The Light of Dusk

Chapter Four - Coward

Fern woke up in the morning, a bit past dawn. She stretched, yawning. That was before all memories of yesterday sank in. What am I going to do? She fretted. Well, she knew she would have to tell Dusk about the Hwlyn. That much was clear. But how would she go about it? I'll just bring up the story from a half moon ago.. Fern gently nudged Dusk. He got up blearily. "What, mom..?" He mumbled, half-asleep. "I know you don't remember, but I'm going to tell you a story I told you when you were a newborn. The story is about-" 

"Rumors and Grandpa Flame?" Dusk interrupted, alert now. "Yes..." The matriarch answered, startled. "How do you remember that..? Oh, you wouldn't know, nevermind.." Fern sighed, thinking over the possibilities. The only one that didn't scare her was that lynxes had good memory. She stuck with it.

"Anyway.. That'll make this quicker. I went to the Star Lands to hunt. There was no prey, except I found a cat. Its pelt seemed to shift from color to color, length to length, thickness to thickness, pattern to pattern. The cat knew my name was Fern. It was a representation, the soul of what binds Pack of Shining Stars together. I'm not sure what kind of 'Pack' that is though." Fern exhaled, and when he said nothing, continued. "The cat told me it had no name, but some call it Hwlyn. Hwlyn means 'the spirit of the Pack.' I asked the Hwlyn for more information, but the Hwlyn told me that is for you to know, not me. It wanted me to tell you to 'trust the Hwlyn.'" She finished. Well, that proves it. Lynxes have amazing memory.

"So.. can I?" Fern was confused by the question. Could he what? Oh, trust the Hwlyn. The matriarch uttered softly, "I don't think you have much of a choice."

* * * * *

A half moon passed without much activity. Fern woke up, relishing, like she did every morning, that today wasn't the day. Sadly, she was wrong. She realized this a second later, springing up. It can't be... Fern thought frantically, starting to pace around the tiny stump. She recounted the nights again and again in her head. No..! 

Like a moon ago, the same thought was in her head. What am I going to do? What am I going to do?! 

As if in answer, a sudden childhood memory came to her, when she still lived with Flame and Rivulet. It had been in summer, near Pine Grove, actually. Pine Grove was a common place in the spring and summer for other feral cats to meet to find a mate. Well, the concept of mate meant someone who occasionally visited you and mated with you frequently in spring. It was common to have several mates, if there were enough cats near you. In the mountains, there weren't.

There was often a young tom that made fun of her by the name of Birch hanging around Pine Grove. Fern had told her mother about him. Rivulet had said, "Bullies make fun of others because it makes them feel better about themselves. If you stand up for yourself, he'll leave you alone. Bullies are just cowards in disguise." Taking her mother's advice, Fern had pelted him with pine cones the next time she saw him. About a moon later, Birch apologized and told her he only made fun of her because he had a crush on her. They got to know each other, and Fern soon shared his feelings. Alas, they became mates once they grew up.

Fern wasn't thinking he did it because the lynx had a crush on her. Obviously not. But she was pretty sure of what she had to do. She nudged all her neonates. "We're going some place new today!" The matriarch smiled confidently. "Why do we have to go..?" Turtle asked apprehensively. Dawn licked Turtle's forehead reassuringly. Turtle was the shy one, Dawn was the kind one, Squirrel was the 'always happy' one, and Dusk was.. The funny one. This was proven when he stood up and paraded out of the stump. "I get it. You need us to protect you!" He announced, puffing out his chest as he walked. His half siblings followed his lead. "You don't know where you're going yet," Fern reminded him. Dusk pivoted, turning to follow Fern. She shook her head, then padded toward the mountainside, where the lynx had been.

* * * * *

It didn't take long to follow a scent trail. Actually, it seemed like he was waiting for them. The lynx stalked forward, grinning coolly. "Hand him over," He ordered with a swish of his tail.

Fern took a deep breath, calling courage to her. Finally, she meowed, "No." 

Dusk was staring at the lynx, then back to himself and back, over and over again. Is this my dad? Mom told me my dad wasn't Birch... Am I even a cat..? He doesn't look like a dog or wolf or fox, but... What is he?!

The lynx stood there, dumbfounded, so Fern continued. "No, I won't give him to you. He is my son, and deserves a better life than you would give him. I know you would abuse him, and drive him to go on murderous rampages. No, I will not. Dusk has the potential to be better. You cannot force him to become one of you. He can be whatever he wants to be, and you can't stop him.

"From day one, you have done nothing to help raise him. Nothing. What makes me think you'll take care of him now? He is staying with me, whether you like it or not." With a defiant snarl, she turned back.

For a few heartbeats, there was a moment when Dusk knew what was going on. This thing was his father, and his father wanted him to stay with him. He had not helped him survive, only mother had. And mother was not going to give him to his father. 

 But that wasn't going to happen. Not on the lynxs' watch. He crouched down, hunching his legs together to give him more power. He released that power, springing up and off the ground. The lynx bit into Squirrel's spine, gouging into it until it snapped. He dropped her lifeless body to the ground, and sprinted off just like before, a shadow in the night. 

This was no coward in disguise.