Chapter Three: Tall Pine
Tall Pine padded silently along, content with the familiar company of his Clanmates as the selected members of the patrol made their monthly trip to the Gathering. He stared around them, at the gentle darkness that shrouded the valley floor, and at the countless stars in the clear sky reflected on the still waters of the lake, though his vacant gaze didn't register any of them as he was deep in thought.
"Hey, Tall Pine! I'll race you to the trail!" Blossom Dust whisked past him, a sly grin on her bright face.
Tall Pine started, shaken out of his reverie. He chuckled at his sister's gay mood and gave chase, breaking from the group to dash after her.
As the pair of them flew past two older trainees, Fern Dapple and Jagged Path along with their instructor, Fern Dapple let out a loud chuckle and raced after them. "Hey, wait up for me!" She called. Behind her, Jagged Path rolled his eyes at his sister's kit-like behavior.
Tall Pine's, Blossom Dust's, and Fern Dapple's gleeful laughter echoed in the still night air as they dashed along, flying across the sandy shoreline of the lake as if they had wings on their feet until exhaustion forced them to slow.
Tall Pine flopped on the ground beside his sister and friend, his flanks heaving as he tried to catch his breath. They had left the shore behind and reentered the forested peninsula. Though his blurred vision, Tall Pine could see the shape of the rocky outcrop where the Clans met for the Gathering not far ahead of them now.
"Phew! That was some run!" Blossom Dust panted, exhilarated.
"We didn't even make it to the trail, but you both are huffing and puffing," Fern Dapple teased gently, the only one who wasn't still breathing hard.
"Hey! You were panting too," Tall Pine said with fake indigence from between his short breath intakes.
"But who has won every single race when we are supposed to be hunting, hmm, Tall Pine?" Fern Dapple said cheekily. "Not you."
Tall Pine was about to reply when their patrol appeared through the trees. The trainees quieted, the solemn atmosphere of the patrol drawing them back in. They fell back into line with their Clanmates for the final leg of the journey to the Gathering.
The patrol followed the well-worn trail through the forest until the reached the base of the rock outcrop. There the majority waited as one by one the cats climbed the steep path of ledges and paw-holds to the top. When it was Tall Pine's turn, he carefully bunched his muscles and leaped to the first ledge about a tail-length of the ground. Blossom Dust and Fern Dapple were already working their way up the cliffside, and Jagged Path wasn't far behind him. He felt a small wave of sympathy for the one trainee who wasn't here tonight: his sister Spotted Owl who stayed behind in camp due to her punishment.
Tonight is very important, he thought, a massive feeling of sorrow washing over him at the memories of the events that preceded this important night. Spotted Owl should be here. She deserves to be here.
Tall Pine pulled himself up over the edge of the outcrop and padded forward onto the vast circular plateau. His paws tingled as he pressed them against the worn-smooth stone. The knowledge that generations of cats who had come before him once stood where he stood now sent a shiver through him.
Four graceful pillars ringed the perimeter of the plateau—one for every clan, and a fifth stood in the center, where the Clan chieftains perched to make their reports. Small groups of cats were interspersed across the clearing, the numbers seeming fewer than Tall Pine's first Gathering. The scents hanging on the breeze told him that two Clans were missing, and only the Clan of the Flowing Waters was here so far, not surprising as their territory was the closest.
The rest of the Clan of the Morning Sun patrol were on the top now and moved forward to mingle with the other Clan. The two groups exchanged greetings, polite and friendly, though there was a collective air of solemnity. Pushed by the tide of the crowd, Tall Pine plunged into the crowd, searching out one cat in particular. He passed by Quiet Sun and Tumbling Stone in a tight circle of elders, and his instructor, Quick Clouds who was buried in conversation with Wind Fur, a good friend of his from the Clan of the Flowing Waters. Blossom Dust enthusiastically beckoned for Tall Pine to join her, Fern Dapple, and some young cats from the Clan of the Flowing Waters, but he shook his head.
"I'm looking for someone!" Tall Pine called over his shoulder as he padded past them. "I'll find you in a little while."
Tall Pine worked his way through the crowd, getting more and more anxious as he didn't find of for whom he was looking. Did she not come tonight? He wondered. Is she okay?
And then, Tall Pine spotted the familiar orange tipped ears of Shadowed Fur. His heart rose in his chest as he hurried across the Gathering site. He was about to call Shadowed Fur's name when the black tom shifted his body, revealing a pale gray and white she-cat sitting beside him. The she-cat turned her startling blue eyes on him, and her face lit up. A wide grin stretched across Tall Pine's face.
"Tall Pine!" The she-cat exclaimed, bouncing to her paws and bounding toward him.
