Stoneteller— pale cream tom with rippling golden tabby stripes and blue eyes with yellow flecks

Prey-hunters:
Gleam of Eyes at Night (Gleam)— pure cream white tom with silvery-blue eyes and brown muzzle

Moss that Grows on Tree (Moss)— calico and tabby tom with green eyes

Snow that Falls from Cloud (Snow)—pale coloured she-cat with grey eyes

Rock that Falls from Cliff (Rock)—gray and black tom with green eyes

Light from Dying Star (Star)—silver splotched she cat with white chest and paws

Branch of Fallen Tree (Branch)—pale rowan-cream and dark brown she cat

Cave-guards:

Flood that Rages through Stream (Flood)— long-bodied, short-furred, silvery grey tom with pale blue eyes

Flower that Nods in Wind (Flower)—beautiful tortoiseshell and cream she cat with dark green eyes and plumed fur

Night of Dark Stars (Night)—black tabby she cat with amber eyes

Fire that Rages through Sky (Fire)—dark ginger tom with blue eyes

Cougar that Leaps in Trees (Cougar)— large pale yellow tom with dark amber eyes and fearsome claws

Falcon that Swoops in Flight (Falcon)—brownish gold tabby tom with angular face

To-be's:

Call of Flying Owl (Owl)—brown and ginger tom with yellow eyes, cave-guard; taught by Stoneteller—next Teller of Pointed Stones

Shadow that Lies Under Moon (Shadow)—black she cat with blue eyes,
prey-hunter; taught by Moss that Grows on Tree

Mist that Drifts through Trees (Mist)—tabby silver-blue she cat with striking blue eyes, cave-guard; taught by Flood that Rages through Stream

Feather of Diving Hawk (Feather)—dark brown she cat with amber eyes; prey-hunter; taught by Fire that Rages in Sky

Kit-mothers:

Stream where Reeds Grow (Stream)—pale dark silver she-cat- Kits, Dove that Sings and Darkness that Covers Night

~~~~~~~~~
The forest where shadows lay was quiet, except for the screech of an owl. The shadows would seem impenetrable to an outsider, and the roar of a cougar would discourage any from venturing there.

Except, of course, the cats that called it home.

There was one place where warm, golden sunlight struck, but it was in the heart of the forest, and outside of it was feathered by shadows and wrapped in fog.

This was the Tribe of Shadow Forest—cats with a dark name, but not cats with dark hearts.

And now was the ceremony of one to-be.
Let me show you the story of Mist that Drifts Through the Trees, the sad story of one Tribal cat…

Mist nervously shifted on her paws. She was sure her sister, called Branch of Fallen Tree, already a prey-hunter, would have much more experience.

She was a cave-guard, but Branch was a prey hunter and probably would scorn her for being ' a rough fighter,' as she called the cave-guards.

All the cave-guards had a few scars from invaders—one of the prettiest cats in the Tribe, Flower that Nods in the Wind—had a small scar on her neck where she had fought a fox and almost been killed.

Mist just hoped she would be assigned to a good cat in the Tribe. All of the cave-guards were good cats, but one had a cowardly reputation—Cougar that Leaps in Trees—for deserting during battle. Mist thought he would have been brave. Because she-cats named their kittens after the first thing they saw when the kit was born, Cougar had been born when a cougar was attacking camp. But despite the calamity he was born in, he was afraid of most everything, in spite of his burly frame and fearsome, thick claws.

She inhaled sharply with excitement as Stoneteller appeared on the rock cleft that jutted from the camp wall, and yowled to summon the Tribe.

When the cats flooded under the rock, he announced ceremony words.

His tail flicking to silence the cats, he yowled,

"This kitten is eight moons old, and she may be a to-be now. She will be a cave-guard as I have determined, and she will be taught by…"

Stoneteller's eyes scratched every cat, and then settled on one in particular.

"Flood that Rages in Stream, you will teach this to-be."
Mist twitched an ear. That cat was quiet and worked hard, and everyone respected him, but he had a mysterious—almost creepy- air about him.

At least he is a noble cat! She scolded herself. And then added with a private purr, and at least it's not Cougar.

The large silver tabby gently brushed her flank with his tail and studied her with solemn blue eyes. "You will have to work very hard as a cave-guard," he murmured. "You'll face danger."

Mist set her jaw. "I'm up to it," she insisted. "I'm no soft-paw."

Flood that Rages Through Stream purred quietly. "Good. Then let us go to the heart of our forest, and I will train you."

~~~~~~
The shadows were thick and dark, draped over everything like a smothering blanket. Flood navigated with ease, leaping over logs when Mist rammed into them blindly, and avoiding trees when Mist stumbled into them.

"Some cave-guard I'll be," she grumbled in annoyance. "I can't even see in the dark!"

A soft voice called from above. "Do not worry, Mist that Drifts through Trees. You will gain excellent dark-sight soon."
She looked up and saw a pair of ice-blue eyes blinking warmly at her.

She resisted a sarcastic reply and nodded, clawing up herself up the tree and stretching her eyes as she saw sun-rays of dawn penetrate the dark.

A large outcropping that was covered with soft moss was below the tree, and a sparkling blue stream tinkled musically past it.

"I was named for that stream," Flood meowed quietly, "When it was in full flood. My mother—she hunts with the Tribe of Endless Hunting now—gave birth to me and was almost swallowed up by its waters."

Mist eyed the stream warily. "Does it flood…. often?"

"Only in the colder moons. Now it is peaceful, and minnows run thick. This is the prey-hunters' favored spot, as the chestnut trees and water make mice, fish, and squirrels plentiful."

"That's interesting… can we train now?"

Flood purred. "Eager, I see. Of course. Come, land on the moss."

The silver tabby sprang out of the tree, streamlined as he arced through the air. His tail waved like a banner behind him, and he landed soundlessly on the moss.

Mist sprang after him, tumbling through the air and landing flat on her back.

"'Graceful,' indeed," Flood said, peering down at her. "And I thought all cats landed on their feet!"

"Oh, be quiet." She grumbled irritably, her back sore.

"Let us get on with training, yes?" He twitched an ear, suddenly serious. "The first thing you must know," he meowed solemnly, "For every blow struck—every claw mark on another's pelt—there will be one in return, whether it be on you or another Tribe cat. Every action has a consequence, you see? Every cat has a story and they all want to react when acted upon. For example—"

He cut off suddenly, snarling as he plunged at her with claws out. She yowled, more in defiance than fear, a strange energy surging through her, and deflected the blow. He dropped back on all four paws and shook his fur as if nothing had happened, but his eyes were full of wisdom.

"You see?" he meowed. "I know you did it out of instinct, but you fought back, and didn't let me just hurt you. You hurt me back, and defended. You have mastered the skill first needed to be a cave-guard—well done, to-be."

"But—I just lashed back," she mewed, confused.
Flood paced, his tail lashing. "It's vital to understand!" he insisted urgently. "The fight is within all of us. Some find it hard to release, but a cave-guard needs to let theirs out and fight against the 'fighting spirit' in other cats—in other words, defend yourself and the Tribe of Shadow Forest!"

"I understand," she said.

"Good," he said, relaxing, "Now, we can train. Attack me as if I'm an intruder—claws sheathed!"

She silently weaved forward, her claws working in her paw-fur. When Flood yowled and ran at her, she side-stepped, blinking in confusion as he whirled and pushed her down.

She was pinned in less than five seconds.
"So," he meowed. "We've got work to do."