Chapter 3

Wonder

The wind buffeted his fur, almost as though the winds were racing through every strand as he closed his hazel green eyes. His thick blue-gray tabby fur welcoming the icy breeze. The sun shone high above with clouds as white and puffy as dandelion puffs. With a soft purr of pleasure, he stretched, his forepaws reaching into the long grasses of the valley he had lived in since he was kitted by his Mother-Queen, Aster. Even now the calm and collected she-cat was watching him through narrowed yellow eyes. She was old and had made this their home until the time comes for them to go their separate ways. The prey was plentiful as it was a common ground for any lone-cat to walk along.

"Queen Aster," He began, his tone respectful as he approached her. "What may I give you as an offering today?"

"A rabbit." She spoke, her mew barely on the edge of cracking with age. "That is what I require, young squire."

Wonder blinked, knowing that this was a final test. He skillfully captured birds, mice, and even stoats to prove his hunting abilities that he learned from her. Swallowing dryly, he knew that with this final test he would be forced to leave the valley and travel long and far from here. "As you wish, my queen." He mewed gently. Out of all his siblings, he had survived and now butterflies were fluttering around his belly and chest in anxiety.

"Then hop to it." She mrowed, amusement glinting in her yellow eyes with the warmth and pride of a mother. "I will not tell you what I am looking for in this prey item, so just do your best."

He dipped his head. "I understand."

"Oh, and Wonder, please do be careful of the wild-dogs." She reminded him, "And their cousins the smaller wild-dogs and that wiley lynx that took over the forests of the valley."

"I will." He vowed, turning away to trot off into his own adventure. It would take time to find where the rabbits graze as they denned far from the prey to keep them unawares. His mother, Aster, was a skilled climber and made her den high in the trees and didn't let him climb down until she had shown him how to little by little. She chose to climb to keep him and his litter-mates protected from the large predators below, however they were still targeted by the eagles and owls. Prey was so far from their densite that his mother often left for days at a time to find prey.

However, he was swift-footed, much like the mythical cats in the stories his mother often told him. There were cats who governed the winds who ran so quickly they could remove leaves from the trees in late amberpeak. Cats who chased the sun from dawn to dusk to the cats who swam powerfully through the rivers for fun when it rained. He had terrible skills in swimming, but he was swift and an excellent hunter. Narrowing his hazel green eyes he padded further into the brush, scraggly trees reaching to the sky as he approached one of the colonies of warrens. Rabbits were out, washing their faces as he slowed to keep an eye on them. Any who strayed too far from their colony would be perfect to catch, after all the further they were, the easier it would be to cut them off from their protective dens.

He rested in the grass, his eyes trained on the prey that hopped lazily as they nibbled on the grasses and clovers. One of them clearly keeping watch as it gazes around between washings behind their ears. Long rounded ears pricked for any sign of danger, their head tilted towards the sky, but snapping back ahead to keep a close eye on anything that changed. As the sun reached its highest peak and began its descent did the rabbits finally move far enough from their warrens. Their languid movements slowly stretching them further and further away. He crept after them slowly, almost like a shadow in the tall grasses. His tabby pelt protecting him from being seen so easily as he continued to move. Rabbits had powerful flat feet what would break a cat's jaw with a swift kick. The same powerful legs that could carry them far and fast. Twitching his ears, he spotted a doe, smaller than a buck and seemed to have no kits of her own.

Soft fur is perfect to line a nest. Aster's teachings echoed in Wonder's mind as he crept closer and closer into position. Mouse-length by mouse-length, he got closer and closer before stopping altogether. A shadow flitted over his view, causing his eyes to leave his potential prey and towards the sky. A blurred dot was growing closer and closer as his stomach plummeted with horror. It was an eagle and it was diving for one of the rabbits! The rabbits let out squeals and screams of terror, their swift paws pounding the earth as they raced back to their warrens. The eagle slamming down onto a rabbit with cruel talons digging into their pelt.

