AN: And here we are with another chapter which, as always, is very much belated. Someone hit me with a frying pan so that I can increase my productivity.
Thank you all so much for the reviews! They're more than I deserve when I seem to update, at the best, once a month. I'm really glad you like the concept, and appreciate my use of the canons. Do not refrain from letting me know if you do not think I express them properly, or my writing gets a bit rushed. Heh, at least the long time I take to write each chapter gives me time to mull over the plot. Hope you like!
as the sky falls
Rain was falling lightly when Gray stirred, and for a beat, she was back in the past, still not knowing what it was like to die. The scent of pines would have flooded her nose, and she'd feel pelts pressed against her as she stirred. They'd claimed to be her friends. Her past paranoia, her hunger to last forever was prickling at the back of her mind, threatening to surge forth after all these moons.
She shifted from the nest, stepping out from beneath the tree and arching her back as cold, wet droplets fell smoothly down her pelt, seeping into the ground. Oh, that pine-scent couldn't just be a figment of her imagination, could it? The gray cat stood silently in the rain, not daring even to shiver as more droplets forged their path through her hair. When had she last felt rain on her? Gray thought she'd never been so happy to see storm clouds swirling above her, blocking out the mysterious pricks of light that pierced the "sky" of the Gray World.
"What are you doing?" Gray drew away in shock, when suddenly, she was met with a pair of deep amber eyes boring into hers. She gaped at Ember, whose black fur shone with rain.
"What are you doing?" Gray retorted, squinting at the black tom in disbelief. "Didn't they imprison you in that tunnel?"
Ember smiled darkly, tilting his head to the side. "They hold the power to keep me here, no matter how much I want to escape, so it doesn't matter whether I'm in a tunnel or sitting out in the clearing. I thought you would have been smart enough to figure that out. Or are you just that ignorant of the forces at work here?"
"I'm not ignorant," Gray said. "Do you expect me to suddenly accept a world that doesn't follow the rules of nature I've lived by for moons?"
"You'll have to," Ember said, twitching his whiskers. "Or you'll be left behind in the past." He leaned closer to her, and Gray could see the water dripping off of his nose. "Do you really want to prove them right, and fall prey to your memories?" He tilted his head again, his amber eyes secure on hers. "I'm still wondering what you were doing, by the way."
Gray flattened her ears back, stepping away from the black tom. Her mind whirled with questions, and most prominently, she wondered how to respond to his words. "I was . . . enjoying the weather."
"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Ember asked, twisting his head to follow her movements. He chuckled, but Gray caught something deeper in his eyes. He looked at her like he was experiencing deja vu. She flinched, and then internally cursed herself for showing weakness.
"It's been a long time since I've felt rain," Gray explained, hesitant to open herself up to the tom she knew next to nothing about. Everyone was a stranger here. Inevitably, she'd have to put her trust in someone, shift towards one belief. But for now, she stood tall, and alone, despite any promise she made to Sight. Ember was a mystery to her, a part of this huge puzzle that she desired to put together. She didn't even know the shape of the pieces, least of all with Ember. What part did he play? What was his past? She tried to search him with her eyes.
Ember kept her gaze steadily, unflinching. Gray got the feeling he was the one doing the searching, the uncovering, and she abruptly looked away.
"I heard they are taking you and your . . . friends . . . hunting today," Ember said smoothly. He blinked up at the sky, and sighed heavily. Gray looked at him curiously, but he flashed a smile, covering up whatever emotion he'd been portraying a beat before. "Lovely weather for that sort of thing, isn't it?"
Gray smiled at him, genuinely. "Right now, it feels like the best thing in the world." She meant every word.
"Might as well enjoy it then before morning comes," Ember said, his gaze flicking over the trees lining the camp. Gray twisted her head to follow his eyes, and gapped at the huge tree leering out of the distance.
"I-I saw that tree yesterday. It was the first one to glow," Gray exclaimed with surprise.
Ember nodded, his amber eyes flicking over her rain-streaked face. "Light shines in the most unusual ways here in the Gray World. The Moon Forest here has one of the more alluring, mysterious versions of light, so I've been told."
