Here's the next chapter! (I bet it's weird seeing me update so quickly, considering the fact that recently I've been waiting like a month before posting another chapter…) I'm not going to post my responses to the reviews I get for the previous chapter like I usually do; I figure I can just as easily reply just to the reviewer. However, if you're a guest, I will respond to you here.
-0-0-
The Tribe of Rushing Water
Tribe-healer:
Teller of the Pointed Stones (Stoneteller)-small pale gray tom with blind amber eyes
Prey Hunters:
Dawn Coming Through Sky (Dawn)-creamy brown she-cat with yellow eyes
Wing of Feathered Eagle (Wing)-long furred black tom with white paws and blue eyes
Sky of Fallen Stars (Sky)- lithe white she-cat with blue eyes (deaf in left ear)
Flame of Burning Fire (Flame)-dark ginger tom with wide amber eyes
Feather of Swooping Hawk (Feather)- mottled gray tom with green eyes
Mist of Tumbling Water (Mist)- small dappled brown and silver she-cat with blue eyes
Cave Guards:
Flight of Golden Lark (Flight)-dappled white and golden she-cat with amber eyes
Perch of Snowy Owl (Perch)-large pale tabby tom with a scarred muzzle and green eyes
Breeze that Sparrow Rides(Breeze)-dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes
Stream that Runs Through Mountain (Stream)-gray speckled tom with clear blue eyes
Kit-Mothers:
Cloud that Floats in Sky (Cloud)-pale gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes (Mother to Wing's kits: Fir that Breaks the Wind (Fir)-dark russet and black tom with white paws, a fluffy tail, and amber eyes; and Song of Falling Falcon (Song)-lithe silver tabby tom with green eyes)
Leaf of Twisted Branch (Leaf)- creamy brown she-cat with warm yellow eyes (Mother to Stream's kits: Ripple of Pebbled Shore (Ripple)-speckled gray and white she-cat with yellow eyes; and Storm that Stalks the Sky (Storm)-large black tom with silver flecks and unusual gray eyes)
To-Bes:
Ray of Peeking Sun (Ray)-golden tabby tom with dark blue eyes (cave-guard)
Stem of Wilted Ivy (Stem)-dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes (prey-hunter)
Stone in Rushing Creek (Stone)-white she-cat with one gray ear and clear blue eyes (cave-guard)
Elders:
Shine of Silver Moon (Shine) - very pale gray she-cat with bright blue eyes
Ridge that Climbs Rock (Ridge) - dark brown tabby tom with black paws and green eyes
Cats outside of the Tribe:
Eli –small skinny black tom with warm golden eyes
Spark –tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes
-0-0-
Song of Falling Falcon jumped lightly across the small stream, careful not to slip into the freezing water and get his paws wet. The current trickled quietly over the pebbles that lay embedded at the bottom, emitting a sound that soothed him. He landed on the other side, blinking his green eyes up at the tall alpine fir trees that surrounded him. Rays of sunlight pierced through the leaves and chased the cold from his bones.
It's a wonder it never snows here. The observation lifted his spirits; he absolutely hated having to trek through the ice-cold mush that hadn't yet melted from the ground. Ever since he had opened his eyes almost three moons ago, he would walk out of the Cave of Rushing Water to find that snow had accumulated during the night.
I don't know how Fir and Ripple like it, Song thought, shaking his head in disbelief. I swear it's like the time of freed water is never going to get here!
The silver tabby continued padding through the trees, the swift mountain breeze flowing through his fur and bringing with it the sounds of life. Finches and larks conversed from branches, while squirrels scuttled across the ground, their plain gray and brown fur easily blending in with the crisp, dead leaves that crunched under Song's paws. An eagle called out in a piercing whistle-like sound, hidden somewhere in the vast sky. Oh, how he would've loved to catch one and bring it back to feed the Tribe. A bird like that would've easily fed four, maybe even five, cats!
It was a shame it was just a dream.
Song sighed sorrowfully, halting and sitting back on his haunches. He knew it was a dream because whenever he closed his eyes to sleep, this is where he always found himself when he opened them again. He'd been coming here for as long as he could remember and it was always the same: the weather, the trees, the creeks; not that he minded. It was refreshing to be able to get away from the seemingly never-ending cold that currently clutched the mountains in its grasp. With his pelt soaking up the warmth of the bright sun and the tranquility that rested over everything, he could almost imagine this was how living in the Tribe felt when they weren't experiencing a time of frozen water.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp stab in his side. The calm scene before him wavered, growing blurrier the more prodding he felt. His vision grew dark and he groaned as he felt the soft nest of feathers underneath him. He blinked open his eyes and could barely make out the hazy image of his brother standing above him, one large white paw lifted for another poke.
