Wildcat by Rebecca Hutto

Author:Rebecca Hutto [Hutto, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781733003407
Publisher: Rebecca H.
Published: 2019-06-07T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Cloud

“So fourteen days, you said?” Cloud asked. “They have to soak for fourteen days? That’s impractical if we ever want to make enough for everyone. You’re sure there’s nothing else we can use? Anything faster or easier to make?”

He stared into the specially made clay tanning box that was painstakingly filled with water, tree bark, and pieces of deerskin. He sighed. His breath came out in a puff of steam, like the thick mist weaving in and out of the trees and duel abatises. Morning sunlight cut through the fog, making pristine rays of light scatter through the forest.

Ember sniffed at the water, which bubbled cheerfully beside the fire heating it. “Well, technically it’s only eleven now, but unfortunately, unless you can figure out how to get and use metal, that’s pretty much our only option. As far as armor goes, at least,” Ember replied.

The flames keeping the water from freezing snapped, making her jump. Her fake limbs whirred and whined with the sudden movement. The little fire was contained and controlled in one of the four large, clay half-bowls built onto the sides of the tanning box. Smoke billowed from the flames and steam rose from the water, adding to the intense haze in the air.

‘Those humans had better know what they’re doing. Fourteen days of waiting is a lot of time lost if this doesn’t work. How did they even discover how to do it in the first place? It’s so convoluted and time-consuming, it can’t have happened by accident.’

He placed a paw into the fire-heated water and quickly pawed out one of the skins. It didn’t feel any different than it had the day before, only hotter and maybe a little more wet this time, if that was even possible. He snorted and pushed it back in.

His stomach growled. “Come on, let’s go get some food.”

“Y-yes, sir,” Ember said.

They left the crude ‘tanning yard,’ positioned between the two walls, and re-entered the inner Glade side by side. Ember had given the yard its name, claiming it to be what the humans called such places. Cloud flattened his ears at the thought of the two-legged creatures.

‘Humans. I wish you’d stop comparing us to those humans. I don’t care what they call things or how they do things. We aren’t humans, Ember, we’re cats. Sometimes things are the way they are for a reason. If we keep trying to be something we’re not, we’ll only find ourselves with bigger problems.’ He shook his head. ‘And I’ll never be able to tell you that, will I? No one listens to me anymore. Not even you half the time, now that you’ve got all this.’

“You get to be my patrolling partner again today,” he said instead.

She smiled softly. “Yes, sir. And Hyrees is actually excited about starting his clayworking training, which is great. Everything’s going to go back to normal soon, only better. Also worse in some ways, but the bad should be less than the good if we do everything right.

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