Fan Fiction request by Saphire Cheetah

Part 1 - The Crossing

Atalie shaded her eyes against the blazing sun, feeling exposed out in the open. She searched across the ground for a certain buck, Gabe, who was supposed to meet her here at the highest point of the sun. She sighed as she put her hand down. He was nowhere to be seen.

Her father came up behind her, and rested his hand on her shoulder. “There’s no need to worry. He’ll be here.”

“I know.” Atalie was still uneasy, restlessly gazing out into the forest ahead.

“Why don’t you have a little to eat? We might as well take advantage of the rest.” Her father held out a small piece of bread, which she accepted thankfully, sitting down in the grass. As she nibbled, she took the time to process what had been happening in the past few days.

There was a fire. Her home, her only home, turned to ashes. Her father had been injured in escaping, and still was suffering from his burns. Atalie had been in the fields, and her brother in the woods, nearly out of earshot. Now thinking back, it seemed all like a blur. Fearsome snarls. Grey fur. Glittering fangs. The clearest thing in her mind was the long days of trekking through the wild underbrush, trying to stay hidden, traveling to any kind of safety ahead.

She tried not to think of the destruction they had fled from. Instead, she let her mind fall back into what usually soothed her; music.

She hummed a small little tune, one of her favorite lullabies. Her eyes glazed over as she thought of the lyrics, the song flowing through her like refreshing cool water. She was tempted to close her eyes, but then the voice of her father broke through her reverie.

“Ah, singing that one, little songbird?” He smiled. He had chosen that pet name for her long ago, when she would sing around the house non-stop. She was little then, and over time she grew more quiet, though she still loved to sing.

“Yeah.” She leaned back against his legs, seeking comfort. He kneeled down and embraced her, like so many times before.

“Are you scared?” Father asked gently. Atalie nodded. “A little.” She didn’t like to admit it, but she was getting increasingly nervous about what may lie ahead. Or, at the moment, if her brother was safe.

“Well, I can’t promise that nothing bad will happen. Nobody can, Atalie.” Her father squeezed her tight with one arm, “But, no matter what happens, you’ll always be loved by me, and by Gabe. Nothing, nothing can take that away.”

Atalie nodded again. She was about to say something, but then heard footsteps approaching. Her father quickly stood, gesturing with his hand for her to stay on the ground. He scanned the woods ahead, then visibly relaxed as Gabe emerged.

“Come on.” Gabe urged them, waving his hand quickly. Atalie stood next to her father, and he grasped her hand as they hurriedly followed Gabe.

They traveled in silence for a long stretch of time, pressing through the wilderness. The ground was cool and soft, with the occasional root bulging from the ground that had to be carefully avoided. The dappled light fell in beautiful patterns upon the leaves that they tread, giving golden hues to their clothes and their fur. Atalie was amazed at how calm it seemed, like the danger was a million miles away. She tried to not be distracted from the task at hand, keeping her eyes focused on the trail that her brother was slowly forging.

Two hours passed, and the sun was beginning to set. The shadows of the forest darkened, stretching out upon each other, until it seemed as if they were in a cloak of darkness. Atalie shivered. The wind moaning through the trees, once so friendly, seemed to be humming an emotional tune. She listened for a moment, then without thinking, began to hum it as well. Her father’s ear twitched at the new sound, then relaxed.

“Found a new tune, songbird?” He whispered. She shrugged, focusing back on her brother.

“I think we’re reaching the ridge.” Gabe called. Atalie went up beside him, and could see, not too far away, a break in the trees opening up to a mountainous region.

“Good, we should be getting close. I’ve heard that it’s somewhere around here.” Atalie’s father sat down with a hard grunt, and Gabe went to join him on the grass. Atalie knelt as well, sighing as the pressure was taken off of her sore feet.

“We should find it by tomorrow, if we make best of that day.” Gabe commented, opening his satchel, then taking a long drink from his canteen.

“We have to be careful. There could still be enemies lurking around, and we’ll be exposed outside of the woods.” Father reached for the canteen, and took a long drink as well.

Gabe smiled, confident. “We’ll make it.”

The next day was spent navigating around large boulders and hugging the cliffside, trying to keep a straight course. Father went in front this time, next Atalie, then Gabe bringing up the rear. The rock was hot, the pebbles sharp, and the wind treacherous. Atalie’s dress would always catch the wind, almost unbalancing her. After only half an hour, she was weary, bleeding from multiple cuts, and stressed almost to the point of crying out. The only thing that kept her going was the sight of her father, never taking her eyes off his back.

They proceeded in the comparatively greener valley, still making a course in a certain direction. The sky was cloudless, an eye-catching blue that would be beautiful to look at. At the moment, Atalie couldn’t think about anything other than how miserable she was. She ground her teeth as a rock bumped her foot sharply yet again. Her brother approached from behind, and laid his hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright, Atalie?” He questioned. She forced a weak smile, and shook her foot to rid it of the pain.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She replied.

“Do we need to stop?” Her father called back from ahead. He looked concerned.

“No, I’m fine, really.” She kept walking forward, but her father did not budge. Instead, he seemed to be looking at the sky. Confused, Atalie turned, but saw nothing.

“Father?” Gabe said. Father didn’t meet his eyes, but held his hand for silence. Atalie shared a look with Gabe, then looked back as her father spoke.

“We’ll stop here to eat and rest, then we’ll head out again.” Father waved for them to go sit down, and proceeded to open their pack. Very little food was left.

“Hopefully we’ll find this place soon.” Gabe mumbled. Father only nodded.

