A/N: Back with another chapter! Yay! I started a new story called Voltage! Y'all should go check it out! The person who is the twentith reviewer will get a cat featured in the story! I have guidelines though for the character I'm searching for! So let's get those reviews up! As for this story, I have tons of plans! This is going to be a long story, and I know I said I would have it done in January, but that is unlikely!
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has responded in reviews for this story! Several people have said that they favorite this story greatly, so I will try to get chapters out frequently! The next chapter will be ground breaking. I get out of school on December 11, so that'll be when I update tons!
And y'all... There's a new story that has my skin crawling. It's called Tales of the Evil by Creekrunner. Show her story the love by reading and reviewing! It definitely deserves more reviews than it has! Let's encourage her to update soon!
So let's get on with it, shall we?
Chapter Twelve: A Welcoming Stranger
"Who's there?" she repeated again when the cat didn't answer her.
A chuckle exited the cat's mouth as paw steps suggested it was padding around to face her. Tortoiseshell fur came into her vision. The she-cat's angry eyes made Eagle Cry shiver with unease. "It's you!" she growled at the cat.
"Oh wah, it's me," she sneered with mock soaking her meow.
Eagle Cry's fur bristled with irritation. "Get me down from here, Lonespirit!" she spat at her.
"Why should I? You got yourself there to begin with," she snarled with a flick of her tail.
She began to pad away, causing Eagle Cry to flail her paws rapidly. "Wait! I need your help!" she pleaded as she landed on the ground.
She looked around to see darkness. Lonespirit flicked her tail again, causing Eagle Cry to sprint to catch up to her. "Don't follow me," she warned as she lifted her lips in a snarl.
Eagle Cry bit her lip. This cat was beyond stubborn! She stood in front of the cat's path. "I said I need your help," she meowed firmly.
Lonespirit glared at her with irritation blazing from her gaze. "Get out of my way," she meowed darkly, shoving Eagle Cry roughly out of the way.
Eagle Cry squeaked, tumbling on the ground. "What is your problem?" she snapped as she charged after the former Messenger.
Lonespirit rounded on her, her eyes lighting up wildly. "What's my problem? Ignorant, stupid cats like you! That's my problem!" she hissed with her fur bristling on end.
Eagle Cry didn't flinch, she held her ground under the cat's intense gaze. "You're calling me ignorant and stupid? You're a stubborn, lonely piece of Fox dung!" she retorted with her claws extended.
"Why should I help you? No one helped me!" Lonespirit whispered with fury and pain flashing deep within her gaze.
"Help you? What are you talking about?" Eagle Cry asked more gently.
"Forget it, it's none of your business!" Lonespirit spat before padding away.
Eagle Cry sprung forward to catch up to her once more. "That's your problem! You're always shoving everyone away when they're just trying to get in!" Eagle Cry meowed sternly with her claws scraping the ground.
Lonespirit flashed her an agitated glare. "My problem is that I never asked for this! Do you think the after-life of a messenger is all fresh kill and swan feathers? No! It's horrible! Who are we to decide where a cat should spend an eternity based off their actions? Why should we pluck a cat from everything they know and drop them somewhere meaningless?" she breathed wildly. "If I wasn't chosen to walk this path, do you know where Stormspirit would have placed me?"
Eagle Cry's ears flattened against her head. "N-no," she stammered.
"The Dark Forest," she finished with a horrible snarl.
Eagle Cry cocked her head in confusion. Lonespirit rolled her eyes. "It's like the Tribe of No Stars, but in my opinion, it's much worse," Lonespirit meowed with scorn dripping from her meow.
Eagle Cry nodded slowly, swallowing hard at the dreadful thought. This cat must have done awful things in her life. "Is that why you stray from the other Messengers?" she asked cautiously.
The she-cat's eyes glimmered with a deep hatred. "I stray because I refuse to follow their rules and regulations," she meowed before turning to pad away again.
Eagle Cry remained in her place, too scared to follow the strange Messenger - or former Messenger. She watched the tortoiseshell pad away, but the she-cat stopped abruptly and looked over her shoulder. "What you wish to know is something so simple. The Star Tribe cats glow a pale light and have stars shimmering in their pelt. The Tribe of No Stars cats have a dark glow around them with no stars in their pelts," she meowed with a flick of her tail before returning on her path into the darkness.
"Wait! What about those who don't know they're dead?" she called after the slowly disappearing she-cat; thinking of her mother.
The former Messengers pelt vanish, but her voice still rang. "They show nothing; no stars and no light. They think they're still alive," she answered.
Eagle Cry was about to call again, but a bright light beamed from within the darkness. Within moments, her eyes narrowed from the intensity, causing her to close her eyes. Her golden eyes snapped open quickly to stare around the healers den. It was too dark to see, but she could hear Clear Water breathing softly, suggesting the tom was asleep. She sighed and laid her head on her paws. "Where are you, Dancing Lily?" she whispered before her eyes dropped to sleep again.
