Claws Unsheathed

  The world is dangerous. One day, you could be enjoying your life and loving your loved ones, playing with your littermates, and teasing your friends. And the next? You could be shredded to pieces by a bloodthirsty canine running around all happy-go-lucky with its tongue lolling and tail wagging. These joyful, sadistic creatures live cherished by their humans and don't understand what it's like. What it's like to be surviving alone, without any care from a human or a pack. Cats in the wild live alone, or with some kin. But not a pack. Packs have five to ten dogs. But living with kin there's only one to three others, besides kits. Kits typically grow up with their mother and littermates and then get abandoned once proven to be able to look after themselves. And the fathers leave their kits once their eyes open.

Lark felt a jab in her ribs and awoke with a start. “Ow!” She screeched.  She heaves herself off the ground to glare at her sister, Mouse. “We need to go hunting. “The food heap is empty!” Mouse complained and flicked her tail toward the circle of sticks and stones, which is normally filled with rodents and birds from hunting trips.Lark rolled her eyes. “Couldn't you have gone by yourself? I was sleeping!” Lark snapped. But Mouse just stalked off, looking back once to see if Lark was following.

“Let's split up,” Mouse suggested, and Lark flicked her ear in agreement before bounding off. They'd caught only a mouse so far. Lark padded through the forest, heading toward the stream. She approached the water and made sure to keep low and avoid casting her shadow across the water so she didn't scare off the fish. She watched the water, focused and determined to catch a fish. She yawned after a while, getting impatient, when finally a decent sized fish swam right in front of her. She swiped a paw into the stream, claws unsheathed. Her claws sank into the fish's scales, Lark padded over to a clearing of tall grass and wildflowers. And there, in the middle of the clearing, was the mouthwatering sight of a plump, healthy-looking rabbit. Lark dropped into a crouch, keeping her weight off her haunches and slowly creeping forward. She licked her lips. She and her sister hadn't eaten since yesterday at sunrise. She scented the air as she crept forward. She smelled something familiar, but she couldn't quite get her paw on it. Wait..is that..?

Smoke!

She got up from her crouch, her ears pricked in alarm. A fire! Her mother, Mouse, and the kits are back at the den. Lark hesitated. A part of her wanted to turn around and run to safety-but she knew she couldn’t. Mother and Mouse might not have even smelled the smoke yet, and Lark couldn’t just leave them to die. She raced in the direction of the den. It was a small abandoned fox den- but it was big enough for the five of them. Mother, the two kits, Lark, and Mouse. The two kits were freshly born, so it’s a lot of work. It will be a close call on whether they’d all survive in a fire. Lark bounded up to the den and saw mother feeding the kits.

“Mother!” Lark panted, “Mother, I smell smoke. Mouse and I will grab the kits. Have you seen-” Lark was cut off by the sound of  quick footsteps. “I think there's a fire!” Mouse announced. Mother quickly got up, and Mouse rushed over. Lark and Mouse grabbed the kits by their scruffs, and Lark hurried over to Mother, who had almost stumbled over her own paws and balanced her. Lark had Finch, and Mouse has Mint, the two kits. They all padded briskly out of the den.

On the way to the stream, Lark was lost in her thoughts. I don’t know what to do! She thought-but she knew she did. She had a gut feeling that told her exactly what she needed to do; she needed to journey to the den in which her father lived and seek help from him. She needs help to save her forest. She takes a deep breath and focuses on getting there.

The six had swiftly traveled to the stream. “Jump across!” Mother yelled. “Are you crazy? We won’t make it across without falling in!” Mouse exclaimed. Her voice was muffled from the kit she held in her mouth. Mother gave her a stern glance before urging Lark across. Lark closed her eyes and took a deep breath before giving Mouse an uneasy look and leaping across.

She was relieved to find her paws on solid ground. Her hind paws skidded the edge of the water, but she made it across with only a couple of wet paws. She looked back and waited. Mother went next. Her belly was still large, and it was difficult for her to do those stunts. Not only that- but the recovery had made everything painful. She was sore. They made sure to have one cat on both sides of the stream just in case. Mother crouched the best she could and sprang.

Lark's heart skipped a beat.

Mother's paw slipped as she landed on the edge.

“Mother!” Lark and Mouse screeched in unison as Lark set the kit down and lunged forward. From the edge of the water, still on land, she reached out for her mother. The stream had a strong current, so if she went into the water, they'd both drown, and there'd be no chance of saving them. Mouse jumped across and hurtled to help Lark after setting her kit down in the same place. Mouse got a hold of her scruff, and Lark got her tail. Mother shrieked in pain. They pulled, but once Mouse lost a hold of her, Mother's tail slipped through Lark's teeth.

