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WARRIORS
(Outcasts)
STORM
BREAK
It’s Alex here, and finally I can get “Outcasts” underway. This is the story of three of my own cats from the Tribe of Whistling Grass and the Tribe of Raging Wind (named fondly after my mentor). The p.o.v.’s shall be told from each the three cat’s perspectives: Crescentmoon, Brassfur and Firetail. I’ve decided to give it a series name, which will be WARRIORS (OUTCASTS), and consist of four titles: Storm Break, Journey’s Conquest, Reunition Of The Three, and The Silver Warriors
The idea came to me after we read up on the Tribe of Rushing Water in Moonrise, Dawn and (soon!) Outcast with Brook and Stormfur. A lot of customs were left unexplained, and for my own characters I decided to come up with customs for the Tribe they belong to.
WARRIORS and the idea for the Tribes are copyright Erin Hunter. The warriors in this story belong to me. Plenty of purrs to Sam, who helped me come up with the lives of Hawk Flying Through Air.
- a l e x
A
L L E G I A N C E S
THE TRIBE OF WHISTLING GRASS
TRIBE-HEALER (leader and medicine cat for the Tribe) WATCHER OF THE LONG GRASS (GRASSWATCHER)—scarred brown-and-white swirled she-cat with pale amber eyes
PREY-HUNTERS (toms and she-cats responsible for providing food)
SHRUB WHERE SPARROW ROOSTS (SHRUB)—lithe tabby gray tom with a white underbelly
EAGLE ABOVE ROCKY AERIE (EAGLE)—long-limbed black she-cat with glossy opaque eyes
PATH WEAVING INTO MOUNTAIN (PATH)—gray (with darker flecks) tom
WATER TRICKLING FROM BOULDER (WATER)—creamy white she-cat with brown eyes
CAVE-GUARDS (toms and she-cats responsible for guarding the cave)
STORM ON SOUTHERN HORIZON (STORM)—big white tom with green eyes
INDIGO SKY AT DAWN (INDIGO)—handsome ginger tom with a bushy tail and yellow eyes
WIND HOWLING LIKE WOLF (WIND)—black and gray tabby tom with round ears and a bushy scruff
KIT-MOTHERS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
HYPER VOICE RINGING OFF CLIFF (HYPERVOICE)—distinctive short-furred gray cat, black striped across her fur, with scarred throat (Kits: Crescentmoon)
SHADOW CAST OFF BADGER’S FLANK (SHADOW)—feathery- whiskered ornate black cave-guard (Kits: Cinnamon and Brook)
WILLOW WEEPING ON BREEZE (WILLOW-WEEP)—pale gray she- cat with amber eyes
TO-BE’S (young cats training to learn to protect the cave as a cave-guard, or feed the Tribe as a prey-hunter while training to earn their full name)
ROAR—short-furred muscular pale ginger tom with a stubby tail; a to-be cave- guard
OWL—pretty black she-cat; a to-be prey-hunter
TAIL AGLOW LIKE A FIREFLY’S (FIRETAIL)—handsome flame- coated tom with stocky muscles (Grasswatcher’s disciple); a to-be tribe-healer
LYNX—dusky gray tabby tom with broad shoulders and unusually long tail; a to-be prey-hunter
THE TRIBE OF RAGING WIND
TRIBE-HEALER TELLER OF THE CLOUDED SKY (SKYTELLER)—gray-and- white she-cat with pale amber eyes
PREY-HUNTERS
TREE SEARED BY LIGHTNING (TREE)—brown tabby tom with pitch black eyes
COUGAR PATROLLING CLIFF SIDE (COUGAR)—dark gray tom with a back paw missing
SCRATCH PARTING GINGER SHOULDER (SCRATCH)—pale white she-cat with ginger splotches
OAK BARE AGAINST WINTRY SKY (OAK)—lithe brown tabby tom
CAVE-GUARDS
POOL BESIDE WATERFALL (POOL)—gray-blue she-cat with silvery muzzle and whiskers
WHISKERS FROZEN TO ICICLES (WHISKER)—pale tabby tom with blue eyes
STARS GLITTERING AT MIDNIGHT (STAR)—pretty silver she-cat
FROST GLAZED OVER SMOOTH ROCKS (FROST)—bristle-furred white tom with a bluish tinge to pelt
KIT-MOTHERS
BITE FROM BEAR CUB (BITE)—beautiful brown prey-hunter with an ear missing (Kits: Wolf and Skunk)
TO-BE’S
ADDER—flat-faced mahogany tom with deep heather-colored eyes; to-be prey-hunter
FINCH—golden tom; a to-be prey-hunter
BRASS—rusty red she-cat with creamy muzzle, paws and tail-tip; a to-be cave-guard
ANCIENT-ONES (prey-hunters and cave-guards, now retired; also called “sages”)
STREAM WHERE HERON FISHES (STREAM)—murky gray (with lighter flecks) she-cat with long talons
LICHEN DRAPED ABOVE CAVE (LICHEN)—unusual tortoiseshell tom
Customs of the Tribes
At birth, the tribe’s healer decides wether a kit is fit or not to learn defensive skills to fight and block in combat to protect the Tribe, or wether he or she is better suited for bounding over the moors and cliff sides, tracking, and hunting even the harsh conditions of winter.
Once decided, the kitten normally waits six moons on average to receive permission to join patrols, hunt, fight, and learn to protect their homage. To-be’s are not assigned mentors; instead of working one-on-one with an older cat, Tribe cats learn to move as a whole and work together, as their ancestors had to many seasons ago. Cooperation is vital.
To-be’s destined to a specif area learn skills potential to their area; prey-hunters slick their fur in mud on the open cliff side, or in the valley bellow disguise their scents in the wild gorse by rolling in sage, moss and brush. Most prey-hunters are built slim and fleet with thick pads, perfect for running over rugged terrain or remaining still and silent. They are constantly exercising their stealth, patience, and agility with other prey-hunters. They receive enough battle training to protect themselves.
Cave-guards are lean, stocky and well-muscled, perfect for roughing out of trouble and fighting off enemies twice their size. They have short, thick fur, and sharp senses (and claws!). Mud-slicked, they join hunting patrols to watch the skies for birds of prey such as owls, hawks, eagles, vultures, and any other carnivorous footed or winged creatures that might pose a threat. They hone their battle skills, and are taught enough hunting practice to survive in the cruel grasp of winter.
To-be’s receive their full name, the extension part, when the senior cave-guard, prey-hunter, and tribe healer agree he or she has learned enough.
Direct apprenticeship only consists with a Tribe’s healer and a single to-be. They are given a name ahead of the other to-be’s, and when the current tribe-healer dies, they change their own name to either: “watcher,” “seer,” “healer,” “speaker,” “teller,” “whisperer,” “thunderer,” “traveler,” “seeker,” “sayer,” etc.
The territory is two long extensions of mountains ranges. The valley below contains a tiny Nofur town (humans) and beyond it, a valley with tundra and few trees. The first level of hills is where Nofurs sometimes hike. The center section is steep with mountains far above the shelter of trees. In cold weather there is often a light snowfall. Higher up the two peaks the mountains endure the harshest weather and terrain imaginable of all. The two Tribes inhabit the middle section of the mountains in caves, their territories split in half along the mountain by a long running falls that drops into a gorge at the base of the mountains into a pine forest and rapids, eventually carried out to the Nofur town.
Sorry if the description is sketchy. I’ll probably draw this out later or something.
Once a month, they meet at the two adjoined territories and climb the summit of the mountain territories about in sleet, snow and hail, to the cave where water leaves and forms the falls that rule down the mountainside: there are two shallow clefts that allow passage into the cave on either side of the pouring river. Inside, the Tribes meet (like any gathering at Fourtrees) and share news.