"Frosted Leaf! It's so good to see you again," Tall Pine purred. He slowed his pace as he came face to face with Frosted Leaf, extending his nose to touch her's. "How are you? You've grown a lot!"
"I'm great, especially now that you found me! It's so good to see you too," Frosted Leaf gushed happily. "And yes, I've grown." She glanced down at her body, still a small, petite frame, though she had filled out with firm muscles under her glossy gray and white fur. "But so have you, you galumphing giant!" She butted him playfully with her head.
"I guess I have too," Tall Pine laughed, taking notice of his sleek flanks and longer limbs than made him tower over his bulkier sisters now. "Two moons of training has changed us."
"I was so sad when I didn't get to talk to you at the last Gathering," Frosted Leaf said, serious now. "But I saw you and those other trainees who stood up to the chieftains and told the truth to prevent a war. You were so brave!" Her blue eyes were round with admiration and affection.
"I really wasn't that brave. I was scared witless the entire time," Tall Pine confessed, embarrassment making his ears feel red-hot. Even with all of the praise and commendation Spotted Owl, Blossom Dust, Fern Dapple and he had received from his Clan, somehow Frosted Leaf's pleased him the most.
"No, you were!" Frosted Leaf insisted. She tilted her face up at him. Her eyes were wide and earnest. "Even after the rogues imprisoned you, you discovered out the truth. Though you were injured, as soon as they rescued you, you immediately came to warn us. You saved the Clans, Tall Pine. You and the others are true heroes."
Tall Pine's smile stretched from ear to ear. "I did what I had to do to save all of the Clans," he said humbly. "Any loyal Clan cat would have done the same. I am very grateful that we succeeded and the Clans are safe. How is your Clan?"
Frosted Leaf's face closed, a worried frown replacing her broad smile. "Okay, I guess. I think the rogues affected our Clan the most. We've been through a lot and so much has changed. You'll find out when Gray Moon makes his report."
Tall Pine cocked his head. "Gray Moon? What happened to—"
A powerful call rang out from the central pillar, cutting him off. "Let the Gathering commence!"
A hush fell over the crowd. There was a shuffling of paws as the cats began to cluster around the middle pillar, looking attentively up at the four chieftains.
"Let's go sit up front," Tall Pine suggested.
"Sure," Frosted Leaf agreed happily. She glanced over her shoulder at Shadowed Fur; her adopted older brother. "I'm gonna go sit with Tall Pine, okay?"
Shadowed Fur's eyes swept sternly over Tall Pine, but he nodded, so the two young cats worked their way through the throng until Tall Pine saw Blossom Dust who waved them over to sit with the Clan of the Morning Sun, though not far from a large group of cats from the Frosted Leaf's Clan. Tall Pine murmured a quiet hello to his sister and Fern Dapple, who both returned the greeting, though he caught Fern Dapple giving Frosted Leaf and him an odd look.
I wonder why she gave us that look. I'll have to ask her later. Tall Pine thought, shrugging it off, as he sat down close to Frosted Leaf and turned his attention on the chieftains.
"Welcome all." Mossy Moon stepped forward, nodding her head to the diverse group gathered below her. "Welcome to this moon's Gathering. Before we begin the traditional reports and announcements, we are going to have a short ceremony in light of the horrible events that took place a moon ago; a ceremony to honor each Clan's fallen cats."
Solemn murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd below in response to the Clan of the Morning Sun chieftain's words.
"The Clan of the Morning Sun remembers Scattered Leaves, a hunter whose life was taken by the rogues." Mossy Moon said as the murmurs quieted. There was a mournful touch to her tone and as she spoke, her eyes sought out Scattered Leaves's surviving family, Rising Water and Dewy Grass, his mother and sister from amongst the crowd.
As Mossy Moon stepped back, Grass Moon began to speak, her voice quivering with emotion, but loud and strong. "Tonight, the Clan of the High Peaks honors three fallen cats. Eagle Feather, who was struck down in the final battle, Slow Stream and Mellow Storm," she paused to take in a deep breath, "my son, who were killed by the rogues."
"My Clan, the Clan of the Dark Caves mourns four dead Clanmates." Hawk Moon's deep voice rang out solemnly. The dark brown tabby tom faced the gathered cats, his expression grim and tainted with sorrow. "We lost three cats; Spruce Fur, Wet Rocks, and Dusty Sky to those vicious rogues. Our fourth Clanmate, Pebble Shade was murdered by the rogues the final battle."
Before Hawk Moon had even sat down, Gray Moon was on his paws and starting to address the crowd. "The Clan of the Flowing Waters honors many fallen Clanmates tonight. We, of all Clans, have taken the hardest blows, but we have recovered well."