"You've never been outside the forest?" Gray asked in surprise, her blue eyes round. Privately, she thought the muscular, lithe tom had a lot of experience here. Apparently she had been wrong.
The black tom shook his head briskly, water whirling around his fur in a shower. A few droplets prickled at Gray's fur, barely noticeable when compared to the rushing of heavy, slick droplets battering down and rushing off her pelt. Ember followed the path of water on her fur. "No, Gray." It had been the first time he'd said her name. "I'm much "younger" than most here, in fact. Practically all I know is from others."
His water-sleek paw darted out, catching the river of rain sliding down Gray's pelt. The she-cat almost pulled away in surprise, but the touch was steady, warm even. "For example," Ember said, his voice soft. "Where this area receives light from life, I was informed that water was the source of light in another." He glanced up at her, and for the first time since Sight's group found them, Gray could see into his soul. She saw mostly fear, and saw despair, grief, and regret swamped in it. However, where his amber eyes had shown with dark, mysterious humor before, Gray could see something else glowing in those entrancing orbs. Hope.
Ember continued to hold her gaze, keeping her there as a rush of emotions and memories flooded her, shifting closer so his paw was propped firmly against her. "I hope to be able to see it one day, you know."
The she-cat thought she might collapse then and there, tears joining the rivulets of water coursing down her fur. She shook though, and closed her eyes, the memories stabbing her with every flash of color, every drop of blood. Red, everywhere; on her fur, on her claws, in her gaze, on the ground, staining the bodies. Even in Burnthistle's voice. You're cursed Graywhisper, embrace it. Let the blood flow, take what's rightfully yours. The forest will never forget you. Gray shuddered, and recoiled abruptly when Ember leaned against her.
"Don't touch me!" She hissed, her eyes rolling back into her head. The fur along her spine was standing up straight, and she flexed her claws, trying to keep the storm inside from pouring out. Ember withdrew in surprise, his frame tensing at the sudden hostility from the internally warring she-cat. Gray barely noticed, but locked in a sea of confusion and sudden fear, she lashed out at the only living thing around. "I-I know what you really want!" the she-cat snarled, the darkness inside her urging her along blindly.
"G-Gray, what's wrong?"
"Don't touch me! I know what you're thinking, but I'm not a body! Go find some other she-cat; I'm not going to fall for your tricks!" The she-cat was barely able to keep the red back, the blood off her claws, but something told her to not attack this tom, this predator. Gray snarled, her icy blue eyes narrowed to slits.
"W-what? Gray, what has gotten into you?" The black tom was looking at the gray she-cat with confusion, and a flash of fear in his eyes. Gray smirked cruelly; he should feel scared, when she has such dark power at her paws. All she had to do was falter, and it would come surging forth . . . but, she couldn't let it out! For whatever reason, she had to keep the red back! This tom wasn't like the others . . . like the others. Gray's eyes widened, and the ice in them faded as what had once been a noble warrior regained full control of her body. She gasped, panting, and looked at her unsheathed claws with growing horror. No . . . no, it couldn't still live inside her, could it? She'd thought the curse had died when she did!
"Oh, StarClan, Ember, I'm so, so sorry," she back-pedaled rapidly, skittering back to the sanctuary of her den. "I thought-I thought that it was gone. StarClan, this-just, stay away from me!" Having completely lost her composure after the near-control that the red had gained back on her body, the gray she-cat bound back into her den, panting heavily. She needed to think.
Fox shifted in her nest, and looked at Gray's sodden fur with disapproving green eyes before collapsing back into sleep. Gray blinked at the ginger she-cat's sleeping form, and then began licking her chest fur. The she-cat thought silently about Ember and her conversation with him, and the accusation the red had prompted her to make. Ember hadn't really acted as more than an acquaintance since they'd met, and even when he moved closer to her there had been no predatory tone in his voice or the way he moved his body. Rather, it had been friendly. She closed her eyes, and wondered what he must be thinking. Being anything more than an ally had probably never crossed his mind until Gray grew defensive. For all Gray knew, there was some she-cat in his life that he'd been separated from when he'd been captured alongside her. Guilt burned her pelt.
