Submission (#4509) Approved

From behind the dark clouds, the pale moon peaked out over the snow-capped mountains, casting long shadows from the barren and frosted trees. Subtle sparkles from the light danced from the shadows from the above light and the flickered reflections from the cabin fire. The kittom sat on the covered porch, staring at the track of pawprints leading from the edge to the large pile of wood stacked adjacent to the well. For an adult elnin, it was a quick trip - a few moments at the most. For Sekowei, it might as well have been a trek to the moon.

Words echoed in his head from his grandad about the old stories of Strynhalde during Feyhallow, of the shadow hunters and fae that hid in the darkest reaches of the ancient forests. Shortening of the days would bring them out sooner, and the cold only pushed them to act further. It made him shudder more than the cold could manage. From inside he could hear his mom calling for him to get firewood and his small ears folded behind him as he slowly left the porch. It was tradition for their home to have a fire, not just for warmth but to help banish the evils of the season and bring in Winter.

“Of all the rotten luck, how is it my turn for this?” he felt his paws tremble as he crunched through the snow, shuddering from each new step. In the corner of his eyes, was that movement? he hurried forward and watched as the dark shadows danced and he froze at seeing a long, thin shadow by the well. Suddenly his haunches were up, and his fur stood on end. Silence gripped the area and he could hear a feather drop behind him and he jumped with a turn. The feather was a long, black feather left under a tree and he could hear the laughter of cawing slowly fading into the silent, snowy night.

“Sekowei! The fire is dying!” His father’s voice rang out over the snow.

“Coming!” Sekowei swallowed and his tail wiggled behind him as he moved to the wood pile. Slowly and grabbed a piece with his paws and shoved it into his little sack, putting a couple more in as fast as he could. He mumbled under his breath about his grandad's stories and his grandma’s songs, pushing them out. Usually, he was too busy tormenting his sister to take any of it to heart, but now that he was alone. Alone in the dark. Alone in the dark on a cold night.

He huffed a deep exhale. “Come on…” He fluffed his tail and tugged another large piece of wood. It didn’t budge. “What?” A low growl escaped from his mouth and he reached over to pull it with both paws. Rather than pull with him, it rolled over to the snow with a loud crunch of the white powder, halfway under the shadows of the nearby trees. The fur on his neck stood up and he looked at the bag at his side and over to the house. Slowly, he moved to it, moving into the dark slowly and cautiously looking at the trees. 

<i>Quick and easy.</i> The thought repeated and he pushed against it with both of his paws, sliding it across the snow. Hurriedly, he tried to force it away. Inch by inch with a grunt and a heave. Suddenly he heard a crunch behind him and he stopped. <i>Just… some snow falling.</i> He thought, taking another two steps.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

The noise was louder, closer and he shakily turned to look. He expected a fae… or a shadow hunter creeping out from the trees. However, all he could see were two large prints in the snow behind him, but he was alone. With his heartbeat in his ears, he let out a soft exhale, shaking his head. “Easy does it…” He turned back to his wooden adversary but felt a whack in the face from a long-clawed animal while his heart coughed up into his throat. He let out a scream and rolled away, screaming as he slipped on the snow, running around the yard. “No no no don’t eat me!” 

Slipping on the stairs he fell onto the porch, the firewood clattering out on the porch and he grabbed at the door. “Mom! Dad! Shadow Hunters! Fae! Get the fire!” He cried. Quick crunching footsteps were loud behind him and he saw the shadow of the claw, clenching his eyes tightly as he huddled to the door. <i>This is the end!</i> he thought as he trembled.

“Bahahahahah!” A loud, shrieking laugh filled his ears and he opened his eyes to see his sister staring back, holding a long twig with branches out at the end. “You really fell for it!” She cackled. Sekowei was stunned, staring back at his usual mild-mannered sibling. 

“Y-you?” He stammered, uncurling from his position and staring at the stick. His sister grinned and poked him in the ear again, causing him to jump away again. 

“Me!” She cried out gleefully with a mischievous twist of her ears.

From fear he went to anger, shaking his head. “You…you!!!!” The door behind opened and his dad peeked out, but his fear had evaporated into anger and he gave chase into the house. “Do you have any idea what I went through?! Hey!” Sekowei chased her over the house, only calming down after watching his dad take the firewood from the porch and build a huge fire. With the anger came embarrassment and he stayed close to the fire, sticking out his tongue at his sister who sat gleefully with their mom. 

Somewhere deep inside he was still angry with her, but happy that it had only been the last hurrah of Feyhallow in a prank and not any kind of real thing. That was the true solace of his evening and he stared back at the fire, away from the windows or the outside cold and long, lingering shadows.