Submission (#8768) Approved

Rain splattered his fur as he stumbled his way over gnarled roots and drenched undergrowth. Water slipped past his cheeks and clouded his vision. His teetering balance in this slippery weather was every sign for him to turn back, scribbled in a bright warning that this was no place for a Kittom to be.

Harper grabbed the drawstring on his raincoat, tightening it. Rainwater had rolled under the hood and began to soak into his ears. It was a pretty awful sensation, but it was something expected when he decided to run into the storm in the first place. Nervousness danced with his senses as the winds drowned out his hearing and water washed away all scents. He stared ahead through the forest of rustic trees, their usual bright red and orange colored leaves drained of color by the shade of thunderclouds. Where could he have gone? Harper shook his foot to rid of browned leaves stuck to his sole. Was an hour really enough to lose someone in these woods?

The rain was warm, fortunately. It was a summer storm.. but he knew the longer he and the other Kittom was out, the more risky it would get. What was his name? Silver..? No.. It was something else. But he was determined to bring him back. Nothing in his heart could sit right with the idea of willingly giving up on a lost Kittom. How could the others? How? Why? Just because he was a little too rambunctuous to handle? Just because they think he deserves to learn a little lesson?

He panted for breath as his exhaustion creeped in from lugging around his soaked fur.

Was it because nobody liked him?

Harper never got close to him either, nor did he enjoy the disturbances he created.. it'd be hypocritical of him if he said otherwise. And for everyone else, they seemed to feel the same, but was that really all it takes to leave him behind?

He couldn't bear to agree with them.

That would be a horribly selfish thing to do.

Even if the storm posed a dangerous risk to Harper's own self too.

He brushed past the bark of a soaked birch tree, pausing to read the trail marker to ensure he didn't go awry himself. He turned to stare down the sunset-colored foliage and gulped. The forest of Bellmoril, once cozy and enveloping, was no more than a maze of weeds and hidden paths in the moment. But a glint caught his good eye. He pushed on deeper into the woods after it.

What Sil..Silverwhat'shisname didn't account for, when he ran off from the chapel, was a tear in his bag. Shards and fragments of his broken glass had been falling out, littering a trail that glittered when lightning struck through the sky. Hurry, he ushered himself, before the last shard drops and the trail goes cold. Down through the browned blades of grass, sliding past thin white branches that hooked anything that ran past it.

He yelped loudly when his paws felt the brief sensation of air and he wildly grabbed at anything to stop his fall. The glass shard went over.. and... pulling back his wet hair stuck to his face, he saw him down at the bottom of the ravine. The platinum-haired Kittom he had been searching for, lying in the mud, caked with debris. It wasn't that steep it would cause major injury, but if he had fallen without realizing, he could assume he would've also been knocked stunned.

"H-Hey...!!" He gasped through his pants. "Hey, can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Lighting cracked at the end of his voice.

"... What?"

"You're alive!"

"... Am I not supposed to be?"

"Stay there, I'll get you out-" Harper frantically tore open his supplies. It was hard to see anything, but he found it through the texture quickly. Water wicking his fingers, the rope, and the bark just made it more challenging to grab hold of though, but with the rope end's easy hook system, he threaded it through. With the rope then fastened around his own waist, he crawled towards the edge of the short cliff.

He shall drop down and get him, yes. The drumming of his heartbeat raced in his ears as he turned to climb down. He tried digging in his shallow claws into the wet earthen wall, but they were much to short to provide much help. One step after the next didn't give him clarity on his progress either. The muddy feeling under his palms was nothing but repulsive.

Harper glanced over his shoulder to see his distance, but the action cost his balance. He let out a grunt as he fell over, not actually that far from the bottom.

"Why'd you come down here?"

The russet-furred Kittom opened his eyes to see the other staring back up at his face.

"Did'ja never let the thought cross yer mind I didn't want to be followed?"

"You left a trail." Harper stated.

"... Maybe I did."

"C'mon. I'll get you out of the mud." He slipped his hands under his shoulders, readying himself to pull him out. The other Kittom tensed up at the sudden movement under himself.

"Quit it, man, you're never gonna pull me out like this."

"I.. will....!!" Through clenched teeth, he pushed his paws into the wet mud, fighting to use the opposite force to get him out. He heaved his body up a bit further to regain grip. With a grunt drownes out by the rain, he fell back against the rocky wall, Kittom freed from the bog. As he gasped for breath, the taste of rainwater filled his mouth. Thunder echoed in the distance. Even if they made it back up, it was obvious their exhaustion would take them before they could make it to safety. "... Crap..." he covered his face with his hands, "what should I do now?"

The 'rescued' Kittom seemed limp for a little bit within his arms, but then made the effort to sit up. His expression lingered on solemness, before turning around to speak to him.

"I guess I got you ta worry about now."