The inside of the cave reaps with warm underground springs, that keep Tribe cats warm during their night together.
Due to weather, it is custom the two Tribes spend the night, then at dawn, journey back to their own territories. (Far-safer a journey in daylight then rambling blindly down a cliff at moonhigh.)
The Healers, whenever their Cave of Pointed Stones-place/area runs with water, also hold Tellings with their Tribes (as shown in Moonrise, a ritual I have adapted here). (Both Tribes have a sacred spot like this in their own territories and meet apart at different times. The pools fill depending on when the Tribe of Endless Hunting wishes to speak the loudest.)
The Tribe of Whistling Grass meets in a cave that strings away from the main one where they make their den; it empties out near the edge of the cliff, stones rising from the floor and roof creating a window that allows one to see outside. Moss grows here.
The Tribe of Raging Wind also share similar customs closer to the high-point of the mountain; part of the river that does not run off the waterfall joins a smaller tributary and creeps down a shallow cliff that leads close to the Tribe of Raging Wind’s cave. A pool forms in a sand basin between two large rock expands. The tribe-healer keeps watch for when it freezes over and expands into pools.
A major event in the life of the Tribe cats is an initiation, or passage of rights all cats within the Tribe take. These events dictate a cat’s future in the tribe. Kits are brought forward to be trained as a cave-guard or prey-hunter. Sometimes kits can request what they want to become (free will is important!) Though they are mainly destined for a specific life due to their abilities.
Sometimes the tribe-healer will select a kit they see might make a good tribe-healer, normally one who is spiritually aware of his or her ancestors, compassionate, keen to plants and vegetation, holds a respect for all other life and survival around them, and keen to deal with wounded Tribemates. This is the only direct mentor-to-apprentice lineage. They might also pick a cave-guard or prey-hunter they see fit to succeed them. They are brought to the Cave of Pointed Stones area for initiation.
Tribe-healer to-be’s receive basic fighting and hunting skills. They take over an earn a full name from the Tribe of Endless Hunting when the current tribe-healer passes on or retires.
To-be’s, when the senior cave-guard, prey-hunter and tribe-healer agree, receive a ceremony that gives them the full extension part of their name.
There are also ceremonies for oncoming kit-mothers, retirement to a sage, name-changing ceremonies, honorary departings in death, the welcoming of a foreign cat into the Tribe, and the (uncommon) change from cave-guard to prey-hunter, prey-hunter to cave-guard, et cetera to tribe-healer and so on.
That basically covers all Tribe traditions that I can think of. Now...to the dictionary!
TRIBE DICTIONARY
Tribe-Speak
beetle-brain: an insult similar to ‘mouse-brain’.
bear-dung: an offense much stronger than ‘rock-head.’
blizzard summit: the mountain range of the two joined territories; known to the Upwalkers as the Glacier Mountains.
Cave of Forest Stones: the name given to the cavern that leads to the Tribe of Whistling Grass’s pools and Telling area.
Cave of Winded Stones: the name given to the cavern that leads to the Tribe of Raging Wind’s pools and Telling area.
caught-prey: fresh-kill
cave-guard: cats responsible for protecting the cave and other cats of the Tribe.
claw-moon time: crescent moon or first quarter moon.
divided-moon time: half moon
eagle-scrap: the equivalent to crow-food.
fox-length: three feet
freed-water season: spring
frozen-water season: winter
Forest Cavern: a hidden refuge at the foot of blizzard summit in the sparse forest. It is a cave winded from an ancient river that curves deep under the mountain...
Heat Cavern: the cave at the summit of the mountain where the full-moon Meetings are held.
Icicle Cavern: a legendary cave from ancient Tribe mythology where the great snow-spotted leopards of ancient times once dwelled. Its current existence is questioned and only alive in legend.
initiation: a passage kits and to-be’s take to become prey-hunters, cave-guards, and even tribe-healer. The Tribe version of a ceremony.
frog-step: one inch
Meeting: a Gathering held every full moon between the Tribes.
moonfall: near-dawn
moonrise: early night
nightrise: midnight
Northern Lights: every freed-water season and trapped-water season, the two longest periods of time each year (as summer and winter are short) for three nights the sky becomes a dark ribbon of blue, purple, indigo, sapphire, emerald green and crystal-white. To Upwalkers, it is known as the aurora borealis. It is rumored that on these nights the Tribe of Endless Hunting returns to earth to gather with lost kin. It is also believe more sinister cat-spirits are also granted privilege to return...
outsider: a loner or rogue cat.
Owl Barn: a barn near the edge of the tundra, home to a variety of snowy owls and other grazing animals raised by Upwalkers such as cattle and dogs.
prey-hunter: cats responsible for providing food.
rabbit-leap: five feet
running-water season: summer
rock-head: a more offensive insult that ‘beetle-brain’.
Sky Trail: the tribes’ version of Silverpelt; the home of the Tribe of Endless Hunting
shed-pet: the Tribe’s word for “kittypet,” referring to the cats that the Upwalkers keep in their sheds and barns to scare off predators that steal cattle and eat mice.
sharing: the Tribes, due to the shortage of food, have created a system of splitting catches between two or more cats than eating a single meal to one’s self, ensuring full bellies for all.
sunrise: dawn
sundown: dusk
sun-height: afternoon
to-be: another word for apprentice.
the giving of close comfort: sharing-tongues; a ritual where cats groom each other.
tribe-healer: the Tribe’s medicine cat and leader, a worthy combination.
Tribal Code: similar to StarClan’s “warrior code.” It demands of a Tribe cat obedience, loyalty, faith, kinship, and sharp minds. There is also a deeper magic to the Tribe of Endless Hunting’s laws that may be better left unexplained...
trapped-water season: autumn
tail-length: one foot
Telling: an individual meeting held between all members of the Tribe every time the pools in the sacred area of their ancestors fill; time is at random when the pools fill with melting snow.
The Tribe of Endless Hunting: the Tribe’s spirit-ancestors who walk in the stars. All Tribe cats join them in death.
The Place Of Gathering Darkness: home to a different set of dangerous, more violent and malevolent ancestors; similar to the Place Of No Stars.
The Tribe of Pelting Snow: the name of the single-dominant Tribe of snow leopards that once thrived in ancient mythology many long seasons ago.
trice-moon time: three-quarter moon
Upwalker: human
whole-moon time: full moon
Creatures
Of Glacier Mountain
To
hunt, to fear, and to respect.
arctic hare: small-framed and small-eared rabbit with black ear-tips. Its pelt becomes a russet brown during the short summer, then becomes white for the remainder of the year. This is a favorite catch of prey-hunters, as it offers good chase over the tundra, pine forests and mountain side. Grab it quick before it reaches its burrow!
arctic fox: a long-furred, slim creature that has fur colors ranging between gray-blue and white, it is a scavenger though is known to hunt. It steals kits if not watched carefully. They live in burrows.
arctic ground squirrel: the arctic ground squirrel can be recognized by its beige and tan coat with a white-spotted back. This squirrel has a short face, small ears, a dark tail and white markings around its eyes. They’re berry and grass eaters, and hibernate during the frozen-water season.
bear: the birds of the trail, these massive creatures are many rabbit-lengths over. They have short, round ears and dark ginger to gray fur. Extremely fierce. DO NOT cross paths with this fierce mother or her cubs unless you want your pelt ripped off. They hibernate in winter and autumn. Carnivorous.
bass: length normally ranges to one tail-length. These muddy green and black-striped fish are a valuable source of prey.
cows: large, stocky animals with brown, black and white splotches. Milked by Upwalkers. Harmless.
common birds preyed upon by the Tribes: geese, ducks, sparrows, robins, northern cardinals, blue jays, crows, ravens, bramblings, finches, and chaffinches.