For the rest of the evening, Gray flickered between shallow, half-dreams and being faintly awake. She shifted in her nest constantly, her fear scent filling her nostrils and chasing her through her sleep. Burnthistle taunted her at every turn, and the bodies slowly began to pile around her. Silvermoon's was always first, the earth-shattering point in what started out as a fairly pleasant dream. Then, the despair came, the fear. Dark creatures stalked Gray at every turn, forcing her to shed blood, always blood. The bodies piled around her, and then the dark creatures changed. Angry, vengeful ShadowClan cats came down on her, cursing her every breath. Gray's screams for mercy went unanswered, and the last image she saw was of an orange and white tom, who had once looked on her with kindness, now stared in horror at the dying monster lying before him.
Sweat lined the she-cat's body when she finally, truly woke up. Light streamed in through the den, and flickered in beads inside the hollow itself. Gray let out a cry of relief, collapsing back into the wet moss feeling more exhausted then when she'd gone to sleep.
Abruptly, someone kicked her in the head.
Quick as a flash, Gray twisted around and grabbed the leg before it had a chance to retreat, biting down instinctively. Her blood pulsed with adrenaline, and fear drove her claws deeper, beyond the ginger fur into flesh. A thrill shot through her at the cry of pain. And then another kick, this time one much stronger than anything Gray had experienced, sent her flying. She fell back against the other end of the hollow, the breath flying out of her, and her back smarting from where the glowing wood bit into her flesh.
Before her stood a very angry, very irritated ginger she-cat. Fox held her right backleg in the air, and Gray couldn't stop the prickle of satisfaction that flooded her at the thought she'd managed to surprise Sight's henchman and injure her leg. She also noticed the glowing plant entwined around Fox's leg, and quickly replaced the look of satisfaction for one of pain. Better not tick off the powered-up she-cat anymore.
Fox looked smug at her pained expression, but it quickly flicked back to the typical I-hate-you-newcomer-flith gaze she always used exclusively for Gray. "So you're finally awake. Your fellow newcomers have been lounging around waiting for you, and I had to have extra guards watching them after that crazy tortoiseshell managed to knock one out and get to the entrance before anyone could catch her. Wipe that smug grin off your face, she got a lucky break; it won't be happening again. Now come on before I do something I won't regret."
The smile was still firmly plastered on Gray's face when they walked outside. The forest was glowing brightly, but the light was diluted by the thick streams of water still pouring down. Mapleshade, Hawkfrost, Brokenstar, and a few other cats who had to be watching them were all sitting under a tree with an intricate canopy of leaves like nothing Gray had ever seen before. The rain slid down the thick, impenetrable canopy and down to the curious looking roots that stuck out of the ground like stakes just outside the canopy, collecting all the water as it streamed off. Below the canopy, the group of cats were quite dry. Gray looked around, and saw similar trees with great clusters of cats gathered beneath them.
Gray and Fox strode out into the rain, only having to go a short distance before they were under the thick canopy. Hawkfrost's ears perked up at the sight of them, and stood up abruptly. Brokenstar shot him a meaningful look, but the dark tabby tom ignored him. "Are we going now?" he asked, fixing Fox with a stare. The ginger she-cat dipped her head, and Gray wondered where the sudden patience and politeness was coming from.
"Yes, but I'm not going with you," Fox said, grinning hugely. Gray felt her blood go cold, and she got the sense that Fox was extremely happy about this fact. Surprise, surprise. "Snow and Roar will be taking care of you. They're the hunting mentors, currently."
Abruptly, a white she-cat with silver flecks of fur, and a huge, burly brown tabby and white tom appeared, treading towards them through the rain. In tow were three smaller cats of apprentice size. One was a ginger tabby she-cat, another was a brown and white dappled she-cat, and the last was a dark gray and white tom. Snow had a smile that didn't reach her eyes as they dipped under the canopy, rain-water flooding off the group's fur.
"Right on time, it would seem," she said, her voice clear and meticulous. The huge tom beside her was silent, assessing the four newcomers with green eyes. The brown and white apprentice, as Gray would guess, pricked her ears, and tilted her head excitedly at them.
"I've never seen a newcomer before! Do we really get to go hunting with them today, Snow? Can Fox join us, too, please?" she exclaimed, looking up at the white she-cat with eager eyes.