The fire had brought a tree down. The fallen tree allowed the fire to cross the river. Mother was quickly being swept away from them.

Mouse bounded after Mother, but Lark just stood in shock. She couldn't move. She couldn't even blink. The molly who had given Lark life was slipping away from her paws. It was too soon. The image of Lark and Mouse as kits formed into Lark’s mind. Lark and Mouse were play-fighting, and one of their stomachs, Lark couldn't remember which, growled hungrily. Mother had them come with while she went hunting because she didn't want any predators coming close to her kits. She had them watch closely and study what she did while hunting.

Then, there was a deep-throat growl coming from one of the trees. A coyote lunged at Mother. She slashed at the coyote and defended Mouse and Lark with her life. She’d even lost one of her ears.

That was a day Lark would never forget.

She was shoved back into reality. She was just standing there, staring at her mother, who was being carried away from her, pulled from her grasp. Her shock had turned to anger. Anger at herself for not doing anything. She had a wave of self-loathe. She raced toward her mother, passing Mouse. “Mother!” She wailed. “Mother!”

She had vanished under the surface.

Lark dived into the water. She submerged into the frigid, unfathomable liquid. It was a peculiar, dreadful feeling. Something she's never felt before. She didn't know how to swim- but she didn't care. This was her mother, her savior. She flapped her arms around, flailing and trying to get over to her mother.

She dug her teeth into her mother's scruff, making sure she got a good enough grip before padding up to the surface. The weight was too much-she almost lost a hold of her. Mouse's figure is shown on the surface of the water, the shadow towering over the stream.

The shape quickly deformed as Mouse plunged into the water. Mouse knew how to swim. She pushed Mother up to the surface. Lark's teeth were being pulled much less- there was a lot less weight pulling on her teeth and jaw. They emerged from the water. Lark choked on water, panting. They worked on getting Mother onto land, but the current was putting up a fight. Lark had injected her teeth into a vine, keeping her- for the most part- in place. Mouse was strong and could swim. They shoved Mother onto land. Mouse helped Lark up and then came behind her.

“Mother! Mother?” She panted.

Mother choked up water.. with a tint of red. Lark could see there was no chance for her. Dread and grief clawed at her heart. Her and Mouse's faces both scrunched up, their lips quivering.

“It's okay, children. I see now that it is my time. Just remember that it is not yours. Be there for each other. Take care of the kits. I will be there for you and the kits always. Even if you can't see me..” her voice faded as life slipped away from her. The light in her eyes dimmed, and her lips parted, her jaw hanging slightly open.

“No..” Lark spoke. “No no no no no no!” her shaky cry was mournful. She buried her face in her mother's silky fur. Lark could tell Mouse couldn't say a word. The back of Lark's throat was sore- and it was clear Mouse's must've been too. Lark faltered over to her, resting her tail on Mouse's and resting her chin on her head.

Mouse pulled away suddenly. “The kits!”

The kits, of course! How could Lark have forgotten?

They were dangerously close to the fire that had rapidly traveled closer. Lark stumbled over to Mint and Finch, and Mouse hurried behind.

Lark and Mouse set the kits next to Mother. “It's very unf-unfortunate for them to grow up without their mother..” Lark could barely get the words out. She wanted to claw her heart out. The pain was ever so unbearable.

“Erm..Lark?” Mouse whispered shakily.

Just as Lark thought the kits were alright, she realized she was very, very wrong. Mint lay on Earth, limp and lifeless.

After laying some flowers next to Mother and Mint, they left. There was no time for mourning, not yet. The fire was spreading-and quickly. The smoldering, searing, orange light was somehow both terrifying and mesmerizing. A part of Lark wanted to submerge herself in the illuminating, hot, flickering light. It was as if it were dancing. Lark wanted that life- to be free, dancing and shimmering. While the other part of her wanted to run. She related to the fire. While it was dancing and shimmering- it was also devastated and sorrowful. It was like it was mourning and grieving.

But while it was both melancholy and joyful, it was also full of rage. It wanted revenge. It wanted to take over. It towered over everything and killed whatever was in its path. It was guilty of much genocide. It felt everything all at once. It approached Lark, wanting to swallow her in its scorching heat.

They barreled through the pulchritudinous forest- this forest in which Lark called home- that was soon to be ablaze. Would she ever see this place again? Lark hoped to visit this place when she became an elder. She wished to reminisce in the nostalgic forest of her past.