There were mutters of dissent from amongst the crowd, but Gray Moon plowed on. "Tonight we remember five cats. Golden Song and Creek Pelt, two of our young cats full of potential, were savagely murdered by the rogues. Rippling Water and Fish Leaf, both senior fighters, died defending our camp against the cowardly joint attack from the Clan of the High Peaks and the Clan of the Dark Caves. And finally, we honor our late chieftain, Flame Moon. He lost his final life from his severe wounds obtained in his courageous battle against the rogues."
Mutters, angry this time, spread through the crowd once more like a wildfire, coming mostly from the Clan of the High Peaks and the Clan of the Dark Caves.
"Gray Moon's veiled accusation was a bit harsh," Tall Pine whispered to Frosted Leaf. "Yes, those two Clans did attack yours, but the admitted to their mistake and apologized. It should be behind us all now. Besides, now is not the time to be throwing accusations around when we are honoring our fallen Clanmates."
"Yes, Gray Moon didn't have the best timing," Frosted Leaf agreed, her eyes hard, "but my Clan can't just put that grievance behind us. Two of our Clanmates, Rippling Water and Fish Leap died in that battle, and Rippling Water's mate, Shimmering Wave retired early to the elder's den because of a horrible leg wound. Fish Leap was a good friend of my instructor's, and Rippling Water was always kind to me. Their deaths are scars that aren't going to heal any time soon."
Tall Pine stared at her struggling on whether to maintain his earlier stance, or change now that he had heard Frosted Leaf's words. He was stopped from saying anything, however, as Mossy Moon spoke up again, trying to smooth over the tension.
"We have all faced trials and hardship in these past few moons," Mossy Moon said calmly. She looked between the three other chieftains beside her, silently imploring them to forget their conflict for now, and then her gave traveled out over the crowd so all cats could hear her soothing words. "Tonight we honor our fallen Clanmates by remembering them and listing their names. All of our cats, no matter the Clan, are watching over us from their place in the Clan of the Bright Stars. We will see them in our dreams and our memories until it is our turn to make the final journey to our forever home. May they have good hunting, swift running, and shelter where they sleep. And may the stars light their paths, and ours."
"Well said, Mossy Moon," Grass Moon murmured.
"May the stars light all of our paths," Hawk Moon echoed.
All eyes seemed to turn to Gray Moon, waiting to see what the feisty young chieftain with a chip on his shoulder would say. Gray Moon nodded slowly, his head bowed. "And may they find peace and contentment in their final rest."
The atmosphere among the crowd relaxed noticeably as several cats blew out long breaths. The cats settled once more, the tension passed, and solemn sense of unity returned as the chieftains each began their reports. As the oldest chieftain now, Mossy Moon went first, but there was nothing of terrible importance in her's or Grass Moon's reports other than the fact that both Clans were recovering well and none of their patrols had encountered any sign of the rogues.
In his more upbeat report, Hawk Moon announced that one of his Clan's trainees, Shadow Step, received his full hunter status, and Quick Breeze, Hawk Moon's mate, gave birth to three healthy toms.
Gray Moon took Hawk Moon's place on the top of the pillar once the Clan of the Dark Caves chieftain finished speaking. The sleek gray tom took a seat, wrapping his tail around his paws with a flourish. "Despite all of the recent tragedies, the Clan of the Flowing Waters has survived and become stronger than before," Gray Moon declared, his chin raised. "I received my nine lives half a moon ago and I appointed Wind Fur as my regent. Prey from the Blue River is plentiful, and our nursery is overflowing with kits ready to become trainees. Shimmering Wave has decided take her well-earned rest in the elder's den to make room for two of our trainees were awarded their full status as fighters of the Clan of the Flowing Waters. Please welcome Storm Breeze and Quiet Stream!"
Cheers to congratulate the new fighters filled the clearing, the loudest from the Clan of the Flowing Waters, though the other Clans cheered as well, glad to have something to celebrate. Frosted Leaf cheered enthusiastically for her older friends, and beside her, Tall Pine stifled a sleepy yawn to raise his voice as well.
As the cheering quieted down, Gray Moon raised his tail to signal that he wasn't finished speaking. "I'm grateful to report that my Clan has not detected any signs of the rogues' presence in the last moon. But I do not believe that we are safe. The Bands know where our home is located and Crow threatened that they would return. It is only so long before they appear with renewed might and an even stronger desire to annihilate us, the Clans. But what can be done?"
Tense and anxious whispers rippled through the crowd, the cats' worries reignited. Hawk Moon stepped forward, loudly voicing many of the concerns. "I agree. The rogues still pose an imminent and dangerous threat to us, our Code, and our way of life. We need to stop them before they do any more harm."
"I have given this issue a lot of thought in the past moon," Grass Moon announced. "I do not wish to bury any more Clanmates because of those murderers. I believe the best way is to gather intel about the Bands, so that we can learn their numbers, their strategies, and when they'll attack next. We will be able to put an end to them once and for all before they can do any more harm to us."
