Heron is a warrior from my big Misty Breezes project. Right now, December 2014, she hasn't made an appearance yet, though she will eventually. I really wanted to write Heron's backstory so you all could see her past. She is the counterpart of my friend (known here as Angelslayerr), and this is loosely based on her early life. Very loosely! Well, enjoy!
Purrs and small squeaks filled the small room with the sound of a new litter of kits. The mother's soft fur was a creamy color, with tufted ears. Her eyes, which were closed, were a gentle blue. The two kits at her belly were almost identical, as both she-kits had some gray tabby fur. The one born first had bold orange patches that mottled with the gray. The second one's pelt was splashed with the same cream color as her mother's. The queen awoke from her dozing. I wish Flint was here to see them. Such beautiful, strong daughters. Bruin and Diane. Their father would have loved to see them.
"Diane! Get up, sleepyhead! Mother said we can leave the basket today!"
Diane's crystal blue eyes opened to Bruin's leaf green ones. Their eyes had changed hue nearly a quarter moon ago, but Opal had told the sisters to stay in the basket. She had said it was because she wanted to make sure they stayed safe, but Bruin had pushed for exploration as soon as she could stand on her wobbly legs. Diane wasn't quite as adventurous, but she too looked forward to seeing the rest of world. The real world!
Opal walked over to them, her strange ears pricked. "You may go, but don't stray too far."
"Yay!" Bruin shrieked. She jumped out of the basket. "Come on Diane! The ground feels weird. It's all cool and smooth."
Diane mewed happily and joined her sister on the floor. And so, their adventure began.
"I dare you to leap up on that flat space! Wait, don't do it! Our housefolk is right over there! Um, jump on that thingy instead!"
"Opal, what are these things called?"
"Sofa." "Chair." "Counter." "Hallway." "Window."
"Bruin, wanna have a race down the hallway?"
"Yeah! I bet I win!"
The two kits had lots of fun, scampering around the Twoleg nest, playing games and learning new words from Opal, who made sure to keep an eye on them. Bruin and Diane were tired out by the end of the day, barely able to scramble back into their basket. Bruin was a lot more active, and she was more than ready for sleep. Diane, however, didn't want to surrender just yet.
"Opal, can you tell us a story? A really good one?" asked Diane.
"Alright dear. I have a new story for tonight. Many seasons ago, a big group of wildcats from the other side of the mountains came to a lake. They had traveled a long way to escape terrible monsters invading their old land. This group of cats was divided into four great Clans: ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. And there might have been a fifth Clan of mysterious star cats living in the sky that followed them on their Great Journey.
The wildcats each had a territory for their Clan. Sometimes they grew angry at each other, and fought long battles and wars. They grew huge, with fierce claws and teeth. But sometimes they were at peace, and helped each other. Legend says they still live around the lake they first found, all those moons ago. They still hunt, fight, and gather at the full moon. I think it's amazing that the Clans are still alive."
Diane loved this new story, but it raised many questions that Opal might not know the answer to. "Mother, can you tell me more about ShadowClan? Their name sounds the coolest. And where is their lake?"
Opal sighed. "Your father would have probably known more about the wildcats than I do. He is the one who first told me the story. According to the legend, if you follow the big thunderpath far enough, you will come to what is called the horseplace. Horses are big animals with stone on their feet. Potentially dangerous, but usually peaceful. When you have found the horseplace, you have found the lake that lies beyond.
On one side of the horseplace is RiverClan. Past their water home is ShadowClan, in the pine trees and marshes. ShadowClan are said to be proud, cunning cats with hearts chilled by the wind. They see into the dark, and stalk their prey at night, which is often frogs or lizards. All of the other clans are afraid of ShadowClan, because of how bold and dangerous they are. Flint always said that if he had to be a clan cat, he would be in ShadowClan."
"Wow. That sounds really really cool." said Diane, her eyes wide with wonder.
"It sounds kinda scary to me!" huffed Bruin. "Creepy cats that eat frogs and lizards when they're not watching you sleep at night. Plotting to get you!"
"Well Bruin, you don't have to worry about ShadowClan. It's possible the wildcats are just a legend. And, even if they are real, the lake is plenty far away."
"I hope so." Bruin yawned. "Goodnight Opal, Diane."
Diane murmured goodnight as well and closed her eyes. But she was still awake thinking. The story of the wildcats didn't seem like it was just a legend. It seemed very real, to Diane. What if... Opal was just trying to calm Bruin, making her think it wasn't real. What if, if it is real, the lake is actually a lot closer than what Opal said? Ugh, I need to stop thinking about it, or I'll give myself nightmares.
Diane was able to go to sleep, quicker than she'd expected. But it wasn't a very peaceful slumber. She was looking on a tall hill, under a stormy gray sky. Sitting on the hill was a silver pelted kit, who looked to be the same age as Diane. The kits baleful eyes were strangely morphing from green to a beautiful teal. A single star glowed above, even though her dream didn't appear to be at night. To Diane's amazement, the star spiraled downward, and somehow transformed into a tall, black and white cat.
"Tallstar!" cried the kit. "Please help me!"