Lark and Mouse and hardly said a word to each other since Mother died. Then again, what is there to say? Their home was being burned to ash. And there was nothing they could do but run. Lark had never faced such a tragic loss, and now she’d lost both her mother and her home. The fire was fast- faster than she and Mouse could handle, as Lark carried Finch in her jaws, and Mouse walked next to her cautiously, ready in case she drops him. They ran with no knowledge of where they were heading.

Wait..

As a kit, mother used to tell them stories. Stories of her past; stories of their father and her journeys. In one of the stories, Lark recalled, she told them about her old den. The den was on this side of the stream, in which Lark and her sister were forbidden to cross. This den that Mother spoke of is where she and their father lived together. Mother visited the place about once every 6 moons, to think back on her past life with him. She loved him ever so much, but as the tom cats in the relationship do, he left after the two mollies were born. Then, she was impregnated by another tom whom she fell in love with, and unlike the toms are meant to do, he stayed. But the devastatingly tragic part was that he had a brain tumor. He only managed to pull through the dreadful tumor for two moons after they were born. He was buried in the grove that Mother had first met him in. But now, of course, that grove must be scorched.

“Mouse, the den.”

“Den? What den?”

“The den Mother and Father used to live in. It’s far enough- and while it’s not safe from the humans, it is far enough from the fire.” Lark explained, attempting to be as clear as possible so that Mouse could understand her through her mouth full of kitten. Mouse nodded and flicked her tail for Lark to lead. Lark didn't know where she was going, but she knew the general direction from her mother’s stories.

After a long while of traveling, they decided to find shelter. They were far enough now from the fire that they could rest for some time. Not long, but just until they gain enough strength to walk again without the feeling that their legs are going to collapse. They concluded it would be nearly impossible to get there without any rest at all. Energy and strength is crucial to be able to go that far a distance.

After a while of walking, they found a narrow ravine to take shelter in. There was a small section with a roof that they decided to stay in for the night. Moss and ferns grew along the sides of the ravine, and behind them was a steep but climbable slope. Lark gently set Finch down

“I can take the first shift,” Mouse announced. “You rest. I’ll hunt for something small, and be back very soon.”

Lark wanted to decline and take the first shift, but she was already half asleep. She lay down and, almost instantly, drifted off into a deep slumber.

Lark was awoken from her sleep from a loud, dull snap! Her eyelids flew open, and she sat up in a start. She yawned and sprawled out into a deep stretch. She looked over at the forest, and then at Mouse, who, she realized with a horrible sick feeling, was asleep. Next to her was a vole and a half-eaten squirrel. Finch and Mint were curled up close to each other in a patch of uneven moss. Lark realized the snap she’d heard was a tree that had been snapped and had fallen because of the fire.

“Mouse! Mouse, wake up!” Lark hissed in Mouse’s ear and bit her ear just hard enough to wake her. Mouse growled and hauled herself off the ground. Lark could visibly see the look of realization on Mouse’s face when she looked around.

“Oh no!”

Lark could tell Mouse was irritated with herself.

“We were only supposed to rest for a few hours..this is all my fault!” Mouse said solemnly, clearly ashamed of herself. Lark noticed that, ever since they were kits, Mouse always put all the pressure and responsibility on herself. She always made sure Lark and Mother were safe and well-protected, and she was always the one to check up on the stream and make sure everything was well, make sure there was enough food in the food heap, enough herbs for wounds-everything. Lark remembered how one time when they were sun-bathing, Mouse had said she always felt like she had to be perfect and she couldn’t make mistakes. Otherwise, her family could be in danger. Lark was shocked at the time-she’d always envied her sister.

“Stop with your self-deprecating and come on!” Lark snarled. She was agitated, but not at Mouse. At the feeling in the back of her throat when she thought of yesterday’s events. Her mother’s and Mint’s deaths had scarred her. She ate the vole as quickly as she could. She needed her strength for the rest of the journey and the kits needed to eat. She ripped off a couple of pieces of the vole for herself and gave the rest to the kits. He ate as if he hadn’t eaten in moons, gobbling up the vole in what seemed like seconds. Lark had a coughing fit after inhaling the smoke. She hastily snatched Finch up off the ground and gestured for Mouse to follow.

The fire had blocked the easy exit. They’d have to climb the slope. 

