p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="text-decoration: underline; font-kerning: none;"Why do cats meow?/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;"strongspan style="font-kerning: none;"Well, Why Do Cats Meow won the poll! I hop you all enjoy this as much as Good As Black, but just so you know, I'm not planning for this to be too long. It's just a sort of background info, on Silentsong/span/strongspan style="font-kerning: none;"./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The silence./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"That was the first thing I ever noticed./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Instantly, I knew I liked it./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I liked the way I left me to think, without invading my thoughts. It didn't distract me, but it was always there./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The silence./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"After a moment of relaxing in it, I took note of other things./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Everything was black. It was dark, but strangely comforting. /span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was pressed up against a warm, fluffy material. It seemed to rub over me, bringing warmth with it. I curled up closer into it./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The warmth. It spun around me, catching me in the middle of it's web. It was so hot that it seemed to be smothering me, but its weight felt reassuring./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Tiredness was pulling at my eyes, and after observing everything in the darkness, I succumbed to it, and fell back into the ocean of sleep./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"XXXXX/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was woken again. This time the silence was gone, and was replaced by noise./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"From the bundle of soft… Fur, I think it is, came words. From across the fur, more words arrived./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""What are you going to call her, Snowberry?" The far-away words./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""I'm not sure…" Closer this time./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Come on. The whole Clan want to know!"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hmm…" Somehow, I knew they were talking about me. "I know! Birchkit. She will be called Birchkit."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I felt my heart warm up. I was called Birchkit. Birchkit./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Do you think her eyes should have opened by now?" The far-away voice continued./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""I'm sure it's fine." The close voice said, but it still sounded worried./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Open my eyes? I considered it. How? Slowly, I found muscles in my eyelids, and pushed them up./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The world was nothing like my black. It was bright, and I had to blink a couple of times before I could see clearly. But when I saw, what I saw took my breath away./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was nestled in a bed of a green plant. Moss. A bed of moss. Wrapped around me was some grey fur, though mine was a lot lighter. It was silver, a soft silver. Above my head was a roof of tightly woven branches. When I looked slightly down, I saw another cat, black this time. Her eyes were a green-brown, and they were staring at me./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Her eyes have opened!" She called out./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I tumbled over onto the floor as the grey fur around me moved./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Oh, I'm sorry, Birchkit!" The close voice exclaimed. "You're right, Ravenspark! They are open!"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I just stared at them with wide eyes./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hello Birchkit," Snowberry's voice was soft. "Can you speak?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I considered this. Speak? Probably./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I stared at her./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Birchkit?" Snowberry prompted./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Oh! I realised. She wants me to tell her the answer!/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I opened my mouth, but just before I could talk, another cat slipped into the room, through a a gap in the wall I hadn't noticed before./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hello, Snowberry," The new cat purred, then turned to me. "Oh! She's opened her eyes!"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I blinked at her. She was black, with long legs. Her eyes were a light blue, and were filled with laughter./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hello, Whitepaw," Snowberry mewed happily. "This is Birchkit." She said the name with pride./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Whitepaw? I continued to stare at her. She was black, but I suppose the name could come from the one white sock. I looked down at my leg. I had the same white mark./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Birchkit?" Whitefoot looked at me. "It fits her."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Snowberry smiled happily. "Birchkit, say hello to your sister, Whitepaw."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I watched her. Whitepaw blinked. "Can she speak?" She asked./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I fluffed up my fur. Of course I could! I opened my mouth and was about to talk when Snowberry interrupted./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""I'm not sure." She mewed worriedly. "She hasn't said emanything /emyet."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"They stared a me. It was then that I realised my moth was still open, making me look like I was in the middle of a long yowl. I closed it./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Ravenspark sniffed. "Huh, maybe she's mute. I'm sure emmy/em kit won't be."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I glared at her, shocked. How could a cat be so… Impolite!/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Of course, your kits will be perfect," Snowberry said, sounding annoyed. Ravenspark began to groom herself, and the grey cat whispered, so only I could hear her, "And the way you're acting, there will probably be a prophecy about them, and they'll have superpowers, and they'll save the Clans from doom. Mouse-brain."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was about to open my mouth to laugh, but then I realised that wouldn't really be the best idea, as Ravenspark would wonder what I found so funny, so I opened my mouth and chuckled silently. Snowberry just looked even more worried./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"XXXXX/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I woke up again, and this time I opened my eyes. It was darker than before, but I could still see. And it was quieter./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I pricked my ears, and then I heard the sounds that I couldn't when the other cats were talking./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The trees rustled, despite being so far away./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"An owl called. I knew what owls were, because my father was named after them. Owl-leap./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"A far-away frog was croaking stubbornly./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"And some-where, very, very far away, water rushed down a hill, making a calming, lulling noise./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;"emYou can hear the whole world if you don't talk. /emI realised. That was when I made my promise to myself. emI will speak as little as I can, because when I speak I miss out on more information than I earn. And