"Whas goin' on?" he slurred, his body threatening to drag him back to sleep.
Fir that Breaks the Wind looked startled for a moment, as if he hadn't been expecting Song to wake up quite so fast. "Cloud told me to wake you up," he explained, amber eyes wide and gleaming.
Song groaned again and rolled over. "Go away."
"Afraid I can't do that, brother," Fir meowed almost merrily. "It's almost sunhigh and you've been sleeping like a rock the whole morning."
Song snapped his eyes open and turned toward the dark russet tom standing over him. "Is it snowing?" he asked.
Fir rolled his eyes and flicked his big, bushy tail. "It's always snowing, Song. Now come on! Wing said he wanted to see us before he left with his hunting party."
At that, Song sprang to his paws and promptly stumbled into his brother, nearly sending them both falling onto the cave floor. Had it not been for Fir's broad shoulder catching him, he would have smacked his face onto stone.
"Thanks," he mumbled, embarrassed at his clumsiness. Fir said nothing, instead leading the way out of the small cave-den and down the multiple stones jutting from the mountain wall until they reached the bottom. Song blinked at the sun shining through the mouth of the Cave of Rushing Water and he scanned the camp before him.
It was more or less empty, given the fact that most hunting parties and cave-guards would have already gone out in search of prey. Shine of Silver Moon and Ridge that Climbs Rock, the two Tribe elders, lay together near a small stagnant pool sharing tongues in the giving of close comfort. Song noticed the caught-prey pile was empty and he glanced away, doing his best to ignore his growling stomach. Since being weaned off of Cloud's milk a moon ago, he and Fir had started eating caught-prey once a day, just like the rest of his Tribemates.
"Song! Fir!"
The two brothers turned at the exact same time to see a long-legged black tom padding toward them. Song's heart lifted at seeing his father's lean frame and those blue eyes that never failed in their gleaming warmness.
Wing stopped before them and gave each of his sons a quick nuzzle. "How are my strong kits today?"
"Never better," Song replied, feeling much more cheerful now that he'd seen his father.
Wing purred and flicked the silver tabby kit with his black tail-tip, then directed his words at both of them. "I don't want you getting Storm and Ripple in any trouble today, you understand?"
Fir made a soft noise of protest. "I'm not the one that gets them into trouble," he stated, sending a pointed look at Song who looked slightly offended.
"Hey! It's not like I bite their tails until they agree to explore with us! It's their decision to always follow us around."
Rolling his eyes, Wing meowed, "Then make sure they don't follow you around again or else Leaf will make sure I never hear the end of it." With that, he gave them each a lick on the tops of their heads and bounded away to where the rest of his hunting party was waiting at the mouth of the Cave.
Once his father had disappeared, Song shook his head. "Why do I always get blamed for everything?"
"Maybe 'cause you're usually the one that comes up with the crazy ideas?"
"They're not crazy, Fir. They're fun."
The dark tom grunted, and Song decided to take that as a sign of agreement.
Suddenly, something-rather someone-barreled into him with such force that he staggered and fell onto his side with a hard thump. He could see that Fir, too, had gotten attacked the same way. Song exhaled sharply in pain as a pointy stone dug into his flank.
"Die, Sharptooth!" a speckled gray and white bundle of fur crowed from where she stood on top of him.
"Yeah, you'll never take us alive!" a larger, much darker kit added, pummeling Fir with his hind legs.
Ripple of Pebbled Shore battered at Song's lashing tail, oblivious to the irritated expression on his face. He wriggled a bit and the she-kit let out a squeak as she slid off his flank and landed on the ground. He got to his paws and shook the grit of tiny stones from his pelt.
"Ah! It's alive!" cried Ripple, rearing up on her hinds legs and attempting to bat at him with her tiny paws. Song gently cuffed her on the head so that she fell back down.
"Do you always have to attack us?" he questioned, annoyed.
"We sure do," she mewed, fluffing her fur and trying to growl threateningly. She ended up looking like a small puffy cloud instead. "Right, Storm?"
Storm that Stalks the Sky, who was now struggling to chase Fir's flickering, plumy tail, straightened and nodded. His unusual gray eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Wouldn't you rather, I dunno, chase feathers instead of trying to rip my tail off?"
"Calm down, Song," meowed Fir, gazing warmly at the kits. "They're just having fun."
"Feathers aren't any fun," Storm replied resentfully. "And plus, Leaf doesn't want us outside today."