"Yes Brindle, we will attempt to teach the newcomers how to hunt, but you must remember to address me as Preyteacher Snow and remember Battleleader Fox's full title as well." Gray couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at the odd names. Preyteacher? Battleleader? Just how complicated do these cats need to be?
The apprentice, Brindle, ducked her head, although the excitement shining in her eyes was still apparent. "Yes, Preyteacher Snow."
"Good," Snow purred down at the she-cat. She flicked her yellow gaze upon the newcomers, and frowned. "I suppose I will have to introduce myself and the others to these cats?"
"I already told them you and Roar's name," Fox explained. She looked round at the three Dark Forest warriors, and pointed her tail at each of them. "This is Maple, Hawk, and Shadow." Gray blinked up in surprise at the new names, Brokenstar's especially. He must have chosen to name himself after his Clan, she thought. Gray considered it odd when ShadowClan had driven the tom out after his tyrannical rule, but then, she'd been rejected too, and she still ached for her home.
Fox turned towards Gray, her green eyes narrowing. "And this is Gray."
"Charmed," Snow said in a voice that suggested she wasn't. She glanced up at Roar, who had remained silent so far. "Roar is my partner, and these three are our charges. The chattermouse is Brindle, as you probably already heard. And this is Lily, and Cloud." The ginger tabby and dark tom each nodded as they were introduced. Brindle fidgeted under the newcomers' attentions, looking absolutely giddy.
"Oh wow, newcomers!" Brindle exclaimed, unable to hold herself in any longer. "I bet you can teach us all sorts of tricks!"
"Brindle!" The ginger tabby she-cat shouted, her eyes wide with horror.
Snow glared down at the pair of them. "There will be no trick-teaching. Sanctuary cats are not lowly rogues from the First Life, and we will certainly not learn their ways!"
Gray barely contained her anger. She thinks we are rogues? At the same time though, the she-cat was surprised by what Snow had just called the group of cats that Gray had been thinking of as Sight's followers up until now. Mentally, she filed the name away for later. Sanctuary cats.
Mapleshade, or rather Maple, wasn't as capable of controlling her emotions. She stalked up to Snow, ears going back. "We are not rogues. We are clan cats, following an honorable code." The tortoiseshell's voice sounded bitter as her tongue slurred over the mention of the code. Gray couldn't help but sympathize with the she-cat, who'd had everything taken from her because of the code.
"What you fail to mention, Maple," Hawk began, straightening. "Is that we did not actually uphold that code like those other weaklings."
"And look where you ended up!" Gray couldn't stop the words from slipping out of her mouth, and the three other Dark Forest warriors looked at her in surprise.
Shadow huffed disdainfully. "Oh yes, one has to remember that Gray has the excuse of a curse." He laughed derisively.
Gray bristled. "I would not make light of prophecy if I were you."
The dark tabby tom opened his mouth to bark back a retort, but Snow cut him off. "She's right. Power flows through the Gray World, and according to Sight, seeps through to the First World. Everything when it comes to Power, has a purpose. But that something a mage can talk about to you. We are hunters today, and you will serve the Sanctuary by providing food."
With that, the white she-cat sprang back out into the rain, and towards the entrance. The three apprentices skittered after her, but Roar lingered, looking at the four newcomers pointedly.
"Come," he said gruffly. Something told Gray she better listen to the tabby and white tom, and she turned briskly after Snow.
Rain seemed to glow in shafts of light all around Gray as they slid down the trunks of trees, and wriggled free of the canopy. She was in a constant state of half-wet, half-dry. Not a whole lot of rain reached the forest floor, but there was enough to wet her hair as it struggled to dry. She enviously eyed the glowing plants wrapped around Roar and Snow's legs, craving the power and warmth that had coursed through her when she had had one wrapped around her leg the other day.
Brindle bounced along ahead of her, oblivious to the danger any of the four newcomers could pose to her. The little she-cat seemed to be a cheery soul, but sacrificed her intelligence for optimism and energy. Gray thought it would be nice to be a kit again, living a world full of sunshine and promise, but knew there was worth in the experience and skill she held.