"But how could we do that, Grass Moon?" Mossy Moon asked skeptically. "It is not as if any of them are still here. Thank the stars we've found no trace of even a single rogue in the past moon."
"Yes, that is why we need to select our best fighters and send them to find the Bands' territories on a reconnaissance mission." Grass Moon said as if she thought it was apparent.
Reactions exploded from amongst the crowd. Cats turned to one another, talking in excited voices. Some shouted cries of agreement, others of outrage. The chieftains let the crowd react for a moment before Mossy Moon tried unsuccessfully to hush the cats as she called the deputies and healers to the base of the central pillar for an impromptu Council meeting. The Council disappeared into a huddle as conversations buzzed again.
Tall Pine turned to Frosted Leaf, Blossom Dust, and Fern Dapple, his mind reeling with what he'd just heard. They might send a patrol into the outside world to find the Groups! A small thrill ran down his spine. I would what it would be like to go? Very dangerous, that's for sure, between the monsters and twolegs and dogs from the elder's stories and the Bands themselves.
"I can't believe that the chieftains are considering sending a patrol to scout out the Bands!" Frosted Leaf said, her eyes shining with excitement at the prospect.
Blossom Dust tilted her head whimsically. "I wonder what it's like outside the Valley of Hidden Stars. I've always wanted to find out."
"Me too!" Frosted Leaf agreed.
"I would as well," Fern Dapple added more seriously. "Though from everything I've heard, it sounds dangerous. I'm Fern Dapple, by the way," she told Frosted Leaf. "And this is Blossom Dust, Tall Pine's sister. What's your name? I guess that furball Tall Pine was too engrossed in his thoughts to introduce us himself."
"I'm Frosted Leaf, from the Clan of the Flowing Waters," the gray and white she-cat chirped. "Tall Pine and I met two Gatherings ago."
"Oh, sorry," Tall Pine said, flustered. "I forgot." Embarrassment warmed his cheeks, though he knew Fern Dapple was only teasing.
"Oh, it's all right." Fern Dapple chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "We all know you can be a little mouse-brained when you're caught up with whatever is going on in that head of your's."
The three she-cats laughed at Fern Dapple's joke, and despite being poked fun at, Tall Pine joined in. It felt good to ease the collective feeling of solemnity that had hung over the Gathering like a thick fog with a little laughter.
As the four trainee's chuckling subsided, the chieftains once again called the meeting to order. They returned to their perches on the ledge ringing the middle section of the pillar, while the regents and healers dispersed into the crowd.
"We have come to a decision," Mossy Moon announced as the gathered cats fell silent, waiting in suspense to hear what the resolution was. "We will move forward with Grass Moon's plan, as we have determined it is the best course of action. Tonight, each Clan will select four or five of the most experienced hunters and fighters, so cats from every Clan will play a role in the mission. Tomorrow, the chosen cats and each chieftain will travel to the Clan of the Morning Sun's camp for a meeting before the patrol will depart on their mission to locate the Bands' territory and gather intel before reporting back to us."
Woah! They're leaving tomorrow. That's so soon, Tall Pine thought in surprise. I guess the threat of the rogues is that urgent. I wonder what the patrol will find in the outside world. It would be fascinating to go. Not that there's any chance of any trainees like me going.
Around Tall Pine, other cats were reacting similarly, breaking into small groups with excited or surprised conversation. They didn't have long though, as the chieftains declared that it was late and every Clan needed to return to their camps to prepare for the next morning. The chieftains descended the pillar and began to gather their Clan around them, before one by one traversing the tricky tail down the rocky outcrop.
After a warm, but rushed goodbye to Frosted Leaf, Tall Pine, Blossom Dust, and Fern Dapple hurried to join their Clanmates. Tall Pine picked his way down the trail and fell into step with the other two trainees, the solemnity of the night turned into a flurry of excitement and anticipation.
So sorry this took so long. I know it's been longer than my usual updating schedule, but well life got in the way. It just has a way of doing that. But here's an extra-long chapter to make up for that!
So we've had our first Tall Pine chapter that's also very important. What do you all think so far about the Clans' plan against the Bands? (Wow, that rhymed.) (If you read Book 1 and are confused about my use of Bands I basically changed it from Groups because it made more sense in writing.) Any predictions?
Thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, or favorited!
Now, Reviews:
The Unnamed Guest - that's fine! Yes, she still is, but she's grown a lot too. I am glad that she has Yellow Sky back too. Yes, that is correct among other things.
Whitespirit (Guest) - thank you! I'm glad you took the time. Book 1 is very long.
¡Hasta pronto! (For all of you who don't know Spanish, it means until soon)
- A Warrior At Heart