Ripple licked a dainty paw and ran it over her face. "We're bored," she stated, looking at the two older kits with round yellow eyes.
"If Leaf won't let them out, then Cloud most likely won't let us out either," Song murmured to his brother. Fir nodded, looking a bit disappointed.
A beat passed. "So…" Storm pressed, "What're we gonna do?"
Song sighed heavily, already exhausted from the kits. I wonder if I was this annoying a moon ago. "Come on," he muttered, starting to pad in the direction where Shine and Ridge lay.
Ripple and Storm scampered after him joyfully with Fir quietly bringing up the rear. His claws clicked on the smooth cave floor and the sound of his steps couldn't be heard over the tumbling water that raged just outside. He took a deep breath, the iciness piercing his lungs and chasing away the last weak remnants of sleep left in his mind. If there was one thing he liked about this season, it was the brisk air that came with it.
As they got closer to the two elders, Ridge lifted his dark brown head. "Well, now, what're you kits up to this time?" he asked, green eyes suspicious.
"Oh, Ridge, be nice for once," Shine admonished him, turning her bright eyes on them. "What's brought you over to these old bags of bones?"
"We're bored," Ripple repeated simply.
"Would you mind telling a story to occupy these two?" meowed Song, gesturing to the younger kits with a nod.
Ridge sniffed. "What makes you think we wanna tell you anything?"
Shine rolled her eyes and waved her skinny tail, encouraging them to get settled. Once all four kits were comfortable, the old elder tucked her silver paws under her chest. "Now what story would you all like to hear?"
"Sharptooth!"
"We heard that one last time, feather-brain!"
"So?"
"So, it gets old after a while."
"Nu-uh!"
"Yeah-huh!"
As Ripple opened her mouth to retort, Song quickly suggested, "How about the one with the Clans? Cloud told us that one once a long time ago."
Shine flicked an ear. "You're better at that story," she meowed to Ridge, nudging the dark brown tabby with her shoulder. "Why don't you tell them?"
Ridge glared at the pale gray elder, not amused by the situation. "I'd rather not."
What's got his fur in a knot? wondered Song as his green eyes roamed over the dark tabby. He's always cranky but never this bad. He exchanged a glance with Fir and could tell his brother was thinking the same thing.
Shine gave Ridge a narrowed look before turning back to face the kits. "Why don't you kits go find your mothers, huh? Maybe they'll have something more fun for you to do than hang around us old cats all day."
Ripple moaned in frustration and slumped onto the floor. "There's never anything to do in here!"
"At least not when it's snowing," added Song, glancing at the mouth of the Cave with narrowed green eyes.
"So no story?" asked Fir, his amber eyes downcast.
Shine shook her head. "Not today," she replied quietly. Song tilted his head, wondering why the elders were acting so strange recently.
"Go chase a feather or something," Ridge snapped, turning his brown back to them.
Song and Fir looked at each other, knowing they were thinking the same thing: it was going to be a long day.
-0-0-0-
It was sundown when the hunting parties returned. Song and Fir waited eagerly near the opening of the cave, so close the silver tabby could feel the mist of the waterfall coat his pelt while sending icy shivers down his spine. The two brothers sat close together to try and preserve their warmth while they craned their necks to see what the prey-hunters had caught.
"I see them!" Song shouted, jumping up when he caught sight of his Tribemates' mud-coated fur materialize through the roaring water.
"Anything good tonight?" demanded Fir, bushy tail lashing excitedly.
"Hopefully." Having had to resort to mostly chasing feathers for the rest of the day, Song was more than ready to be around cats that could actually leave the Cave of Rushing Water!
His Tribemates padded into the camp, their pelts thick with mud and their jaws clamped around pieces of prey. Song spotted two cats carrying a small heron between them and his mouth watered, his stomach rumbling loudly. Fir sent him a questioning look and his ears flushed with embarrassment.
It was hard to tell who was who under the dried sludge coating each of the cats' pelts, the camouflage working almost too well. However, Song could always tell who was a prey-hunter and who was a cave-guard based on their size alone: the stocky, larger cats were the defenders, and the lither, slimmer ones were the hunters.
"Come on, Song, or we'll miss our meal!" urged Fir, nudging his brother roughly so that Song stumbled forward with a surprised grunt. He glared back at Fir, wishing not for the first time that he was as big as his littermate.
Together they raced toward the middle of the camp where every cat was gathered to eat. They skidded to a halt and waited impatiently while the caught-prey was passed around. Song spotted Stoneteller conversing in heated undertones to one of the cave-guards who, at closer inspection, could be identified as Breeze that Sparrow Rides. The brown tabby tom's yellow eyes were dark, matching the grim expression on Stoneteller's face.
