Prologue

The night was all too hot, even for summer. A full moon shone down upon a meadow. All was quiet; not even insects dared to make a sound. The air was still, without a breeze. Then out of the darkness came a heart-wrenching caterwaul.
"MOTHER!!!!!!!"
Blood splattered on silver fur. The cat lunged at the slender black cat with blazing amber eyes. His hiss revealed jagged, sharp and blood-stained teeth.
"Don't touch them!" Came a snarl as a pure white, long-furred tom rushed between the kits and the murderer. He pushed the kits back.
"Your mother questioned my rules, kits. This is what happens."
"You don't own the forest!" The she-kit who had yowled hissed. "It belongs to the tribes!"
"The tribes are no more, kitten. This forest belongs to me. And now...so do you!"
He lunged, sinking his claws into the neck of the white cat.
The kits cried out and ran blindly into the forest, away from the cat.
"You can't run forever, kittens! This is my home now! I will find you! And then you're both dead!"
The two tiny silver cats with rosette black spots ran until the pads on their paws bled. Limping, they curled up in a hole.
"I'm cold." The tom meowed quietly. "And hungry."
"I know. We'll find something to eat; I promise."
"But Dragon killed mom and dad, and Song of the Moon. How are we gonna eat? We can't hunt."
"We'll find a way, alright, Thorn? We have to."
He made a face. "I don't like that name. I don't wanna be called Thorn!"
She thought for a moment. "How about this? If you don't like Thorn, we'll call you something else. What do you want to be called?"
The kit yawned. "...Claw of the Bear."
His sister nudged him. "How about Bear? Huh? The other name is hard to remember!"
He purred. "Alright. What's your name?"
She looked up at the sky. "I wanna be called Eclipse."
"Why?"
"Because mom says that the Eclipse is a time of healing and unity. One day...I wanna heal like she did...and lead like dad did."
He snorted. "You can't do both!"
An old, rough voice that wasn't quite cat called from deeper in the hole "I can teach you how, cat."
They leaped away from the amber eyes as a huge, lumbering fox appeared. "Fox!"
"It's okay. I won't harm kits. I speak cat."
"W-why."
He gave a rough laugh. "Because I was taught in a dream. Come now, I'll hunt for you. And then I'll teach Eclipse how to be a healer...and a leader."
"W-why?"
The old fox sighed. "We foxes believe that there are many ways to the Ancient Ones who guide us. They want me to help...and I do not disobey the Ancient Ones."
"Who are they?"
He looked to the sky. The kits gasped; he was blind in one eye!
"They are the spirits of the foxes. We, too, work together...just differently. We live alone, yes, but not all the time. And we still help one another."
Trembling, the she-kit approached the fox. "I will learn to heal and lead, fox. What's your name?"
He looked the terrified morsel in the eye. "I am Shatteredsight, and I shall be your Shaman."
"Teach me to hunt and fight?" Bear asked quietly.
"I do not know how to hunt or fight like a cat...but I can give you a mentor, Bear. I know one who will teach you."
"Who?"
"His name is lost. But I will show you to him tomorrow. Tonight...sleep, eat. It is a time for grieving and healing."
Then the old fox slunk into the shadows of the night. The two kits curled up and fell fast asleep, not sure what the future would hold.


The bright day found a full grown silver she-cat with russet spots looking at an old fox den with sadness. Memories played over and over again in her mind, but she knew deep inside there was no herb for keeping a fox as old as he had been alive. Bear paced back and forth. Then he looked up to his sister, a mix of hate and sorrow laid there.
"Is it time?"
"Yes. It's time. Come; let's find Raven. She'll be the first we ask."
"She didn't like Shatteredsight."
"But she liked us. Bear...it's time to go. He doesn't like mourning, you know."
The tom who had grown powerful and muscular stood still for a moment before briefly nodding and trotting after his sister. They would find Raven.

Chapter One: It Begins

Eclipse scented the air. She was about to rise when Bear and a slender black she-cat with amber eyes slipped out of the den, hidden in the roots of an elm tree by fallen logs. The two she-cats touched noses. Then the three of them moved silently through the forest to a section dominated by pines. There was almost no undergrowth here, but the needles muffled their steps. They found a fallen and hollowed log surrounded by thorns and undergrowth. Bear paused as the she-cats ushered in.
"I'll make sure nobody followed us."
The black cat stood "Should I -"
"I need to speak with you, Raven."
Instantly the she-cat sat down as Eclipse's brother disappeared.
"Did that old fox tell you I was a spy again?"
The silver spotted cat meowed sadly "No. Shatteredsight passed on while I was searching for herbs. Bear and I returned to find him already gone."
She opened her mouth, thought a moment and snapped it shut. For a time they looked uncomfortable. Then the black cat's eyes stretched wide. "Does that mean you're leaving now? To found the clan?"
"Yes."
"Is...is this goodbye?"
"It...it doesn't have to be. You can come with me."
Bear stuck his head in, nodded once, and turned to leap onto the log. He'd keep a look out.
"Nobody followed us." Eclipse told her. "I want you to come with us."
"But...Eclipse...I don't know. There are so many cats out there who won't agree."
"Yet there are those who will. I don't need every cat; only enough. We'll find somewhere safe, where Dragon won't find us and push around or kill our kits."
"Where are you looking first?"
"I'm going tomorrow to the human camp. I collect poppy and catmint there. When the humans can't I help sick or hurt cats. There are some who can hunt or fight - three I know of who can pretty well."
"For a soft-pelt! They're useless."
"No. They can be trained. I'm starting there because they already know how to leave together with other cats. Come with me there, at least, Raven. If you still don't agree, and don't think it'll work, you can at least say goodbye."
She was quiet. Then the cat sighed. "Alright. I'll go. But no promises. And I have to approve of at least one of the cats you will be joining the clan - I want to make sure my friend is safe."
"Hey! Eclipse! I see an injured tom! He's eating a dead rat!"
The two of them rushed out. Eclipse cleared the jump to sit by her brother. She spotted him right away. "I need Raven to get small prey. Bear, fetch me soaked moss and lots of cobwebs."
"What if it's a trap?"
"You two will handle it!"
The silver cat hit the ground running toward the bush. She heard the other two go their own separate ways. It was a long-haired brown tabby tom lying on a bed of moss and needles. Waves of heat rolled off him, and his nose was cracked with dry mucus. The poor tom reeked of the smell of rotten rat flesh, blood and puss. His long fur was matted and filthy, as if he hadn’t groomed in a long time. Otherwise, he looked young. There was a gash along his hind leg covered in puss and both fresh and dried blood. A half-eaten rat lay at his paws.
As she looked him over, her mind made a list of herbs; horsetail for healing the wound and to help the infection, fever weed for the fever and the help with the wound, poppy for pain, comfrey for inflammation, soaked moss and cobwebs. And, of course, he would need proper prey. A feeble hiss came from the tom as he saw her.
“Hey, calm down. Are you thirsty?”
He eyed her suspiciously and said nothing.
“Uh…ok…you know what? I’ll bring back some soaked moss when I come back with the herbs and fresh prey, all right?” She continued, not expecting an answer, and turned back into the forest.
My old herbs are too far away. I'll have to collect new ones, and fast.

