The Start
Silver was a very curious kid. He loved to explore and learn about the world but it was limited due to his young age at the time. He always had a strong sense of justice and the desire to help others. Silver often spent his free time running around to help mediate conflicts within the village he lived in. Around age 7, he started worshiping the god of law, Tyr. It just made sense to him and his mother encouraged it, being a former paladin for Tyr herself. He made it his mission to train as hard as he could and help end conflict anywhere where he could find it; to help as many people as possible and learn more about the world on the way there.
When Silver turned 18, his mother knew that she couldn’t keep him here any longer and she needed to let him go fulfill his dreams. Every time she saw the glowing cracks embedded into his fur like a brand she was reminded how dangerous the world could be; but when she looked at how far he’d come she knew he was ready to leave the den. With a final hug goodbye, Silver set off on his quest to serve Tyr and help restore the world to peace.
The Journey
It happened on any other day; Silver was running around the town, solving issues and exploring nearby market stalls when something loud caught his attention. He ran closer to the noise and recognized it as shouting, mainly 2 adults arguing with each other. Everyone in the vicinity kept their heads down and ignored it, not wanting to get in the middle of the disagreement. Silver lights up at the opportunity to help solve an argument and restore peace to the village. He runs up to them and tries to talk but the two are in their own little world and don’t hear or acknowledge Silver at all. He tries to give a loud yowl to get their attention, it ends up coming out more cracked and high-pitched than what Silver was hoping for but it worked nonetheless. The couple looks over at him, one with a merciless glare and the other with a softer, more confused expression.
“Uhh… Hey um, I saw you guys arguing and I thought I could hel-”
“Fuck off kid can't you see we’re trying to have a discussion?!” He yells, stomping closer with every word.
“Oh but you guys were fighting and I know how to fix it,” Silver said, stars behind his eyes and a smile on his face.
“Oh yeah? You think you can fix it” The large snow leopard says with a big grin, picking Silver up by the scruff of his neck, “You think you can go around and solve everything? That might work playing with your little toys but not in the real world kid. You need to learn that sometimes, sometimes, you can't fix everything with a nice discussion and a happy ending.
Learn that now kid and learn it well. You’ll never do great things if you think that’s the way to solve it. Now run off back home and maybe consider doing something actually worthwhile instead of running around being a problem.”
He drops Silver and stomps off somewhere deeper into the village. His girlfriend just gives Silver a pitying look and runs after him. Silver blankly stares at the ground trying to process no longer being scruffed and the hurtful words that were said to him. He eventually regained some clarity and with it came a torrent of thoughts, the ones he tried so hard to bury and lock away. He’s right, he’s right, he’s right. I’m such a disappointment. Why did I think I could ever accomplish anything?! Mom was so good at it, I’ll never live up to her and even her oath was different than mine. Why did I go down this path I’ll never amount to anything. I’m such a failure.
As his thoughts continued to race and get more and more upsetting, tears started to well up in his eyes. Silver was jolted out of his thoughts when his hearing returned and was acutely aware that he was still standing in the middle of the village. Before any tears could fall, he ran as far as he could. Every negative thought was drowned out by the wind ruffling his fur and the sound of snow crunching under his paws. He eventually made it to the tree line that surrounded the village but kept going, deeper and deeper until he collapsed on the ground, not noticing the odd circle of mushrooms as he lands in the middle of them.
He pants and tries to assess his surroundings but before he can register anything the ground falls out from under him and everything goes black.
Silver returns from the feywilds changed from the once energetic and starry-eyed kid into something more cold, something more distant, something more… lost. Alongside his return, he was accompanied by dark black cracks etched into his fur like a brand and an eerie iridescent swirl in his eyes. His mother and sister were worried sick when Silver didn’t come home after sunset and everyone they asked said he ran into the forest. Their search was fruitless as Silver was not even in the same plane as them.
He didn't talk much about what happened or where he was for all those months. All he said was it was a bad place and he was scared. As time went on Silver slowly started to forget what transpired in the feywilds but the emotions stuck with him, just thinking about it filled him with dread. His mother and sister were his biggest support system during that time; even his brother went a little easier on him after that.
Slowly but surely, he healed.