After they ate, they set off again, under the shadow of the tallest mountain. Atalie stumbled along, barely paying attention to her surroundings. She’d hardly had anything to eat in days, and her stomach didn’t even hurt anymore. Her head felt heavy, and her limbs were unsteady. She hid it the best she could, and kept a straight course.

“Tired?” Gabe asked suddenly. Atalie nodded numbly.

“We’ll be stopping soon.”

“Where?” Atalie said. “Where are we going? Are we even going to make it there?”

“We will make it there.” Gabe said firmly. “Don’t let this get you down, alright?”

“But where are we going?” Gabe was silent for a while before answering.

“I’ve heard about a secret citadel in the mountains. I’m not sure where it is, or even what it’s called, but they should be able to help us.”

“If they exist.” Atalie grumbled.

“Atalie—“

“I know, I know. I’m just… so tired of walking. I can’t stand the thought of walking forever, of always—“

“Quiet!” Father hissed. Atalie was startled. Had she upset him? He wasn’t looking at her, he was looking up again. He paced around her, back to where Gabe stood. He was still for a moment.

“What is it?” Asked Gabe. Nothing. Atalie moved closer to the two bucks, confused.

Father’s head whipped around, and in a flash, he grabbed Atalie and began to run. He shouted in a desperate voice, “Hide! Get under a ledge! Now!”

Atalie couldn’t process the danger quickly enough. She allowed herself to be dragged several steps before she began to run as well. Gabe was close behind, a grim expression on his face. Then, she heard it.

A hoarse cry came from the sky, screeching and terrible. It made Atalie’s blood run cold, and nearly froze her legs. Father seemed to detect this, and pulled at her harder, urging her on.

“It’s a falcon!” Gabe cried, running faster. They both seemed more concerned for Atalie’s safety, pushing and pulling her to get her under a ledge. She heard a loud beating of wings, then the sound of something coming towards them at a terrifying speed. It was enormous. It screeched again, Atalie clawed at her ears in pain with her free hand as she ran. She was too scared to make a sound.

“Under there!” Father shouted. A larger ledge, big enough for all of them to fit under, was only a short dash to the right. They all skidded underneath, roughly hitting the rock behind. The falcon came crashing through only seconds after, its wingtips brushing the stone on either side. Atalie covered her mouth, trying to keep from whimpering. It was like a living nightmare. The beast was larger than any creature she had ever seen, covered in soot-colored feathers. The eyes were cold, calculating. The beak was deathly sharp, and eager for more prey.

The only sound came from the bird and the three rabbits as they tried to regain their breath. The ledge did little to hide them, and it wasn’t long before the falcon’s eyes fell upon them.

It gave another hideous scream, springing towards the narrow ledge, talons outstretched. Atalie backed up as close to the wall as she could muster, her eyes bulging and her teeth rattling. The noises of the bird as it tried to fit in a too-small space was deafening. It came over and over, never stopping its attack.

She could finally take it no more. Atalie dug her fingers into her ears and screamed as loud as she could. She let out all the air in her lungs, her nails digging deeper into the flesh on her head. She trembled uncontrollably, and gasped for breath. Her eyes wouldn’t close. Gabe’s arm was around her, Father was clutching at her hands, restraining her. She only stared ahead, breathing shakily as the unreal terror went on before her.

A claw shot into their small space. Father shielded Atalie with his body, taking the blow on his side. Gabe yelled in fury, whipping out his knife. He struck it as hard as he could muster, digging the knife deep. The bird screeched in anger, retracting its foot, taking Gabe’s knife with it. There was blood all around them. It wouldn’t stop.

Suddenly, there were shouts heard. The falcon was retreating hastily, twisting and crying in pain. Atalie could hear a struggle, and the voices of many other rabbits. Eventually, they heard a low rumble as the falcon was overwhelmed by the attack, and came crashing down through the rocks. Feathers twirled in the air, and descended gently upon the corpse and the area around.

An armored rabbit, looking to be around Father’s age, loped over to them from behind a boulder. He had a fresh wound over his eye, but seemed unconcerned about it. He worriedly peered in at the family.

“Are you alright?” He held out one hand, and Gabe took it gratefully.

“I’m a little shaken, but none the worse.” He replied. “Please, could you care for my father and sister?”

“Of course, we need to get you all in as soon as possible.” He sighed and shook his head, his drooping ears slapping at the sides of his face. “There are so many refugees flooding in from the Afterterrors. It’s a crying shame that this all has to happen.” He helped Father to his feet, wincing when he saw the gash. “Oof. That’s gotta hurt. The healers should be able to take care of that soon enough.” He turned to Atalie with a look of utmost kindness. “You must be the one we heard screaming. I imagine this must be terrifying for you. No worries, you’re safe now.” He offered a reassuring smile, which Atalie shyly tried to return. Her heart was still quaking in her chest from before.

More soldiers appeared from the rocks, helping support Father and guide Gabe and Atalie down the narrow trail.

Several hours later, Atalie, Gabe, and Father were changed, bandaged, and fed. Atalie had nearly recovered from her scare, but was still a little quaky. Nothing seemed to feel real. She wasn’t scared, it was a little more of a numbness. She nibbled at her seed bread, trying to get her mind off of the past few days. Her eyes started to slowly close, her mind wandering. She blinked a couple times, then her eyes shut before she even knew it. Gabe’s elbow prodded her suddenly, bringing her back to being fully awake.

“You should probably get into bed.” He suggested firmly. Father nodded, also looking tired.

“We should all be getting some rest.” He grunted and sighed as he heaved himself up from his chair, and they all followed him to the spare rooms within the mountain. A friendly guard showed them the way to their rooms, and they all settled down for the night. After snuggling under the covers, Atalie hummed quietly to herself until sleep overcame her.