Long ago, before the Clans existed, even StarClan, lived The Unnamed. They were a band of cats, with no name, though all grew to be noble, and spun the legends of the Clans.
Cats of the Band
Leader: Belltail- slim honey she-cat
Mother of Stormkit
Second-in-Command: Kindlefire- dark reddish-brown tortoiseshell tom
Apprentice: Duskpaw- slightly dark honey tabby tom
Healer: Sagecloud- pale brown tabby tom
Apprentice: Mintpaw- light gray tortoiseshell she-cat
Warriors: Jayflight- black tom with white muzzle and paws
Ebonyfeather- blue-black tom
Ivorysilk- pale gray she-cat
Apprentice: Starpaw- light honey she-cat
Fawnstep- light brown tabby she-cat
Apprentice: Tigerpaw- dark orange tabby tom
Fleetfoot- dark gray tom
Apprentice: Leopardpaw- light golden-brown tabby she-cat, dappled with black
Tawnysky- purple-gray, very pale honey, and light brown tortoiseshell she-cat
Swiftwind- light gray tabby tom
Apprentice: Oceanpaw- dark gray tom
Queens: Agonyheather- pale gray she-cat
Mother of Passionkit and Paradisekit
Goldenleaf- dark honey tortoiseshell she-cat
Mother of Birchkit
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Agonyheather sighed, and glanced down at her small kits, Passionkit and Paradisekit. Their father, Ebonyfeather padded into the nursery, and mewed, "We're leaving soon. There's nothing we can do about it."
Goldenleaf nearby yowled across, "I leave for the sake of my only kit," nodding down at a small bundle of fur.
Ivorysilk stuck her head in, and told them, "Belltail says it's time to leave. Let's go."
Agonyheather sighed again, and picked up Passionkit, while Ebonyfeather scooped up Paradisekit.
Ivorysilk nodded, and glanced at Goldenleaf. She had gently taken Birchkit in her jaws, and dipped her head to Ivorysilk. "Come on."
Ebonyfeather padded out sadly; Agonyheather following.
At the High Branch, there Belltail stood. Her proud, but only kit was next to her, young Stormkit.
Purrs of amusement rang out at the sight of Stormkit.
Belltail quickly checked that her band was there, and yowled, "We leave on the Great Journey!"
Silence. Almost no one wanted to leave. They would all miss the soft heather, warm mosses, the sweet flowers.
Ebonyfeather called out, "Let us go!"
"Yes, let us go!" "Let's go!" Meows rang across the clearing.
Fawnstep padded calmly forward up to Belltail. "For those who wish to stay?" She inquired softly.
Belltail nodded. "Those staying, go to the warrior's den. That is most spacious, and will serve you well. Prey has been stored. Leaf-bare is coming. I will not allow band members to starve."
Mousewhisker walked forward. "I alone am staying, Belltail." Bellstar was Mousewhisker's daughter. Everyone knew that.
Kindlefire, who was sitting on a stump nearby, mewed kindly to Mousewhisker, "She's a leader Mousewhisker. Belltail can't stay because of one cat, even if that cat is her father."
Duskpaw looked up at his mentor with pride. He had to speak up for the sake of his Clan. His sister, Starpaw watched with an adult-like stare. She was the sensible one, the beautiful one. He was the daredevil, the scruffy one. Oh well. Duskpaw turned his attention back to the branch.
Belltail nodded, her eyes full of anguish. "I must go Mousewhisker, father."
Mousewhisker just replied sadly, "Just don't have the same thing happen to your mother happen to you."
Jayflight yowled, "I avenged my father's death. I remembered what he died for, and that has kept me here, all these few years."
Sagecloud listened with wise ears. He knew that Jayflight had suffered, and what Kindlefire said was true, though family should never be separated.
Mintpaw was still a young apprentice; she fiddled with a strand of grass, and then kneaded the ground. This didn't seem important to her. She would know eventually.
Belltail's eyes widened. "Yes…. I won't let that happen to me."
Mousewhisker mewed, "I lost my mate. I won't lose my daughter."
Kindlefire interrupted, "We should be leaving!"
Mousewhisker's eyes blazed. "I lost my mate, my beautiful mate; so many of you knew her, Shysun. She was the light of my life."
Belltail's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I know-." Her voice broke.
Fleetfoot, her mate, turned his head. He couldn't bear it when Belltail was so sad. Her pain was his pain. Her heart was his. And right now, their heart was shattering into a thousand pieces.
Mousewhisker looked at Fleetfoot among the throng of cats. "You take good care of her. You take good care of her."