The healer found the drooping purple flowers and narrow leaves. She dug it up by the root, as she would need the leaves as well as the root and set the bundle of plants in a leaf wrap. Luck had it that she also found marigolds on her way there. She plucked the flowers, too, and wrapped it carefully with the rest of them. Just on the edge of the pines she found a tall plant with a long, narrow yellow flowers. She broke it off at the stem, needing the leaves. Next to it was a bright red flower, which she snipped off the head for the tiny black seeds. Then the cat returned to her patient.
Bear had scaled a dead tree only a few inches away. At its base was a stick matted with cobwebs perched on a ball of moss sopping wet. Eclipse set down her bundle to fetch them, setting the moss where the injured tom could lap at it.
"Who are you?" He asked weakly after drinking the water.
"Eclipse. That's my brother. We're here to help. Now, no matter how much I hurt you, this is to heal those wounds. So keep quiet or you'll get us in some serious trouble."
He blinked. "Okay."
"Eat these." She gave him two leaves from the yellow-flowered plant and three black seeds from the flower. "They'll take the fever down, take away the pain and make you sleep."
"How do you know?"
"I was taught at a very young age by a very special mentor. Now do it."
He gulped them up. She chewed up the some leaves from the purple-flowered plant and some root from the yellow flowered plant. As she chewed she carefully untangled then spread the cobweb onto the wound. Slowly, the bleeding stopped. He flinched but didn't make a sound. The tom dug his claws into the earth as the silver she-cat licked the herb firmly into his pus-filled wound.
Raven was there just as she was finishing.
"Thanks Raven." Eclipse muttered as the black cat tossed them both mice. Then her and Bear ate.
"I'm Bramble." He yawned.
"Sleep, Bramble. We will talk when you awaken."
The cat tried to stay awake, but it was futile. His eyes slowly shut.
"Those wounds are from Dragon." Bear meowed quietly. "No way he's a spy."
Eclipse began to groom him. He was matted, filthy and too ill to do it himself.
"I want you two to go to the human camp." She meowed between licks. "I need to stay with him. But Maya, Ghost and Pepper must become used to this life. Get them. Any cat who wants to come and can hunt or fight may."
"The laws...?"
"I've already come up with enough to get started. I can't predict everything, though. I'll work on them as problems present themselves."
Bear and Raven hesitated. "What's wrong?" She demanded.
"Dragon and Lion..." Raven meowed as if it were obvious.
"There are so few cats who are around here that they and their goons never bother to patrol. It's too open. Go on; if you're fast you won't have to wake a cat up. Bear knows where they are. Ghost is sickly; don't leave her to fend for herself if she comes and is a bit slow. Remember; they're soft-pelts. I want them here by sun high."
The two rose, consumed by the shadows of the setting sun. Eclipse was soon lulled to sleep.

Movement woke the healer. She opened her eyes to see Bramble shifting.
"Where are your friends?"
"They'll be here."
"You...helped me. Why?"
She looked him up and down. "Because you needed help. Dragon is a cruel cat."
"Dragon?"
Eclipse blinked. "Are you new?"
"Yes."
"I see. He's the cat who wounded you. He also killed my parents right in front of my eyes, destroyed the peaceful cats who lived before him and took control of the forest."
"Sounds like an awful cat. How do you know it was him who wounded me?"
"He has very special claws. My mentor told me he learned it from the humans."
Bramble was quiet. "Where did you learn to heal?"
"My mentor. He taught me to not just heal, but lead others. That's what I'm doing. I'm taking others to a better place, to learn to hunt and fight for one another; to support one another just like the cats before the tribe; the clan."
"Clan?"
"Yes." Her eyes became starry. "They were a group of hunters and fighters who were led by a healer. My mentor was very old, and saw the tribe settle in after the clan left when he was still young. I know their ways from him. Now I'm going to make my own."
"...I can't hunt or fight...but...if I'm willing to learn to heal, will you take me in?"
She stared at him. "You want to learn to heal?"
"Yes. You saved me with plants, not claws. Please?"
"Of course. Here; I'll tell you what each plant is as I apply it."
She took some leaves from the purple flowered plant. "This is comfrey. It's good for healing when there are swollen, red wounds like yours. The leaves are good for that. The root is used for healing bones." She took the yellow-flowered plant. "This is fever weed. It's used for fever when you eat the leaves and wound-healing when you chew and apply the root. Let me show you."
She chewed the two together and applied it.
"Ouch..."
"Shh."
"What were the black seeds?"
"Poppy seeds. They're for pain and shock; they lull a cat into sleep, or at least calm them down in smaller doses."
"What about the webs?"
"Those are cobwebs; they stop bleeding."
"Wow."
Just then the leaves rustled. Both cats jumped. Raven and Bear slipped into the light of early dawn.
"They're here." Raven meowed. "Five."
"Are you ready?" Her brother asked.
"Yes."

