Tales From the Alps Short Stories #4: Forgotten Friendship

Chapter 4

"You were right, I am hungry! I feel like I could eat a red deer whole!"

One-eye enjoyed the rabbit he and Silkey were sharing and took another bite.

"This is one of the best bunnies I've ever tasted. It's meat is so...delicious!"

One-eye saw Maud and Diggs staring at them from in front of their den. But he didn't care for once. Looks can't kill. And, besides, with Silkey, I really don't care who or what I come across, I know I'll be strong— His jaw suddenly dropped and a piece of meat fell out.

Silkey pulled herself away from him. "Ew, don't drop your drooly meat on my paw. If it doesn't taste good, just spit it out elsewhere!"

One-eye ignored her. There was one whom he did still fear, even though he thought he'd conquered his fear for her: Arrow. The reddish catamount had been walking across the Base, but now, she just stood frozen in place, staring at them.

One-eye took a deep breath without taking his eyes off of her. She's going for my other eye... "Your Mum...she doesn't know of our friendship...right?" he managed to ask in a hoarse whisper.

Silkey rolled away One-eye's scrap of dropped meat. "Pfft, of course not. And she'll be soooo mad if she ever finds out I befriended one of the Lone One assassins, especially since it's you. Oh, no offense, of course!"

She took another bite from her rabbit, as One-eye muttered, "But she's staring at us..."

Silkey rolled her eyes. "Probably just Keiri again. Mom isn't supposed to be back from the assessments until later."

One-eye kept staring. "That isn't Keiri," he whispered, referring to another red catamount that looked like Arrow from a distance.

One-eye's feline friend was still relaxed. "You really gotta get that remaining eye of yours check—"

She almost choked on her food when she saw her mother approaching them.

Arrow stopped in front of them, and One-eye felt all the fear, all the crippling horror he'd had for Arrow, return in a large wave. He sensed all the other animals in the clearing staring at them, too.

"Why, hello there, Silkey," Arrow said, her voice as cold as ever.

This is going to be my death...our death! One-eye mentally screamed to his body to cooperate and run, but he was frozen in place, trembling.

Silkey quickly sat up. "H...Hi, Mom," she said weakly.

Arrow scraped some of the dirt from under her talon. "I am terribly sorry to interrupt your meal, Silkey," she begun bitterly, "But...WHY ARE YOU SHARING YOUR DINNER WITH THAT?"

Saliva flew from her jaws and fell on One-eye and Silkey in her rage.

One-eye pushed himself into the ground, praying, but Silkey stood in front of him. "Mom! It isn't what you're thinking!"

Silkey, are you crazy?! She'll only get angrier if you defy her!

Arrow started to pace in front of them, to and fro, while speaking loudly and clearly. The rest of the clearing had quieted and stared at them, as well. One-eye had hardly ever felt this terrible.

"After all those lessons I gave you on how to lead, now that I finally thought that you were becoming a stronger, better, and overall smarter catamount, you befriend a Lone One. And not just any Lone One, but the deformed mutt One-eye himself! You're hopeless!"