

“Then we’ll make her fazed!” The end of Inferno’s tail curled over his back. “We’ll show Feather she can’t control you any longer! Now’s the time to do what my parents could not!”

Here we go again with another one of Inferno’s defensive speeches. If only I had his courage to make powerful lectures like that…then I might actually stand a chance against her…No! Stop dreaming! Feather doesn’t want to listen to me and never will.

“I—I guess.” Echo swallowed. “The infection is still a problem. Maybe we should wait until that dies down—”

“That may take moons! This is a problem we need to solve now!” Inferno’s whiskers twitched. “You’re making more excuses again! I think we can travel to the Lawkeepers’ cave or the Leader’s Mound without getting mauled!”

“Well, sorry I don’t want to risk our lives to do this.”

“I don’t care what risks are on the way there!” Inferno insisted. “I just want that mange-pelt to stop bothering you.”

Echo suppressed a sigh. I guess you are a bit protective of me...but that doesn’t mean anything! No matter what Spire likes to say!

Something black flickered in the corner of Echo’s eye.

You! Echo planted his paws firmly on the ground of his den to keep himself from whirling around and letting out a loud hiss at the shadowy figure. You just watched as my friend and I got attacked by one of those monsters, and you didn’t do a thing to help! What even are you? A ghost?

A ghost! Of course this thing wasn’t a ghost! Ghosts look nothing like that, I’m sure! And the whole point of a Spirit-Watcher is that they can see and communicate with ghosts!

“Ech?” Inferno cocked his head to one side. “Is something bothering you?”

“What? No!” You’d either think I’m the Spirit-Watcher, or insane.

The purr in Inferno’s next words sent a torrent of heat through Echo’s pelt. “That’s not what it sounds like.”

What could he do to cease Inferno’s prying? “Er—Spire and I were attacked by an infected cerrien earlier.”

Inferno’s eyes widened. “What? Did you shred its ears? Or rip up its pelt? Or—”

“We were in a tree. We chased him off, and no one was hurt.”

“If I had been there, I’d—”

“I know, I know. You’d rip up his pelt.”

“These infected cerriens are evil! They deserve it! They’re attacking random cerriens for no reason!”

But is it their fault they’ve been infected? Echo didn’t bother to start up another debate. I’ve felt enough softness today.