The Hybrid
Chapter 2
Omens
Two weeks earlier...
Cinderpelt inhaled sharply as she came awake by the moonstone, her blue eyes flashing in its glow. StarClan has not abandoned us, she thought, a deep relief shaking her down to her paws. A great doom approaches us...but, but they are trying to help. Exhaling again, she tried fiercely to remember the details of what she had dreamt – but it was all so hazy, nothing like the clear dreams that StarClan had once sent her way. Pale fur, she remembered, hissing softly. Pale fur lit by the moon, with the blessing of our ancestors.
She turned her head aside to glance at Leafpaw, who was still silent, nose against the stone beside the other medicine cats. It was only a moment later that she awoke with a start, eyes immediately wide. "Cinderpelt. We should...we should tell Firestar to look for a cat with the moon in their fur."
Cinderpelt straightened immediately, but did not speak, instead urging her apprentice out of the sacred chamber and out into the opening. "Did StarClan speak to you?" She demanded, fur prickling with anticipation.
The apprentice averted her eyes. "I met Spottedleaf," She admitted.
"And? What did she say?"
"To look for a cat with the moon in their fur, and to listen to what midnight tells us. Do both, and we can do more than just save our clan – we can prosper, as cats have never done before." Her eyes were wide with fear and wonder.
StarClan has not abandoned us, Cinderpelt thought again, dizzy for the joy. "We...we should get back as soon as possible. Firestar needs to hear this."
Oo0oO
I stared at the edge of the forest from atop a narrow fence, sparing it and its garden a glance. My best childhood friend, Sandra, lived there. We'd been two of the closest girls in the world, until our differences had become plainer, and the typical dramatics of teenagers had drawn us apart. We had a brief, casual chat every now and then, but it was nothing like it had once been.
One more regret, I thought. One more thing to say goodbye to.
I jumped down from the fence and approached the forest, stepping carefully and lightly. I knew that there were stray cats in this forest. I was a person who thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors, and went for walks along the river frequently; I'd seen the cats before. I'd been as upset as anyone at the news that it was all going to be torn down for development – but, wait.
Cats lived in that forest. Cats had transformed me, probably. It was reasonable to assume that all cats were secretly very intelligent, and my intrusion might not be well-borne by the residents here.
I padded into the silent woods, ears flicking all about from my unease. I opened my mouth frequently to inhale, stunned at how vibrant the scents were, how I could taste them at the roof of my mouth. Some of them were easy to identify – like the trees around me, the scent of their leaves and sap. Others were subtler, warmer smells that hung temptingly in the air. And one particular scent hit me in the vomeronasal organ like a sledgehammer.
Cats occurred to me in the same way that thunder occurs to lightning. The scent of many cats, who lived together so closely that the collective had a scent of its own.
Even more uneasy, I stepped further into the forest.
What am I looking for? I wondered, feeling lost and a little afraid. The cats who live here? What am I supposed to say to them? That some strange mystical dream cats asked me to help? This is ridiculous.
Steadily, though, I became aware of how hungry I still was.
What I'd eaten over the last few days of convalescence hadn't really paid my body back for what it had expended in my transformation. I needed food; fresh meat. I looked around me doubtfully. What with the recent development, I'd think that prey animals would be difficult to come by.
….and why hadn't I thought of that before? The cats in the forest were probably all starving.
I sighed, myriad breeds of frustration curling in my chest. Maybe I should go to the river, and try to catch some fish. They wouldn't have diverted it yet.
Oo0oO
"And stay out!" Came the yowling voice from beyond the river. I kept running, fur all on end, and skittered to a stop when I was well out of eyesight.
My first encounter with the forest cats had not been particularly amiable, it seemed. But at least I now had confirmation that cats were intelligent and living in a community. RiverClan, those cats had mentioned? I'd been lucky to escape with my fur intact.
I gave the tree beside me a suspicious sniff. The cat smell was especially strong here. Marking the borders of a territory, perhaps?
I sniffed again. Actually, if my senses weren't lying, a lot of cats had recently passed through here, in the direction of Druid's Hollow. I frowned, remembering that it was due to be torn down soon. It was a crime. Ancient trees like that were afforded protection, but the council had overridden all complaints, and so it was going ahead anyway. I'd considered joining the protest which had assembled outside the offices, but in the end had stayed home. There was too much money in this venture for some local protesters to stop it.
