NB: So far, all of my characters have been real (excluding Saffron, of course). Rabbit is not real, but he is very important to the plot, as you shall see.
Rabbit That Leaps Over Stream, to-be of Stoneteller, looked at his newest charge and swallowed.
He had seen wolves before, though ever since the Tribe of Endless Hunting had chosen him as the healer's to-be Rabbit had rarely left the cave. The wolves he had seen were not even close to the she-wolf's size.
Stormfur, a cave-guard of the Tribe, had nicknamed the wolf "Matilda" after a kittypet he had met. It was a joke among the Tribe of Rushing Water, since "Matilda" looked quite capable of killing a Twoleg herself.
Her head was large and heavy, with a long muzzle filled with razor-sharp gleaming fangs. Her massive shoulders were so wide she could barely fit in the den they had assigned her. Matilda's eyes were as golden as the sun, and her fur was silver like the moon.
Despite his fear of her, Rabbit was enthralled by her magnificence. Surely no cat could hope to match her; certainly not the Tribe cats, who smeared their fur with mud and dust.
How the cave-guards had caught the she-wolf was a story that was quickly becoming legend. Rabbit wasn't sure how much of the tale was truth and how much was exaggeration.
The most likely of the stories said that a border patrol consisting of the cave-guards had set off to check the boundaries with the adjoining territory belonging to the rogues. On the way, they had stumbled upon Matilda fighting another wolf in a bloody battle. The fight had raged on for several minutes before Matilda had crushed his neck in her mighty jaws.
Despite her victory, the other wolf had injured her and she had slumped to the ground. The moment she did so, the cave-guards raced back to the Cave of Rushing Water. Rabbit had been there himself, and had watched in fascination as Stoneteller gave the cave-guards some herbs he said would make the she-wolf sluggish and obedient. Rabbit had never seen the herbs before, and Stoneteller had hidden them, telling his to-be that he would not be taught how to find them until he was almost old enough to take Stoneteller's position.
The guards had crushed the herbs into a paste and then crept up on the unconscious beast before smearing the matter into her bloody wounds. Then they had waited patiently for her to rise. Matilda had staggered after them into the cave, seeming disorientated and bewildered. That was the power of Stoneteller's mysterious herbs. They caused a beast to forget everything he or she ever knew and destroyed their will.
"But," said Stoneteller, teaching Rabbit how to grind the herbs and place it on Matilda's tongue, where it would dissolve into her bloodstream, "they are not permanent. If she goes without the herbs for too long, she will remember everything. And no cat could ever stand against a wolf and hope to live."
The Tribe had caught wolves before. Rarely, but it had happened. What generally occurred after such a prize had been attained was that Stoneteller, the leader of the cave-guards and the leader of the prey-hunters would take the wolf into the Cave of Pointed Stones. No-one else was allowed to enter the Cave, and even in the Cave of Rushing Water, no cat was to make a noise.
Stoneteller would speak to the Tribe of Endless Hunting, and thank their ancestors for bringing them the bounty. The cave-guard leader would kill the wolf, quickly and cleanly. Then the leader of the prey-hunters would cut out the beast's heart and eat it.
The Tribe would then feast on the wolf's carcass. Wolf-meat was said to have powerful properties, giving strength and courage and fought disease. Rabbit doubted the truth behind this, too, but held his tongue.
But this time, the Tribe had not killed the wolf.
On the night that Matilda had been brought to the cave, Stoneteller had fallen into a trance. It had lasted for hours before their leader had stirred and announced that the wolf's wounds were to be treated and it would be cared for. The Tribe of Endless Hunting had whispered in his ears. Before the next full moon, a group of cats from the distant Clans would arrive. They needed the wolf to appease their own ancestors and bring the prey back to their lands. He had foreseen that members of the Tribe would need to go with the Clan cats, to ensure that the wolf remained docile.
He had then pulled Rabbit aside and informed him in his dry tone that Rabbit, above all cats, must be part of the group that would take the wolf back.
"Why me?" demanded Rabbit. But Stoneteller had only shook his head, and shown him how to tell if the wolf needed herbs or not.
Rabbit jolted out of his melancholy remembrance and reminded himself firmly that he had a task to do at this very moment. He gave a quick prayer to the Tribe of Endless Hunting and padded up to the wolf.