char: these deep-water fish are rarely seen, but their tough hide is a very welcoming tangy flavor to the Tribe’s diet when caught. They range from bright reds to pinks and grays.
caribou: these typically large deer travel in small herds. Smooth fur, with a thick scruff and white underside, these antlered creatures are basically harmless. The only risks come from stampedes, or an angry deer charging with its horns lowered.
dogs: Upwalkers often take care of tamed dogs ranging in many coat colors, lengths, sizes, and pelt lengths. They guard their masters, look over Upwalker territories and guard animals such as sheep, cows, deer and birds. Threat to cats crossing open moor and tundra near the Upwalker town.
eagles, hawks, and vultures: eagles are an inhabitant of the low mountain ranges and pine forest, mainly fish eaters—and sometimes an unwary mouse!—though can be dangerous. Hawks are highly dangerous, as they not only feed upon food that the Tribes depend upon for survival, but also dive-bomb any unsuspecting cats on the icy cliff sides. Vultures scavenge off of the dying, sick, and dead—not as major of a threat as other birds of prey, but still to be cautious of.
horse: stout, long-limbed four-legged animals that range in color from gray, white, brown, black, and red. They are often ridden on by Upwalkers.
lynx: dense silvery-brown coat, ruffed face and tufted ears. Mainly rodent eaters, though have been known to take down much larger creatures. Tribe cats have little to fear of these animals, as they more dwell in the pine forests at the foot of the mountain and near the Upwalker towns, stealing cattle. Their population is lesser in comparison to the Tribe’s numbers.
lemming: small, have long, soft fur and very short tails. Active all year round in all divisions of the mountains.
mice and rats: both prey, they have fur ranging from white to light gray. Only rats are a real threat, as their bites can sometimes cause infection.
minnows: minuscule silvery fish a kit-step in length.
pike: large, olive with yellow-flecked flanks, this carnivorous fish is a danger that cave-guards keep a watch for when prey-hunters fish along river banks. They grow a full rabbit-leap.
ptarmigan: these white-and-brown birds are recognized by their thick plumage and croaking calls. Eaten as prey.
sheep: woolly animals, often described as “clouds with legs” that graze on the moor and tundra fields. Heavily guarded by Upwalkers and their dogs.
skunk: noxious black animals with white stripes over muzzle, back and tail. They spray odors when threatened, but are no further a threat to the Tribes.
salmon: long, silvery-red fish that travel up river every freed-water season to breed. Bears, lynxes, birds of prey, fox and cats enjoy the sporting game of catching these animals.
snowy owl: white bird with dark scalloping over wings, face and tail. It has yellow eyes and wickedly curved beak and talons; nocturnal; primarily rodent eaters, thought might attempt to steal kits.
trout: a diverse species of slim fish in all colors; highly nutricious.
vole: small rodent often eaten as prey
wolverine: a stocky and muscular animal, glossy brown hair with stripes of dull yellow along the flanks. Its fur is long and dense and does not retain much water, making it very resistant to frost. Herbivore.
N O T E
wolves: though not to say these creatures do not exist in this habitat, perfect in every way to support their rugged lifestyles, but they do not care to make appearances among the two Tribes, as it can become violent, and both know to keep a distance. The white arctic wolves of Glacier Mountain choose to thrive at its peak in the harsh ice storms all year round, hunting moose. The Tribe cats are accustomed to hearing them howl at sundown.
Medicines,
Herbs, and Valuable Plants
A
way of self-defense and protection through more than just physical
strength, but with mind, spirit, selfless care and healing herbs.
aster: pink-leaved flower used to soothe sore throats.
arctic poppy seeds: collected from dried arctic poppy, used to treat shock, numb pain and ease cats to sleep. Not recommended for resting kit-mothers.
arctic willow: low-lying green-leafed plant with shallow, thick roots and a sprouting clump of tiny flowers. Roots chewed properly create a strong poultice to be applied to wounds.
bluebell: small, bell-shaped sky-blue flowers that can cure coughs. Must be eaten in small doses.
blueberries: oddly enough, the small, bitter-flavor oval leaves soothe anxiety. Berries can be used in other herb mixtures to take away bad taste.
fireweed: very leafy purple-flowered plant. Young shoots can be collected and used to treat bites and infections. Purple flowers have a heat to them due to their growth close to Heat Cavern which is kept warm with pine bark. (See N O T E S for its appliance.)
goldthread: long, stalky white star-shaped flowering plants used for strengthening herbs. (See reference below.)
honey: though uncommon in the arctic areas, it can be used to soothe sore throats and encourage cats to eat medicine. Blueberries are often a substitute for this hard-to-come-by substance.
liverwort: the feathery branches range from yellowish green to a red-brown color. It grows on rocks in large clumps, and can be chewed and applied to scratches.
moss: great for bedding and collecting water.
pine bark: the sappy material underneath the bark is great for preserving prey and plants.
red currant: a low-lying shrub with heart-shaped leaves, purplish flowers and red berries. The highly bitter berries help with bellyaches and breathing. The leaves can be used for strengthening herbs. (See reference below.) DO NOT EAT FLOWERS: highly poisonous.
salmon berry: leaves are minty-flavored, coarsely veined and toothed. It’s sour berries help bring down fever and leaves are useful for supplying milk.
soopolallie: many-leafed dark green plant with bright red berries. Seeds (picked in trapped-water season), when kept cold, can be used for strengthening herbs. (See reference below.) Berries are highly nutritious.
tufted saxifrage: three-lobed, hairy and stiff leaved-plant that grows in thick clusters with straight stems and creamy flowers. Leaves bring down swelling when applied.
yarrow: flowering yellow plant whose extract can be made into a poultice that makes victim vomit to extract swallowed poison; poultice can be applied to wounds for poisonous infections.
N O T E
night-seeds: known to humans as yew, it is fatally poisonous to sages and kits. Grows in clumps on bushes. The berries are pitch-dark and scarlet.
frostbite cure: currently the Tribes only know how to stop it from spreading further along the body rather than curing it completely. To treat the area infected finely slice fireweed flowers and pulp them with soft river-clay to harden the frostbitten area in a warm casket that dries in a few hours. Chip off clay poultice and supply the victim with cool water and salmon berries to bring down fever. When fever dies down, give poppy seeds to numb pain enough so that you can quickly work at biting off the ruined area. (Normally paws, tail-tip, or ears.) Very few cats survive this treatment, though it does work. They normally retire and are honored for their survival.
labrador tea: this plant has woolly, leathery-green tendrils. It is identified by the leaves that are smooth overtop and bristly underneath. The white, tiny flowers produced are highly poisonous.
cobweb replacement: since cobweb is unavailable in the mountains snow and packed ice is often used as a coating for wounds.
strengthening-herbs: a mixture of red currant flowers, soopolallie seeds, and goldthread flowers. A very potential energy-restoring herb that can be applied after chewing to a fine pulp and wrapped in salmon berry leaves.
