((fixed all the errors, big thanks to MeowKitty1912 for helping me with the ages! I swear I always get moons and years mixed up -Sound))

The mouse was just out of her reach. Just out of her reach by a few tail-lengths,

and the young, dark grey dappled she-cat growled to herself. But no sound came out, because this cat was mute. Completely mute. Nobody really knew if she just didn't want to talk or if there was really something wrong with her, but nobody had ever heard her utter a word. Her name was Gleam, and she also had mismatched amber and brown eyes.

Many cats believed her muteness was because of this, but only Gleam really knew. Although, she always put it down to the fact that she didn't have anything to say. And now, as she was ever-so-close to the mouse she was about to catch, she shifted her weight onto one side and sprang, missing the mouse by a mile. It scurried off, squeaking to high Silverpelt to warn any of its family that there was a predator nearby.

Gleam sighed and sat down, her paws tucked neatly beside her hind legs and her tail flicking from side to side in frustration. She was five moons old, nearly six, and was finding it immensely hard to learn how to hunt. She did not live in a Clan like a lot of cats in forests similar to hers did, instead she lived with a close-knit group of cats, including her family.

She didn't have any problems with this, and in fact loved the life she was living, but she really found it hard to keep up now that she was old enough to fend for herself. On her sixth moon she would have to hunt and train herself, as was the custom of her group. She made her way back to camp, preyless and feeling blue. As she carefully manouevred through the vines that covered the entrance to a small series of carved-out hollows and burrows that her family and friends called home. As she padded in, her mother Cloud greeted her with a friendly lick on the ear.

"How are you, my precious kit? Did you manage to catch anything today?"

Gleam looked down at her paws, a small sigh rising in her throat. She shook her head in response, trying to ignore the obvious disappointment on her mother's face. "Still not talking?" Another head shake and look of disappointment. Gleam looked up at her mother, her eyes glittering with shame. She brushed her long tail over her mother's shoulder and nosed her way over to her brothers, Wolf and Hawk.

Wolf sat up with a smile and called to her. "Hi Gleam! Want to share some rabbit?"

The little she-cat responded with a smile and a nod- Wolf and Hawk were about three moons older than her, so they were about eight or so moons old and were already allowed to hunt and look after themselves. She settled by them, and after smiling politely she dove in and munched the remains of the rabbit with immense gratitude. She hadn't been accepting prey from other cats lately, as she wanted to learn to hunt for her family before herself so she was ready when she couldn't rely on others. It was nice to share prey with her brothers - they were usually sparring or out hunting together, leaving Gleam behind.

Hawk raised his head from the rabbit and looked at Gleam with questioning eyes. "Haven't you managed to hunt anything yet?" The young she cat responded with a sad shake of her head, and she twitched her whiskers and made a sad face. "You lost a mouse?" Inquired Wolf, and Gleam nodded. Her close family had learned to know her mannerisms and ways of saying things without directly using her voice, and Wolf seemed to be the best at interpreting her body language, which she was greatful for.

Gleam was just about to ask her brothers a question when she heard the group's appointed leader, Tiger, leap up onto a shade-covered rock and call his subjects to a meeting. Tiger was aptly named, as he was very bulky due to the fact he was forever eating, but if you teased him for it he would always insist it was because he was fluffy. His loud, smooth voice resonated around the small clearing as cats gathered beneath the rock. "Loyal cats under my lead, please gather beneath the Steep Rock to hear my words!"

She walked over to the rock after playfully batting her brothers on their noses, as they were lost in conversation and hadn't moved yet. Looking up at her leader with awe in her bright eyes she waited for him to speak. Tiger always seemed to have a natural air of authority and majesty around him, making any cat tremble in his wake. His mate Holly sat by him on the SteepRock, their tails entwined in an unspoken act of the tremendous love they had for each other.

"I gather you here at this time because I have a matter of urgency to speak about," he meowed, gazing at the assembled cats below. Gleam had never heard Tiger speak with such flair and fright; her ears were perked to listen.

"Holly and I have noticed the scents of unfamiliar cats on our territory, and this is a big worry. We have lived in peace for many moons here, and we are not prepared for battle. I'm not directly saying that there will be a fight, as these cats may just be passing through. But I insist that you all be back in camp before sundown so that nothing happens," His green gaze covered and comforted all his cats, and he paused for effect. "We are small in numbers, but big in hearts. I thank you for your time, you may continue your daily tasks." Tiger leaped down from the rock, landing somewhat gracefully (if a big ball of ginger fluff could even look graceful) in the center of the assembled cats and walked back into his den, Holly hot on his tail.

Gleam turned to Hawk and Wolf with a look of surprise in her eyes, before yawning and looking through the small gaps in the trees above. It was fast approaching night-time, and it was too late to go out hunting again now. With a somewhat full belly and a heavy heart, she padded to her nest next to her mother and father's, and turned round two times in a little ritual before settling down to sleep, her tail on her nose and her mismatched eyes being covered by her slowly drooping eyelids.

The sun filtered through the trees, streaming into the small cat's sleep-heavy eyes. She blinked to adjust to the light and realised that she wasn't in her territory. A wave of shock rushed over her as she looked around, her tail whipping around as she began to panic. A soft, silky voice sounded from the trees and Gleam raised her head to look around, her sides rising and falling as she still panicked. "Hello, young one. Do not be afraid, nothing could possibly harm you here," A large, flame-coloured tom stepped out from the cover of the trees, his pale brown eyes sparkling at Gleam in a way that told her what he was saying was true. Although, something seemed odd about him. Gleam noticed that she could almost see right through him, as if he were a ghost.

She looked at him, her amber and brown eyes trying to hold his gaze without flinching. "My name is Firespark, and I have summoned you here for a reason," The tom carefully made his way over to Gleam, his bright tail curling round her shoulder and flicking her in the nose in some sort of playful gesture. He sat down on his hindpaws and spoke again. "You seem to be the only cat of age that I can contact in your group. I do not know why, but you must have some kind of importance, as your band of cats has never been known to speak of us before."

Gleam looked up at Firespark, questions burning in her mind. Those questions would have to wait though, as Firespark spoke and the dream began feeling fuzzy at the edges, almost surreal. "I will see you soon, Gleam. Do not worry."