Quickly, Wonder launched himself into running with the rabbits. Their eyes so wide the rim of white could be seen as they raced further and further from him. His lungs burned as he ran, the doe he saw before was just ahead of him, so he tried to run even harder. His paws pounding the earth as he felt his muscles screaming for him to stop. He leaped, his claws grazing the doe's back paws that kicked out swiftly, almost catching his face as they escaped. Wonder panted heavily as the rabbits bounded around him and leaped over his exhausted body. Swiftly he turned around, gasping for air as he lifted his head to try and see where the eagle was gone, clearly having caught their prey and either tucked in or they climbed into the sky with their powerful wings.

"Eagles!" He grumbled breathlessly, flopping onto his belly to feel the cool grass beneath him.

He knew it wasn't going to be this easy, but it just meant he would have to try a different colony of rabbits, which could be an entire sun-hunt away. Idly, he chewed on the grass, taking whatever water he could that way despite the bitter tang that made him wince. It was well worth it to stifle his thirst, but he could do without the bile-raising taste. His legs ached along with his lungs as he slowly came down from the rush of running and the disappointment of his failure to catch anything. He was positive if the eagle was a hair slower, he could have launched his attack and caught himself a good rabbit to bring back to his mother.

Gently, with great care, he lifted himself to his paws and made his way to some decent cover. He couldn't fully rest just yet until he was sure he was safe. After all, his mother did not raise a dumb kit, she raised one that knew how to survive thanks to her many lessons. Finding a bush, he crawled under it, twisting his body into its winding branches until he felt comforted by their hold of his body. Closing his eyes, he relaxed and dozed into a vigilant nap. No dreams would come to him, only the sounds of the world he knew tickling his ear fur and the quiver of the branches being all he accustomed himself to tune out. His body felt light as it drifted on the winds that blew into his new hiding place.

.

Deep amber hues greeted Wonder as they exited their hiding place. Shaking his fur out, he felt a little off. He did not dream, which was to be expected, but it was an occasion they hadn't been expecting. Their mind bumbling around in confusion as he struggled to find his sense of self. It was a sense he often lost when he woke from any kind of sleep. Aster told them that they were a "tom" and that was all he was. However, Wonder often felt as though they were something a little more than just a tom, something in between that was unnamed. With a rough shake, he managed to reset his mind, forcing it to accept as his mother had wished for him to.

Blinking, he checked the sky, seeing the vibrant hues of the sun, giving hint that the spirit cats were nearly done chasing it. Swiftly, with a renewed vigor, he trotted into the open, keeping his ears pricked now that his mind was focused far away from how they felt. The strange feeling was still there, but it seemed settled so Wonder didn't think any more about it. All they focused on was the rabbit he had to track down. It never mattered if he was a tom, all that mattered was if they could hunt well enough to survive. Hazel green eyes were wide to take in everything as he travelled, just in case some rabbits decided to go back to grazing. Anything so they could catch something to present, no matter how long it took.

Soon, he found the warrens again, only a few brave ones were out, but they were looking around often. With a flick of his tail, Wonder padded on. Even they knew that it was a losing battle to try and hunt when they were hyper vigilant as they were now. Twitching his whiskers, he padded back the way he came to show Aster he was empty pawed for the Sun Chase before going back out to hunt in the following morning. His belly rumbled, making his ears twitch expectantly as a stoat crossed their path. Hazel green eyes widening at their luck before crouching low into the grass to creep up on his prey. Their small brown eyes gleamed maliciously in the fading sunlight. Their brown fur facing him as he swallowed dryly. Stoats were not only swift and small, they were also agile and fierce. They bit and scratched with the ferocity of a queen protecting her kits, making it far more difficult to capture.

He paused as the stoat's black tipped tail flicked into view. They were also hunting, they had to be as he crept right up behind them. The breeze was in his favor as he pounced. The stoat screamed with a furious rage, whirling around in it's own skin like a cat would. Needle sharp fangs sinking through his fur as it tried to fight for it's life. Shutting his eyes, he lurched forward, his jaws clamping around the stoat's fragile head and bit with all his might. A satisfying crunch answered him as he dispatched his prey. It's body no longer moving as he tucked in to enjoy his meal.