Fighting
Techniques
Maneuvers
passed down from generation to generation: to fight with physical
form and heart. Regrettably, even in times of peace cats are still
born with claws and teeth for a reason.These
attacks go beyond basic fighting skills.
back kick: roll off to the side on your back and kick with your hind legs before springing onto paws again.
blitz: run straight at your opponent; let them counterstrike, and side-step at the last possible moment to rake claws down passing flank.
bear crush: with pin-point accuracy topple your opponent over with a crushing weight to the back or front.
cover-coat: using mud and the snowy, rocky background as a camouflage, keep one eye half open and spring at your attacker as they move pass; remain silent and still, as though you were hunting.
dog-pile movement: best used for to-be’s. As a group, encircle your attacker and claw, scratch, bite, leap and pummel your opponent under a wriggling mass of cats to both confuse and overwhelm the other fighter.
eagle-dive: an attack normally consisting from a high vantage point or lengthy jump onto another cat’s back or shoulder blades. Unsheathe claws and hold on tight!
front flip: tuck into a ball and roll forward at your opponent’s legs; with muzzle or front paw, cannon into the other cat and bowl them over from underneath.
heron snatch: claw repetitively over face, ears, or any part of body you can reach. Claws unsheathed.
partner fighting: cats who have trained and hunted together instinctively fall into place and fight normally in unison, pace-for-pace with similar motion. Highly tactful.
scruff shake: grab other cat’s neck and bite or shake your opponent while clawing.
tail-snatch: pin hindquarters with claws and firmly catch other cats’ tail in mouth.
throat snap: this move should only be used as a last resort. If correctly performed, grasp throat tightly and sink teeth in until you hear a snap, meaning the braking of the neck; instant death.
wolf howl: screech at the top of your lungs before entering a battle; if successfully done, it can unnerve other fighters and cause snow to topple down in mini avalanches.
Hunting
Techniques
A
way to surviving in the mountains and not starve, even on the coldest
of nights.These
go beyond the basic stealth and crouch routines that accommodate
hunting.
camouflage: the numbing cold of the mountains is often grays, browns and whites. If you can blend in by dressing your fur in mud, remain silent, that’ll allow prey to come toward you rather than revealing your position before you’re within a tail-length of it.
OPTIONAL: allow a bird of prey to swoop down upon the animal you’re tracking first, and launch yourself at it to get the bird and smaller catch.
fishing: in addition to birds and tiny mammals, fish are also partial to the Tribes’ diet. By coating pelts with mud, crouch along the riverbank and wait till you see fish surface. Slash out paws and hook fish just above the water’s surface, bringing them ashore for a quick bite.
OPTIONAL: some cats also prefer to swim in the chilling water to take on larger fish. It is best to attempt this without mud, as it can wash away in the water and fog up everything below the surface (rather dangerous if you can’t see). Before launching yourself head-first, have a cave-guard close by before gazing into the deeper beds and pin-pointing your prey. With practice you’ll be able to throw yourself underwater, latch onto the chosen fish, and bite into the gills to suffocate your fish. Paddle up to the surface with the assistance of another prey-hunter or cave-guard.
N O T E: when fishing or hunting on land, make sure there is always another cat keeping a lookout for animals such as bears and lynx, hawks and eagles, and pike, which take a fancy in the unsuspecting young cat along the river’s edge.
Initiations
The
passage of rights that all kits, to-be’s, tribe-healers,
prey-hunters, kit-mothers, and sages take, vowing to mark their roots
to one specif task for the rest of their life. These are the
ceremonies of the Tribes.They
are not always followed word-for-word.
FWI: This is the summoning used to address cats at the front of the cave: “Cats of my Tribe, come forward, so I may speak to you all news most important at this meeting!”
Kit to To-be
Tribe-healer: “Tribe of Endless Hunting, I beseech you, for there is/are a kit/kits before me who wish to take part in the circle of life that is your will, as full members of the Tribe, and train in your noble ways. Name of senior cave-guard or prey-hunter, do these/does this kits/kit posses the capability, endurance, patience, wisdom, love, and spirit to train as acave-guard/prey-hunter?”
Senior Cave-guard/Prey-hunter: “Yes, he/she/they do/does.”
Tribe-healer: “Than, with my authority to speak on behalf of the Tribe’s will, grant you that permission to allow his/her/their training to commence. Name of kit(s), you shall be (a) cave-guard(s)/prey-hunter(s). May the fellowship and spirit of the Tribe go with you, and grant you their support, so that you, like the bud, will grow and in mind, body, and spirit and blossom. Name of cave-guard/prey-hunter, look after him/her/them and train him/her/them as if they were your own son/daughter/children.”
Tribe: –chants name of to-be–
To-be to Cave-guard
Tribe-healer: “I, shortened name, tribe-healer and leader of the Tribe name here, call upon the Tribe of Endless Hunting to hear me when I say this/these to-be(’s) have/has worked hard to uphold the ancient laws and codes that have governed these mountains long before I was kitted. Name of senior cave-guard and name of senior prey-hunter both agree with me in performing this initiation. In their turn, allow them to fully achieve their destiny for all the service they have given our Tribe. To-be(’s) name(s) here, do you promise you take full fledge in your roll as a cave-guard, to protect the innocent, fight for the proud, and follow your heart?”
To-be(’s): “I do.”
Tribe-healer: “Then by the powers of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, I give to you full cave-guard status, responsibilities and name(s). Name of to-be(’s), from this moment on and forever more, you shall be known as full extension of name(s). May you continue to learn and progress over time, and achieve growth with your personality trait and personality trait.”
Newly-named cave-guard(s): –licks tribe-healer’s shoulder–
Tribe: –chants new cave-guard’s(s’) name(s)–
The cave-guard(s) then sit vigil outside the cave for the remainder of the night until dawn.
To-be to Prey-hunter
Tribe-healer: “I, shortened name, tribe-healer and leader of the Tribe name here, call upon the Tribe of Endless Hunting to hear me when I say this/these to-be(’s) have/has worked hard to uphold the ancient laws and codes that have governed these mountains long before I was kitted. Name of senior cave-guard and name of senior prey-hunter both agree with me in performing this initiation. In their turn, allow them to fully achieve their destiny for all the service they have given our Tribe. To-be(’s) name(s) here, do you promise you take full fledge in your roll as a prey-hunter, to hunt for more than just prey, help with survival during hardship, and follow your heart?”
To-be(’s): “I do.”
Tribe-healer: “Then by the powers of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, I give to you full prey-hunter status, responsibilities and name(s). Name of to-be(’s), from this moment on and forever more, you shall be known as full extension of name(s). May you continue to learn and progress over time, and achieve growth with your personality trait and personality trait.”
Newly-named prey-hunter(s): –licks tribe-healer’s shoulder–
Tribe: –chants new prey-hunter’s(s’) name(s)–
The prey-hunter(s) then sit vigil outside the cave for the remainder of the night until dawn.
Well-wishing of a New Kit-mother
Tribe-healer: “The name of Tribe here has been blessed this moon for there is a she-cat among us ready to have kits. By naming a new kit-mother, this marks that our Tribe will continue to prosper and the Tribe of Endless hunting bring you beautiful kits that will grow strong and live well.”
Tribe: –murmurs congratulations and chants new kit-mother’s name–
Retirement to Ancient-one
Tribe-healer: “Name of cave-guard/prey-hunter, is it your wish to give up all full-fledged responsibilitiesthat have been bestowed upon you, to rest for the remainder of your days as a sage?”
Cave-guard/Prey-hunter: “Yes, it is.”
Tribe-healer: “Then may you have many seasons of rest and a long life yet to come, on my word, and with the permission to speak on behalf of the Tribe’s will.”
Tribe: –chants sage’s name–
To-be
Tribe-healer
(Like
how any cat can become a leader/medicine cat, no matter what their
age, the same rule applies here.)
Tribe-healer: “In my death, our Tribe will need another tribe-healer to continue to look after the well-being of my cats, their safety, and commune with our ancestors. Name of kit/to-be/prey-hunter/cave-guard, do you wish to follow in my paw steps, and to step apart from ordinary rivalry with claws unsheathed, to fight with wisdom, herbs, and kinship for all?”
Kit/To-be/Prey-hunter/Cave-guard: “Yes, I so do.”
Tribe-healer: “Then the next night there is before a Telling, you and I shall go separately, so that our ancestors can welcome you into their ranks and the line of tribe-healers will remain unbroken.”
