The cliff looms above you, jagged stone cutting into the sky. Your tiny paws cling desperately to the rough rock, claws scraping as pebbles tumble past and vanish into the fog below. Your chest heaves every breath feels too big for your small body.

Above you, Flamepaw has managed to reach a narrow rocky outcrop so small it barely fits one cat. The stone juts out just enough for his front paws, but his hind paws have nothing solid to rest on.

“Hold on,” he pants, voice tight but determined. “I’ve got you.”

As he shifts his weight, trying to pull himself higher, his back legs begin to tremble.

At first it’s subtle just a faint shake, like leaves in a weak breeze. But as Flamepaw pushes harder, stretching upward, the trembling grows stronger… faster. His hind legs quiver uncontrollably, muscles straining as they search for grip that isn’t there.

Small stones crumble beneath his paws.

Flamepaw grits his teeth and pushes again.

His back legs shake violently now, rapid and uneven, the effort making them threaten to buckle. Even his front legs begin to tremble, shoulders shaking as they struggle to hold his weight and yours.

“Almost!” he gasps, claws digging deep into the rock. His legs won’t stop shaking. They rattle beneath him, exhaustion making every movement uncertain.

Below him, you squeak softly, your tiny claws slipping.

Flamepaw’s legs tremble harder as panic flashes in his eyes but he doesn’t let go.

“No,” he growls through clenched teeth. “I won’t drop you.”

With one last desperate push, his shaking legs scream in protest, trembling so fast they blur…

And the cliff seems to hold its breath.

The stone shifts again beneath Flamepaw’s paws.

His back legs are shaking badly now, trembling so fast they can barely hold his weight. The tiny outcrop gives him almost nothingjust enough space for the tips of his front paws. His hind legs scrape uselessly against the cliff, quivering, threatening to slip.

You squeak as your claws slide.

Before fear can fully take you, Flamepaw dips his head.

Carefully so carefully he closes his jaws around the loose skin at the back of your neck, the way queens carry their kits. His grip is gentle but firm, steady despite the way his legs are shaking.

“Easy… I’ve got you,” he murmurs around you.

With your weight now hanging from his mouth, his body strains even more.

His back legs tremble harder, muscles fluttering violently as he tries to push upward. The shaking spreads through his whole frame his front legs begin to quiver too, claws digging deep into the rock as his shoulders shake under the effort.

His legs won’t stop shaking.

Each breath he takes makes them tremble faster, the rapid shuddering threatening to pull him down. His paws slip just a fraction and he growls softly, fear leaking through his determination.

“No… no, stay with me,” he whispers, legs trembling uncontrollably now, every muscle screaming as he forces himself higher.

Pebbles rain down.

Flamepaw pushes again harder.

His hind legs shake violently, almost buckling, even his front legs rattling as he hauls both of you upward inch by inch. The cliff scrapes his pads raw, but he doesn’t slow.

Not while you’re in his jaws.