The scars marring his fur like cracked porcelain slowly turned from a bitter black to eventually a bright white. Both Silver and his family were happy to see them slowly start to change over time and Silver was even able to learn to channel his magic through them. He was proud of how far he’d come since all those years ago, scared and alone, lost in a place where no one could find him. The nightmares never left however; stuck as a permanent reminder along with his cracks. He’d never admit he was still having nightmares even after all this time. His family seemed so proud of his improvement and he couldn't disappoint them.
The Unknown
Silver blinks awake to find himself still in a snowy forest but something feels off about it. The air a little too suffocating and the snow a little too pristine. An icy breeze ruffles his fur as he rubs his eyes and checks his surroundings for danger. As he looks around there's… nothing. In the dead quiet Silver wonders if this is just a really weird lucid dream or if everything he's seeing is real. Getting up and dusting snow off his clothes, he makes his way to where he thinks the village is. If this is just a dream he should be able to find it easily and everything will be okay. He starts walking, and walking, and it never seems to end. I should be there by now. Why am I not seeing it? Where am I? Someone please help me…
The more distressed Silver becomes, the area around him seems to mirror it; the once pristine sparkling snow turning to an icy sludge, the tree branches sag, and any somehow surviving flowers begin to wilt. He doesn’t notice any of this though as his pace begins to pick up. Wind cutting through his fur, making his eyes sting a bit, he keeps going until eventually stopping in a clearing. There's nothing particularly special about the area; the ground is covered in a thick layer of snow that sparkles in the warm light and large taiga trees surround the area like a protective barrier. The only thing of note is a stray hollow log nearby. Silver walks over to it; finally happy to have a place to rest and a good place to hide just in case. As Silver crawls into the log, his ears perk up at the sound of a door opening and a voice.
“Oh well, isn't that curious?” The voice said in a smooth tone.
Where did they come from? There weren't any houses around unless maybe I didn't see it but I'm pretty sure I'd see something like that. Also what is someone doing out here, there's no other people nearby do they live alone? Are there others? Please Tyr, please protect me… I need you… please.
Too lost in thought, Silver didn't notice the approaching footsteps or someone sitting on the log he was hiding in. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the voice spoke again, much, much closer than he remembered.
“It is a truly magnificent day to be outside and relax. Just me and the trees, no other inane disturbances or stupid little children playing where they're not supposed to” The voice said with a hint of annoyance in its tone.
A rush of realization hit him all at once of the precarious situation he got himself into. A pit of dread formed in his stomach as he tried to stay as quiet and still as possible as the person continued to ramble pretentiously. It’s fine they don't know I'm here. I’ll be okay, please Tyr. I just have to wait it out. They’ll leave and I can run far far away from here. I can leave and go home and-
“Ugh it's no fun when they’re not scared” the voice scoffed before a boot slammed into the old rotting wood.
Silver gave a muted yelp and scrambled to get out of the log. Rushing out and towards the woods, his arm was caught by a strong meaty grip. As he attempted to escape, Silver finally got a good look at the person grabbing him. Their skin was a pale blue with long white hair cascading down their shoulders. Their attire seemed normal besides the large icy sword hilted to their side and a magnificent black cape with snowflakes on it. As Silver looked at their face he was met with empty white eyes and a bitter, cold smile on the man’s face.
“Oh there we go, that's the feeling I was looking for” Their smile growing a bit wider.
“Uhh! Hi, sir uhhh… I really didn't mean to bother you or anything I swear! I was just a little lost and um do you know where my village is? Again I really didn't mean to intrude on you or your… home I think I just… need some help” Silver said, losing confidence the more he talked.
The man’s face changed to a more curious expression “Aww seems the poor bunny got lost. Well how about you come inside; I'll get you a nice warm drink and then I'll help you get home”
Silver’s face fell “But my mom’s gonna be really worried about me I think I should really-”
“Nonsense,” They say as their grip tightens around Silver’s wrist, and with it, black cracks began to sear into his fur and skin like a brand. It burned as it spread across his whole body like broken porcelain. Silver struggled more and more in the man's grip but it was too much. As his vision darkened, the last thing Silver registered was the sound of a deep chuckle and being dragged across the frozen ground.
And everything went black.