Approximately a moon had passed since her encounter with Lonespirit in the Unknown. She had practiced trying to pick out the difference of the dead, whether they be from the Streaming Star Tribe or The Tribe of No Stars. Now, she sat outside the healers den with her brother against her shoulder. She had forgiven him just days after the incident with the trainees and kits at the Silent Moon gathering. He was grooming her ears and purring gently. It was soothing her; her Night Terrors had decreased, but they came every once in a while.
The sun was blazing down in the rocky camp, warming the chilled pelts of the Tribe. No leaf was beginning to make its way up the mountain, so the Warriors were engaged in reinforcing the walls and dens with pine branches and other remedies. Eagle Cry watched Red Sunshine and Dark Water working together to make a wall that would temporarily cover the entrance of the nursery. She saw Burning Oak helping his parents by handing them large branches covered in green pine needles. His amber gaze was full of guilt just about every day. He had never tried to come up to her and talk to her since their incident. As much as Eagle Cry didn't want to, she had already forgiven the tom.
She sighed and rolled onto, her back. Roaring Puma' gaze flashed with sadness when he saw the large scar that ran down her chest and belly. She cleared her throat and rolled back onto her side. Her golden gaze landed on their father, who was making his way to them now. His gold gaze was bright and full of excitement. "My kits, today is the day!" he exclaimed with his tail high and waving.
She sat on her haunches with a cock of her head and mumbled, "And that day is.?"
Her father rolled her eyes as Roaring Puma shoved her gently. "Seriously? It's our Trainee ceremony!" he meowed; his voice had grown much deeper over the last moon.
Every hair on her body prickled with excitement. She hadn't had time to respond before Night Gazer took her place on a ledge above her den. "All cats old enough to scale the slope, please join me here at the Sky Ledge for a Tribe meeting," she called; her voice echoing off the walls of the camp.
Eagle Cry jumped up and padded with her brother and father at her side. They sat just in front of the ledge. Her tail was flicking with excitement as the other cats gathered around her. "My Tribe, this is a ceremony usually preformed at the Silent Moon gathering. However, since the gathering isn't for a while, me and Running Storm have decided to go ahead with this ritual," she meowed loudly with her green gaze clear of emotion. "Eagle Cry and Roaring Puma, please come forward."
Eagle Cry padded toward the side of the den. There was a long rocky path that led up to the Sky Ledge. She swallowed hard as she put her paws carefully on each rock and hauled herself up. This was a skill of strength and determination. She could feel her muscles tightening as she climbed higher and higher. She placed her forepaw on a rock near the top and felt it crumble beneath her paw. Gasps sounded as she lost her footing. She shrieked as she fell down a few mouse lengths before catching herself on a larger rock. She suppressed a sigh of relief as she tried again. Her muscles screamed for relief by the time she reached the top of the ledge. Her paws met solid ground and she panted with relief. Soon, her brother joined her. He had bits of rock and dust in his pelt as he stood tall.
Eagle Cry stood and gave her pelt a good shake before standing in front of her leader with her brother at her side. She looked at her tribemates for a brief moment. Her father was in the front of the crowd, happy and glistening with pride for his kits. The other cats sat with excitement blazing in their gazes, while some sat with their eyes glistening with uncertainty and disgust. She swallowed hard when she saw a young warrior sitting by the nursery. Her fur was a bright ginger with darker stripes and her eyes were a dark green. She looked right at her with interest. She sat with elegance beside what Eagle Cry assumed was the other hunters of the Tribe. She saw several cats appear in the clearing, their pelts glowing with starlight. She saw Hawk Eye among them. "Roaring Puma," Night Gazer meowed suddenly, snapping Eagle Cry's attention back at her leader. "You have reached your eighth moon. When you were just a little scrap, I decided tour cast; what was that cast?"
Roaring Puma stood tall with his chest puffed out. "Guard," he stated simply.
Night Gazer gave a single nod of approval. "From this day forward, Roaring Puma, you will train as a Guard under the supervision of Dark Water. Congratulations," she purred just before she touched her muzzle to his head.
Roaring Puma jumped with excitement before leaping down the side of the Sky Ledge and joining his mentor, Dark Water. "Roaring Puma! Roaring Puma!" the Tribe exclaimed.
"Roaring Puma!" she yowled loudly with the crowd of cats.
"Eagle Cry," Night Gazer began, catching her attention once more.
Her fur bristled with excitement as she stared into the green gaze of her leader. "When you were a kit, what cast did I give you?" she asked, her eyes sparking with pride.
"Future leader. I am second in line," she answered boldly with a flick of her tail.
"I have thought long and hard. I have decided that Eagle Cry's father will not be training her, because of kin," Night Gazer called to the crowd.
She stiffened, did that mean she would have her cast removed? She twitched her tail as her paws shuffled against the ground. "After thinking long and hard, I have decided that I will train her myself," Night Gazer concurred with a gaze swiping over the Tribe.
Eagle Cry froze for a short moment before she shook with such excitement; her fur was visibly shaking. Several gasps sounded from the Tribe. She looked down at her father who sat with his jaws gaping. Night Gazer turned her head toward her. "From this day forward, you will practice both the skills of hunting and fighting under the supervision of myself and whomever I see fit to train you more in depth. Congratulations, Eagle Cry," she purred as she rested her nuzzle on her head.