I froze, hearing a vast boom resound in the forest, shaking it to its roots.
Maybe, by the sound of that, the felling of those ancient trees was going ahead now.
Afraid, but morbidly curious, I trotted briskly in the direction of the sound. I couldn't have walked for more than five minutes when suddenly there was the scent of panic on the air, its presence causing an immediate spike of adrenaline and a fearful tensing which was completely uncharacteristic. I knew better than to freeze up and go stiff when there was trouble afoot! Would I have to fight instinct for control of my own, admittedly unfamiliar body? But...ah, it probably wasn't the best time to feel indignant about that-
Cats – lots and lots of cats, I could hear them yowling with terror, running away from the hollow towards me-
I turned around and bolted in the opposite direction, tail arched and heart beating fiercely. Thankfully, the cats all seemed to be headed in the same direction, and that direction wasn't the same as mine. Nonetheless, I found an aromatic holly bush and sat in its prickly embrace until I felt that I was safe. At which point I was a little dirty, still hungry, and with nothing to show for my adventures.
I left the bush and found a large tree with roots fit to sleep in. They'll probably pull this one down soon, too I thought sleepily, instinct compelling me to lick down some ruffled fur which felt profoundly uncomfortable. The sensation was a new one – both the texture of my tongue, and the feeling of it pulling through the fine fur. It was profoundly odd.
Disheartened, I curled up and fell into fitful sleep.
Oo0oO
I was awoken most rudely by a triumphant yowl to my far left.
I sat up straight and hit my head on a tree root. Cursing, I ducked out of the little hollow and looked wildly about – it was still night, I couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour. The moon was lower than before but still high in the sky, shining full of light. And there were three cats staring at me from two metres away, their flashing eyes the most visible part of them as they stood in the deep shadows of trees.
I instantly tensed, fur bristling, and had to force down my hackles, blanketing relaxation over my muscles. Being tense didn't help, I'd spent years in my martial arts classes learning that.
"A loner!" Exclaimed one of the cats, a dusky tabby with his tail lashing. His mixed anger and excitement seemed mirrored in the grey tom beside him, but the most distinctive cat – the large ginger tom – was utterly inscrutable. "Or maybe a kittypet?"
"This is ThunderClan territory," The ginger cat said, clearly and very sternly. "You should not be here."
He seemed to be waiting for a response. I opened my mouth, actually lost at how to talk in the first place. The language wasn't just meows, there was an extremely complex body language element to it, and while I could understand it, I had no idea where to start on speaking-
My deliberations were cut off as the dusky tom, more aggressive than the ginger or the grey, hurled himself towards me with a fierce cry.
Some reflexes, at least, had stayed with me – automatically, with only a flash of alarm across my mind, I ducked neatly to the side, whirling around to stare at my attacker with wide eyes. I hadn't expected that.
He gathered himself from his over-committed charge and looked ready to try again, when the authoritative voice of the ginger tom stopped him short.
"Leave her, Dustpelt."
The now-named cat turned back to him, tail thrashing. "She's an intruder on ThunderClan territory!" He hissed incredulously.
"Yes, she is. But perhaps she didn't know." He turned to me again, green eyes uncomfortably intense. "Well? What is your purpose here?"
I stepped away from the cat Dustpelt uneasily, out of the cover of the trees and into the small clearing. The moonlight was so bright, I could barely tell that the other cat was so orange. "I-" I said, and then stopped. That had been very automatic. Trying not to think about talking, and just do it instead, I continued "I wasn't aware that this territory belonged to anyone. I was chased off from the river by – by RiverClan cats, but I didn't know there were other clans." It was, strictly speaking, all truth.
The other cat's eyes did not relent for a moment. "And where did you come from? Why come here – or to the river?"
I paused. This would be the time, presumably, to mention the dream-cat's request for help, but... "I had a dream," I said, eventually. By now the other two cats were staring at what was probably their leader with confusion written all over their bodies. How exactly I could read such complex feline emotions now was a mystery to me. I suspected that brain chemistry was involved.
The leader dipped his head slightly. "I think it would be best if you returned with us to the ThunderClan camp." He said, and the other two cats immediately erupted into hissing.
"Firestar, she's a loner!" The grey tom exclaimed, speaking in my presence for the first time, and giving me the leader's name.
