SEEING THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES (Relaunched)
The grass swayed as a long limbed cat raced through the endless greens of the forest. His quarry, a juicy, succulent rabbit lay but a fox-tail ahead of him. The rabbit was fast, but he was faster. With a triumphant yowl the WindClan cat bore down on his prey and with one swipe, killed it. The black tom panted as he came to a stop.
"Well done Tallstar!" He heard a she-cat mew. The former leader of WindClan turned to see Bluestar dip her head at him in respect for his kill. "That rabbit was fast."
"I'm WindClan. We're faster." Tallstar purred. "Besides, the hunting grounds of StarClan would be awfully boring if the prey just walked into our mouths."
"That's true." Bluestar allowed as she walked out of the undergrowth. At Tallstar's nod she leaned over to take a bite of his freshkill.
"Alas poor Hufsa, I knew him well." A voice rang out from nowhere. Tallstar strained his head, looking to see who it was.
Bluestar narrowed her eyes as she raised her head. "I know that voice…" she growled, her ears flattening. "Come on out trickster!"
"Trickster? Me?" The voice called out again with a laugh. "Come now Bluestar, without me your banal lives would be even more boring than one of your precious Gatherings."
"Why don't you return to your own realm?" Tallstar meowed, his voice firm. "This is the place for the ancestors of honorable warrior cats to rest and watch over our descendants. You do not belong here."
"If you wish to go sight seeing, might I suggest the Place of No Stars?" Bluestar mewed shortly. "I'm sure Tigerstar would love some company in the Dark Forest…and I'm sure you would enjoy spending your time in a realm of punishment."
"What makes you think I'm not in such a place already Pfeffa-Rah?" The voice querired evenly, still hiding out of view. "After all, this place is hardly paradise for my kind, is it?" Tallstar and Bluestar exchanged a look. It was hard to imagine one being's heaven as another's hell, but there was some truth in the remark.
Bluestar sighed with exasperation. "Enough games oh Prince with a Thousand Enemies. Just come out and say what you want and leave us in peace."
"As you wish, Out of the tall grass a pair of long ears arose, followed shortly by the rabbit they were attached to. But this was no ordinary rabbit. This one's eyes were full of intelligence and cunning, in addition to being able to speak to cats.
Much as the cats of StarClan did, this rabbit smelled not like prey but carried the scent of ice and fire and the wild places of the night. He was El-ahrairah, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, lord of all rabbits, and trickster extraordinare. To these titles Bluestar would've added "royal pain in the hindquarters."
"Can we help you?" Tallstar asked, endeavoring to be polite though his tone was frosty. This was not the first time El-ahrairah had entered the hunting grounds of StarClan and none of his previous visits had been pleasant.
"I certainly hope you can help me more than you did Hufsa over there." The rabbit prince gestured towards the unlucky bunny Tallstar had taken down. "Of course, it's not like he didn't have it coming." El-ahrairah leaned back on his large feet.
Bluestar stepped forward. "If you have come to complain about our kind feasting on yours, save it. Cats have eaten rabbits for moons beyond reckoning. Complaining to us will not make it stop nor would we ever even attempt to do so."
"I am quite aware of how nature works." El-ahrairah gestured broadly with his two forelegs. "Nor would I dream of depriving my children the chance to outrun and outsmart yours." He grinned making Bluestar wish not for the first time that she could take this pretentious rabbit by the scruff and shake the smug out of him. "However, I am concerned with the lack of respect your descendants are showing mine."
Tallstar swished his tail. "Our warriors always give thanks for the lives they take in order to feed their Clan." He pointed out.
"Perhaps, but your kind still thinks of mine as silly, irreverent, stupid creatures. That will not do!" El-ahrairah wiggled his nose. "I think your Clans need a lesson in respect. After all, there is much to be learned from me and mine…not all the answers lie in the stars you know."
The cheek of this rabbit! Bluestar had to bite down her retort. "I think our descendants can take care of themselves without your generous offer." She mewed, unable to help stressing the sarcasm on 'generous.' "The Clans respect all life…even one as frivolous as you." She shot the rabbit a dark look. "They are in need of no lessons on respect, certainly not from you!"
El-ahrairah shrugged, Bluestar's annoyance rolling off him like water from a duck. "As you wish…after all what can I do if the all-knowing StarClan decides not to heed me?" Mischief twinkled in his eyes as he bowed to Bluestar and Tallstar. "As always, it's been a pleasure." Then he turned and hopped away, out of their hunting grounds. But in his mind he was already thinking of a plan.
Those cats think they're so smart, do they? Well, they'd so learn that there's more than one way to skin a cat—or rather, change their skins…
