Meow-Productions

The wind tickled twelve ears as the sky darkened. They had been riding all day, and Celia could tell even Aitan was feeling tired. She felt it too: the gnawing tug of exhaustion at the back of her eyes. Dabi was resolutely gliding beneath her, yellow wings outstretched to catch as many thermals as she could, and Laila did much the same to her right. Even Ra had settled down against Dabi’s chest. They hadn’t heard him screech in a good hour or so, and Celia presumed he must be asleep. Oh, to be so wrong. Ra wasn’t just awake; he was a thunderclap. She tried to pin all four of her ears back, but it was in vain. Whatever Ra wanted, he was making sure the rest of the crew knew to get it. Laila resolutely ignored the screams while Aitan held his hands over his drooped ears, peeked over at the baby kise, and began to speak. Celia couldn’t hear the words Aitan was saying and flopped over Dabi’s neck. She was resigned to listen to this until it stopped. Thankfully for her, Dabi’s mothering

Celia pored over the map she had been given. Her friend Aidan stood at her side, and over their shoulders peered two curious kise. She lifted her hand to allow Dabi to nuzzle and lick it, and the bundle in Aitan’s arms screeched. He shushed little Ra at the same time as Laila bent to retrieve the pup from his grasp. She swiftly gave him to Dabi, who began rolling on her back with her charge. Celia breathed a small, cooing sigh and returned to her work. “You must’ve paid a fortune to get this map. It’s so detailed!” She ran her fingers over the paper, amazed at the indentations of the valleys and the ridges of the mountain ranges. Aitan swept his tail across the floor before curling it in contentment. As he bent over the map, he crossed his arms and twisted his headdress. “I didn’t pay a cent, actually: I made it myself.” Celia raised her brows and gave him an impressed downturned-smile. “I’ll have to make sure those two bozos don’t destroy it, then.” She motioned to Dabi and Ra in the

Blue Berry stirred in the rocky nest. The materials used in the stranger’s hovel were unfamiliar to her: scraps of animal fur stretched over thick wads of tree roots. It created an almost uncomfortable tangle of pits and divots that her aching body did not welcome, but she couldn’t deny how well designed it was. It held herself, her sister, her father, and the stranger—who had no qualms with brushing tails and sails, nor seemed to mind how cozy Candy Man had made himself under his furry wing—without so much as a creak. That silence saved her from waking the crew when she slithered from their midst. Once her claws were planted firmly on solid rock, she bent inward and nipped her sister’s ear. “Ow!” Sugar Bean jolted awake, and Blue Berry shushed her. “What the hell was that for?” Berry shrugged. “Thought you might want to join me. I have a score to settle.” Sugar raised a brow at her and glanced back to their sleeping father, still blissfully unaware in their host’s embrace. “It’s only

There was scrubbing outside the den. Candy’s eyes shot open. He drew his daughters close and didn’t dare move further. Sniffing joined claws; each agonizing moment ignited his heartbeat. He didn’t recognize the sound nor the smell. The flash of a pale paw reached his vision, and he tensed. It was feline, its claws slipping into and out of sheathes as the digging continued. Candy Man counted five toes, including the dew claw, on the striped, furry pads. His daughters, now wide awake, counted alongside him. None dared utter a word. A second paw dug into the snow tunnel, and it collapsed. An annoyed grunt came from outside; the family huddled in complete darkness and silence, waiting. Waiting. They barely felt the inaudible footfalls when the claw-owner finally chose to away. Candy Man’s shoddy workmanship had saved them. They remained in careful silence for a little while longer, treasuring the small bit of warmth they had cultivated, before Candy led the charge to unburrow them from

Their nest was warm. The familiar stars sang them lullabies. The night sky shone with a full moon. Its light was crisp, clear, and outlined every single toe on Blue Berry’s foot shoved against Sugar Bean’s mouth. Whispers of a new land had been floating along Candy Man’s routes lately. Even his daughters crossed word of it. It had been quite a few years since they’d begun accompanying him on his gifting trips, and they’d bickered the past few weeks over if the rumors were true or not. Candy Man waddled over and slapped her claws away. She lost balance—cursing— as she sent up a flurry of feathers. Sugar barely contained her laugh. She slow-blinked at their father with a small nod of her head. “If you two are going to keep arguing about this, we’ll just have to go see for ourselves!” He slid his tail across the down to tip his larger daughter back onto her feet. She huffed and glared at him, straightening her back so she loomed over him with piercing eyes. Candy Man just yawned. “But