"Hello Silverkit. It's been a little while, hasn't it?"
"I feel like I'm the only kit in WindClan. Foxkit and Robinkit... I know they're really little but they're never interested in what I'm doing. I like observing everything- I know the names for different shades of the same color, and I know about the different types of clouds. But they just play silly games and get into trouble. My brother almost always plays with them instead of learning things with me, like he used to."
During this whole exchange, Diane couldn't help but feel weirded out. This Silverkit spent her time watching the weather and pondering over color instead of playing. Suddenly, she shivered. Wasn't WindClan one of the great Clans of wildcats? This wasn't scary like a nightmare, but it was awfully creepy for a dream. I feel like I'm dreaming someone else's life. The cat called Tallstar began to speak again.
"I understand your troubles, dear Silverkit. This is the very beginning of your inner conflict, the sun rising at dawn before a long day of terrible battle. Isolation will always be deeply rooted inside you. Sometimes it will remain hidden away, but in times like now, the isolation spreads like a virus until your whole body suffers it."
Diane had no idea what Tallstar was talking about! Such big words! Silverkit seemed to understand the message however.
"In exactly one half-moon, your isolation will be banished to the depths of your heart, where it can be kept at bay."
"You mean I won't be lonely anymore?" asked Silverkit. Her eyes, Diane noticed, had gone back to the color green. Creepy...
"Yes. I will warn you though, this will be the start of your confusion and straying heart. Do you understand, young one?"
"Yes Tallstar. I would rather have a straying heart than an isolated one."
Silverkit glanced at the sky, which was no longer teeming with clouds. Then, as she continued to take in the landscape, her eyes seemed to lock with Diane's. Then, Silverkit blinked, calm as the clear sky above, and started to become fuzzy. Eventually, she disappeared entirely. The black and white tom had also turned misty. Or had he been that way the whole time? The disturbing thought gave Diane a jolt, and darkness crashed down around her.
The dreamscape ceased to exist. Deep sleep had arrived.
The next morning, Diane and Bruin were allowe to venture outside the twoleg nest. Diane was trying her hardest to forget her disturbing dream, but that was proving to be impossible. Her eyes kept wandering to the thunderpath in front of her housefolk's garden.
"Why are you so quiet today, Diane? Surely the thunderpath isn't that interesting to stare at?"
Diane sighed, and padded over to her almost-twin sister. "I dreamt about a kit our age named Silverkit. She was talking to another cat called Tallstar. They used words I didn't understand sometimes, but I could tell that Silverkit was feeling lonely. Tallstar told her that she would stop being lonely in a half-moon."
Bruin tipped her head to one side. "So? What's that got to do with the thunderpath?"
Diane took a deep breath. "Those two cats in my dream... they were from one of the clans! WindClan! Do you remember what Opal said? That if you follow the thunderpath, you'll find the clans?"
Bruin snorted. Clearly, she was unmoved. "Even if that story was true, which it isn't, why would you want to get to the lake? To see a bunch of creepy wildcats?"
Why does she have to be so mean about it? I don't really know why I would want to find the lake. I guess because it was in my dreams, and in the legend. "I would go to see it for myself. Imagine only hearing about something in a legend, or in sleep, and then being able to see it for real." Diane felt better now, more sure of herself. "I'll go find the lake, meet the clan cats, and then come back here to tell you about my journey!"
Bruin twitched an ear. Her tail flicked. "Alright then. Run after your imaginary clans and strange cats. I'll be in the nest." With that, the bi-color tabby stalked up to the nest's door, and stepped through the flap.
Diane struggled to catch her breath, and reflected on what had happened that morning. She had jumped into the back of the monster that had been sleeping next to the yard. Diane had gone for a ride in the monster, and leapt out at the first sight of pine trees. Now, she found herself on strange, damp ground between the pines and the lake. The marshland of ShadowClan. Now what? Do I have to find them on my own? Well, I guess that wouldn't be too hard. There's some strong scent around here. I could probably follow it to their camp. Yes! That's what I'll do! But before Diane had gone three pawsteps, a group of cats emerged from the pines. They looked quite threatening.
"What is that?" meowed one of them. "It's a kit!" replied another. An orange tabby she-cat cautiously approached Diane. "What is your name? Where did you come from?"
Diane found herself feeling very nervous. Should she tell them who she was? All of a sudden, a big gray shape caught her eye. It was a bird- a heron, according to Opal's description. It was flying over the water, to the other side of the lake.
"Don't you even know your own name, stupid kit?" hissed a red tom.
Diane knew what her answer would be. Inspiration, however unlikely, had taken root in her mind. Diane stood up straighter, looked the tom in the eye, and cleared her throat.
"My name is Heron. I come from the other side of the big thunderpath."
Yes, Heron used to be a kittypet, before she joined ShadowClan (and later, Misty Breezes of course)! There will be a second chapter where she meets Pouncekit and Splashkit (Pounceheart and Splashleaf). Heron will also see the Silverkit from her dream at her first gathering- imagine how shocked she'll be!
Now then, time to get to work on that second chapter!