Tribe: –chants name of new to-be tribe-healer–
Welcoming
of Next Tribe-healer
(This
ceremony is conducted at the pools that each Tribe holds sacred. The
night before a Telling, when the pools swell, at nightrise the
tribe-healer and his or her new to-behead
to the pool to be initiated into the ranks of tribe-healers.)
Tribe-healer:“Tribe of Endless Hunting, I have come to you with this promising cat,name here,who wishes to learn your secrets and all that he/she can do to protect the Tribe name here, long after I have come to walk among you in the stars of Sky Trail.To-be’s name here, come forward and drink from the pool.”
To-be and Tribe-healer: –both cats take a swig of the water and fall into a light sleep at the water’s edge, where they normally dream together or apart of their ancestors–
OPTIONAL: When they wake up, normally this ends the ceremony if the to-be has received his or her name already. If it is a kit with a single, shortened name, then they shall be given a new one. (Like medicine cats it can be given at any notice when the two tribe-healers visit the pools. Remember how Leafpaw didn’t become Leafpool until much later on? Same thing basically.)
Tribe-healer:“When I deem so ready, I grant this worthy title to the next tribe-healer who shall succeed me. Name of to-be, do you wish to follow in my paw steps, and to step apart from ordinary rivalry with claws unsheathed, to fight with wisdom, herbs, and kinship for all?”
To-be: “I do.”
Tribe-healer: “Then with the power of the stars I accept your reproval and grant you this name. Name of to-be tribe-healer, from this moment on you shall be known as full name here.Welcome to the new life that has sprung before you.”
Name Changing
Tribe-healer: “The cat before me has borne a name that no longer suites him/her. Tribe of Endless hunting, you know every cat by name; now, I ask you to take away the one of the cat you see before me, for it is no longer a representative of its owner. From this moment on he/she shall be known as gives new to-be name/changes old cave-guard or prey/hunter name because names reason why.”
Tribe:–chants name–
New Member of the Tribe
Tribe-healer:“A foreigner has come to walk in our midst and would like permission to join the name of Tribe here.Name of cat here do you promise to lay old roots to new, and pad among the current, leave behind the past, and give loyalty, certainty and faith to your new home?”
New cat: “I promise to do so.”
Tribe-healer: “With our ancestors approval we welcome you into our Tribe as a cave-guard/prey-hunter.”
Tribe: –chants cat’s name–
OPTIONAL:New cats joining the Tribe can keep their old name, Daisy, Smokey, Cody, etc., but if they want a Tribe name then there is an extension part to this ceremony.
Tribe-healer:“This brave cat has requested that he/she take on a name of the Tribe. From this moment on, old name here, you shall be known as new name here (full extension if not to-be age).”
Tribe:–chants new name–
Departing
in Death
(The
tribe-healer rests the body of the dead cat outside the cave, so that
they may, when the stars fill the night sky, race to join the Tribe
of Endless Hunting. The tribe-healer stands near the head of the
departed one.)
Tribe-healer:“Spirits of our ancestors, can you feel it? The heartbeat ascending? The life of our Tribe grieving as one, waiting until name herehas gone to Sky Trail to hunt with you for endless nights?Tonight we stand here to honor name here, for he/she, in time immemorial, was a personality trait and personality trait cat. Please accept him/her and guide him/her to the stars.”
Tribe: –invokes the giving of close comfort for the last time–
OPTIONAL:one or two cats might saysomething in the name of the fallen cat.
Initiation
of a New Tribe-healer
(This
secret ritual only passes between the tribe-healer and ancestors of
the Tribe. It is otherwise untold what occurs between the living and
the dead. Normally, after the death of the old tribe-healer, the next
in line goes to the pools to receive his or her nine lives and new
name. If there is no cat in line, then the Tribe’s ancestors
normally send a powerful sign to show their approval of the next
cat.)
What happens next is very sketchy in detail, but for you, the readers, I will reveal what happens in this sacred initiation by showing you a ceremony which took place many seasons ago...
Like a cat made from ice, she dared not to move, not to breathe, depending on her stillness to keep her small frame from splintering into a thousand brittles pieces. Somewhere far away she sensed she was asleep within the Cave of Forest Stones, safe and sound. Here in her dreams everything was lifeless, drained of warmth and emotion, however. Her thick fur bristled from the unearthly cold.
Tribe of Endless Hunting, where are you? she wailed inwardly, bitterly tempted to spring to her paws and yowl like the wolves. But if her ancestors never came then what future lay ahead of her? What Tribe would want a cat who had been openly rejected and shunned? Banishment? The life an outsider was cruel and lonely—if you survived the frozen-water season, that is, the she-cat added with bitter resentment.
Shivering, the to-be gave in and dared to crack open her amber eyes to slits. At once they flew upon, reflecting the bright Northern Lights than wove their ways through skies in a rainbow of colors. Stunned, she heaved herself to her paws. Snow gently fell around her, mingling with the stars, color, and whole-moon that hung in the sky like a luminescent egg.
“How did I come to this place? Where is this place, anyway?” she wondered aloud, finding that her pads were planted onto a smooth dust-colored boulder. She half-expected more mountains to spring up behind her, meaning that she was closer to the base of blizzard summit than anywhere else. But nothing except howling wind and stars answered her.
I’m at the top of the world.
“Correction. You’re at the top of Glacier Mountain, young one, a place very few cats ever come in their life times,” a smooth voice chided.
In speechless vigor the she-cat whirled on her paws to glance over her shoulder. An aged cat, as gray as the stone beneath her paws, was picking its way through the dense snow. It walked atop of the powdery crystals, leaving no marks where it had padded. It came to halt at a rock opposite around hers. On closer observation the to-be realized it was one of nine rocks that encircled hers. The gray cat sprang with bunched muscles and nimbly landed on top, blinking warm, green eyes at her.
“Grasshealer!” she gasped, preparing to launch herself over the snow at him; he signaled with his tail for her to stay, and reluctantly she regained her posture.
“Welcome, Hawk Flying Through Air,” he greeted his apprentice fondly, tipping his scarred muzzle to one side. He extended a forepaw in greeting and announced, “Your ancestors are very much here, Hawk. From now on, wherever you walk, we, too, shall walk alongside you, step-for-step. Behold the Tribe of Endless Hunting!”
Hawk whirled on her paws to face the slope and blistering whirl of snow and wind. Narrowing her amber eyes, she studied the bright sky and did a double-take. Surely she hadn’t seen...
Hawk started; the blood in her veins, already chilled, turned to ice at the sight before her.
The stars were moving.
Like raining hail, the icy white stars descended toward the mountain top, toward the earth they once walked so long ago, towards carried the scent of ice and fire and of the wild places of the night. Each shape became more distinct as they swirled down the and touched the blanket of snow, the stars forever trapped in their fur. Eight other Tribe cats, Hawk realized with a gasp of awe, took places of purpose on the rocks enclosed around hers. They were dutiful and proud; solemn and in celebration; warm-eyed and fierce.
The cat closest to her she locked eyes with and drew in a sharp breath; she had doubted she would ever see this face again.
“If it isn’t Fang of Raging Bear?” Hawk sneered, glaring at the cat who had long been an enemy of her Tribe. A torn ear gave him his name; he had lost it to a bear one freed-water season moons ago.
Fang flicked an ear and his fur began to rise threateningly; he stood his ground, however, held back from springing at her by some invisible noose. This was Grasshealer’s killer. The wise and loving tribe-healer before her had died from blood loss. Hawk stared at him with nothing but hatred, couldn’t helping but feel satisfied to see he had come to walk among the dead as well.
“Death isn’t anything to be pleased about,” Fang hissed shortly, as if reading her mind.
Hawk snorted dismissively. “And to whom do I owe the honor of you giving me a life?”
“It is my duty,” meowed Fang scathingly, though their was a gleam in his eye. “There were not enough cats you were close to who died in your lifetime to stand where I stand. We were one short, and I was given this highest of honors.”