Eagle Cry licked her leaders shoulder in respect. She sat beside her as her father rose to his paws and leaped up to sit beside them on the Sky Ledge. "Cats of the Tribe of Roaring Brook, two kits are now old enough to receive their casts. Chasing Moon, Lion's Call, please bring your kits forward," Night Gazer yowled to the pair.
Eagle Cry curled her tail gently around her paws and sat tall and straight. She wanted to look elegant sitting by the leader and her successor. She watched through wide golden eyes as Chasing Moon and Lion's Call urged their young kids forward. One was a pale grey she-cat with darker flecks. She was broad shouldered and had a thick coat, traits usually for a Guard, which was unusual for she-cat's. She must have taken after her father's side of the family, she thought briefly as she eyed the young cat. Her amber eyes blazed with a sense of maturity that made her fur prickly with unease.
The kit that padded beside her was lean and slender. The muscles below his sleek silver and grey pelt rippled with each step he took. He stood slightly taller than her, for he was a tom, but his skinny stature was no match for his littermates muscle and stocky body. He would certainly be a hunter, no doubt, she decided after examining the tom.
"I have thought hard about these kits casts. We are in need for a healer trainee, but I cannot sense the power of our ancestors in the pair of littermates," Night Gazer began, eying each kit carefully.
Eagle Cry flicked her ears in confusion. Her leader could sense something like that? I'll have to ask later, she thought as she shifted position on the stone ledge. The kits below looked up with round eyes, clearly excited for their casts, even though it was beyond obvious. "Minnow's Jump, based off your slim stature, I have concluded you shall take the glorious path of a hunter. As for Wolf's Howl, though it is rare, I believe with your remarkable stature, you will walk the fierce path of a Guard. It is a great honor being a she-cat and treading on a path tom's usually walk. Congratulations, both of you," she finished with fierce pride gleaming in her green eyes.
Eagle Cry lifted her muzzle and chanted the kits names along with everyone else. As the Tribe settled down and dispersed into separate groups, she couldn't help but feel the intense gaze of another cat. She turned her head to see the blazing dark green eyes of the ginger and brown she-cat from before. "Hello, I'm Creek Runner," she purred to her.
The she-cat was slim, but she saw the defined muscle underneath her flesh. "You must be a hunter," she decided with a careful sniff at her.
She smelled like rock and pine from outside the walls of the well guarded camp. She flicked her tail as Creek Runner's eyes flashed, but she gave a single nod of acknowledgement. "How come I haven't seen you around before?" Eagle Cry asked boldly as she eyed the she-cat.
The huntress scoffed her paws in the dirt. "Well," she began as her gaze turned uneasy. "I don't really like being around other cats. The others sort of ignore me, it's not fair. I haven't left camp with a hunting party in what feels like moons! I just go hunting solo."
Eagle Cry thought for a moment, this cat seemed shy and wary by the way she constantly twitched her tail-tip and shifted her paws anxiously. "Perhaps it's because you're a better hunter on your own," Eagle Cry murmured to her. "Since I'm a trainee now, how about we go hunting together sometime? After Night Gazer shows me how, first."
Creek Runner's eyes lit up with delight as a purr sounded from her chest. "I can show you my secret hunting techniques I conjured up myself," she meowed as she butted Eagle Cry on the shoulder with her head.
The tortoiseshell trainee purred in response. "Until then, I'll have a word with Stepping Deer," she meowed as she began to pad toward the jet black she-cat. "Are you coming?"
Creek Runner nodded vigorously and ran to catch up to her. She could feel the presence of the she-cat, warm and welcoming, and it seemed to soothe her. The lead huntress was sitting beside Leaping Sparks, the lead guard, and Red Sunshine. "Stepping Deer?" she asked politely to the senior warrior.
The she-cat turned her dark hazel eyes toward her. "What is it, Eagle Cry?" she answered with a flick of her tail to dismiss the guards.
"One of our Tribemates feels neglected about hunting patties," she began, but couldn't finish before Steeping Deer cut in.
"Who? I try to make it as fair as possible, we're low on hunters," she meowed, sounding shocked.
Eagle Cry twitched an ear in annoyance, but continued. She turned her gaze toward where Creek Runner was standing, but the she-cat was gone. Her warmth seemed to still remain by her until it vanished as soon as she realized her new friend had disappeared. "Eagle Cry?" the voice of Stepping Deer interrupted her thoughts.
She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Uh, never mind, will you excuse me?" she meowed before she padded away, sniffing the scent of Creek Runner.
Where had her new friend disappeared to?
A/N: I don't know what to say in this authors note! How will Eagle Cry do on her first outing with Night Gazer? Where did Creek Runner disappear to? Why would she run away? What is to happen next to Eagle Cry? This is where the story starts to pick up!
Don't forget to check out Creekrunner's story! It'll be worth it, I promise!
Let's get to 156-159 reviews before the next chapter! Thanks guys!
-Nightspirit