Silver woke up on a surprisingly comfortable surface with a blanket draped over him. The rush of relief felt dizzying as he realized it was just a weird lucid dream. He goes to move his arm but it sends shooting pain throughout his body and his eyes snap open. The black cracks are still there; it was real. Oh stars, oh stars, no no no, this can't be happening. It was supposed to all just be a dream and then I would wake up and it would be all over. Why haven't I woken up yet?
“Oh good morning, you slept a while,” A familiar voice said, startling Silver out of his thoughts. It was the same man from earlier.
“Uh… hello sir, where are we?” Silver asks hesitantly, still trying to process his current situation and surroundings.
“I saw you passed out outside and in a lot of pain so I rescued you and brought you to my cabin,” The stranger said with a soft smile on their face, handing him a mug of some kind of steaming drink.
Silver finally got himself to sit up and accepted the mug while looking around the cabin. It was quaint; with clean stone floors and nice wooden walls, the sound of crackling fire and a nice cinnamon scent filled the room. He held the mug between his paws and swirled the liquid around a bit, getting lost in thought as he did.
“Is it not to your liking? I’m sure I can get you something else if you so desire”
He jolts at the words and sets aside his musings in favor of being polite. Bringing it up to his mouth, he’s immediately met with the flavor of warm lavender and something else he can't put his paw on.
“Thank you,” Silver says and smiles gratefully at the man.
They respond in kind “Of course dear, just relax while you recover and I'll take care of everything else”
Silver nods and continues taking sips of the tea as he looks out the window. Something’s off. What am I missing? What am I doing here? How did I get here? What happened? The questions continued to plague him but he didn't dare say them out loud.
“Is there anything I can do for you kit? You look troubled” They said sympathetically.
Kit? Kit… What does that remind me of? Kit kit kit… Where have I heard that from... MY MOTHER OH STARS HOW DID I FORGET! No, I'm not supposed to be here. I need to go, I have to get out of here. Please Tyr I need your light and guidance, please please. His thoughts raced trying to think of a way out here, preferably as quick as possible. He shook off the thoughts for now though. My chance will come later, just like how Mom taught me.
“Oh, no thank you. I think I'm just still a little tired and out of it.” He replied, giving them a small smile and setting the mug down on the side table nearby.
The man got up and headed for the door; “Alright well, I’ll let you rest for now and check back in later” they said, closing the door behind them. The room was plunged into silence and Silver was left by himself.
The door was locked from the outside, because of course it couldn't be that easy for him.
His time came about a week later. Throughout this time, Silver learned the man’s name was Frost and that they were also once lost here but decided to settle down and make do with the cards they were dealt. They looked to be doing pretty good as well seeing how the cabin was very well maintained and the kitchen always stocked with fresh food. Frost tended to his wounds every morning and night with a curious salve Silver had never seen before; They made him delicious food every meal; and always kept the fireplace stocked with wood. It was almost nice. Silver had to harshly remind himself that he wasn't supposed to be here. He already had a loving family, a warm home, and a life outside of these four cramped walls.
That morning was interrupted by a loud bang outside followed by more sounds that Silver couldn't quite make out. He kept his eyes shut and pretended to be asleep but stayed alert. He could hear Frost rummaging around the cabin when another loud sound went off, shaking the walls a bit as it did. Frost cursed in a language Silver had come to understand as celestial, and raced out the door, not even bothering to lock it this time.
Fear and excitement racked Silver’s body as he realized; this was his chance. He carefully but quickly got up and made his way to the door. The cracks were healing slowly but it was enough to not hinder him too much. Pushing the door open was met with no resistance this time and Silver slipped out. He crept as fast as he could without making any noise before booking it when he knew he was in the clear.
He ran until he couldn’t anymore and collapsed on the ground; his lungs burning as he panted harshly. The icy wind continued to russle his fur as it always did and it was surprisingly comforting to him; no matter how much he had changed, there would always be a few things that stayed the same, reminding him that it would be okay. Hopefully.
Finding a way out was harder than he thought but after almost a day of searching, he finally found something resembling a portal. Silver immediately ran in, happy to finally be home, but something felt different. Energy thrummed under his skin in a way he’d never felt before, his thoughts felt cloudy, and everything just had a sense of wrongness to it. He tried his best to shake it off but it wouldn't go away as he tried to make his way back to the village. The more he walked, one nagging thought made its way to the forefront of his mind.
Why am I out here?