Lark took a deep breath. She glanced at Mouse, whose eyes shone with anxiety, but a hint of determination. They exchanged an apprehensive look before taking their deadly attempt at climbing the slope. There were rocks to step on, and patches of moss and grass to grip their claws on, but the rocks were loose and the moss and grass wasn’t strong enough to hold all their weight, so they had to be extra cautious. They struggled, but they were what appeared to be only a fox tail away from the top. After a moment more of climbing, Lark’s paw reached the top of the slope. Almost instantaneously, she got the feeling of impending doom. She whipped her head around, and an ear-splitting sound of claws scraped a rock. “Mouse!” Lark shrieked, nearly dropping Finch. She started to turn around, but Mouse had already fallen into the fire.

Lark’s heart ached. She was in shock, frozen in place just as she was when Mother died. It felt as if her heart was torn out of her chest. Her eyes, nose, and throat burned, and shivers rippled across her body.

She pulled herself up. She landed at the top of the ravine with a thud. She set Finch down and coughed, weak with the longing to be in her mother’s arms, her sisters and brother by her side. She suddenly felt sick to the stomach and regurgitated onto the dry grass.

After what felt like a lifetime of walking and carrying Finch, Lark arrived at a cluster of human dens. She knew they were dangerous, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk any longer. She collapsed in front of a human den and passed out.

Lark found herself in an empty plain. She ran, but no matter how far she ran, it just went on. It was endless.

She heard a voice. A voice that said something that could’ve been her name. It whispered in a wary voice. She heard it clearer now-it was saying her name. It repeated her name, over and over again, whispering in a haunting voice.

“Lark!” The voice suddenly screeched. Lark whipped around to see a dilute tortoiseshell tom.

“Who are you?” Lark questioned.

“You don’t know me. But I know you,” The tom replied. His voice was slightly strained, as if he was forcing himself to stay calm.

“Yeah, that's kind of obvious,” Lark snapped, “I asked who you were, not if I knew you.”

“I’m afraid I can not answer that,” the tom stated. Lark bared her teeth, but he

Just sat with his tail wrapped around his paw, his eyes shining with amusement.

“You’ll find out eventually. For now, you must wait.” He said. This typically would have irritated Lark, but it just grew her curiosity. She looked around. Her questions flooded out of her mouth,

“Where am I?”

“Am I supposed to be here?”

“Am I dead?”

“Are you dead?”

The tom smiled slightly and patiently said, “You’re here because you need to be. You are not dead, nor will you be if you just keep going on.” Lark flicked her tail in annoyance. He only answered two questions.

“Can you help me find my father?” She blurted the words before she could stop herself. Of course he can’t. He just grinned and slowly started fading away.

“Wait! Tell me who you are, where I am!” Lark cried.

Lark groaned, feeling drowsy and feeble. She pushed off her paws, shaking, and fell right to the ground like a newborn foal. She stayed lying down for a couple of minutes and  then forced herself off the ground. She grabbed Finch and thrusted herself through the bushes, eager to get to her destination soon.

The dream stuck in Lark’s mind like a magnet. Who was the mysterious tom that came to her dream for some obscure reason? She had a feeling it wasn’t just a dream. He came to her for a reason. But what was she meant to do about it?

Lark continued on. She was probably hungry, but she ignored her body’s cues. She was at a loss of appetite. The pain of losing nearly her entire family was inexplicable. She knew that food would be beneficial and is crucial when traveling, but not only could she bring herself to eat, but there was no prey around. They could sense the fire. Lark yowled as her fur got snagged on a thorn from a bush. She set Finch down and aggressively pulled it off, being knocked to the ground on the verge of ending it all. She sniffled and nearly shut down, but she took a deep breath and whispered to herself,

“One, two..” Her lip curled.

“Three, four,” Her tail twitched.

“Five, six,” Her chest felt heavy, but her irritation faded.

“Seven, eight,” With every soft-spoken number, she calmed.

“Nine, ten...”

This was a trick that was taught to her by her sister, who’d learned it from Mother. Mother told stories about her mother verbally abusing her and how she’d used it every time. Then, she told Mouse about the trick as a kit when she accidentally let her prey go. Mouse told Lark the trick when she’d had a panic attack. Lark found Mouse using the technique quite often…

That is, before she was brutally engulfed in flames right before Lark’s very eyes.

Thud!

Lark whipped her head around, seeing the creature who’d landed behind her from a tree.

“You!” Lark gasped. The tom from her dream was standing right there, his solid figure towering over her. She stood on her paws, baring her teeth.

“Well, hello to you, too!” He smiled, showing his gleaming white, sharp teeth. Lark growled, taking a step forward with her ears pinned back.