Chapter Two: Clan Laws

Eclipse stood to leap into onto a fallen log.
Raven told her as she came to sit with her tail around her legs. "I'm not sure any of them will make it a day."
Bear gave a low meow. From the undergrowth a two black and white cats merged. One was a she-cat. She was large, but lean. Her fluffy soft-pelt fur was splotched. The other was a small, wiry and wide-eyed tom. He had a white heart-shape on his otherwise black face. His back and legs were black. The underside and paws were white. Following them was a thin white she-cat with a calico tail, ice-blue eyes and a gray muzzle, paws and ear tips. She nervously licked her chest. Two black tabbies shivered into the clearing lastly.
"Maya...Pepper...Ghost. Good of you three to come. You know why you are here?"
Maya bowed her head. "I've waited for this day...and will hear what rules you've set. Then I will decide."
"I'm coming with you no matter what!" Pepper said.
"S-so am I." Ghost meowed musically - if not anxious.
The other two cats remained quiet.
"This is Bramble. We will remain here while he recovers, giving you time to learn the rules and grow accustomed to the harsh life of a wildcat. He will be learning to heal."
"And lead?" Bear asked quietly.
"Of course. It's the way things work."
They grew quiet. "Now, the founding rules are thus; there will be those who hunt and those who fight. Hunters feed everybody. They don't only hunt for themselves. Prey is brought to wherever we're resting and shared. Those who fight for the clan don't run off and leave others to fend for themselves. They stand and fight together. Cowards aren't welcome in my clan. Hunters who can't fight will not leave the camp without a cat who can; it's too dangerous. And lastly, any injured or ill cat isn't left behind. They are assisted and cared for. We don't move on without them."
She paused, thinking, reading the cats faces who had assembled.
"What is the punishment for breaking the rules?" Maya challenged.
"First warning is no prey and extra duties. The second time...you will taken home. This is only until Bramble heals. Remember, we're small and still learning. New laws will be set to challenge problems that I haven't foreseen."
"And not everything can be planned." Bear told them.
Eclipse looked down at the quiet youngsters. She wasn't familiar with them. "Who are you and what can you offer my clan?"
"I'm Misty." The smaller one meowed. "I can hunt a little."
"A little?"
"My humans didn't let me out a lot, but my mom taught me very early."
Maya looked her up and down strangely, then snorted and looked away.
"I'm Scratch." The other replied. "My dad taught me a little about fighting, but I've never really done more than play fight with my friends and beat up a house dog or two."
Eclipse looked thoughtful.
"Bear will keep an eye on you two - a very careful eye. He can help you learn if you show promise. But I leave it up to him to decide whether you're worth his time. If I hear you're not, then I will have a cat take you home."
"We'll try hard!"
"Yeah. We promise."
Eclipse looked around. "Do all of you understand and agree with my conditions?"
No cat spoke up, accepting silently.
"Good. Why don't we try these new laws? Bear can take Misty and Ghost to hunt. Pepper, you patrol with Raven."
"What do you want us to do?" Maya asked, indicating Scratch.
"I need a couple of cats here who can fight. Up the tree, Scratch. Tell me if any strange cats come around, or if you see a fox." Eclipse watched him scale the tree with little grace. She shook her head. "Keep an eye on him?" She whispered to Maya. "And for predators?
"No problem, miss boss."
"Get used to it or leave."
"I just may."
"See if I miss you."
Then the healer turned back to Bramble, who looked mystified. "Ready to learn?"
"Always."
Eclipse pushed another herb up. "This, Bramble, repeat what I told you earlier."
"Umm...the purple flower plant is comfrey; it’s good for inflammation. The fever weed is the one with yellow flowers, and the root is for wounds while the leaves are for fever. The little black seeds are for pain...and um...sleep? And the cobwebs...they...stop bleeding."
"You're a natural."
Eclipse meowed, honestly impressed. "Bear will bring me more herbs from my old den. I didn't gather them because I didn't think I'd stay here."
"I'm sorry..."
"No, no. It just mean I can test these rookies."
Maya snorted.
Eclipse ignored the older queen. It wasn't long before Bear, Ghost and Misty returned. Ghost had two mice and a jay bird. Misty had a...frog.
"Um..."
"She has a very long way to go." Bear growled. "She scared a way a mouse and completely missed a dove."
Eclipse sighed. "It is her first day."
"Yeah." Maya agreed. "The forest is a lot different than our gardens.
"Speaking of, Bear is back. Why don't you and Scratch trade those three?" Eclipse offered.
"You don't know anything about hunting!" Maya growled. "Why should you tell us when to hunt?"
Bear snarled "So you want to go hungry? I think my sister knows when there's not enough prey! You didn't disagree with her rules!"
"She didn't say she was leader!"
"Sorry. I kind of thought that one was obvious." Eclipse hissed. "I'm the one building the clan."
"Keep your voices down." Bramble offered quietly. "They carry without a lot of under brush to muffle them."
Maya called Scratch down. "You're right, Eclipse." She meowed. "We do need to hunt. Sorry; I just...don't like being ordered around."
"Like I said, get used to it or leave."
The she-cat meowed that they were leaving. Misty dropped her frog.
"I hunted, Eclipse. Do I have to go out again?"
"Yes. Because you didn't bring enough back."
"It's my first day..."
"Do you think we can survive off each cat bringing a single piece of kill back when not all of us hunt?"
She shook her head.
"Then it's only fair that you go out again. Now catch up. They're leaving you behind."
The she-cat sighed and took off. Eclipse heard Maya hiss when she barreled into the older queen.
"Watch out, you clumsy kit."
"Sorry Maya."
There was a pause. "It's okay. These woods give me the chills too. Common."
This isn't going to be easy...

Chapter Three: Encounters

Eclipse was dreaming. She was in the forest, walking alone under vivid stars surrounding a full moon. All was calm and quiet. Suddenly, she realized she wasn’t in a part of the forest she knew. She looked around, cautious. It seemed familiar, but it wasn’t. The trees were larger and thicker; more ancient. There was a rustle in the undergrowth. Eclipse whirled around and gasped. Her mother! Then another cat appeared. Her father!
“Mother! Father!”
“You are the last remaining tribal cat of these forests. The other cats have lost their way. Not even Raven will return to the ways of the tribes.“ Trail of Stars, her mother, began.
“That is why we come to you.” Fang of the Fox continued.
“We will follow you always, and your kin, through the journey. We will warn you about trouble and give you advice. We will guide you in subtle ways on your travels.”
“We?” Eclipse asked. Then she gasped as she saw eyes glint behind them.
“Yes. Some of the other tribe members will guide you as well. But not as much as we will.” Trail of Stars meowed.
Eclipse bowed her head. "Shatteredsight said you would come. How do you wish to guide me, mother? Father?"
“We will rarely can we enter your dreams. That is why you must be vigilant. A cloud or a leaf, a burning twig, could contain a message. Look around you carefully, my daughter.”
Their daughter looked to each of them in turn. They paused, sensing her about to speak.
“Mother...Father...I left the ways of the tribes; I may heal and assist others, but that is not because I follow tradition; it is because it is right.” She meowed quietly. “I will not return to their customs. I will heed your warnings. I will listen to your guidance; but I will decide for myself how my cats will live. I won’t turn my back on you, but I will not step back into the past. They will be clan, not tribe.”
They stared at her, sorrow, then understanding, shining in their gaze.
“Of course, Eclipse. We will deal with your group of cats as different from tribal cats; they are not tribe, but rouges and soft-pelts. They have no common blood yet. But there is one thing they now share in common; us. From now on, those who die for you and your friends will be taken by us. Their spirits will remain always in the world around you. We will always be with you.”
“Tell your friends about us.” Trail of Stars meowed. “If they do not believe, then we cannot take them with us.”
Eclipse nodded. “But there will be doubts. Some may think I’ve gone mad.”
Fang of the Fox meowed “Then if you cannot make them believe, we will enter their dreams and convince them. To aid you, we will visit Bramble before dawn.”
“We will give you signs, Eclipse. Always heed your surroundings.” Then her voice changed suddenly and she meowed “Watch the shadows and never move alone.”
“But for now, my daughter,” Fang of the Fox meowed “Sleep.”
And Eclipse’s eyes grew heavy, her paws grew sore, and she drifted into a deep, refreshing sleep.

Dawn’s light woke Eclipse. She instantly felt restless; her dream last night consumed her thoughts. She woke the others quickly, checking Bramble’s healing leg before she was convinced that he hadn’t reopened it during the night. Then she allowed Misty, Maya and Ghost to hunt. While they hunted, Pepper and Scratch stood guard. Bear and Raven patrolled - the black cat mentioning hunting anything she found...just in case the hunters came short. She spoke quietly with Bramble as the other worked.
“Did you have a strange dream last night?” She asked casually, licking comfrey into his bright pink wound. He winced. The wound still had to be sore, but the infection was nearly gone. Either way, the fur wouldn’t grow back.
“Why?” He seemed eager “do some of the herbs cause them?”
She shook her head. “No. I just dreamed of two silver cats who looked and sounded very much like my parents. They said they would visit you at the end. I wanted to see if I just wasn’t over my parents abandoning me yet…or if they really had come to me.”
He looked over his shoulder, and then whispered in her ear fur “Were they called Fang of the Fox and Trail of the Stars?”
She nodded.
“Good. Then I can tell you this; watch the shadows and never walk alone.”
Eclipse nodded just as the hunters returned with prey. Ghost carried a wood pigeon; Raven carried several mice and a vole, while Maya carried in a squirrel. Misty came back empty-pawed. The prey was smaller than what Eclipse was used to, and she scented the air nervously.
She smelled frost.
What would they do if prey disappeared? More than one cat would suffer – Ghost was a sickly cat, and Bramble was still weak…

“Eclipse?” Bramble asked, looking confused.
“Huh?”
“Why are you staring at me like that?” He asked.
She flicked her tail nervously, but Raven and Bear took that as a signal to approach. The other cats followed her lead. They seemed to be trying piece together how this was going to work.
Well…so am I…we’ll just have to do it together.

