The Swallow

 The Swallow

by bramblecat part of stories of flame

Prologue ~ I'm Sorry
''“Hirondelle! Hirondelle, can you come here,'' my sweet? There’s something I need to tell you.”

A dark head shot up from the three kits that were playing nearby from the cat who had called. “What? Does it have to be now? Regen and I are having an awesome fight!” the kit called, as she took aim at her dark gray-and-white brother nearby.

The cat who had spoken first, a blue-silver she-cat, nodded. “Yes, Hirondelle… now.” Her voice was slow, soft.

Hirondelle looked annoyed at the she-cat’s comment. “Fine, then. Regen can play with Nuage,” the kit mewed irritably as she padded up to her, tail raised. “What is it?”

The blue-silver she-cat sighed. She didn’t want to break the news to her. She didn’t, but… this was the thing that she’d been told to do, for the kit’s sake… for her mother. This was for her real mother.

Kereru, the she-cat, knew that she’d appreciate it later.

“…Now, Hirondelle, I don’t know how happy you’re going to be about this…” Kereru started, her voice still quiet. “…But I have to do this. I’ve been told to do this by another cat, and –”

“Another cat? Who?” Hirondelle interrupted, the dark-furred she-cat rearing up onto her hind legs. “Was it Ombre?” Her tail waved slightly at the mention of her so-called father, while she landed back on her front paws, blue eyes fixed on Kereru.

The blue-silver she-cat shook her head. “…No, it wasn’t Ombre.” Kereru winced at the mention of her mate: Regen and Nuage’s father. “It’s a cat you don’t know – who I don’t even know.”

The she-kit paused, confused. “…That’s weird,” Hirondelle complained, her dark tabby head cocked to one side. “…Why do you have to tell me something that some random cat told you?”

“…She told me to tell you this,” Kereru sighed slowly. Now was the time she’d have to tell her daughter… her adopted daughter the truth. “Hirondelle, I’m not your real mother.”

For once, the kit was silent, staring at Kereru with a confused glare. “What – what do you mean?” Her voice was strained, her blue eyes clouded.

Kereru let out a long sigh. “…I’m sorry, Hirondelle.” Her tail swept in the direction of her adopted daughter, who took it: Hirondelle seemed too much in a daze after this information. “…You’ll appreciate it later… and I really didn’t want to tell you.”

And for one long, quiet moment, the two cats were right next to each other, looking so uneasy about everything.

Both were pained about what was said that day. Kereru was pained by the fact Hirondelle may not ever find her mother… she feared for her.

However, this wasn’t her choice… and she had to accept it.

Chapter One ~ One Wish
Twenty-seven moons later…

“Hirondelle!”

My adopted brother’s head shot up from where he was sitting. Regen’s yellow eyes seemed alight as they set on me, something in its depth that I couldn’t see. “It’s nice of you to pay a visit,” the tabby-and-white tom added, looking interested.

I flicked my tail. “Not for long. You know that… Where’s Kereru? I want to ask her a question about something.” My voice, I realized, was sharp – maybe a little too bitter in its tone.

Regen, however, didn’t appear to have noticed, but his eyes seemed to darken slightly. He paused, for a moment, thinking, before shaking his head. “Good question, Hirondelle. Where is my mother?” He sounded slightly strained at this, as if there was a word that he didn’t want to say there.

I was sure I knew what it was.

Yes, we’d been raised together. Yes, we were kinda close. But there was something I couldn’t ever get off my mind – we weren’t related, as far as I was concerned. No – Kereru, although raising me, had told me that she wasn’t the cat who had given birth to me.

I’m happy that she told me when I was young, though. If she’d told me later… I’m sure I would’ve been hurt more than I had.

While I was off in thought, Regen had turned behind him, and had called to his sister. Now as I drifted back out of my thoughts, I could see the pale gray shape of Nuage lifting her head in response. “What is it?” she mewed sleepily.

“Nuage, Hirondelle is wondering where Kereru is,” Regen mewed briskly. “I don’t know where she is, though. Do you know –”

Nuage interrupted her darker brother with a snort. “You never pay attention, do you? Kereru told me she’d gone for a hunt.” The she-cat paused to sniff. “She should be back any minute now. She never goes out for too long, especially now as she’s starting to age.”

“Thank you, Nuage,” Regen mewed, rolling his eyes at the last bit as if it was obvious. Turning back to me, he added: “There you go. Goody-two-paws Nuage has told us where Kereru is. Now, we shall wait until she returns.”

I rolled my eyes at my adopted brother. “Whatever, Regen.” Turning my back on him, I too waited silently, waiting for the cat I wanted to talk to come so that I could see her.

There was something that I needed to ask her.

I wanted answers.

I, Hirondelle, wanted to ask a question that Kereru had always kept silent: who my parents really were.

It was something she rarely had mentioned, if at all. Of course, Regen and Nuage knew the truth – they had been told about me not being their sibling by blood – but apart from that, none of us spoke a word of it. After all, I was – in a sense – part of their family through all of this. I was part of them. I thanked them a lot for that.

After all, if Kereru hadn’t taken me in, I would have no family.

“…Hirondelle?”

A voice, slightly raspy with age, interrupted the stony silence. Turning, I saw a faint flicker of blue-silver at the edge of my vision, and as I rose to my paws and got closer, it was none other than Kereru herself, who had come and faced me. “It’s… been a while,” my adopted mother, stated, looking me over.

I sighed. “Yeah, I know,” I mewed, feeling a little embarrassed. “I came because… I wanted to ask you something.”

At once, I noticed Kereru’s aqua-blue gaze darken. “...About what?”

There was no point in hiding the truth. I knew that. My adopted mother wouldn’t let anything stay away from her. “I…” I murmured, looking awkwardly at the ground. I had become suddenly nervous… which was quite unlike me. “Kereru, I… I want to know about my real parents. Like, my birth ones…” Looking off to the side, my voice faltered.

I could feel Kereru’s gaze burning into my pelt. “…Oh, Hirondelle…” I heard her sigh softly. “I never wanted to…” A pause. “I… I know very little about your parents… but I guess it may help you if I tell you what I know of then.”

Raising my head, I turned to face Kereru. “I’d appreciate that.” Looking to the side, I saw Regen and Nuage nearby, who had probably heard the whole conversation I’d had with their mother. “Can we talk… away from Regen and…”

I didn’t need to finish my sentence. “As you wish, Hirondelle,” she purred, before turning slightly. “Let’s go now, shall we? Knowing you, you won’t stick around for long.”

I nodded briskly. “Yes please.”

And at that, the two of us left the area, and wandered off into the forest, so that I could hear the little that Kereru knew of my parents.

''I hope it helps. I… I really want to find them, know who they are. It… it hurts, not knowing who they are.''

Chapter Two ~ Answers, Answers
tbc