Then, to Hawk’s disbelief, he dipped his head and meowed in a flat voice, “And when there is war, we can not help but fight and squabble with those we are more alike than we ever believed possible. I am sorry.”
Was that regret I heard in his voice?
In surprise the she-cat stood there, rooted to the spot. Cat-spirits on all sides were eyeing her with respect and welcome; it was an accepting touch, feeling as though that the stress of her Tribe in the waking world was suddenly becoming lighter on her shoulders and less of a burden to carry.
One single, rich voice suddenly swelled up from the ranks of the Tribe, but Hawk couldn’t see any mouths moving. “Are you ready to be initiated and receive your nine lives before the rest of the Tribe of Endless Hunting?”
Straightening herself importantly, Hawk nodded. “Yes, I am ready.” She was born ready.
The first cat moved: Fang, like a splash of blood against the snow with his russet pelt, leaned forward to enclose the short gap between their perches and touched his nose to hers. Fire and ice swam up her limbs; as Hawk prepared to move away a sharp sting swelled up in her skin. It felt as though stickily molasses held her firm against the pain.
“I give you a life for fear and injustice,” he announced, “so that in years to come you can learn to rethink before you condemn the innocent.”
A searing pain like lightning traced up from Hawk’s ear-tips to paws, setting her fur on end. In the blizzarding ice and snow she felt like heat was melting her to the stone beneath her feet, bringing with it waves of pain. It was far from what she had expected; a challenging fury welled up in her eyes, screwing them up and dilating the black pupils. As the overbearing sense of guilt and power reached its peak and she barred her teeth, it slowly ebbed, leaving her panting.
She blinked questioningly at Fang, but he looked away, and Hawk was almost positive she had seen something close to pride on his battle-scarred face.
A flash of white caught her eyes, and she moved clockwise on her rock to see a beautiful, tiny white she-cat waving a bushy tail in greeting. Instantly Hawk recognized her sister, Little Cloud Over River, her friend. Like Fang, Little leaned forward and pressed her muzzle to Hawk’s. She felt a blistering cold sweep through her body, mingled with her astonishment, as Little spoke.
“I give you a life for guidance,” she meowed briskly, “so that in times of light and dark you will find the reassurance you seek.”
Like an overcast sky dark clouds fought their way into Hawk’s mind, unfolding sinister wings. She was overboard with dark motions, desperate, and encrypted in a loss that was not her own. Somewhere she heard a faint mewling of kits, and just as she thought she must yowl her agony to the great Northern Lights, it began to fade, washed away by a blinding white light that swallowed her whole. It was a tiny pinprick of comfort that aroused her to the cold, northern mountaintop on which she stood.
Daring, Hawk nervously cracked open an amber eye to find Little standing over her. Kindling in Little’s blue eyes were pain and loss, and Hawk blinked with understanding: The forebodings in that life had been Little’s final moments, giving birth to kits four seasons that had survived. It was a victory marked with love, for shed blood had given life anew for the kits she would never know, and the survival they would bear for their Tribe.
As Little took up sentry on her own rock, Hawk noticed a third cat scrambling onto a boulder to face her. Like Little, the tabby cat was thin and lithe, a prey-hunter. She did not understand the drawn feeling she felt towards him, or why he seemed so familiar when they had never met. As they stood facing each other a secure, warm emotion nourished in her heart, one that had been deprived of this heated love or seasons upon seasons.
“Father!” she mewed, her eyes softening with the agony of loss afresh. She did not need to see him to know who he was. All the stories her mother had told her of this tabby, brave and true, were enough to name Bird That Sings At Dusk. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bird cut her off in a deep, sonorous voice:
“It is good to have you back, Hawk.” For one tender moment father and daughter exchanged heartfelt glances, drinking in each others’ scents with moons of starvation. He then blinked forcefully and gently rested his muzzle to her forehead. This time Hawk has willingly inclined her head, ready to drink in the life he offered.
Bird meowed slowly, “I give you a life for love, so that you keep fast kin and Tribe.”
Hawk had expected this to be a friendly life so the to-be was unprepared for the ferocity and pain that crawled up her fur like beetles. Gritting her teeth, she numbly saw Bird fixing her with a tough-love sort of stare, willing her through the excruciating pain of being stabbed by bear’s teeth and being drowned. Dimly Hawk picked up a trace of warmth, and in a heartbeat realized it had been his wish to sacrifice himself for Tribe and mate, kits and honor in this ever-going war: love had marked his life.
Hawk panted, drawing in the crisp air around her as though she really had been choking. Bird was still watching her solemnly when she drew in a final, shuddering gasp and retained a regular breathing.
“Your mother named you after me, did you know that?” asked Bird. Before Hawk could reply he turned away, and to the rock on her right a fourth cat launched itself up the snow-fast boulder.
Poppy Growing On Cliff Side, scrambling for a clawhold, wasn’t the same cat he had last been in life: small and compact with untidy tawny-white fur, he still moved with quick stride. His fox-mangled face was whole again, and he no longer had missing paws that frostbite had taken away from him. He had died as he lived, reckless and brave to the last breath, tracking a fox through a gale, half-dragging himself back to the cave at moonfall with frostbite and wounds beyond repair. Grasshealer had failed to save him.
Poppy seemed barely able to suppress his happy outburst as he stooped forward, touching Hawk's ear-tip.
“I give you a life for sensitivity in patience, so that you may relate to all those around you who do not share your free will,” he purred.
This time a calming sense drifted through Hawk, easing her stress and mounting grief at seeing those lost to her and never-known. She barely glimpsed, in the memories surging through her mind to-be’s at ease, play-fighting, unbattered with everyday complications. Next, two kits curled in the curve of kit-mother’s belly with a resemblance so great to Poppy it was easy to piece them together as kin. She shared their ease, living Poppy’s close life of comfort, untroubled by everyday problems such as prey to be caught and battles to take part in.
Hawk then saw a memory that was neither hers nor Poppy’s, of Heat Cavern, where the two Tribes mixed together. They seemed almost comfortable in each other’s presence, not spitting curses at each other or grieving for the deaths this war had taken Tribemates from, the way she had known it all her life. The whole in the roof above allowed pools of dappled moonlight to shaft into the underground springs.
Suddenly the two visions ended in a single collision that knocked the wind out of her. Replacing the lulling ease, the mound beneath her paws tilting dangerously. Voices rose in panic, wailing, fleeing some unknown disaster. In the vision a whole Tribefull of cats swarmed around her, the loudest of these cries yowling, “Run! Save yourselves!”
Hawk trembled, still gazing up at Poppy with the vision left ominously in her mind. The fleeing cats had gone, replaced by the northmost point of blizzard summit. The ground rocked no more. As Poppy stood, preparing to leap back into the Tribe’s ranks, Hawk called out, “Wait, what was that?”
Poppy remained glancing briefly over his shoulder with questioning green eyes.
“The Tribes?” Hawk panted, uncertain wether to tread further into untapped memories. “I felt the rock, moving beneath my paws. . .and a cry. . .and, and I’m certain that it relates to the war and how to end it. Can’t you please tell me?”
Poppy merely shook his head in a way that frustrated Hawk out of her fur; he was allowing himself to grin broadly again.
“You know I love riddles. Besides, if I just told you what it meant and what to do, then wouldn’t that decimate your free will?” Poppy meowed. “You need to relate what was then, what is now, and what can be yet to come. Remember: no war is continuing. It started somewhere, and always ends when errands meet and tributaries form river. We can hate in life and death, but actions can fix it, wether our own. . .or something else’s.”
As Poppy sprang back into the ranks of snow-covered cats Hawk was certain she saw grief and anguish flickering beneath his persistent cheerfulness, as if mourning something that was yet to come.