“Bramble and I have news for you all.”
They looked at her; even Bramble looked expectant.
“Last night, I had an important dream.”
“How was it different from any other dream?” Ghost asked; she sounded edgy.
“I dreamed of my mother and father, who have died in an honorable battle with Dragon.”
They didn’t even look shocked, just more expectant.
“I was told that I will receive dreams and signs, including omens, to guide me through this journey. I am new at this, but have been named by the last spirits of the ancient tribes as this group’s Shaman.”
“Shaman?” It was Pepper.
“Yes. I am a healer as well as the cat who takes messages from the ancestors of my bloodline.”
There was a pause. Then Maya asked the question she’d been waiting for. “How do we know you don’t just miss mommy and daddy – or that you just want to make all this up?”
“I was told by the same cats – they were clearly her parents – that I was to follow in her footsteps and learn from her the ways of the Shaman.” Bramble began calmly, “I am to give her whatever aid I can. Including giving you proof of our dream; their names. They said Raven had heard them from Eclipse. Fang of the Fox was her father. Trail of the Stars was her mother.”
Raven gasped.
“Were those their names, Bear?” Misty sounded sure they were, but non-the-less impressed. Maya looked expectantly at Eclipse, her eyes narrowed.
He nodded; his eyes were full of sorrow - and joy.
“Would Eclipse tell him their names?” Maya asked suspiciously.
“No.” Her brother sounded breathless. “Raven didn't even know their names. Shatteredsight...our mentor...he said it's dishonor their spirits.”
There was silence again.
They bowed their heads in understanding and compliance.
“Now…is there a cat who does not believe Bramble and I have seen my parents, and therefore our first ancestors?”
Nobody answered. Relieved, Eclipse rose. “Bramble is well enough to move a little. It's time to move to a new den. Bear...would you go get my herbs from our old den? Please?”
"Of course. And sis...I'm sure they're proud of you..."
"Thanks. Be safe, Bear."
"Always."

It was around high noon when they came to the river. Ghost and Bramble plopped down, both looking exhausted, as the rest of them got a drink. Raven and Maya went straight into a hunt’s crouch and moved down the stream to find prey. Pepper laid by his sister, panting himself. Eclipse checked Bramble’s leg. It was hot and swollen again. Misty and Scratch began to scuffle along the edge of the stream.
"Get away from the edge, you mouse-brains!" Bear snarled. "Before you fall in and drown!"
"Sorry, Bear." Misty meowed, and the two chased one another away from the water to wrestle close to Ghost - and far from the big, mean silver spotted tom.
"Kits..." He growled. But Eclipse saw the sparkle in his eyes; he was warming up to them.
“What do you use for inflammation?” The healer tested Bramble quietly.
He thought a little. “Comfrey?”
“Right. There’s one other that I mentioned last night.”
He had to think a little harder. “Mallow, right?”
“You learn quickly!”
She began to clean the dirt that had collected on the wound away. Between licks, she continued “The mallow, though, doesn’t grow as close as the comfrey does. The mallow grows in fields or thinner parts of the forest. But the comfrey should be close-by. Comfrey grows in moist soil.”
“Where does fever weed grow?”
“In dry soil; pine ridges, corpses and the more barren areas of the forest.”
“And horsetail?”
Amused and cheered by his open interest, she answered with an amused purr “Anywhere there is plenty of sun and decent soil; it’s a hardy plant. I can even find them in ditches and around black rivers that humans use for their Sun Pelts.”
Maya and Raven appeared again. Maya had a minnow and a vole. Raven had a thrust and two titmice. She had always preferred the trees; it wasn’t any wonder her mother had called her Raven.
“Are you ready to hunt Ghost?”
She nodded, rising.
“Then go with Pepper, Bramble and Eclipse to hunt while they search for the Mint. We’ll eat our share while you’re gone.” Maya gave the orders. Bramble’s whiskers twitched as if in irritation. Bear's eyes narrowed.
Eclipse watched the two. Both of them were waiting for her to step up.
This is the second time she's questioned my leadership. I have to stop this.

"And you two! Stop goofing off!" Maya hissed at Misty and Scratch, who broke up instantly. She clobbered them with a paw.
"That's enough, Maya!" Eclipse was on her paws, in the queen's face. "Those two have done nothing but behave. Misty and Scratch are barely weaned! As for giving orders to hunt and gather herbs, that isn't your place!"
Maya hissed. "I'm older, stronger and can both hunt and fight. You make up stories about cats and chew up plants! Why should any cat listen to you?!"
Eclipse snarled with bared fangs “I brought you into this forest. I interpret the warnings of danger and problems, the advice of, the ancient cats who lived here for centuries. If you don’t want to heed my laws, then you may turn around and leave the clan right this instant!” Her claws were out, and her fur was up.
Raven was puffed up, looking ready to leap. Bear was standing, claws out, and seconds from attacking. They others stared with wide eyes; clearly they weren't sure what to do. Maya’s eyes blazed with fury. Her fur rose as she unsheathed sharpened claws. The older, more powerful cat crouched to pounce. Eclipse wasn’t sure what to do to hold her own, but she knew one thing; she couldn’t have the others interfere.
There was a sudden yowl from the undergrowth and a huge, orange tomcat exploded from the forest. His claws were long, sickle-like things and his fangs just as nasty. It pounce right onto Pepper’s astonished back. There was a furious, spitting hiss and the two fell into a tangle of scratching and biting. Eclipse and Bramble yowled in surprise. Raven dove into the mess, helping Pepper. Bear, Ghost and Maya rushed between the healers and the conflict, driving them back.
“That’s not Dragon!” Eclipse growled at Maya.
“What?”
“That’s Lion. Dragon is a black cat!”
Maya and Ghost looked shocked.
“Maya! Sneak over to the pebbles and kick them up at the cats! That will break them up!”
She didn’t hesitate to obey the quick-thinking she-cat now. Maya zipped over – in a hunter’s crouch – and kicked at the pebbles hard with her hind legs, sending them flying at the fighting cats. At once the clash broke apart, all three cats hissing dazedly.
“Run!” Eclipse yowled as she saw some of the shadows detach from the others. She made a b-line for the town. The other cats were hot on her tail. The ground began to feel wet and cool, and she heard water roaring instead of the wind.
The river!

She made a sharp v-turn and bounded toward the river. She glanced back to see the others changing direction just before a black tom with red eyes soared from the brush. She pushed harder. Her companions soon were with her, running just behind her.
Dragon had found them.

