The distant waft of warm air floated ever so slightly through the cracks in the stone den, faint beams of light seeping in through the jagged rock slits. Those same flickering lights dappled across the smooth black pelt of the cave's inhabitant. With a subtle sniff of the host's berry pink nose, followed by a whisker twitch, a slender ebony crown lifted from small brown paws, taking in the same old sights within youthful green eyes the shade of the grass during green-leaf. Small, rounded ears flicking once or twice out of returning habit, the young black tom gave an enormous yawn, jaws agape to reveal sharp pearl white fangs. Lengthened limbs extending a few whisker lengths from the core sported ivory claws at the end of each appendage. He pulled his legs back under his chest, using them to rise to his paws in a smooth motion. That same green-leaf gaze sauntered over to the far end of the circular cavern where lay the dank hole of another tunnel.

Shaking out his stiffened pelt, the limber tom made long strides towards the tunnel entrance, ducking his head under the small draping of dead moss before his kinked tail disappeared down through the shadows. The cold stone earth gently inclined at an upward rate, the soft glow of the midday ambiance shining up ahead. He lowered himself closer to the ground, the roof of the tunnel lowering considerably. With a final squeeze, he made it out into the fresh air, where sunlight blasted his dulled pelt of black and brown. He cast a final glance at the puncture in the stone wall, features contorted into a thoughtful frown.

I'll have to see if I can get the tunnelers to clear out a better passage. With green-leaf on the rise, we'll all have more prey to fill our bellies. And I'm no exception. With a cautious glance, the sleek tom peeked a gander at his thin flanks, imagining the outcome within a moon or two. If he couldn't fit inside his own den, that would be a problem. Not my fault Short Pine was so unbelievably skinny.

"Spider Shade!"

The tom's ears perked at the mention of his former name. Up until the past few moons, he had been officially dubbed Cloudreader after Short Pine's death due to old age. The old brown tabby was a walking sickness, holed up in his cramped den throwing coughing fits for days. It was only a few days after he refused once again to eat while the rest of the tribe starved when the sickness struck deeply, taking the last of his soul to the Tribe of Endless Hunting.

Now prancing toward him, making clumsy strides up the rocky trail at the tip of the mountain peak, was Starling Chirp- one of the young tunnelers. The tawny tom had taken up the tunneling profession while his sister Swan Song had taken her lithe frame in account, taking up the role of Cliff Runner.

"Greetings, Starling Chirp," the black tom dipped his head to the approaching youngster. "Haven't you been told to call me Cloudreader rather than my old name?"

"Yes, but, it's hard to remember," the young tawny feline protested with a forced pout. "Spider Shade is much easier."

Cloudreader's leaf green eyes rolled to the back of his head in amusement, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Very well then, I do have a favor I must ask of you, Starling Chirp." The white-chested tunneler looked up with bright and eager amber eyes, sharing the same enthusiasm as his sister. "You are to tell Bat Shriek and Storm Eyes that the tunnel to the mountain peak and my den is closing in. With green-leaf approaching, I'd like a wider space to move through. Can you tell them that?"

"Count on me, Spider Shade!" chirped the tom much like his namesake as he whirled around on his paws, stumbling a few paces and taking clownish steps back down to the base where the black tom presumed he originally came from. The youthful leader shook his head amusedly. A great tunneler at heart and soul. A Cliff Runner?- not so much.

His cranium tilted outwards, green gaze glassy, lost in thought. Over the jagged edges of the mountain crest, peering down the similarly rugged terrain, twas a breathtaking sight to behold. Two rivers descended from the summit, winding in wild directions around the slope, where they conjoined harmoniously at the base, giving the tribe its name. While squinting, it was easier to see the shapes of fellow tribemates as they shuffled around the grass before fading into the depths of the dry abyss. For as long as former Spider Shade could remember, the tribe had always been divided; Tunnelers and Cliff Runners. To expand their territory and skills, Tunnelers were as their name implied. These cats dug from dawn til dusk, plotting escape routes, hunting grounds, and simple knowledge of knowing what was below the sunlight. Cliff Runners were a different story. Rather than scraping around in the wet dirt, these cats spent their time traversing the high summits of the surrounding mountain peaks. They had adapted to the rough stone on their pads, their agile frames aiding in the high-speed chase of large birds of prey that provided most of the food for the tribe.