"StarClan spoke to our medicine cats, at the half-moon. I believe that this cat is who they spoke of." He replied, and they immediately fell silent. He turned back to me. "What is your name?"
I opened my mouth, but couldn't think of a way to say Kayla in the gestures and inflections of cat-speech. It was too unnatural to me still. "I have no name that still matters," I said finally, dipping my head slightly to him, remaining carefully watchful. I was aware that, if I needed to, I could be at once much larger and stronger than any three cats could hope to match, but that didn't mean it was a favourable option.
He met my gaze evenly. "Very well," He meowed. "You will come with us, now." I caught the gestures he made by flicking his tail, and the two other cats took up position beside me. Unspoken communication of orders, then. That was very intelligent.
How had the sapience of cats gone unnoticed all these years? Was it only these specific cats, in this forest? What possible reason, evolutionary or otherwise, could there be for such a thing?
I kept my questions to myself, though I had many, and followed Firestar wordlessly through the trees.
Oo0oO
It wasn't very far at all, to the ThunderClan camp. Only a few minutes at a brisk pace – no wonder they'd found me so easily. The camp itself was surrounded by thick gorse, a rather prickly deterrent for anything larger than a cat, and the plant coverage around made the contents of the hollow quite well-hidden. I was quietly impressed, following Firestar through the well-trodden grass tunnel, and inhaled deeply to the scent of so many cats – older, younger, male and female. I could smell these things now, I could even smell the ill health among them, and the omnipresent sense of misery which seemed to pervade each and every one of them, though they all rallied fiercely at the scent and sight of myself.
Outraged and curious calls mixed around the hollow, drawing other cats from their concealed dens in the assorted shrubbery. Cats crowded by a large rock near the far side of the hollow, stray comments and demands leaking out of the fray.
"You were right, Ashfur! There was a loner on our land!"
"Firestar, why is she here? Why not drive her away?"
"We have no food to spare! She shouldn't be here!"
The ginger cat ignored the comments with only a glance spared for them, looking back at me fleetingly. The comments, nonetheless, were enough for me to guess that his leadership wasn't absolute; he could be questioned, and the questioners wouldn't necessarily be punished. But it must still be leadership – true democracy, I think, would not have worked well in so small a hunter-gatherer society.
"I will address the clan soon. But first, I must speak with this newcomer. Cinderpelt, please come with us." He gestured again with his tail, and swerved promptly to the side of the large rock. I followed with a start, ears flickering uneasily at all the hostile smells around, and took note of the sleek dark-furred cat with the limp who followed after.
I was led into a crevice in the rock – impassable to a creature of any true substance, but easy passage for a small and flexible cat. It was broader inside, and lined with moss, bearing the leader's scent very strongly. This was, clearly, his own dwelling.
Still, there was space enough for myself and the other cat, Cinderpelt. I sat down slowly as he did the same, and watched the other female do the same beside me. She was, I noticed with interest, staring at me with very wide eyes.
"Firestar – what-"
The leader broke off her question with a quick statement. "We found her near the camp. The first time I saw her properly was in the moonlight, and...well, look at her!" He twitched deliberately in my direction. "What do you think?"
"I think there is very little doubt," Cinderpelt replied, eyes unmoving from my own. "StarClan is rarely so clear as this."
"...Pardon me?" I questioned after a few moments, uncomfortable with all the talk that went over my head.
"Right." Firestar nodded, decisively – it was a bizarrely human gesture, actually – and also turned to face me. "As you may have heard, my name is Firestar, and I am the leader of ThunderClan. This is Cinderpelt, our medicine cat. Do you know anything of the clans?"
I paused, thinking for a moment, and ventured cautiously "I know that there are at least two separate clans, who keep and defend their borders. This clan, at least, is governed by you – though it's not absolute, I heard other cats question you earlier. You...you have some kind of basic health care?" I nodded towards Cinderpelt, "And, purely a guess, I'd say you live on what food you can catch on a day-to-day basis." I shrugged, discomfort prickling at me. "That's about it."
Firestar and Cinderpelt looked vaguely disconcerted. Perhaps they weren't used to having their lifestyle described in such plain terms. "...Yes," Firestar meowed at last. "That is all true, but not all there is to know. There are four clans in the forest – ThunderClan and RiverClan you know, but the other two are WindClan and ShadowClan. We all live according to the Warrior's Code, which is laid down by StarClan, the spirits of our warrior ancestors."