Chapter Four: Ritual River

The sound of the rushing water made Eclipse press harder. The sound was reassuring. She glanced back to see her friend’s bewildered faces. But they ran with her. Pepper turned and bared his teeth. Raven whirled. Terrified for her friends, she turned and bit Raven’s tail and yowled angrily “Run, fools! We’re nearly there!” and sprinted again. They were baffled, but fled with her just before Dragon and Lion caught them.
Her yowl had brought attention.
A gray she-cat hurled herself toward them. Eclipse saw her nod, and flicked her tail with a thunderous “Now!”
Instantly, Raven, Maya and Pepper swerved and pounced in union on Dragon. Bear whirled and, in step with the gray cat, rounded on Lion. Scratch tried to help, but was shoved out of the way by Bear. He dug his claws into the soil. A white cat showed herself from the bushes, and waved them over, though she looked confused – and curious. Bramble, Ghost, Misty, Scratch and Eclipse raced into the brush and followed the cat to a rock bridge, which they swiftly vaulted across.
“We can’t leave them!” Eclipse growled as the white she-cat tried to lead them farther than the river bed on the other side.
“Then why aren’t you fighting with them?” She asked, looking bewildered.
“We can’t fight!”
The she cat paused, looking back. “We’re not leaving them behind! My friend will bring them to our den.”
Eclipse hissed furiously “I’m no coward! I will see who lives through this!”
Ghost and Bramble agreed wholeheartedly.
She looked toward an oak tree raised over giant rocks. Shaking her head, the white cat sat down. “I can wait with you, then. I’m no coward either.”
The four looked back to see Dragon and Lion high-tailing it. They could hear the cats cursing their friends. The moment they were gone Eclipse rushed out, flicking her tail to signal the others to follow. The gray she-cat was licking blood from her paws. Bear began to walk around the other clan cats who'd fought. He stopped to bow his head thankfully to the gray she-cat who'd helped them.
“Bramble! Fetch cobwebs, golden seal and comfrey!”
He limped off along the river as Eclipse examined first Bear, and Raven since the black she-cat was beside him. He had a bite on his paw, tail and flank. Raven had a split ear and scratches on her shoulder.
“Lick the blood away. I’ll put some horsetail on those later. Keep an eye on those bites, Bear.”
“Okay.”
“For now, just make sure to keep them clean, you two. I don’t want infection.”
Then she turned to Maya. The black and white queen had wrenched a claw. Her flank had a bite that could go nasty. “Cobwebs for that, and comfrey for the claw. Lick both clean. Stay right here; Bramble will get to you.”
The two began to clean their wounds.
Pepper had a deep shoulder wound. Raven was there with cobwebs she’d managed to collect. The two applied it to the wound. About when they were done Bramble was back.
“Raven, you should rest. Bramble, I need you to apply golden seal to this bite first. Then cobwebs and comfrey on Maya.”
The two cat who’d helped them watched with confused yet amazed eyes. After she was sure her friends were alright, Eclipse came over to the gray she-cat.
“I know this is your territory, and I have no right to tell you what to do, but I think it’d be a good idea to rest. We’ll clear out of here as soon as we’ve rested enough.”
“No, no. It’s fine. All of you look exhausted. What’s that tom doing to your friend?”
She was staring at Bramble like he’d lost his mind.
“He’s making sure her wounds are cared for. That’s comfrey he’s applying to her wrenched claw. And cobwebs to stop the bleeding on her bite wound. Speaking of, I see several scratches that will need tending. Clean them well, if you don’t want infection. Are there any serious wounds?”
“Well, the orange cat bit the back of my neck before the tom pulled him off. It stings a bit.”
Eclipse examined it. She was shocked the bite hadn’t killed the tough she-cat.
“You’re lucky Pepper pulled him off; the wound is deep. Have your friend clean it.” She turned to Ghost. “Ghost! Get me more cobwebs! I have a bite wound over here!”
She nodded and spun to search the branches of the near-by undergrowth. Just as the two cats were lying down the white-calico queen returned. She limped after her Shaman.
“I’m going to apply these to stop the bleeding.” The silver cat warned just before she did. Then Bramble smoothed in comfrey and golden seal.
“That should help it heal and keep out infection.”
“Uh…thanks.”
Eclipse looked over Bramble’s work, and thanked him. “You did well.”
He began to apply comfrey to his own injury. “There’s no blood, thankfully. And there’s no puss, either. I think it’s healing.”
“Do you need something for pain?”
He shook his head. The others lay close-by, lying down and grooming one another. Raven meowed quietly. “We’ll need to hunt, Eclipse. We’re all hungry.”
“Not here.” She growled. “We’re on another cat’s territory, and it won’t be long before the snow falls.”
The other two seemed to hear them.
“We don’t mind. I was going to hunt for you anyway.” The white she-cat replied.
I can’t have her hunt alone.

“Ghost. Go with her; you’ve not hunted or fought today.”
She rose and greeted the white she-cat.
“Do you mind if I hunt with you?”
“Sure. I’m Frost.”
“What a nice name.” She replied. “I can’t really fish, but I’m good at hunting rodents…”
The two stalked off, talking about prey. The remained she-cat watched Eclipse and Bramble.
“We’ll need horsetail for those scratches Raven has.” Eclipse told him. “And maybe some catmint will be useful to gather around the river.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s good for respiratory problems and tummy aches.” The healer replied. “It only grows in high light and soft, fertile soil. So we’ll have to look hard.”
Finally the gray host rose and plodded over. “You talk a lot of plants. Is that all you do?”
“No. I heal these cats and lead them.”
“So you’re all together?”
She nodded. “Most of us know one another very well. We’re traveling to get away from the bully who was attacking us.”
“I see. He never seems to leave the forest, so you should be safe here until you’ve decided to move on.”
“Thank you. And thank you for helping my companion hunt.”
“It’s no trouble at all. You guys needed it!”
Bramble purred his thanks. “I hope it’s no bother feeding us all, with frost so close!”
“No, not all. The river is too fast to freeze. We still hunt rodents when the fish swim too deep to catch.”
“Is that wound hurting?”
“Not much, thanks to you.”
She then barreled up the rocks to await Ghost and Frost’s return.
Scratch shyly approached Bear. "Why did you push me out of the way, Bear? I could have helped."
He looked at the cat. "I didn't want you hurt, kit."
The tabby hung his head. "Maybe I should go home..."
Bear sighed. "Even I got hurt, Scratch. But if you want, I can show you a couple of things."
The tom's eyes spread wide. "Really?"
"Yes. Then you can get stronger."
"Oh, thank you Bear! Thank you so much!"
"Shut up and listen for once, kit. Now watch this..."
Eclipse watched her brother as he showed the kitten the first moves his mentor had demonstrated. Scratch repeated his every move, then they practiced - without claws - on one another. She was impressed. And more importantly, so was River as she watched from her post.

“Trout!” The gray she-cat’s excited meow started Eclipse awake.
She wasn’t the only one to have fallen asleep; everybody else was lifting sleepy-eyed heads. Unease trickled through Eclipse.
What if something had happened? Dragon may have come back.