That was the way it had always been.

"Argh!" an anguish filled yelp exploded through the open entrances, echoing cries of pain. The hairs along Cloudreader's spine bristled, eyes shot open with fear. As the blood pounded to his ears, he realized the outburst had come from the tunneler queen. Quick and light on his feet, Cloudreader bolted for the nearest tunnel that led deeper into the mountain's interior. His slim frame slipped through the soil with ease, pelt sleek with the moist dirt that lined each dank enclosure. One paw moved in front of the other at an alarming rate, desperate to get to his destination and out of the cramped cell that fueled his claustrophobia. While Starling Chirp was a tunneler at heart, formerly named Spider Shade was a Cliff Runner. During that time, he had no time to familiarize himself with the dark, empty pits that the tunnelers dug day after day.

With a sharp intake of breath, Cloudreader pushed through the last stretch of the tunnel, tearing into the cave with wild eyes, the den itself flooding his nostrils with the scent of milk. Sprawled out on the far side of the cave wall lay the pretty blue queen, her silver dappled flanks swollen with unborn kits. Light seeped inside as a bulky ginger and white tom burst into the cave, storming over to the heavy breathing she-cat. He crouched at her side, mossy green orbs alight with similar fear the Cloudreader himself was experiencing.

"What's happening?" he shrieked at the black tom, tone betraying how scared he was.

"Calm down Ginger Tuft," Cloudreader forced his voice to stay steady. "Rain Pool is kitting. Step aside." As he took advancing paw steps, he spotted the ginger and white tom take several steps back, bod still quivering and mouth hung open slightly. Cloudreader placed a dainty brown paw on the blue she-cat's flank, internally flinching as she winced, clover green eyes sparking with nothing but pain and agony. "Breathe," he mewed softly, giving a small push to her side. The queen's lips drew back, taking short breaths through gritted teeth. "I can feel three," Cloudreader surmised with a brisk nod of his head, running a paw across her bulging belly. Rain Pool's body gave a short spasm, a grunt of distress passing her bared fangs. A drawn out hiss escaped into the air, another spasm rippling through her core. The hiss turned into a wail, cut off abruptly as the first push resulted in a blue-gray bundle tumbling into the moss.

"There's the first one," Cloudreader moved to nip open the sack, nudging the motionless kit towards its father, instructing him to keep it warm. Out of a mixture of fear, panic and joy, the ginger and white tom complied, head bent down and furiously running his tongue the wrong way against the kitten's blue pelt.

Rain Pool hissed, claws unsheathing and ready to lash out at anyone in radius. The shock of the next kit sliding out caught her by surprise, slumping back to her side in a heaving mass of blue and silver fur. Cloudreader nipped the sack that hosted a pretty white she-kit and like before, shoved it to Ginger Tuft. "One more," he pressed with encouragement, allowing a smile as he saw the flicker of relief pass through the she-cat's clover green eyes. The final convulsion hit as Rain Pool kicked with her back legs, stretched out in strained agony. The last bundle of ginger and white fur tumbled out onto the torn moss. The black tom continued the process and nipped the sack, licking the tiny tom's fur the wrong way. He was relieved to find signs of life when the little tomkit sneezed, followed after a pitiful wail wishing for warmth and milk. Smiling, Cloudreader gingerly gripped the small body of Rain Pool's kit, setting him beside her flattened belly where he eagerly took to one of the nearest teats and suckled with vigor.

"Ginger Tuft," Cloudreader's head swiveled to meet the tunneler's mossy green gaze. He was surprised to find it coated with sorrow. His shoulders slumped as he looked meekly up at his leader and healer, looking back down at the two lifeless kit bodies at his paws, then back up to Cloudreader where he shook his head. The message was clear; stillborn.