StarClan. That would be the cats who had changed me, in all likelihood. I nodded, slowly. "I see. You mentioned StarClan...I assume you know for fact that they exist? Do they have power of the living? Do they speak to you, or manifest themselves in the waking world?"
They both, again, looked startled by what I spoke. It was Cinderpelt who answered me. "As medicine cat of ThunderClan, a great part of my responsibility is interpreting the will of StarClan." She said. "They will speak to us in dreams, sometimes, or leave signs in the waking world to interpret. We medicine cats can seek them out by travelling to the moonstone at Mothermouth, and sharing tongues with them. Clan leaders, when they take up their role, also travel there to receive the blessing of StarClan, and their nine lives."
Nine lives. I stared, absolutely shocked. "Please, please explain to me this concept of nine lives." I requested immediately, stammering a little around the words.
Firestar, for obvious reasons, was the one who answered. "A deputy whose leader has died must receive StarClan's blessing to rule his clan in their place," He replied. "and part of this blessing is the taking of the name 'star', and nine lives to defend the clan. If I am killed by a wound or a sickness, then the wound that killed me will be healed, the sickness lessened. This can happen to a new leader nine times before they join StarClan for good."
Resurrection, I thought, head swimming. Resurrection and miracle healing. That's outrageous. And it was. Whoever heard of something as powerful as that? That kept in mind, it wasn't a surprise they'd managed to break the laws of nature in transforming me thus. "That's...incredible." I spoke truthfully, more than slightly blown away by the revelation. Resurrection. Of all the outrageous and amazing things I'd heard of, this was definitely in the top five. "Now," I said, a moment later. "You seem to have some idea of who I am, already."
"Two weeks ago, all the medicine cats travelled to Mothermouth to share tongues with StarClan." Cinderpelt stated. "I dreamed of white fur, lit by moonlight, with the blessing of our most ancient ancestors upon it. That you are the cat I dreamed of is unmistakable."
Firestar nodded in agreement as I frowned. "You were very bright in the moonlight," He agreed. "And the markings on your pelt are extraordinary. I've never seen such a thing. It is obviously a mark of ancient LeopardClan, one of the oldest ancestors of all cats."
I looked between them, expectantly. "And what does this mean for me?"
"Signs from StarClan are not to be ignored, nor taken lightly." Cinderpelt said. Firestar stepped forwards, green eyes especially intense.
"I believe that your place is with ThunderClan," came his verdict. "Times are difficult in the forest, and we have too many mouths to feed as it is, but even so – I am offering you a place in our clan, as an apprentice." He paused, and added "though you are a little old for it."
I looked between both of them, utterly at a loss. Join this clan? This primitive, hunter-gatherer society, where making use of natural surroundings and maybe some basic herbology was the limit of their technology?
I thought of StarClan, who had brought me here and transformed me so thoroughly, and sighed.
I didn't have a choice. Not in any meaningful way. I could live out life as a happy housecat, in all likelihood – but there was something to do here. Somewhere to stand out. Somewhere I could, perhaps, really help.
There wasn't anything like that waiting for me in the human world.
"I accept." I said.
Oo0oO
end chapter
Just so you know, this is the fastest I've been able to write something in years. Apparently I should stop being so serious about my writing. If I let go and allow myself to be more casual, it's much easier.
Hopefully the "Hello, random stranger! I will now proceed to make you a member of our clan despite knowing nothing about you and all of us being of the brink of starvation already" thing makes more sense in this context. And that's why snow bengal cat – I can't think of a domestic cat breed which seems to carry StarClan favour more. Their fur is basically the epitome of what you could call a silver fur colour, and the spots from their Asian Leopard Cat ancestry hark very nicely to LeopardClan. Seriously, look up some pictures. Snow bengals are gorgeous.
I have a lot of ideas about this story, now. It'll be less along the typical "hey, look, a traitorous enemy! Let's fight him!" route than before. Also, less along the "and now we have created islands! And now you can fly and breathe underwater and beat up anyone!1!" route as well. That was just totally ridiculous. But the story may be significantly shorter as a result. So consider yourselves warned.
Cheers.