“Hey! Look at all the prey!” Pepper was up and bounding toward his sister. Eclipse yawned, stretched and followed him more slowly. The others gathered around as the two hunting cats deposited a large fish, three water voles, a water snake and a robin on the rocks.
“Wonderful work.” Maya told them. “Did you find all that by the river?”
“Most of it, yeah. There’s a small pool not far from here that stays pretty sheltered all year.”
Misty danced around the two hunters, wide-eyed.
"Wow, that's a big fish!"
“Did you see any plants that were familiar, Ghost?”
She shook her head. “I was busy hunting, sorry. I don’t really think about plants.”
Eclipse nodded, disappointed but understanding.
“Anyway, since you guys are staying for a while, I’m River. That’s Frost.”
Eclipse hesitated. Then she licked a paw and said “I’m Eclipse. This is Bramble.” He bowed his head. “That’s Raven.” The she-cat flicked her tail, examining the prey with a hungry look. “Ghost, Pepper and Maya. Bear is my brother. Those two are Misty and Scratch; they're still...in training.”
They all looked up in unison.
“Right. Can all of you hunt as well as Ghost?”
The healer looked at her hungry friends. “Why don’t we eat as we talk?”
River shrugged. Her and Frost split the fish. Bramble and Eclipse grabbed the snake to share, while Raven took the robin. Pepper and Maya took a vole each. As they ate, their healer and leader explained.
“We’re traveling together to get away from the tyrant who overran my ancestors. I’m teaching Bramble to lead and heal the group; I currently do. I’m a Shaman. Neither him nor I can hunt or fight. Ghost, Raven and Maya can hunt. Pepper, Raven and Maya can fight.”
“Why do you lead? Why not Raven or Maya, who can hunt and fight?”
“Because I gathered the group together, and am the only cat who knows herbs.”
“Can’t they learn?”
Maya snorted. “That sounds like a waste of time when she already knows. She’s known it her whole life. Besides…I don’t handle danger as well as she does. And Raven’s tried to learn. She just isn’t cut out for healing. Let alone telling other cats what to do!”
“No thanks.” Raven made a face.
The two shrugged.
“Where are you headed?”
“Anywhere cats can live in peace together, supporting one another. It’s a dream of mine to build a sort of…clan.”
Frost purred “Sounds wonderful, you guys.”
River paused in her eating. “You guys can stay as long as you like. I’d love to see your group in action. You’ve already impressed me.”
“Thank you for you hospitality, River.” Eclipse stretched. “It’s getting dark. Would you stand watch, Maya? Have Pepper replace you at moon-high. Then at dawn he can rest.”
“Oh, watch for foxes and raccoons as well as cats.” River told her. “I’ll patrol along the banks for them for a time.”
The black and white queen didn’t hesitate to scale the tree to a higher branch.
“In the morning, Raven can hunt.”
“I’ll go with you. By morning I should have plenty of energy.” Ghost meowed.
The cats talked for a time as their healers checked wounds and reapplied salves. After everybody was cared for, Eclipse watched the stars until once again she drifted off to sleep, curled up between Bramble and Raven once again.


Eclipse woke to bright sunlight and the quiet talking of three cats. The ground was extremely cold, and the smell of ice hung in the air. Eclipse sprung to her paws, looking around. Bramble and Raven jumped awake, startled by her sudden movement. Eclipse gasped at the world around her.
The world was bathed in snow and ice.
Ghost, Maya and Frost were talking to one another quietly while Misty sat quietly and listened, ears pricked. Their healer-leader bounded over to the river to look. Thankfully, it wasn’t frozen, as River had told her it didn’t. Instead, it was flowing faster than ever, and had swollen to twice its size. The frost had come. She looked around to see Pepper was asleep and back at the three talking cats nervously. By their concerned expressions, they were talking about what this meant. There would be no more fishing until the water was warmer and shallower, and most prey would be in their burrows. Most of the cats were still injured – including Raven, who would now be forced to hunt even with her injured shoulder.
“Can you still hunt?” Eclipse asked.
“I can.” She yawned and stretched as she joined the others. Misty blinked, greeting her warmly. Raven nodded at her, looking like even she was warming up to the energetic cat.
Bramble rose and stretched. Eclipse approached him when she saw him wince.
“It’s just stiff.”
“You need to warm it up. Stretch it while we try our best to find what’s left of the mint, feverfew and fire weed I’ll need for colds. We’ll also need comfrey, marigolds and horsetail in case of an infection.”
“In this weather?”
“It’s fresh, so many of the plants in the forest on either side will have sheltered the plants.” She lowered her voice. “We can’t be without these herbs in a sudden freeze, Bramble. Cats are injured and we will go hungry. That combination can cause a cold to be fatal. If an infection sets into a wound, then horsetail could save a cat’s life.”
He nodded. “It’s going to be a hard freeze isn’t it?”
She meowed “Even harder without a real supply of herbs.”
Then the healer approached the three cats.
“The river got deep!” River said suddenly, popping up out of nowhere soaking wet. Eclipse gasped, seeing her shiver.
“River!” Frost gasped, racing up to her.
“Lick her!” Eclipse ran up them. “Get that water off her! We have to get her pelt dry before she gets a chill!”
Frost, Bramble and her licked with River and Eclipse until she was relatively dry.
“We need a den – somewhere sheltered and out of the wind and snow.”
River shivered, frightening Eclipse. But she told this to Frost with a steady, brisk voice and an impassive face. It was all she could do to make herself remain calm. Frost answered “We have a den near-by. It’s a small cave between some rocks. It has a sandy floor. We even covered the entrance with ivy we found on the trees.”
“Good. I need a cat to go get some moss and bracken and take River to the den to warm up while I look for iron weed.”
“What does it like?” Bramble asked.
“I’ll get it and show you later, Bramble. This is where you prove how much you know; go out and gather every herb you have seen me collect.” They began to walk toward the forest, keeping along the river’s bank. “Also, mallow has erect, hairy stems and heart shaped, oval leaves. Mint is a square-stemmed plant with veined purple leaves that branch and grow from both sides. The leaves are jagged, and usually smooth, though the bottom can be hairy. It grows in rich, wet soil, so look by the riverside. Mallow needs dry soil. Feverfew grows in dry soil like ditches. Since you’ll be going that way, we need marigold. They grow by the river in sunny patches. You remember them, right?”
He nodded.
“Get them if you find them – they’re useful. Oh! Scratch!”
The tabby was there in a second. "Go with him. Do what he says. Protect him and help him carry everything you can back."
The two sped off. Eclipse scoured the riverside, looking for the course, tall stems and long, dark and showy leaves with thistle-like flowers of the iron weed plant. When she found it, she was grateful she didn’t need the flowers; they had died in the freeze. Thankfully, the plant had been sheltered by a fallen log, and most of it had survived. She took as many of the leaves as she could carry in her jaws. This with feverfew would help her with any chills and fever she had gotten from falling in the river. She whirled around and ran back to where they’d slept. Frost was waiting for her, looking concerned. She set the plants down.
“What’s wrong?”
“Her teeth are chattering, and she’s shivering. Bramble came back with lots of plants. He’s with her now, but the only thing he’s confident in doing is lying with her and licking her to keep her warm. She seems warmer with his long fur, but…”
“Show me to the den. I’ve got something that may help with her chills.”
Frost waited for her to collect the leaves and showed her across the stones and walked her up stream to a small cave beside the river under an oak. Pepper sat on guard on a root. A cat had lined the entrance with ivy, making it look very natural. Frost disappeared inside, with Eclipse hard on her paws.
The den was warm with the heat of a closed space shared by two animals. There was the smell of damp fur. Bramble lay close to her, licking away as much of the remaining water. He saw her and purred with relief. There was a gleam of interest in his eyes.
“Eat these.” Eclipse told River, watching her shiver. She looked at Bramble. “The feverfew?”
“They were white flowers, right?”
She nodded.
“I found it, but the flowers were dead. I didn’t know what you used of it, so I dug it up. I also found the mallow and mint. On my way back I found horsetail.”
“We use the leaves of feverfew for colds and fevers. Take the leaves off the stem and give her two, just in case she already has a fever and the ironweed isn’t enough; this cat saved our lives, and I’m not taking any chances on hers.”
River was making a face at the taste of the plant. Eclipse felt for her; she had carried them all the way back here, and the leaves weren’t the greatest tasting things in the world. She sniffed her carefully; there was no fever, but she wanted to make sure it stayed that way. And feverfew would help her warm up, too.
“Well…since we’re here, I will explain more about us.” Eclipse re-told her story and explained which cats were which, and what they were best at. Frost listened without saying a word. Then the white cat licked her chin anxiously.
We still need prey.