Song butted his shoulder against Fir's and asked quietly, "What do you think they're talking about?"
Fir looked to where he was gesturing and narrowed his amber eyes. "I don't know," he meowed back. "But it probably isn't good."
"Song, Fir!" called a deep voice.
The two kits turned to see a large tom striding towards them. Unable to recognize him, Song scented the air and perked up when he realized who it was. "Perch!" he exclaimed, jumping up and running towards his mother's brother. His front paw caught on a stone jutting out of the cave floor and the silver tabby nearly lost his balance.
"Whoa there, little one!" Perch meowed, stretching out a broad paw to steady him.
Song righted himself and looked at his paws. "Sorry," he muttered, cursing his clumsiness. Why could he never keep his balance, especially around the cats he wanted to impress? Some prey-hunter I'm gonna make, he thought bitterly.
Perch shook his head, green eyes gleaming. "Nothing to be sorry for, little one. So, what'd you two do today?"
"We chased feathers," answered Fir, sliding up beside Song. "We wanted the elders to tell us a story about the Clans but Ridge was too grumpy."
"Ridge is always grumpy," the tabby tom whispered, whiskers twitching in amusement.
"Did you have any trouble with those rogues?" Fir questioned excitedly, bushy tail lashing eagerly back and forth. Song shivered at the thought of the lone cats that lived on the edge of the Tribe's territory. From what he'd heard from his mother and the elders, they weren't exactly the nicest bunch to deal with. Especially during the time of frozen water.
"No, thank the ancestors." Perch sighed heavily, sitting back a little on his haunches.
"Oh." Song could tell his brother was disappointed. Since Fir was going to train to be a cave-guard when they reached eight moons, he was always keen to hear about any battle or quarrels the Tribe was having.
The mud-coated cave-guard gazed at the russet kit, his eyes neutral and steady. "Don't forget there is more to being a cave-guard than fighting, Fir."
"I know."
Before any of them could say anything more, Cloud padded up to them, a slightly scrawny finch in her mouth. Ripple and Storm were on her heels, their eyes focused on the prey. The gray tabby she-cat set the dead bird down on the ground and pushed it towards her kits. "Here you go little ones."
Not waiting a moment longer, Song grabbed the finch and took a small bite, closing his eyes. It might have been stringy and tough but after having to wait so long to eat, it tasted delicious to him. Still chewing, he nudged it towards Fir who took a mouthful and then passed it to Ripple.
Cloud gave Song a nuzzle, her amber eyes sparkling. "Looks like someone was hungry," she purred.
Song nodded feverishly. He looked around and realized that his mother and Perch both were not eating. He cocked his head; his rather large ears made him look a bit funny. "Why don't you have any caught-prey? Aren't you hungry too?"
Perch glanced up from licking the mud off his pelt and exchanged a look with Cloud. "Not as hungry as you four and the elders are," he responded carefully.
Storm pushed the already half-eaten finch towards Song and the silver tabby gazed at it for a moment and then scanned around the camp. Ridge and Shine sat sharing a thrush with each other while the three young To-Bes shared the heron Song had seen being carried in from before. Other than that, however, it didn't look like anyone else was eating.
There must not be enough caught-prey tonight, thought Song sadly. It always seemed like someone was going hungry every night and he wished more than anything that that wasn't the case.
"Eat, Song," Cloud commanded gently.
Feeling slightly guilty, the silver tabby bent his head and took another bite. Despite the fact his conscience told him it was wrong, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of selfish gratitude that he, at least, was able to eat.
Storm, Ripple, and Fir started talking to each other while Perch and Cloud murmured in hushed tones. Song chewed his prey slowly, wanting to savor it as much as he could. Who knew if there would be enough food tomorrow night? He shivered as a sharp breeze cut through the mouth of the Cave. His bones were almost always numb from the constant cold in spite of his relatively thick fur and he couldn't stand it.
I hope the time of freed water is better. The voices of his brother and denmates faded into the background as he envisioned the place he always went in his dreams. Hope flickered inside of him as he imagined the warm sun chasing away the frost and snow and bringing prey back to the mountains; his Tribemates would finally go to sleep with full stomachs.
Anything is better than this, Song thought as he looked around at skinny cats in the Cave. It has to be.
A kind of boring chapter but alas, it must be done. Remember, Tribe kits have to wait until they're 8 moons old before they can start training. But don't worry; I'm going to speed it up a bit :) Please review! I wish to hear your opinions!