When he finished, he cleaned his face and paws, the sting of the stoat's jaws was present as ever as he rose to his paws. He still had time to reach the tree-den where Aster would be waiting for the night. He may have failed this time, but soon he would. After all, no cat ever succeeds the first time when it comes to rabbits. Why, if a cat ever said they had, he wouldn't believe them at all! Rabbits were so fast, they were like the wind! Quickly, he got to his feet and padded onward to make it home in time. His muscles were sore, but he pressed on trekking his way back through the valley before pausing. A snow white rabbit was grazing, his hazel green eyes widening in surprise. It was beginning to be sunpeak, a time where the sun would dip low into the horizon, but never truly sink completely. Rabbits like that one were meant to be brown with snow-white bellies. They were late into bloompeak as it was, the flowers and trees had long since let their petals and leaves come out. Of course, things bloomed in sunpeak as well, but berries would be ripe for prey and other animals as well.

Swiftly, he adopted a crouch, sneaking his way to the white rabbit. It looked around, ears quivering and rotating constantly. Their whiskers, glistening in the dusk-light anxiously as they hopped forward carefully. Wonder crept closer and closer, keeping low to the ground as he wove his way through the tall grasses. The wind tickled his ear tips, giving hint that the rabbit was up wind from them. Hyper focused, he dared to creep closer and closer, his heart thrumming in his ears and chest. He was so close, it's delicate scent was making his mouth water despite the meal he had earlier. It suddenly reared up on it's haunches, it's eyes glimmered with the color of blood. Something he had never seen before. Startled, he hesitated as it twisted it's body around, much more skittish than a regular rabbit. It's nose twitching in fear as it took deep breaths.

Wonder adjusted his haunches, preparing them for one big push to give chase. The tiniest rustle only happened, but that was enough to spook the rabbit as it bolted away from him. Without a sound, he sprinted into action; racing behind the rabbit as close as he could get, his eyes on it's bobbing white tail as it flashed this way and that. His tail whipping one way to the other expertly to keep his balance with this race. His claws aching with the effort to keep traction in the peaty earth. The rabbit burst into the open, a flattened plain thanks to the massive fluffy-deer and giant-deer that passed through eating the vegetation. The rabbit's paws kept pounding the earth before it tripped, missing a hole at its high speeds.

It was screaming in pain, a limb flapping as it struggled to get to its feet. No matter how much sympathy Wonder could have for such a creature, he pounced with all the momentum he needed to stun it, tumbling as he wrestled with it and sank his fangs into the white rabbit's neck. It jerked, kicking powerfully in vain before falling still at last. It was an odd rabbit, but he knew he would have to haul it all the way back. Looking to the sky as he caught his breath, he could tell he had, miraculously headed further towards the tree-den. Pulling himself to his paws, he picked up the rabbit by what he believed was it's scruff and began to haul it the rest of the way.

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The night soon came, cooling the warmth from the sun in mere heartbeats. His neck ached as they looked around, their hazel green eyes looking one way to the other before pushing himself further and further. Stopping to rest his neck and check for danger through sight and hearing before snatching up his prey again to drag it to the tree-den that slowly came into view. As he had expected, his mother was waiting, her yellow eyes watching intently and flicking back to full alertness as she parted her jaws to taste the air. Feeling more at ease, he picked up his speed, looking forward to what Aster would have to say about his catch.

As soon as they had approached, dropping the prey item, Aster came forth, padding gently and carefully through the grass. Her muscles, well toned from an unknown amount of moons of hunting and fighting for all of her kits and her chosen territory to raise them. Despite how many circles of the Sun-chase she had lived, she was still a strong queen with watchful eyes even for Wonder. Warmth blossomed in his chest as he watched her inspect his catch, her eyes narrowed in concentration. To Aster, this was more than just a meal for them to share and far more than seeing that her sole surviving kit can now live on his own. This was where the fate of her kit lay, the rabbit that her son could capture was a sign of where his paws will inevitably take him. A spirit-driven rabbit, the same that had sent her to choose this valley with one of her first litters once they were old enough to travel along side her.