“Would you go ask Ghost, Misty and Maya to hunt for us? Raven went out some time ago, but she can’t feed us all.” She asked Frost.
“Sure. Do you want me to hunt to?” Frost asked.
They stared at her, confused.
“Um…sorry. I’m so upset with River and all. How do I join the group?”
She was about to just agree when River shivered.
“I’ll discuss it with Bramble and River.”
“River?” Frost asked as she rose.
“Unless she can hunt as well as she can fight and swim, I think she’ll need to join us just to stay alive.”
She shuffled her paws, looking even further embarrassed. River purred “If they’ll take another mouth to feed, I’ll be happy to join them.”
“Like I said, we must discuss this.” Eclipse warned. “There are laws that I’ve made, that the others have already agreed to, and our beliefs that you must be informed about.”
“Beliefs?” River and Frost asked together.
Eclipse’s whiskers twitched. “First, Frost, would you go tell them to hunt, please? River will especially require something to eat. Tell them not to go near the river banks, however. I don’t have enough ironweed and feverfew for two and three sick cats.”
She bowed her head and left. Why did it feel like that was turning into a customary sign of respect? Eclipse waited for her to leave before turning to Bramble and River.
“She’s an excellent hunter.” River vouched quietly, her shivering calming down. Bramble scooted two feverfew leaves into her paws. River ate them quickly, looking like she wanted to gag. “I’m sure she is. There’s other skills she needs to join the group, though.”
“Like the laws. I’m sure she wouldn’t hunt for her own meal first, would she?” Bramble asked.
“No. She always hunts for me first, then herself.”
“And then she must follow orders. Do you think she – or you – would challenge me or Bramble in a decision?”
“What?” She looked astounded. “We’re joining your group. Why would we do that?”
“…There’s one more detail…”
River shifted positions so she was more comfortable and waited quietly.
“Bramble and I were visited by the tribal ancestors. My parents are guiding us as spirits. They will send omens and signs through dreams and signs from our environment. As I gather a group, there will be those who don’t make it somehow…and they will join them, so long as they follow my laws. These cats see what we can’t, and know what we do not.”
She waited for her reaction. Bramble seemed to be holding his breath.
“Ancestors…” She muttered. “Yes…I have heard of them…and I believe in them. So does Frost. Our parents both had Tribe ties, though we never lived by their ways. But I’ve always believed the spirits of noble cats don’t just go away and are gone, period. That just doesn’t make sense.”
Both Eclipse and Bramble relaxed.
“Then as long as Bramble agrees, you may join.”
“Why Bramble?” River looked curious. “Why not Raven or Bear?”
“Bramble is going to take my place as Shaman one day. He has a right to influence my final decisions.”
She nodded and looked to Bramble. He looked surprised to have heard her say he would be Shaman, but at last he found his voice. “I would be honored to have such gifted cats within this group.”
Eclipse thought a moment.
“What next?”
I need to make this more than just; sure, you are with us. That’s not impressive at all. And it seems…wrong

.
“We need to wait for the others to get back, River. And maybe until you’ve gotten over this.”
She shivered. “Yeah. Don’t want to join you sick, do I?” She purred.
I just need to find a way to welcome you!

The Shaman left the den to sit at the roots. River was stable, but now she had another problem. She had to find a way of helping these cats understand how major this decision was, and to have her ancestors actually listen to her and approve of them. After all, there were no blood ties here.
She watched the wind rush through the trees. It drew her in; the sound of the breeze almost was as if she could hear a cat speaking…
Slowly, the Shaman thought of the words to use, listening to the rustling branches. She had just worked it out when Raven, Maya, Frost, Pepper and Ghost returned with a small amount of prey.
“You’re just in time. River agreed. Everybody leave the prey and come into the den.”
Shrugging, they set it down and followed her.
“They’re returned. It’s time we welcomed you both into our clan.” Eclipse meowed formally. “I, Eclipse, call upon our ancestors to look upon this cat. She has shown honor, courage and loyalty and has requested to join this clan as a Warrior. I ask that you bless this cat, and that she always has a place in our ranks. May the stars always light her path!” She reached down and shared breathes with River.
Then she flicked her tail. The others looked at one another, then followed her example and shared breathes with the cat. Their Shaman turned to Frost. “You have shown skill, courage and compassion, Frost. For that, I welcome you as a Hunter. May the stars always light your path!” And they shared breathes with Frost.
“We are kin and clan.” Eclipse told them. “Now let us eat in celebration.”
They brought in the prey. Since there wasn’t enough to go around, Eclipse gave her prey to River. Pepper gave his to Ghost, muttering that he’d not done much today. Frost and Maya shared a mouse.
This is only the beginning, and already prey is short. This winter will be hard.