Instinctively she turned right once more to gaze at the next boulder that ringed hers, still puzzled and confused by Poppy’s prediction. A brown tabby had heaved itself onto the rock and fixed her with golden eyes.
This huge cat had the scent of milk and bore short, patchy fur.
She’s too young to be a cave-guard, Hawk mused, in silence greeting this long-departed ancestor. There was no recognition between the two: they had not met in this lifetime.
The tabby blinked eyes that swam with sadness. “I take you do not know who I am? I am your father’s sister, Sheer Path Climbing Mountain. I had always hoped to meet both my kin, and sadly, death called to me. I am a victim of this war at young,” she explained solemnly, her eyes dappled with starlight.
Hawk blinked. The resemblance between Sheer and Bird was great, too great to overlook. Sheer stepped forward and dipped her head to Hawk’s. Wisdom beyond her age shone in her eyes as the tabby mewed, “I give you a life for skill, so that both challenge and ease are recognized in the hunt and battle and healing.”
A wave of light seeped through her mind. This time the life brought no pain, but a burning desire to learn and a craving for something beyond, just out of reach. Her aunt’s sharp tongue and good humor Hawk drank with eager gulps, desperate to intake the life she had been deprived of yet another relative. Unsteady breathing escaped her parted mouth. Hawk looked up at Sheer, filled to the brim like a rain-laden pool about to pour over its sides.
Sheer turned away, and, gasping, Hawk yet again moved on unsteady paws right where three more cats awaited. The intensity of each life overlapped each other, and despairingly she wondered how she could continue to bear it all. An overwhelming sense drizzled her fur, and for the first time the cold winds of her dreams of this blizzarding peak touch her skin. Hawk shuddered.
Northern Lights Twisting Through Sky sprang, his black, white-spotted long fur turned silver in the moonlight. His feathery whiskers trailed out behind him, chin held high. Landing, his neatly compact head wasted no time in finding hers and they pressed together: he spoke deeply, like thunder booming over the scarlet clouds of late winter storms.
“I give you a life for loyalty,” he announced to the ranks of watching cats, “so that you may lay your roots to the choice that you know is right.”
Her heart pounded in her chest as the shadows of the moon lengthened and encircled her. A pulse of fear crept down her spine, followed by a shocking pain that made her want to turn around and run into wakefulness. North’s touch was icy cold and blistering hot against her forehead. Hawk was in fever. Her jaw cracked into a silent plea, whispering for the pain to stop. It numbed her and sent pain reawakened down her limbs and fur.
“Stop!” Hawk begged. “Please, please!”
Just as the pain reached tipping point and she thought that she must brake away or die in the paws of her ancestors it began to fade, replaced with satisfaction and glowing pride that warmed her like the hot sun against her back.
North sprang into the snow and glittering starlit spirits, leaving Hawk to move on shaky legs to the next life-bearer.
A ginger cat, flame-orange, faced her with eyes alight and powdery snow turning its coat pale sand. Hawk’s eyes stretched wide with mixed surprise and delight to see Holly Beneath Leafy Brush, the senior prey-hunter when she was a kit.
Another war victim, what a surprise, Hawk thought bitterly, glaring at Holly for so long that the spirit-cat look taken aback.
“How can you do this to me?” Hawk snarled, directing her pale gaze to the cats gathered around her. “How can you stand here and send cat after cat into my midst, and not see how painful it is? Why don’t you do something to save cats, not condemn them to death! Show me your power, your might, Tribe of Endless Hunting, or for all that I care this is a load of bear-dung. What’s the point of rewarding me with lives that you’ve taken away from other cats?”
Some invisible force swept through the cats of Sky Trail, their ranks rippling with icy breath. Wind whispered through their starry fur. Holly’s embracing welcome melted away to be replaced with burning anger. In spite of Holly’s old age, Hawk flinched.
“How dare you?” Holly hissed. “Our ancestors have never wanted anything more but eternal peace!”
“And how dare you!” Hawk spat back, no longer in awe of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. “You walk with power, you’ve sent signs, but you do nothing! I have to always fear attack not from predators, but from other cats. You’re all useless!”
Hawk stood there, panting with fury, her brown-white fur bristling with rage. “Answer me!” she roared, unsheathing long claws that glinted like leaping fish under the colors of light that snaked through the sky.
Holly took a shallow breath and sat on the snow-covered snow, gently drawing a paw over his ear. Between calming licks he explained sadly, “Our duty is seeing the past, present, and future, and hopefully becoming teachers for our descendants, so that they too may learn from our own mistakes.” He looked thoughtful. “Do tell me, child, do you know how this war began, seasons upon seasons ago?”
“I—of course I do!” Hawk spluttered. Now it was turned to feel startled.
Holly narrowed his eyes. “Tell me what happened,” he demanded.
“Fine!” Hawk sat and curled her tail over her front paws. “Those thieves over there”—she pointed with her nose to a large portion of mingled cats that were the Tribe of Raging Wind’s ancestors—“demanded greater hunting rights, and threatened to erase the borders, join as one, they said! We’d be as great as the Tribe from legends of old. We’d never have to scent-mark our territory; no longer would the waterfall splitting the mountain divide cats so alike that there should never have been separation.” She spat.
Holly looked calm and thoughtful as Hawk concluded, “Their arrogant leader started this war, and those bloodthirsty cats made siege to our camp. Nine warriors were killed that night.”
“Yes,” Holly meowed, “and no.” He sighed and heaved himself to his paws. “Many cats believe the war is as old as time itself, and that those nine warriors killed were the first true cats of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, and solely belonged to and were the Tribe of Whistling Grass’s victims. Other versions say they were victims of the Tribe of Raging Wind. That is incorrect. It has just been so long now that the stories passed down from generation to generation become unclear and foggy. This war has lasted—let me see now—seven hundred and eighty-two moons,” he meowed. “Before that, there has always been battle, but never long-lasting wars such as what we have lived through. Time long ago, and the truth, are but a thing of the past.”
Hawk felt her blood turn to ice with dumbfound amazement. All she could do was listen and hear an explanation.
A pale gray she-cat with green eyes spoke up. “Tyrannical cats can be found in any litter each generation. Their deeds earn them a place among paths even we do not utter,” she whispered hoarsely
Now a broad-shouldered white tom raised his head. “Those nine cats met against our will and plotted to take over and rule as joint healers. It was a foolhardy and reckless mistake. They drummed up hatred against each’s Tribe with clever, wicked notions and minds sharper than any claws.”
“Cats found ways to intentionally hurt each other, even under peace,” sadly meowed a mottled tabby with unnusual spots. “Differences have always been our rainbow of colors that the great Northern Lights were considered dim in comparison to. However, they are our greatest enemy, as we can’t not say we aren’t prejudice and biased. Ill vibes spread from Meeting to Meeting and thickened as those nine dark-hearted Tribe cats plotted. Webs were spun deeper and deeper. Soon we let our nasty conversations be intentionally overheard; we accidentally slipped across the border after a mouse or shrew; and we lied, and hid danger from those who were at risk.”
“The nine cats then made move and attacked one day,” Bird agreed, his tabby fur shone in the moon-bleached light and powder drift snow. “They staged a show in where they pretended to attack each other. Angered, both Tribes called for war and armed themselves. At dawn, they fought at the falls. Some cats bled to death on those ancient stones. Others slipped and fell, and made burial in the froth a mountain’s height below.” Bird bowed his head in sorrow, as if grieving the fallen warriors.
“Now the shadows are so dense no light of truth can try to pierce it; hate has spread and conquered, and only some tribe-healers have listened to our tale, while others...” Holly faltered. “There are similar versions of this story amongst the Tribe of Raging Wind and the Tribe of Whistling Grass,” he meowed to a protesting Hawk, her mouth ajar and muzzle wide with astonishment. “Both Tribes are far from innocent, youngster.”
