The Tribe of Falling Snow:
Healer:
Snow That Falls From Sky (Snow)- Pure white she-cat with one black paw, first ever Healer of The Tribe of Falling Snow.
Prey Hunters:
Stars on Cloudy Night (Stars)- Dark gray she-cat, with lighter stripes on her face and blue eyes.
Eclipse on Full Moon Night (Eclipse)- Pure black tom, with vibrant green eyes. Best tracker in the Tribe.
Grass That Grows on Mountainside (Grass)- Bracken colored tom, pale gray eyes, one of the best hunters in the Tribe.
Cherry Blossom That Blooms In Spring (Cherry)- Pinkish-gray she-cat with cherry red eyes, newest prey hunter in the Tribe.
Frog That Sits on Lily (Frog)- Greenish-gray tom with green eyes. One of the oldest prey-hunters.
Leaf That Falls From Tree (Leaf)- Pale brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, named for when she fell out of a tree as a kit.
Camp Guards:
Boulder That Rolls Down Hill (Boulder)- Stone gray tom with dark blue eyes, only cat in the Tribe that doesn't enjoy getting wet.
Eagle That Chases Fleeing Rabbit (Eagle)- Eagle colored she-cat with amber eyes. Heavily built, she was born a loner, and taken into the Tribe by Snow That Falls From Sky, and raised as her own kit.
Squirrel That Lives In Cave (Squirrel)- Light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, daughter of Eagle That Chases Fleeing Rabbit and Frog That Sits on Lily.
Wind That Whispers Through Trees (Wind)- Brown-and-black tortoiseshell tom with gray eyes.
Thunder on Stormy Night (Thunder)- Black tom with orange lightning bolt stripes down his face and sides.
Queens and Kits:
Sight on Misty Morning- Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes. Mother of Thunder on Stormy Night's kits, Snow on River's Ice and Light That Shines on Bloodstained Grass.
Elders:
none.
To Bes:
Snow on River's Ice- Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Light That Shines on Bloodstained Grass- Small gray she-cat with pale green eyes, future Healer.
Prologue
Snow fell gently, covering the dry moorland grass. Pawstep by pawstep, a silver cat drew herself forward. Crunch. Her single black paw drew back, and the twig she had crushed was blown away by the gentle wind. "Come on, Snow! You can do this!" the she-cat hissed quietly at herself.
A shadow crossed the moon, and the she-cat flattened herself lower to the ground. The night-hunting eagle trained its eyes on her. Suddenly, it folded its wings and angled its powerful body towards her. Forcing all of her weight onto her hind paws, Snow That Falls From Sky leapt.
Fierce claws met slashing talons, fangs clashed against rock-hard beak. Blood splashed silver on the snow-covered moorland grass. With one unified screech, the two creatures fell to the ground.
Wind ruffled feathers and fur. Then the heap of blood and pain moved.
The powerful she-cat rose up, throwing the body of the night-hunting eagle off of her crimson stained fur. Throwing her head back, Snow That Falls From Sky yowled her triumph to the heavens.
Blood trickled down her forehead and into her eyes. She placed her single black paw on the raptor's neck. Extending her claws, she slashed its throat.
Blue eyes blazing, she whispered, "The thousand nights of pain have ended. The Tribe of Falling Snow is safe once again. The Night-Hunter is no more!" and with her last words, the silver-white she-cat collapsed with a splash in the eagle's blood.
Chapter One
"Eclipse on Full Moon Night, your time has come. You have trained hard to learn the ways of a prey-hunter, and it has been decided. Your mentor, Sweet Rain That Falls in Spring, has passed on, but I know it is her wish for you to be made a full prey-hunter under the full moon."
"Yes, Snow That Falls From Sky, she would have liked to see this happen on such a beautiful night."
"Then so it shall be," Snow's blue-fire eyes shone in the moonlight as she looked down at the young black tomcat. His green eyes were shining brightly, and a whisper of anticipation passed through the circle of watching Tribe cats.
"Tonight, before the stars of our ancestor's spirits, and our mother the moon, I grant this young cat full passage to the Tribe of Endless Hunting as a prey-hunter of the Tribe of Falling Snow. Eclipse on Full Moon Night, is it your wish to serve the Tribe as a prey-hunter in life, death and anything in between?"
"It is." The determination in his voice was overpowering, and his vibrant green eyes reflected the moon.
"Then I ask before your mentor's spirit. Sweet Rain That Falls in Spring, grant this young cat the courage of your spirit, and let it be. Eclipse on Full Moon Night, I welcome you into my Tribe as a full prey-hunter. Use your skills wisely, young one."
The circle of watching Tribe cats erupted in cheers, calling out Eclipse's name, and calling out Sweet's name in mourning. Leaping down from the tree branch, Snow called to a greenish-gray tomcat.
"Frog, you are an experienced prey-hunter, and you are one of my wisest cats. Take Eclipse to the waterfall, and go to Sweet Rain's grave. My mother was a good cat, and it is my wish for Eclipse to lay beside her grave in silence tonight."
"Of course." He licked the white she-cat between the ears. "She'll never stop loving you, and I know she is proud of you. You brought our Tribe back, Snow, and you ended Sen No Yoru Wo Koete Itami1. Something no other cat could have done. You are young, and will be Healer for a long time yet."
She dipped her head and blinked.
"Get some sleep, Snow. We will leave immediately." Snow nodded, and the green tom turned and began to search for the young prey-hunter.
1Sen No Yoru Wo Koete Itami is Japanese for "Thousand nights of pain"