“I assure you I mean no harm,” He took a step back. But Lark knew this. She felt no fear or uncomfortability. This cat was no normal cat.

“What do you want?” Lark puzzled, her mind whirling. She was so dizzy that she nearly fell over.

“Woah, woah,” He rushed over to Lark and steadied her, “You need some water. I’ll tell you on the way.”

On the way to the watering hole the cat claimed to be taking her to, Lark’s mind was filled with memories of her mom.. and questions about the tom next to her.

“I’m North,” He meows unexpectedly.

“Yeah, and I’m South. Can we get on with this? What are you here for?” Lark remarked snarkily, Finch hanging from her mouth.

“I’m here to help you get to your father.”

They arrived at the watering hole, but Lark didn’t want anything to do with water after it murdered her mother. North urged her to drink, so she stretched her neck out as much as she could so she didn’t have to touch the water. Finch was quick to run right up to the water and gulp down the liquid. She lapped at the deep blue, refreshing water. It was surprisingly calm. There were lily pads and waterlilies, and Lark noticed an antelope far off to the right of them. The silence was serene, and it all just gave Lark an eerie feeling. She could stay here forever.

North helped guide her. He didn’t follow a distinct path, but it appeared he knew exactly where he was heading. A few days had passed since the fire had chased her out of her home. Only Mother knows how far it's gotten by now. North stops abruptly.

“There’s a dog,” He hissed. Lark had never been in an encounter with a dog before. Her heart raced and she unsheathed her claws. She opened her mouth slightly to “taste” the air. There was an unfamiliar scent. No- not scent, stench. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

“C’mon!” He whispered hastily. They swiftly padded over to a mud puddle. North plopped down and rolled all over in it. Once he was completely covered, he beckoned for Lark to do the same. She shot him a look that said absolutely not! And sat down, grooming her silky  gray pelt.

“Lark, get in the puddle!” He snarled as he took Finch and wiped mud on him. She didn’t move an inch. North scooped up mud with his paw and slapped it on her hip. Lark stood up quickly with a hiss. When the wretched smell grew stronger, she gave up and slowly approached the puddle. She huffed and rolled around, closing her eyes and cursing under her breath. Afterwards, they hid under a fallen log that had moss and fungi growing on it. It was surrounded by overgrowth, with long vines of ivy and monstera plants that should hide their scents well. They crouched, watching the clearing and keeping their mouths open to scent the air, and their ears pricked for any sounds of movement. A big, sturdy-looking creature padded into the clearing. It was brown, with queer a queer white marking on its rear end. When Lark gasped, North’s eyes shone with fear and he covered her mouth with its tail. The dog barked and growled, showing its large, sharp teeth. It came hurtling towards Lark and North.

“Run!” North yowled. They raced through the forest, and Lark turned and climbed a tree. North stopped and caterwauled frantically.

“What are you doing? Get up here!” She screeched, dulled by Finch. North nearly tripped over his own paws as he came running over to the tree. Lark’s heart dropped as he climbed. The dog was no more than an inch away from North’s hind legs. He grasped a branch, digging his claws into the bark. He pushed off the tree trunk and held onto the branch with his other paw. He heaved himself up, gripping his hind paws into the branch and pushing himself up. Lark let out a sigh of relief, which was washed away immediately when she saw no longer one but two dogs below them, barking and snapping their jaws as they jumped and tried to get to the cats. The saliva hit Lark, and she jumped, so startled she almost fell off the tree. The only problem was..while she wasn’t the one who fell, North was. When she’d jumped back, she bumped North.

North! Her mind shrieked. Fortunately, he landed on his paws, far away enough from the dogs to give him a chance to run. Just as they were only a couple inches away, ready to slaughter him and feast on the catch, a voice sounded from behind them. There was a human, angrily shouting at their dogs. The human waved their paws, indicating that they were not happy with the canines. They patted their legs and the dogs came running, whining about their lost prey. Once there was no trace of their scent, Lark sprang down, still carrying Finch. She set him down and called North.

Nothing.

“North! They’re gone!”

Also nothing. She tried a couple more times.

Still nothing.

Lark scoffed. He’s probably out somewhere laughing about how Lark will never find her father, and how she’ll get killed before even having the chance.  Then, she heard pawsteps behind her.

The dogs are back? She panicked.

It was North. Lark sighed.