“Then why haven’t you said something?” Hawk demanded. “You can cover the moon at Meetings, so why can’t you control the actions of cats and convince them this version of the story is real?”
Holly looked positively distraught now. “Don’t you think that we’ve tried?” he whispered. “My own parents have recited this to countless tribe-healers. There are those who simply did not believe us; those who did, however, could not convince the living. If we couldn’t, who could?”
“Didn’t you understand the life I gave you?” Poppy interjected, receiving looks from other Tribe cats seated around him. “You have free will, Hawk, as does every other creature. You are not the playthings of the Tribe of Endless Hunting; we can not act for you. And in time, things can be accounted for.”
“So what am I to do?” Hawk demanded.
“You’re smart; think,” Holly scoffed. “Again, we walk with you every paw step, but you’re not a kit—use your head. Now, may we please continue what we all came together for? We’re wasting moonlight.”
Waving a bottle-brush tail, the ginger tom stepped forward to at last touch noses with Hawk. The snowfall’s pace increased and fell harder, faster, like a cycle of wind around them that aroused slumbering—ancient—power.“I give you a life for speed and strength,” Holly meowed, “so that you may give consistent effort and selfless courage.”
A magnitude of power swept through her, a feeling of fight and extraordinary self-understanding that made her claws slide out and tap against the stone underfoot. Wind caressed her face and pelt, a tireless energy that made her log and want to run forever.
The experience faded, leaving her exhilarated and breathless, as though she really had run head-long into battle against some enemy animal. She stared up at Holly with astonishment. The senior prey-hunter gave a nod, and as she sprang off her perch Hawk was sure she had caught a proud gleam in her eyes.
The eight was Lion Poised To Attack. She was like a lion without a main, her steps elegant despite her large, muscular body and size. With quick work she sprang and took her place on the next rock opposite of hers now; Hawk started, glad to see the former senior cave-guard of her kithood days.
As a new to-be, Hawk had watched an eagle attack Lion, slashing her apart with talons and beak. The next day Hawk made short work of tracking the same bird, killing it, and bringing Lion’s body back. Grasshealer had recognized a quality in Hawk, he had announced the next night at a Telling, and took her on as his disciple.
Lion’s sweet scent wreathed around her neck as they touched nose-to-nose, and then she spoke in a lovely, unwavering meow: “I give you a life for determination, so that you will work with all your heart, as though everything depends upon it.”
Hawk gritted her teeth against the unsuspecting antagonism that arched up her limbs, twisting them from the inside out. Rage pounded through her like the water of the falls, and she bared her teeth at instinct, challenging the shadows with tooth and claw. She hadn’t realized her tail was lashing; there was a cry of pain, and she had the feeling she was being carried skyward, higher still until a flash of light as red as blood drew the life to an end.
Lion was still watching Hawk as she trembled from nose to tail, barely able to support herself on her own paws.
“Thank you,” she meowed solemnly. “You found me and brought me back home to my Tribe when no one else could.”
Hawk managed to summon a nod as Lion turned away and back into the ranks of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.
How can you go on like this? Hawk questioned herself doubtfully. She was already feeling drained, hardly elated by the tingling patter each life brought. Like a basin ladled with rain water, if any more peaked its surface she would topple over end-over-end and overfill with the need to bear each nine lives.
She reluctantly turned clockwise once more, and on the final paving stone stood Grasshealer. His youth was restored, and he raised his tail high. She no longer felt as though she was looking at her teacher, but at one of the cats of old, a snow leopard who moved with agility that exceeded the fastest prey-hunter by far.
“Welcome, Hawk,” he greeted her formally, his eyes shining. “I knew from the moment I saw that you would make a worthy tribe-healer, and I was right.”
The final life bringer touched his head to hers. The last life had lulled Hawk with exhaustion, and she was unprepared for the ferocity where she had expected compassion from the tribe-healer.
“I give you a life for knowledge; use loyalty and certainty and faith to guide your Tribe in the ways of the age-old tribal code,” Grasshealer meowed.
Hawk winced as she shared Grasshealer’s hardened survival, fitted against the forces of nature, elements of starvation, sickness, and battle. She experienced with him his wisdom and fierce ambition in the service of his Tribe, battle after battle. The rise of his life and strength drew greater still the day of Grasswatcher’s brother’s death, both kin seated beneath the stars on a night where a rainbow of color wove through the sky. She saw Grasswatcher, a young cat there, resting his bowed head on his front paws and breathe shakily. The limp body before him lay unmoving, never to move again...
Another place, another time, where war threatened greater still and two cats faced each other, screeching into the night as two Tribefull of cats called challenging snarls within Heat Cavern.
Hawk experienced her own appearance in his life, what he passed down to her, and a wave of strength so great it rose sickness and a wave of nausea.
Rock, ice, the noise of fighting cats; then Fang appeared out of nowhere, aiming a well-placed blow to his face. . . .
The mounting pain Hawk began to believe she would never contain within her pelt alone gripped her like thorn claws; just as she must yowl her pain or die it began to ebb, replaced with calm acceptance and relief as Grasswatcher died in the paws of his disciple, well on his way to Sky Trail.
A soft, long sigh passed through the snowy clearing. The cats of the Tribe of Endless Hunting rose, and the snowdrift faltered then stopped altogether at once. Grasshealer beckoned with his tail that Hawk should rise too. She obeyed shakily, feeling battered by the power and greatness of each life, as though she had fought her hardest battle, and yet she soared with the nine lives of a full-fledged healer.
“I hail you by your new name and grant you my old, Watcher of the Long Grass,” Grasshealer announced. “Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a tribe-healer, and the Tribe of Endless Hunting grants you the guardianship of the Tribe of Whistling Grass. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the tribal code; live each life with pride and dignity.”
“Grasswatcher! Grasswatcher!” Just as the mountain Tribes would acclaim a new cave-guard or prey-hunter, so the cats of the Tribe of Endless Hunting acclaimed Grasswatcher, in kindly, rich voices that chanted with pride. “Grasswatcher! Grasswatcher!”
Suddenly the tribute broke off with a startled hiss. Grasswatcher tensed, unsheathing long claws against the snow-cropped boulder. Tremors, faint at first, passed through her paws and up the length of her spine. Then the ground erupted with an explosion of sound and the tilt of earth. Grasswatcher gasped, wrenching her head in each direction to meet eyes with a spirit-cat. The Tribe had fled this unknown disaster, leaving her to re-experience Poppy’s, and now Grasshealer’s vision all over again.
Pale outlines of fleeing cats brushed past her, yowling in terror, their fear-scent familiar but distant. The ground gave a dangerous lurch and she jumped onto the snow. Even though Grasswatcher knew this was a dream it was far too real to ignore.
“Stop, wait!” she cried to a passing ornery black she-cat with trailing whiskers. The cat paid her no heed and vanished into starshine and mist.
Suddenly a wail rose above the tumult of collapsing stone, an eerie shriek that begged, “Run! Save yourselves!”
Grasswatcher became aware of Grasshealer’s warm presence brushing against her fur. Bated breath brushed against her ear fur in an urgent whisper.
“What is to come we can not keep hold firm to. You must accept fate. Protect young and old with faith; there is a destiny far greater that can come to aid with the breaking of this war. We hold a place in the stars for every cat; remember this. Something terrible is coming, Grasswatcher, in a time to come, but not after the end of yours: lead with peace, or suffer the consequences in storm break.”
Grasshealer vanished. Above the sky became black with anger, the moon cris-crossed with dark clouds. Thunder rolled overhead, the snow and the very foundation of the mountain splitting. Grasswatcher’s paws hit darkness as the earth below her swallowed her whole into eternal night. . .