"Ginger Tuft?" Rain Pool wearily lifted her head, tail swept protectively around the white and ginger kit. "Where are the others?" Head hung mournfully, the ginger patched tom moved beside his mate. His thin tail flicked in the direction of the two stillborn kits. Rain Pool choked back a sudden sob, eyes wide with horror. Her jaws parted in a angst ridden wail before her muzzle collided with the moss in a defeated heap. "No..." Her already weakened body shivered with the release of tears, paws placed firmly over her snout. Leaving the grieving couple to themselves, Cloudreader sullenly moved toward the tunnel he had entered. He was too caught up with stress to even register the sides closing in on his flanks. One small paw ahead of the other like before, Cloudreader returned the the surface where the lit that hit his pelt was noticeably dimmer than before.

"Hey Spider Shade!" Starling Chirp thrust his muzzle eagerly into Cloudreader's face, amber eyes alight with curiosity. Behind him stood the monotone figure of the slender dark brown tabby and the pale gray-white tom with stormy blue eyes. "What's going on? We heard shrieks and wails. They sounded sad and painful."

"Rain Pool," the brown pawed healer bent his head in remorse. "Two of her kits didn't make it. Stillborns."

"Does that mean there was more than two?" the brown tabby mewed, dark amber eyes glinting with internal pain for the grieving she-cat.

"One survived. He seems strong enough to survive the night," Cloudreader sighed, turning his direction back towards the tunnel that led to his den. "I'm sure Starling Chirp told you the details, just expand the tunnel girth." He mewed dismissively, kinked tail swaying low before fading into the shadowy entrance. "I wish to be alone."

Tribe of Twin Rivers

Cloudreader: Spider Shade - long limbed, sleek black tom with a kinked tail and light brown paws; leaf green eyes

Tunnelers -

Storm Eyes - well muscled pale gray-white tom; stormy blue eyes

Bat Shriek - slender dark brown tabby tom; dark amber eyes

Moon Face - fiery orange she-cat with a white face; vivid orange eyes

Tiger Slash - black striped ginger pelted tom; golden eyes

Red Rose - light ginger she-cat with white paws; deep blue eyes

Ginger Tuft - white tom with scattered ginger patches; mossy green eyes

Starling Chirp - tawny tom with a bold white chest and forepaws; amber eyes

Black Lagoon - lithe, short-haired, sleek black tom; murky blue eyes

Cliff Runners -

Swan Song - pretty silver tabby she-cat; bright green eyes

Racoon Mask - wiry gray tom with a dark black mask; pale yellow eyes

Sweet Leaf - long furred gray she cat with a bushy tail and a scar along her back from a close call with a hawk; green eyes

Dawn Sky - beautiful white tortoiseshell; sky blue eyes

Sedge Flower - light brown and white she-cat; soft green eyes

Shallow Creek - light brown tom with darker streaks; intense blue eyes

Willow Branch - light brown tabby she-cat with white paws; long and thin tail that looks like a branch

Sorrel Stem - long-haired, pale gray and ginger she-cat with long legs; pale blue eyes

Queens -

Rain Pool - blue she-cat with silver dapples; clover green eyes (Dew Drop - tiny white tom with splashes of ginger and mossy green eyes)

Cats Outside of Tribe -

Wolfclaw - gray tom with black streaks; dark brown eyes

Cherrypaw - tortoiseshell she-cat

Nightglaze - black patterned gray tabby tom; lively aquamarine eyes

Shadowwing - black she-cat with silver spots on shoulder blades

Casterclaw - cream and silver-white tom

Six-Claw - dark russet tom with six claws

Nightmare - beautiful, sleek, pure black she-cat; red like amber eyes

Frost - icy white tom with a gray tail

Dash - swift-footed dusky brown tom

Lynx - golden tom with black-gray spots

Shorttail - brown tabby tom with bobtail

Jinx - white she-cat with a black mark on her forehead

Hex - black she-cat with a white mark on her forehead

Dovey - fluffy pale gray she-cat; sky blue eyes

Rani - silver dappled she-cat

Swyfte - silver tabby tom with amber eyes

Surprise surprise! Here's the intro to my newest story. Thanks to all who reviewed their characters, I tried to use as many as I could. Big thanks to Briarthorn of MossClan, NightmareTheFoxWitch, King James10158, SleepyGhosty, Dawnsky of MapleClan, Streaking Shadows, E-Sushi, Spottedmist, XxSoldierOfGodxX and everyone else who reviewed. Thanks for your support and I hope this story goes well.

-Snarky