All he remembered was running out here and something bad happening; a place that filled him with dread and… joy? He didn't want to think about why he felt like that. He tried to focus on the task at hand and thanked Tyr for helping him through whatever happened.
Now, to finally go home.
The Aftermath
Stumbling into the village, Silver slowly made his way back home. He didn't remember why he was here or why he felt like this but he knew he needed to get home, that would solve all of this. He didn't notice the stunned looks or gasps of shock as he staggered through the street. Despite the radiating pain, he manages to make it home and all but falls through the door, feeling nothing but relief at finally being home and safe. Silver hears the sound of rushing paws against wood but his vision is fading fast as black spots cloud his sight. He can barely make out the figure of his sister before he gives in to the darkness.
“SILVER!”
Waking up is an unpleasant experience; from the comfy nest of pillows and blankets to the bone deep soreness that spread through his whole body, making him feel lethargic and tired. He feels soft paws brush through his tail making him feel even more tired “go to sleep kit its okay.”; and with that Silver couldn't help but give in to the call of sleep.
The second time waking up is a little easier, feeling the soothing chill of his mothers healing magic coursing through him. He cracks his eyes opens and squints at his surroundings; he's in the family nest with his mother sitting next to him, watching over him. She smiles as he opens his eyes and speaks in a soft tone “Hey kit how you feeling?”
Silver goes to respond but all that comes out is a garbled mess, a result of his scratchy voice and jumbled thoughts. Love chuckles a bit at his attempt and hands him a glass of water which he downs quickly, making a slight mess of the fur around his mouth that's now drenched. Love laughs at his impulsiveness and subsequent mess but gets a towel and dries her best to dry his fur. Silver’s ears flatten against his head from embarrassment as he tries to bat the towel away from his face “stoppp momm its fine just leave it alone.”
Love giggles at her kid’s antics, even with him being gone for 3 weeks and something clearly happening to him nothing could take his lovable little quirks away from him. She feels a surge of joy and relief just seeing him back safe and can’t help but smile and laugh at every little thing he does. “Your face is drenched kit, that can't be comfortable”
Her giggles stop when she notices Silver tense up and get an uneasy look in his eyes, gone is his playful embarrassment replaced with something much colder and distant. Her face grows more serious, the towel and mess long forgotten.
“Kit? Are you okay?” she says as she lightly pets his ears, trying to comfort him the best she can without knowing what's wrong but his mood only worsens at that. Tears gloss over his eyes and he starts to shake a bit. Love immediately goes into protect-comfort mode tenfold as she brings him into her lap and holds him close. The dam breaks and Silver sobs. Loud and unrestrained crying that never seems to end; a much needed release of every emotion he felt for the past weeks, and Love holds him through it all. Silver felt like his world was crashing, like he’s breaking, but his mom still held him together like a lifeline. Eventually, his sobs tapered off and tears slowed although it's hard to tell as his fur is even more of a mess with both water and tears soaking it. Silver pulls back and Love lets him, looking into his eyes as she does.
“Uh… sorry mom i uh… i don't know why I cried . I'm sorry.” Silver muttered, his eyes casted down.
“Ki- Lovely it's okay I promise. Was it something I said or are you just feeling a lot right now?”
“Um… I think both? I don't know you called me kit like you always do and I felt this bad feeling for some reason and and I don't know why cause I love when you call me that, what changed?” Silver stutters out, looking on the verge of tears again.
Love goes back to lightly thumbing his ears as she talks and Silver untenses a bit. “It's okay we’ll figure it out alright? I hate to ask right now but do you remember what happened? You were gone for weeks cub, we were all really worried about you and it's not like you to run away like that.”
Silver tries his best to recount what happened the past… WAIT THREE WEEKS?! I THOUGHT I WAS GONE FOR A WEEK! Silver looked up at his mom slightly alarmed “three weeks? I was only gone for a week, what do you mean?”
Love looks down at Silver again, surprised by his statement “Maybe it's best if we talk about this later. I'm sorry for bringing it up. You need rest and your fur dried off, then when you wake up i'll make you a nice dinner and we can talk more about what happened. Does that sound okay cub?”
Silver nods in lieu of a verbal response and Love goes to wipe off his face with the forgotten towel, Silver only grumbling a little bit as she does but not putting up much of a fight this time. “Thanks mom.”
“Of course cub”