Archive of Our Own

Now that big warm one is flat on the ground.

Two grim beasts crouch there at her sides. Their mouths shine red in the next flash of light, wide teeth huge and sharp. The sounds are wet, the worst she has heard since the loss of the strong one. He who got them food and kept them safe. The day he fell, it left just the two of them.

There is a snap, a cry of pain. She bites back her gasp of fear. Wide, wet eyes stare at her. The big warm one’s mouth spills red too. Then, with a stern, grim voice, last words are said.

“Run.”

One strained breath and then those kind eyes she loves dim for good and she lays there, locked up tight in fear. A sob builds in her throat and then one of the beasts shifts. A long, lean neck moves as if to find her in her bed.

One more flash lights the cave, and a clawed foot takes one step, it moves slow, it moves close.

She runs, just like her loved one said to, short legs quick and tucked tight as she goes. The ground is slick with mud and the wet grass clings to her as she sprints through it, far far from the beasts, far from her home. The sky cries with her, rain thick as it falls and soaks through her fur, spills down her face and from her eyes and in her mouth. Each crack of light shows her the way and each loud boom screams for her, her mouth wide but all the sound trapped in her throat.

She runs and runs and runs, and then, she stops. Drenched and cold and with no one else. They’re all gone.

Now it is just her.

The warmth is gone. The soft voice is gone. No more arms to hold her close, to wrap her tight. She is so scared. This is the first time she has been out of their cave with no one else at her side to keep watch. She has not been here, it all looks strange. She is lost. It is all lost.

Near is a big wide leaf, it is like her cave, it blocks the rain. She crawls there, her legs and wings full of wet and cold and she shakes so hard, eyes still wet and her throat tight. She has no voice now. It’s been ripped from her.

She hides and shakes all night, til the sun comes up red and bright. The rain stops but still she hides, here in the place like her lost cave, the leaf all she has.

A stick snaps out of sight and she grows stiff once more.

More beasts, she thinks, eyes sore but still wide. The things are far but they come close quick, so she shrinks down as much as she can. The things are loud. The noise comes from far to close, strange legs come from the trees. She sees them and holds her breath. Her claws sink in the dirt and her wings tense.

The leaf moves quick and she can’t move, too full of fear, her heart once more loud in her chest.

“Ah!” comes a shout, strange to her ears, not a beast’s.

She looks up. There are two things. The long ones, the ones who chase with sharp sticks. But there are no sticks this time.

One of them is sharp and bright, a pale pink all up and down and no fur, but white fluff on its head. It stands back, red eyes on her but not cruel.

The one who made the shout stands near, this one is brown and has lots of fur. One of its arms comes down and she gives a hiss, fear sharp once more, eyes shut quick. No more hurt, please, she can’t take more hurt.

But there is no hurt. A soft touch on her face makes her look up. The thing strokes her cheek soft. There is warmth in the touch. Then she is pulled up off the ground and her wings flap out in shock, but she is pulled close to furred one’s chest and wrapped in long arms. It is so so warm, she can feel it through the cold wet of her fur.

He shows his teeth but it does not make her full of fear. These are not like the ones that hurt. There are lines around this one’s eyes when he shows his teeth, and it makes her feel safe. There is warmth here, it builds in this one’s arms and makes her eyes shut once, twice, thrice. The night was so long and she can’t fight the pull of sleep as it tugs at her.

“Aww, look, so cute,” says the furred one down at her. His voice is kind. “Let’s take home.”

“What!? No!” says the pale pink one, voice high and sharp. “It will eat us when it gets big!”

The warm one purrs down at her. “No, I think she will be good friend. A sweet girl.”

Still held in those warm arms, there comes more cheek pets that scritch down to her chin. A purr builds in her chest too, eyes shut tight now. The strange sounds of the long ones a low lull as she warms and calms.

“Please, Star?”

“Ugh, fine, but you have to feed it.”

The warm one makes a shout again and the arms give her a quick squeeze. “I will feed her the best meat, all she could want.” Then there is more warmth on the top of her head as warm one’s face comes down to press his mouth there, on the ridge of her snout.

There’s a quick grunt and long sigh. “You like that thing so much, why need me then?”

Warm one’s voice goes most soft yet. Hard to hear. “She is new friend, yes, but you, Star, you are my mate. She not take your place in my heart.”

The pale pink one does not speak back, but, she feels him step close. There is a wet suck sound as they touch mouths. Then pale pink one speaks low. “Good.”

Things shift as the long ones both start to move, their strange legs loud through the tall grass as they go. She is held close and warm, eyes wet once more but not with sad. This feels good. It feels safe.

It feels like home.

She curls deep in the strong arms as much as she can.

“What we call her?” Warm one asks. “I like Tah.”

“Hmm… No, I like Rah.”

“Rah? No no no, Tah.”

“What you mean no? Rah is good. Is best!”

“Tah is best!”

“No, Rah!”

 “Tah!”

“Rah!”

“You dumb!”

“No you dumb!”

There is no more noise for a long time as they walk. Then warm one speaks.

“…Tah Rah?”

“…Yes. Tah-Rah good.”

Art by: Dumptruck