"A special rabbit for quite the special tom." She meowed, making Wonder shudder inwardly, although they weren't too sure why. Her eyes met his as she gave her final assessment. "The kill was clean, although there is a pitiful broken leg of this rabbit and it's fur is as white as the valley becomes when moonpeak has arrived to blanket the earth in snow."

"It accidentally tripped by stepping in a hole, possibly a gopher's exit some time ago." He explained, his head dipped low. "I hope that is alright."

"It's eyes are of a hue I have never seen before." She went on, almost as though he never spoke, her mew was calculating, as her gaze became unfocused for a moment. He waited with bated breath, her pupils shifting one way to the other, as though she was receiving some kind of news that she couldn't quite understand. At last, she blinked, her yellow eyes focused with the blaze of the sun. "I understand what the spirit-cats have to say."

"What do they say with this catch?" He prompted curiously.

She looked to him with a mother's love, but a deep seeded sorrow. "They wish for you to be strong, to be as merciful as you were to this rabbit when the time comes. All of the valley has fed us for many seasons and circles of the Sun-chase. In the twilightsun they have given you the sign of who you must become. A cat who can look past this and your own shortcomings, a cat who can find his place as easily as this rabbit had. White rabbits out of moonpeak season is quite unheard of, but is never impossible." She paused, looking to the rabbit again. "Tread carefully Wonder, your name is from your curiosity, but you will find it taking you to a place where you may not feel as comfortable as you do here. A place where everything I have taught you, everything I even know, will be questioned and tested. From this twilightsun forward, you will now wander the valley, hills, and mountains. Wandering to where you are needed to provide the most merciless answer that no cat may be prepared for. That is the ways of the valley and the ways of the spirit-cats who have guided me for all these countless moons."

Wonder lowered himself, dipping his head low in a stretching bow, his tail held high in confidence of his mother's words. "I will do everything I can for you and the spirit-cats." He vowed.

"You are no longer a squire under my reign, young one. You are now a lone-hunter. I pray that you will reach where you are destined in time." Aster mewed softly. "We may never cross paths again, but someday, when my time comes, I will visit you. Wonder the lone-hunter, may you rest well for this twilightsun is the last time we shall share a den."

"I will." He mewed, fear creeping through him. His queen, his mother, had been all he had known. Her protection, her love, and her teachings were to keep him alive. Now, it was clear where his path lay, even if he wasn't so sure what it meant just yet, it was still a daunting path for certain.

Together, they tucked into the rabbit, his mother's thin frame eating with fervor, giving hint that she hadn't hunted for herself this time. Wonder ate as much as he felt able and let his mother finish it off, promising he had a stoat he battled with to stave off his hunger to not make a mistake. With full bellies, they groomed each other with lulling rasping tongues, the last time they would share a moment such as this. The ache of missing her already filled his chest, but he knew better than to voice it. If he had, she may also let him stay beyond what was normal. After all, Aster was a strong cat, yes, but she was still a mother who wanted nothing more than to keep her kit close to her heart always.

With a soft purr of comfort from deep in his chest, he lead the way up into the tree to find the hole that was their shared den. The leaf clutter, ferns, and moss that decorated the inside was the nest they shared. Feathers from birds also decorated it to keep them warm and entertain kits who were not yet ready to climb down. He let his mother curl up in the center with the most feathers while he curled up near the entrance to block any light that the twilightsun could give. Their day slowly drew to a close as his mother's breaths slowed and she snored softly, her front paws holding onto her hind paws while he laid with his belly facing her. He trusted her, knowing she could never harm him no matter what could be at stake. Closing his eyes, he slipped into a dreamless sleep of darkness.

Author Note:

To give some context, the valley they live in is further north then where MoonClan, EarthClan, and SunClan live. Beyond a mountain and towards a tundra beyond the hills and few mountains of their valley. Thus they are closer to the arctic circle than the others and have different terminology and beliefs.

Wonder is canonically he/they even if he doesn't understand why he sometimes dislikes being called by male pronouns.

Thank you for reading, have a wonderful morning, day, evening, or night. - NightSky