Sol's Revenge & Whisper's Path
Chapter Ten: SOL
I don't know why our paths crossed with Midnight's, but I solemnly believe there was a reason. A reason bigger than fleeing the Tribe because of the dangers of the Mountain cat which had at last found the entrance to their cave. A reason bigger than the fear of Echo haunting me. A reason bigger than not knowing whether or not I was to blame for Echo's death. A reason bigger than not understanding why my father left, why he and Cinder's couldn't love me.
I had no purpose to life other than to follow Whisper. Midnight perhaps could give me a purpose. Ambitions, dreams, power, they were all within in reach the second she said "Yes."
"Can anyone learn to read the stars like you?" I called out after she treated my injured paw and began lumbering away.
"Yes." she rasped, without lifting her black and white striped head. I think she was expecting my question.
Whisper and I shared a den. Well, 'den' was stretching it. It was more of a hole in the ground that offered shelter from the blasting rays of the sun. We slept during the day and at night we returned to our nocturnal roots. Midnight said she'd teach us, she said we had much to learn. I don't know how she possessed the knowledge she does, or why she'd ever share it, but none the less she was. Whisper and I were eager apprentices.
The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, swallowed whole by the salty waters. Whisper and I emerged from the den, yawns on our tongues. Midnight was waiting at the top of the cliffs. The night sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. Stars glimmered overhead, milky streams connected them in patterns and groups.
"Beginning, middle, and end there is," Midnight said in her strange way. "Learn to read the signs you shall. Know the beginning, middle, and end you will."
What I took from that was she would teach the future. I don't know why you'd bother time learning the beginning or middle. The beginning has already happened, and the middle is currently happening, so why bother deciphering it? The future is what holds power.
Midnight explained further that each individual would see different things in the stars. You'd see things that affected you, mostly. Cataclysmic events that will shape your life, and such. The trick was learning to see the signs and deciphering their meaning.
The swirls of dust in the atmosphere waved around the darkness. Shapes formed quickly before vanishing and reappearing as something else. My heart pounded as I recalled some of the shapes.
A half circle meant battle.
A full circle meant death.
A triangle meant exile.
A swirl meant betrayal.
A line meant underground. Below the earth.
A bright spot meant the sun.
A faded bright spot meant the moon.
All the shapes and symbols collided in an amazing scenic view. Colors and shapes splashed around the darkness. I felt contempt in the fact that any other cat would see nothing while I saw everything. But I still had only fragments of the picture. One piece was still missing.
Whisper and Midnight were talking. I was so focused on watching the stars, trying to look for the shapes that would tell my future, that I stopepd paying attention to what the badger was saying. She was explaining something to Whisper.
"There are things I don't understand about my past, things I need answers too if I can move on," Whisper was saying.
"How far back, must you look?"
"Far back. Far far back," Whisper signed. He's referring to when our father left and Cinder's abandoned us, I thought.
"Answer you seek can be found. Look." she tilted her large head back at the sky, her muzzle pointing straight up. Whisper copied. I copied as well. But this time it was I who saw nothing. Whisper gasped.
"I...see. I never knew," Whisper said in shock. I looked at the sky harder but I saw nothing. I wanted to know, I wanted to know why they left!
"Understand, beginning middle and end all important. All equal," Midnight whispered. I knew her words were meant for me. But still, the future is what would help me change my destiny. The future is what I needed, not answers from the past. I ignored her and Whisper, but I was dying to ask my brother what he saw. He seemed so satisfied and peaceful. Finally the curiosity was too much to bear.
"Whisper, what did you see?" I asked tentatively. Whisper seemed surprised I hadn't seen it as well.
"Cinders was dying," he said finally. "She didn't leave out of her own selfishness as we had thought, she was sick and found us homes before she passed. She never told us because she didn't want us worried. Our father left out of his own selfishness. Which I suppose is not surprising. He craved a different life than one of providing for four kits and a mate."
"Cinder's loved us then," I said slightly out of breath. "She certainly had a weird way of showing it."
Whisper chuckled. "She wasn't a perfect mother. But yes, she loved us very much."
I didn't know what else to say, so I continued observing anything and everything I could. Something caught my eye.
"There is something in the distance, do you see it?" I asked my brother and motioned to the farthest stars I could see. Faint patterns revealed many shapes, it seemed something bad was approaching.
"Yes, there will be a great battle," Whisper said.
"This lesson is done," Midnight said abruptly.
"Wait!" I cried out. "What's coming?"
"This lesson is done."
Whisper and Midnight slept soundly from exhaustion. Nothing would wake them. Especially since I had slipped 2 poppy seeds into their prey. I would have plenty of time to escape from the badgers stuffy den and go star gaze on the cliff top above. But I wasn't going to all that trouble just to admire stars, I had bigger intentions.
Midnight had tried to stop me from seeing what my future held. As for Whisper, well he'd never let me go behind Midnight's back. He was too obedient for sneaky behavior. But I would show them once I figured out what it meant. Moons had passed since I initially saw the dark spot far away, many patterns it contained. Half circles, full circles, lines, everything. Each night for moons I pondered Midnight's teachings and lessons, and then I went and observed the night sky. The darkness grew a fracture each day. Whatever it signified was still a long ways away. But I would be prepared for it, whatever it was.
Midnight, instead of letting me stargaze, had Whisper and I do repetitive tasks during the day and sleep at night. She said she was training us not just in the stars, but to be better cats. Whisper can happy with herb hunting and doing chores for the badger. I was not. I wanted knowledge.
I saw two new shapes appear, two spots, one faded and one bright. The sun and moon. Slowly the spots collided. And then they were gone.
"What was that?" I murmured to myself.
"An eclipse," came the raspy reply of Midnight. I jumped in shock and turned to face her, my cheeks burned under my thick coat.
"You should be asleep," I said sheepishly. She let out a slow raspy chuckle.
"Poppy doesn't work on badgers," she explained. I hung my head in shame at being caught in the act. But then curiosity sparked.
"What's an eclipse?" I asked. The badger sighed deeply but was left with no other choice than to explain.
"Eclipse of the sun and moon, no light can be seen. Darkness will fall." She declared quietly. I smiled excitedly and looked at the dark spot in the night sky.
"When will it happen?" I demanded excitedly. Midnight sadly shook her head.
"Foolish cat. Cats always seek power," she commented.
"Power isn't bad, I can use power for good. I can use this eclipse too...well I don't know yet. But I can use the eclipse for something."
Midnight stared at me for a long time with her beady eyes. Without a word she stalked off into the forest to do something unknown. I returned to my shared den with Whisper to sleep. I curled up in a tight ball with my tail wrapped around my paws. I wanted nothing more than to wake up Whisper and gloat about my discovery. However he was drugged by my own paws and immune to the world.
That was the first time I realized my actions wouldn't always benefit me. It was the first time I felt truly and utterly alone and knew it was all my fault.