Allegiances
You are The Winged.
You do not know it yet, because you are too young - newly born, your eyes tightly shut, nothing makes sense to you except that you are small and something is snug against you, pressed tight to your tiny paws.
You mewl out into this new world of warmth and darkness. Instantly, you are answered by two voices - one from the form you are pressed against, rumbling against you, and the other almost as close.
Later, you will learn these are your parents - The Silky, a caretaker of pups, and The Pale, the leader of the clowder. But right now, to you, they are just the scent of two incredibly comforting presences. Somehow, you instinctively understand that these two massive bodies around you would defend you with their very lives.
There are other scents that come and go, and others that linger - never quite so near as your parents, but more than near enough that you can smell them in the air, inside and out.
One, smelling of herbs, approaches almost as much as your leader-parent. This is not a sickly pup, so there is little need, they note. But still, it doesn't hurt to be sure.
Especially when there are only two pups in the clowder currently to fuss over - you, recently born, and The Broken. They are only 3 months older than you, but so small as you are, their scent looms large in your nose, and their attempts to approach you slightly alarm you.
Their fascination with you stays, however; her longing for another playmate after the older pups reached adolescence without her far outweighs any hesitation she might have had to touch such a small creature, and your mother has to remind them to leave you alone for now, as you are too young to play yet.
Well!! When you're older, The Broken tells you imperiously. We're gonna be the best of friends.
When you open your eyes for the first time, your father trills in proud excitement. Your mother rasps its tongue over your pelt, chuffing softly in amusement, but also similar pride. She has been around many pups before you, but now it is the case that they have one of their own - so your smallest steps out into growth excite them to no end.
There are some scraps of red fur lining the nest, you notice. You sniff it curiously before sneezing, small nose pressing too close to the ticklish source. It's the familiar scent of your leader-parent.
You are still not able to comprehend much, and you will not remember anything of these earliest moments of your life in the future. But even now, as you stretch out your small legs and gurgle milkily to the delighted chitters of your parents, still chuckling over your adorable sneeze, you are starting to know something of life.
Now, you can see the other slugcats look at you with affection in their eyes. And you understand that this attention is good.