The gray and white she-cat was aware at some point that they seemed to going uphill, and she wondered if they were scaling one of the mountains that encompassed the Moon Forest. The vegetation began to thin out, and the air started to have a wisp-like, misty quality. It was harder to see for great distances, and the group of nine cats huddled together. Rain poured down openly on them, but to Gray's surprise, she still felt a thrill at every drop that skipped against her.
Stone jutted out on either side of them, and they were about to reach the point where they would have to make a winding path up the mountain when Snow and Roar finally halted. Gray crouched, and then, from an alcove in the stony crevices of the mountain, a gray shape darted out. Quick as a flash, Roar leapt, silently bringing his huge paw down and snapping the creature's spine. Snow was beside him, and gripped the thick neck of what looked like an overlarge, thick legged squirrel to Gray.
"So is that what we are hunting?" Gray asked, eying the huge thing warily. It was bigger than the apprentices, and twice as long.
"In a way, but it's really meant as bait," Snow said in a nonchalant way, having released her grip on the dead creature's neck, but her eyes were glinting with gleeful anticipation. Gray thought she might throw up the contents of her breakfast, some horned weasel from back in the forest, and she widened her eyes in horror. Beside her, she felt Maple's fur fluff up.
"Bait?" Hawk choked out, horror evident in his tone. Shadow showed the least response to the white she-cat's comment, eying her fiercely.
"Oh, yes," Snow purred, and ducked around to nod towards where a stone cleft jutted out of the mountain face. "That will be a perfect place, but we will have to do some maneuvering." Gray eyed the narrow shelf of stone, their only path from where they were standing on a steep slope of stone, to the cleft. Some maneuvering indeed; one misplaced paw, and a cat would go tumbling into the trees below. Her stomach twisted.
The white she-cat moved, prey gripped by the neck, dragging the carcass along the shelf. Brindle glanced at Gray reassuringly.
"She has to carry the weight of a mountain-skitter, this will be a breeze in comparison!" She exclaimed, turning to fall in line behind Roar, Lily, and Cloud.
Gray nodded at the small she-cat's words, and let them guide her paws forward onto the narrow walkway. For the first time, she was really aware of the wind whipping her fur up, and threatening to toss her body off the shelf and down to the ground. Rain pelted her as she took each heart-stopping step. It felt like an eternity until the gray she-cat finally collapsed onto the wide expanse of stone that was the cleft. Maple, Hawk, and Shadow had similar expressions of relief when they got off behind her.
"Alright," Snow said, calling them to attention. Gray panted heavily, adrenaline still coursing through her. She watched with inherently wide eyes as the white she-cat dragged the gray mountain-skitter out into the open, and then pulled back abruptly.
"Get down!" she ordered, shooing them towards the safety of an overhang and the stone jutting out on the expanse. Gray scrabbled behind a boulder, lying flat. Her gray and white fur would blend in perfectly out in the open. She prayed for the safety of Maple and Flower, with their orange fur, and looked out into the misty sky. Rain poured down, but no animal seemed about to reveal themselves at the presence of food. Not yet.
Gray fought the urge to move as the moments crept by. Her muscles complained of the weight they had held for what had to be a while now. Her back burned, and rain formed a slippery walk all around her. Gray gritted her teeth, ignored an itch, and willed for their prey to appear.
An ear-splitting screech split the air above her, and it was all Gray could do to not throw her head back and look at whatever it was. Thankfully though, she didn't have to wait more than a moment until the screamer streaked into her line of vision. A seemingly glowing bird with fiery plumage and huge size tore down from the sky, leaving a faint trail of light in the rain. It plummeted down and collided with the carcass harshly, golden claws tearing into flesh.
"Attack!" Snow yowled, leaping out from behind Gray. Roar was right beside her, Cloud and Brindle not far behind. The white she-cat tackled the fiery-colored bird, claws entangling with feathers. An almost musical cry escaped the bird, and it struggled to fly away. Before it could shake Snow off though, Roar was on its back, snarling as fiercely as a TigerClan cat. Cloud circled around, and then darted towards the huge bird's tail, tearing the feathers from it. A melodic scream of pain echoed through the stormy sky as the bloodied feathers came free.