"Matilda," he croaked, and the wolf raised her head, meeting his gaze with her golden stare.
Calm down. She's just a dumb animal.
He cleared his throat and spoke louder. "Come here, and show me your gums."
For a moment that seemed to be the longest in the world, Matilda did nothing. Then, she let out a groan, staggered over to him and pulled back her lips. Her rank breath blew into his face and Rabbit wrinkled his nose. Pushing the beast's massive head to the side, he checked the colour of her gums.
One of the side-effects of the mind-control herbs was that it bleached the blood a strange, rich purple colour. If the purple colour was fading, it meant that more herbs needed to be applied.
Matilda's gums were the colour of ripe plums. Thank the ancestors, Rabbit thought, and ran as quickly from her den as his paws would take him. He resolved to wash himself thoroughly to get the stench of the wolf out of his fur.
An imperious cry disrupted the relative peace of the Tribe.
Rabbit's sensitive nose picked up a new scent; one that stank of sickness and hunger. His pelt pricking, he pushed his way through the gathering crowd of cats and nearly ran into a massive golden tabby tom. Even though his ribs were jutting out, he was nearly twice Rabbit's size.
The tom swatted at Rabbit impatiently. "Where is Stoneteller? We need to speak to him, immediately."
Before Rabbit could answer, a joyous mew burst out of the ranks. "Lionblaze! Tawnypelt! Squirrelflight!"
Stormfur leaped to meet the cats, his mate Brook at his paws, and purrs began rippling through the newcomers.
"Stormfur, it's good to see you," mewed a tortoiseshell she-cat, stretching over to touch noses with him.
Tawnypelt, Squirrelflight…where have I heard those names?
It struck him like a thunderbolt. These were two of the cats that had helped kill Sharptooth the mountain lion! And this golden tom, Lionblaze, must be the same Lionpaw that had helped to drive back the rogues on their borders.
Stoneteller's heavy pawsteps sounded on the rock. "I know why you have come," he mewed calmly. "Rabbit, is the prisoner ready?"
"Yes, Stoneteller," whispered Rabbit. "I'll…go get her now."
A small grey she-cat slipped out of the Clan cats. "What herbs have you been using to keep the beast under control?" she mewed without preamble.
Stoneteller's eyes gleamed. "You must be the healer."
"Yes, I'm Willowshine, RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice."
Rabbit didn't hear anymore of the conversation, because he had slipped away into Matilda's den.
"Get up and follow me," he ordered, and the wolf obeyed.
Silence fell over the cave as the mighty creature paced after him towards the Clan cats. Rabbit noticed the momentary gleam in Lionblaze's eye. What was he thinking? Was he admiring the beast's size and strength, as Rabbit did? Or was he only seeing the creature as a thing to slay, a pelt to add to his den?
The ginger she-cat, Squirrelflight, was the first to recover. "She's…big," she said, awkwardly.
"She's harmless," replied Stoneteller, "provided you keep her drugged with the herbs. Which is why I'm sending my to-be, Rabbit That Leaps Over Stream."
"Hang on a minute." A handsome black tom, who had up until that moment been gazing into the mountain waterfall, looked up. "We don't mind your cave-guards, but we can't look out for apprentices."
Stoneteller shook his head. "You will need him. The beast is familiar with his presence and he will carry the herbs and show you how to apply them." Rabbit looked up at Stoneteller, wondering why he didn't just tell the Clan cats that he'd had a dream. These cats had come this far on the word of their own ancestors-they would know how unpredictable these dreams could be.
The black tom shrugged. "Okay, but we're not in charge of caring for him."
I am standing right here, you know!
Stoneteller flicked his tail. "You should go. I wish I could offer you shelter, but my Tribe is eager to see the wolf leave the cave. Her smell frightens the kits."
The black tom nodded. "We weren't planning on staying anyway. Come along then, Rabbit."
Rabbit followed the Clan cats out. He did not look back once on the Cave of Rushing Water. Both his parents were dead and future Stonetellers were advised against making friends. There was nothing for him in the cave.
"Lionblaze, Harespring, Smokefoot and Beetlewhisker," ordered a scarred ginger tom with an air of command. "You will guard the brute. Never take your eyes off it." He glared at Rabbit. "What did you just say?"
Rabbit gulped. "Um…we call her Matilda, sir," he mewed nervously.
"Matilda. Whatever."