“Come on. Let’s go find your father,” He flicked his tail. Lark’s tail twitched. It’s almost like he’s forgotten we were almost ripped to pieces by those callous, homicidal, ruthless, murderous, bloodthirsty, heartless, merciless, barbaric-

“Are you coming or are you just going to stand around?” North ridiculed. Lark rolled her eyes and followed.

“We’ll go one step at a time. First, we’ll travel to the Valley of Snakes, then we’ll rest by Willow Swamp. The following dawn, we’ll pass by the Oak Forest and your father isn’t much further,” North plotted.

“Valley of Snakes? Willow Swamp?” Lark’s jaw dropped.

“Don’t be too intimidated. I’ve been to those places many times,” North assured her.

“Right..” Lark murmured skeptically. They continued on, reaching the forest border. Lark’s paw pads were sore and on the verge of bleeding. She just wanted all of this to go back to normal, even though she knew it never would after her mother and sisters died. It’d been only days, and Finch was already starting to walk. Lark admired her littermate. His fur was a dark shade of brown, with lighter brown stripes. His eyes were a pretty sage green. Lark was just plain gray with a white tail tip and dull blue eyes. Mouse looked similar to Lark, except she had bright green eyes and white paws. The three of them passed through fields and meadows on their way to the Valley of Snakes. Once they reached the valley, Lark could already smell the vile creatures.

Valley garter snakes and Great Basin rattlesnakes filled the valley, hissing and rattling their tails. Lark noticed a few gopher snakes and copperheads in the rocky hillsides. Wait..copperheads? She panicked and stepped closer to Finch protectively.

“There are copperheads?! Is there any other way to get through?” Lark was instantly overwhelmed.

“Nope!” North continued, his tail up high with his arrogant panther-like strut. Lark growled, exasperated.

“If you want to head back now, you can. I’ll continue and stay in the humans’ cluster of dens. It’s really quite nice there. I’ll get fed and watered, treated like the god I am- while you're back there getting yourself mauled by a bear. Goodluck!” North sneered.

“Fine! Go get overfed and treated just like all the other helpless kits, you pompous, conceited mouse-dung!” Lark hissed..and so did the slithering, scaly copperhead behind her. It was poised, ready to spring. Lark shrieked as it striked, its mouth wide open with its teeth bared. Its jaws land on Lark’s right eye. Already, she could feel the injected venom. She fell to the ground, writhing in agony. She wailed and she tried to pull it off her face. The snake was ripped off, but it wasn’t by her. North stood there with the copperhead hanging from his jaws, limp and lifeless. But Lark only saw a glimpse of it. North was staring at her with an evidently appalled expression swept across his face. Lark was still on the ground, twisting and turning, squirming and jerking her head everywhere. She was squalling about how she couldn’t see and how much it hurt.

“I can’t see! I can’t see!”

North dropped the perished snake and darted over to Lark.

“Stop moving!” He commanded. Lark did the best she could, but she was still crumpled and howling in pain. He examined her eye with a horrified look.

“What? What is it?” Lark whimpered.

“The venom got your eye..”

“No, really?” Lark cried.

“Still manage to be sarcastic even when just bitten by a venomous snake!” North muttered under his breath. Lark watched him snatch a ball of moss from a rock and bounded over to a puddle where a garter snake lay. He avoided the small snake and dipped the moss in the water, watching it soak it up. Then, he dashed back over to Lark and rubbed it on the wound, attempting to clean it. Lark hollered, whacking it off her. North gave her a stern look and continued, pinning her arms down. Lark was overwhelmed with torment. Now that it was clean, Lark could tell it was a huge scar. She clumsily headed for the puddle, and looked in her reflection. She yelped and jumped back.

“One..two..three..” Lark panted, tremendously dizzy as her heart raced. Her chest tightened and she felt like she was suffocating. She finished counting, taking deep breaths which just led to shallow breaths.

“Breathe..” North tried to calm her, taking deep breaths with her. Lark’s eyes snapped shut, which just brought a brief but intense sensation of pain in her wounded eye.

North continued to try to calm her, which eventually worked. Lark had had a couple panic attacks before, but this one had been so much worse due to her eye.

After cleaning and trying to treat her wound, they kept going, with Finch following behind. It’d been a couple hours of talking and deep breathing and rest after they quickly left the valley. Willow Swamp was alongside the valley, so they didn’t have to go far. They found a spot next to a weeping willow and decided to sleep there until dawn.

“Wake up!” a loud voice shouted in Lark’s ear. Lark grumbled and lifted her head, heavy-eyed and groggy. The dawn light was shining through the trees, warming Lark’s pelt.

(Unfinished. Still working on prologue)