Gray crouched on the rain-slick stone, her eyes round with wonder and mild horror. There was a certain beauty to the huge, fiery bird, and Gray felt the slightest twinge of regret at having to kill it. Surely, the mountain-skitter would be good enough?
Even as the rebellious thought entered Gray's mind, she shook it off. Something was telling her that the notion was not her own. It held a certain . . . glow to it, and was displaced in her mind. Perhaps, it was some sort of Power? The gray she-cat flattened her head against the hard rock, eying the bird with a newfound wariness. The memory of a voice echoed in her head, telling her that beauty can be deceiving.
Brindle's part in the hunt was next apparently, the agile brown and white cat darting over the slippery stone and deftly pulling the mountain-skitter away. Gray sprang up, ready to help the apprentice who barely managed to tug the corpse along. She sank her fangs into the scruff of the creature, and yanked, giving Brindle a pointed gaze. The she-cat gave her an appreciative look, and pulled her jaws away, ready to spring back and help.
Gray watched the brown and white apprentice turn and leap over to the escalating struggle. She tugged the body of the mountain-skitter towards the safety of the overhang. She could feel the gazes of the three Dark Forest warriors on her back, but she didn't dare look back. The bird in front of her raged to escape, to kill, beady amber eyes ablaze with fear and fury. Snow and Roar had moved down to pummel at the bird's wings, tearing out feathers left and right. Cloud moved to secure a position on his back, now that the apprentice wouldn't have to worry about the bird being able to fly away with him anymore. Flower slipped past Gray, and the she-cat wondered if the ginger tabby had been waiting for the kill.
Rain poured down over Gray's face as she watched the ginger tabby creep forward. Brindle was huddled on the rock ahead of her, a mossy brown and white boulder, slick with water. Flower's ears angled forward against the downpour, waggled her hindquarters, and leapt. Gray's breath caught in her throat as the ginger she-cat claws scraped along the bird's chest. The angry creature wasn't completely harmless though, even with three cats pinning it down, and lashed out frantically with golden claws.
Flower's scream of pain was brutal, sharp and uncouth in comparison to the fiery bird's call of fury. She tore away from the flesh-rending claws, blood pouring out on the stone. Snow cried out, and the bird seemed to take advantage of the situation to lunge again. Flower went flying, and it was all Brindle could do to intercept her path across the dangerously slippery stone. The two she-cats scrabbled for purchase on the stone, and Gray let out a screech of warning, launching her body over the dead mountain-skitter.
"Gray, dispatch the phoenix!" It didn't take a genius to figure out that Snow must've been talking about the fiery bird, but Gray ignored her anyways. Brindle's foot went over the edge of the cleft.
"Gray!" The brown and white apprentice screamed. The other hind leg went spinning into the air.
"Brindle!" The she-cat called back, shoving Flower away from the edge. She could hear the terrified breaths of the ginger she-cat as she moved past her. Brindle's body began to slide backwards off the cleft.
"I've got you!" Gray said desperately, leaping forwards. Her paws secured themselves around Brindle's foreleg, and the she-cat looked at her with wild eyes. The two cats were still moving, still sliding. Gray's claws became unsheathed and she desperately back-peddled.
"Please!" The exclamation was barely out of Brindle's mouth before her paw slipped between Gray's. The gray and white she-cat got one last look at Brindle's terrified blue eyes before they disappeared from sight, replaced by torrents of rain. A final scream pierced the air before it was cut off by a heart-wrenching thud.
Time stopped for a few moments. Gray looked listlessly at the pouring rain, not really seeing it. Her chest was heavy with the thought of the sight that would greet her when she looked over the ledge. Around her, the silence continued, thick and full of death. Gray didn't dare move a muscle. All she could think about, all she could see, was the eager, bright gaze Brindle had fixated on her and the three Dark Forest warriors when they'd been standing under the tree. Gone now, her fur soaked with blood.
A scream, painfully musical, dared to break the quiet. Gray spun, seeing the phoenix that still struggled to free itself. Ignorant of Brindle's death. When it was all its fault. Once again, red creeped into her. Filled her vision, quickened her blood, awakened the fire. And Gray welcomed it. She let out a screech, tearing forward with speed that she'd only matched under the influence of the glowing plant, or, of course, with the aid of red.