besides, I like the silence./em/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;"strongspan style="font-kerning: none;"Well, Why Do Cats Meow won the poll! I hop you all enjoy this as much as Good As Black, but just so you know, I'm not planning for this to be too long. It's just a sort of background info, on Silentsong/span/strongspan style="font-kerning: none;"./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The silence./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"That was the first thing I ever noticed./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Instantly, I knew I liked it./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I liked the way I left me to think, without invading my thoughts. It didn't distract me, but it was always there./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The silence./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"After a moment of relaxing in it, I took note of other things./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Everything was black. It was dark, but strangely comforting. /span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was pressed up against a warm, fluffy material. It seemed to rub over me, bringing warmth with it. I curled up closer into it./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The warmth. It spun around me, catching me in the middle of it's web. It was so hot that it seemed to be smothering me, but its weight felt reassuring./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Tiredness was pulling at my eyes, and after observing everything in the darkness, I succumbed to it, and fell back into the ocean of sleep./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"XXXXX/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was woken again. This time the silence was gone, and was replaced by noise./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"From the bundle of soft… Fur, I think it is, came words. From across the fur, more words arrived./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""What are you going to call her, Snowberry?" The far-away words./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""I'm not sure…" Closer this time./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Come on. The whole Clan want to know!"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hmm…" Somehow, I knew they were talking about me. "I know! Birchkit. She will be called Birchkit."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I felt my heart warm up. I was called Birchkit. Birchkit./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Do you think her eyes should have opened by now?" The far-away voice continued./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""I'm sure it's fine." The close voice said, but it still sounded worried./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Open my eyes? I considered it. How? Slowly, I found muscles in my eyelids, and pushed them up./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The world was nothing like my black. It was bright, and I had to blink a couple of times before I could see clearly. But when I saw, what I saw took my breath away./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was nestled in a bed of a green plant. Moss. A bed of moss. Wrapped around me was some grey fur, though mine was a lot lighter. It was silver, a soft silver. Above my head was a roof of tightly woven branches. When I looked slightly down, I saw another cat, black this time. Her eyes were a green-brown, and they were staring at me./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Her eyes have opened!" She called out./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I tumbled over onto the floor as the grey fur around me moved./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Oh, I'm sorry, Birchkit!" The close voice exclaimed. "You're right, Ravenspark! They are open!"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I just stared at them with wide eyes./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hello Birchkit," Snowberry's voice was soft. "Can you speak?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I considered this. Speak? Probably./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I stared at her./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Birchkit?" Snowberry prompted./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Oh! I realised. She wants me to tell her the answer!/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I opened my mouth, but just before I could talk, another cat slipped into the room, through a a gap in the wall I hadn't noticed before./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hello, Snowberry," The new cat purred, then turned to me. "Oh! She's opened her eyes!"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I blinked at her. She was black, with long legs. Her eyes were a light blue, and were filled with laughter./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Hello, Whitepaw," Snowberry mewed happily. "This is Birchkit." She said the name with pride./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Whitepaw? I continued to stare at her. She was black, but I suppose the name could come from the one white sock. I looked down at my leg. I had the same white mark./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Birchkit?" Whitefoot looked at me. "It fits her."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Snowberry smiled happily. "Birchkit, say hello to your sister, Whitepaw."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I watched her. Whitepaw blinked. "Can she speak?" She asked./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I fluffed up my fur. Of course I could! I opened my mouth and was about to talk when Snowberry interrupted./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""I'm not sure." She mewed worriedly. "She hasn't said emanything /emyet."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"They stared a me. It was then that I realised my moth was still open, making me look like I was in the middle of a long yowl. I closed it./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"Ravenspark sniffed. "Huh, maybe she's mute. I'm sure emmy/em kit won't be."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I glared at her, shocked. How could a cat be so… Impolite!/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;""Of course, your kits will be perfect," Snowberry said, sounding annoyed. Ravenspark began to groom herself, and the grey cat whispered, so only I could hear her, "And the way you're acting, there will probably be a prophecy about them, and they'll have superpowers, and they'll save the Clans from doom. Mouse-brain."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I was about to open my mouth to laugh, but then I realised that wouldn't really be the best idea, as Ravenspark would wonder what I found so funny, so I opened my mouth and chuckled silently. Snowberry just looked even more worried./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"XXXXX/span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I woke up again, and this time I opened my eyes. It was darker than before, but I could still see. And it was quieter./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"I pricked my ears, and then I heard the sounds that I couldn't when the other cats were talking./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"The trees rustled, despite being so far away./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"An owl called. I knew what owls were, because my father was named after them. Owl-leap./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"A far-away frog was croaking stubbornly./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"span style="font-kerning: none;"And some-where, very, very far away, water rushed down a hill, making a calming, lulling noise./span/p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 13px;"emYou can hear the whole world if you don't talk. /emI realised. That was when I made my promise to myself. emI will speak as little as I can, because when I speak I miss out on more information than I earn. And besides, I like the silence./em/p
