Chapter Three
A dense snow was falling all around her. "Mother? Are you here?" there was no desperation in the she-cat's voice, only pure wonder. Sitting down, she wrapped her fluffy tail around three of her paws, leaving the black one outstretched to dab at the falling snow. She sat in this fashion for a long while, until the bracken behind her rustled. She did not jump or start. She did not fear the Tribe of Endless Hunting, as her ancestors did nothing but care for her.
"Face me." This time, Snow did jump. She was expecting her mother's gentle mew, not the deep raspy croak of a tomcat. Snow turned around, afraid of what she might see.
Behind her sat a huge flame-colored tom.
"Fire That Burns Forever!" Snow fluffed out her tail and looked lovingly at her father.
"Yes, Snow That Falls From Sky, it is me. The Tribe of Endless Hunting has sent me with a message for you." The ginger tom blinked his bright green eyes.
"Okay, let me hear it." Snow sat back down and wrapped her tail around her paws, black one included.
"The Tribe sends its greetings. They have asked me to tell you that it is time."
"Time for what?" the white she-cat's eyes were shining.
"Time for you to choose. Take a mate, Snow That Falls From Sky. Your destiny must be carried on."
The white-furred Healer recoiled, as if she had been clawed across the muzzle. "Healers can't take mates! The Tribe of Endless Hunting decreed that at the beginning!"
The fire-colored cat twitched his whiskers. "The Tribe of Falling Snow is special, daughter. Your Tribe is in danger, and it's something you can't face alone, no matter how much you want to."
The white queen dipped her head.
As the ginger tom retreated from the clearing, the young white cat threw back her head and yowled.
"Why are you doing this to me? What do you want from me? Why didn't you pick some other cat?" Only silence echoed her cries.