A sickening thrill flooded her as her claws found the phoenix's flesh. She tore in mercilessly, feeding off of its siren's cries of pain. Gouges scored its flesh, tearing the feathers from it, and allowed the blood to flow, red and thick. Gray let out another screech, and lunged through with claws secured to fasten her fangs around the throat of the majestic beast. To her immense pleasure, the music stopped. Eternally. But the death of the beast was not enough, not for the red. Not when it had been denied for so long. Gray's claws scored the slowly cooling flesh without abandon, the red feeling pleased at every new outlet of blood.
"Gray! Gray! Stop, you've done enough!" The red grew angry as a heavy body secured itself around Gray, and the she-cat struggled wildly. But Snow wasn't about to relent, and she managed to get the wild-eyed cat off of the phoenix's body.
"It killed her! It killed Brindle!" Gray managed to gasp out, twisting away from Snow. The white she-cat relaxed her grip, now that Gray was no longer mutilating the bird's body, and Gray scrambled away. Roar stood over her, eyes narrowed.
"Idiot!" he said, thwacking her with a paw. Gray let out a gasp, and stumbled away, flicking water out of her eyes. The rain washed out the blood on her matted fur. Roar looked down on her contemptuously. "Did Sight teach you nothing? There is no eternal death here!"
Gray looked on him with confusion, and then her eyes widened with clarity. Brindle wasn't dead? She twisted her head, abandoning any thoughts of the other cats as she scrambled back onto the ledge, looking down. She had to know.
Below her, far below, the body of a brown and white she-cat lay crumpled lower on the mountain. Her back was twisted unnaturally, and the gleam of white bone pierced through her back. It was obvious, even from far above and with water sliding down Gray's head, that the dead she-cat's skull was broken, as was most every bone in her body as her limbs twisted in a painful way around her body. Gray shut her eyes, wishing she hadn't looked.
Something warm stirred her fur, and the gray she-cat dared to open her blue eyes again. An aura from far below tingled at her flesh, so strong she could feel it from this far away. Despite herself, Gray let out a soft breath of surprise. Far below, Brindle's body was glowing. She was surrounded by a pleasant pink light, fringed with gold.
The next happenings were extraordinary and horrific. Gray was faintly aware that the other cats had joined her at the ledge, perhaps alerted by the warmth of Power. Her attention was focused on Brindle's body though, which was moving slowly, shifted by some unseen force. The bone went back in, her limbs reasserted themselves, and the dent in her head reshaped so that her skull was whole again. Then, with a gasp, Brindle blinked her eyes open.
"She's good, now let's get the phoenix down!" Snow said, drawing back from the ledge. From far below, Brindle shakily got to her feet, and looked around herself. Gray could almost taste her fear. She looked at Snow angrily.
"She just died, Snow! One doesn't just breeze through that!"
"I never thought a newcomer of all creatures would show compassion," the white she-cat said curtly. "You know nothing about our world, Gray, how things work. Until you do, you will do as I and your other superiors tell you to do so!"
Gray growled and flexed her claws. "You are not my superior." She straightened herself, and spat at Snow's feet. "I'll do what I want!"
Snow looked at her with furious yellow eyes. "Why you filthy little rogue, I'll show you a thing or two about superiority!"
She lunged, and Gray deftly side-stepped her. The white she-cat realized her mistake just a moment before she went skittering over the ledge. The gray and white she-cat couldn't hide the smirk as she looked down at the battered body which had joined Brindle below. "You slipped," she said with a barely concealed purr.
She looked back at Roar, and the two horrified apprentices. The huge tom made no move to push Gray over so she could join the two cats below, but regarded her with something akin to respect. Gray got the feeling there was more then there appeared when it came to the brown tabby and white tom. She nodded at him, and placed a paw on the phoenix's body. "Let's get this bird back to camp."
Thoughts? We have a bit more revealed about Gray's history, and some examples of the thing I refer to as Power (because I'm too lazy to think of something more creative :P). Update coming your way in a month or so, probably.