Chapter Five: Winter's Vice

Raven woke to the sound of the powerful wind. She shivered, curling closer to Eclipse. Eclipse purred as she lay down. The hunter lay her head on her old friend. She had never seen her silver friend so happy than the end of today. She had seen her more concerned for Pepper and Bramble than River; wounds were harder to manage than a chill as long as there was a way to stop the chill from becoming a fever. And Eclipse had known what to do. But what had made her day, Raven knew, was the ceremony which had welcomed both a skilled hunter and a skilled warrior into their group.
And Bramble had proved he was a true healer.
The black she-cat shifted again, but knew she wouldn’t sleep. The cold was making her shoulder throb. At least River needed to be kept warm; the cats had been stuffed into the warm little rock den to get them out of the snow as well as keeping River warm just in case she fell ill overnight. The she-cat was fast asleep in the center of a circle surrounded by Bramble, Ghost, Pepper and Maya. She licked her shoulder a little. Finally, the pain was too much. She rose and poked Bramble awake. There was no need to bother Eclipse – he knew what to use for her shoulder. He’d proved that already.
“Huh?” He blinked awake, looking at her with sleeping, confused green eyes.
“My shoulder hurts.” She whispered. “Can I have something for it?”
He rose and stretched. “Pain…something for pain…”
He sniffed the herbs thoughtfully.
“Well…let me look at it.”
Raven came around and sat where he could see it. He sniffed it.
“It’s swollen. I’ll give you some of the horsetail, though I wish we had comfrey...” He meowed quietly, still with a sleepy look in his eyes.
“Horsetail won’t be much use there, Bramble.” Eclipse meowed, making them both jump. “But there’s no comfrey…”
“Maybe there’s some still alive…”
“Perhaps. If there’s been a thaw. But I don’t think there has been. Fire weed would help the pain, but…”
“No fire weed.” Raven finished, inwardly groaning. But outwardly, to not worry her friend, she shrugged. “Never mind. It’s not too bad. I think it’s just stiff.”
“And swollen.” Bramble growled. “You need comfrey.”
“Nah.” Raven shrugged. “I just need exercise. I’ll get Ghost up and go hunting.”
Eclipse sighed. “Fine. But only because we don’t have comfrey to begin with.”
Raven got up and poked Ghost awake.
“Eclipse says we need to hunt.”
“Should I wake Frost and Maya?”
Eclipse shook her head. “We’ll send them around high sun. Maya and Pepper guarded the den last night. Frost was up with River to make sure there was no fever. I told her that if she started shivering to give her a feverfew and an ironweed leaf; I showed her what they looked like, in case River didn’t remember.”
“Anything happen?” Ghost looked worried. Raven began to wash.
“Nothing that River couldn’t handle.” She rose and began to groom. She looked at Bramble. “How’s your leg?”
“Stiff and swollen, though not as bad as Raven’s.”
“Fine. We’ll need to go find the comfrey, then. Check on Pepper, but don’t wake him up unless you have to. His scratches may have re-opened last night.”
Raven and Ghost left the den together. Misty was right there.
"Can I come?" She looked eager. "I wanna learn to climb a tree and hunt!"
Raven and Ghost looked at one another. "I don't see why not. Tell Eclipse, alright? I don't want her wondering if you've left alone." Raven said at last. The young cat slipped in, said it and slipped out.
"She didn't say no."
Raven purred. "So let's go."
“Where should we go?” Ghost asked, looking as nervous as ever. Raven thought quickly, coming up with a game plan on the spot.
“Let’s try the banks first – see if any voles are out. Then we can try the forest near the river. I don’t know my way around this part of the forest, so let’s not wonder too far.”
She nodded, and followed Raven along the banks. Raven scented the air. Her heart plummeted. The air was strong with snow and ice, but not of prey. Ghost looked just as thwarted. Misty quietly followed behind, looking more subdued and determined than Raven remembered.
I'll have to ask Eclipse or Bramble to make sure she's not getting sick or something!

“Let’s skip right to the forest, then.” Raven quickly offered, hoping they could catch something there – at least a sparrow for River or Eclipse, who were both a little too lean for her taste. She led the way to the willows and elms. Raven scented the air. The smell of prey was faint, but it was there.
“I’ll search the trees; you see if you can track a squirrel or rabbit.” Ghost sniffed the air before turning deeper into the trees. Then she turned to Misty. "I want you to watch me carefully, Misty, and bury anything I carry down. If you see anything scary at all shout at the top of your lungs. Look for red and white pelts."
"Okay. I'll try hard."
“That's...uh...great.”
Raven knew the trees better than any cat she’d known. She climbed an elm to a high branch and crouched. The caw of a crow made the black cat look upward. The large, black bird landed on the end of her branch with an egg in its talons. It broke into it and began to pick it out. Thankfully, it didn’t even notice her as she crept up on it. Just as it turned its head, she leaped onto its wings. It went to peck and scratch at her, but she was too fast – she cracked its neck with a swift bite. Panting, she dropped the thing.
“Got it!” Misty called.
“Thanks.” She meowed, looking around for the nest it robbed the egg from.
There. Three branches up. Eggs meant birds. She promptly ascended to the branch right above the nest. Then she settled down to wait. It didn’t take long for two jays to land. They sat side-by-side. Raven pounced, killing one on impact. The other called a warning and took wing. Just before it could get far, however, she soared upward. Raven caught it in her paws, thrusting it onto the branch. It was dead instantly.
“Wow!” Misty called from below as she tossed them down. “Hey Raven! Look! I caught a mouse!"
She caught something? Huh.

“That’s all we’ll get! The jay warned everything around us before I could kill it!”
“Come on down!”
Ghost appeared out of the trees. "Did Raven catch a mouse too?" She asked Misty.
"No! I did! She caught all of those."
"Excellent. Both of you. I managed to catch a dove."
Raven gradually descended, suddenly feeling the pain of her shoulder. When she reached the last branch, she was panting, and the pain was so bad, she was straining to see straight.
“Are you alright, Raven?” Ghost sounded worried. “You’re shoulder’s bleeding pretty badly!”
“I’m fine.” She meowed weakly. She barely landed on her paws. Ghost steadied her. Raven saw the concern in her eyes. Misty paced back and forth, sniffing the shoulder.
"That smells really hot, Raven. Eclipse isn't going to be happy."
“Let’s get you back. You shouldn't have been climbing!”
“Right.” She panted, picking up her jays by their necks, then Misty's mouse by its tail.
“I’ll carry the crow. Misty, carry the dove.”
She nodded and took the mice by their tails as Ghost picked up the crow.
“Did it do that?”
“No. I just re-opened it with all that climbing.”
They walked back to the den slowly, Raven limping more and more heavily. The rocks proved impossible with the prey; she had to leave it on a rock and cross leaning against Ghost, who went back to retrieve it. Then they were back in the den, Raven panting. Frost was instantly on her paws, shocked, and tried to lick the wound. But it was too swollen and hot to the touch for her to clean it without making Raven yowl in pain.
“What’s going on in here?” Eclipse’s voice made them all jump. They moved back from the entrance to allow her in. Raven purred, recognizing the blue flowered plant that Eclipse put on Bramble’s leg when it swelled. “Raven! How can you purr with that cut?” She growled angrily, though Raven saw the concern in her eyes. She stripped the leaves from the plant. “Would you give me that horsetail, Bramble?” She asked the tom.
Raven noticed he was still limping, and wondered if that was normal until she saw the way Eclipse’s eyes follow him walk. Bramble gave her the leaves and she began chewing the two plants together. Bramble very gently applied the cobwebs. By then Eclipse was ready to torture Raven by massaging the stinging pulp into her. She clenched her teeth and set her ears back to prevent herself from caterwauling at the top of her lungs or worse – scratching Eclipse’s ears off.
“There. That will help you feel better.” She saw the crow and the jays then and glared at Raven.
“What?” She asked innocently.
“Climbing? With that injury?”
Misty meowed quickly “No way! She killed the jays while they were pecking at bugs, and the crow was eating prey-rot! Ghost refused to let her climb – though she tried to play a couple fast ones on us!”
Eclipse glared at the three of them, clearly not convinced.
“How’s River?” Eclipse asked Frost. Then she looked around. “And where’s Maya?”
“River’s complaining her neck hurts, and it smells funny.”
Eclipse looked at Bramble. “What do we use for infection, Bramble?”
He thought a second – he was getting faster, impressing Raven – before replying with confidence “Horsetail.”
Eclipse purred. “Good. Use that on her wound for me.”
“Maya became restless, so she said she was going to patrol for prey along the river.”
“We didn’t see her.” Raven meowed thoughtfully.
"Why did she go alone?" Misty asked.
Bear meowed from a distance "I was patrolling, and Pepper or Scratch since are guarding. Pepper said that she can protect herself so it isn't against any rule."
“What would Maya be doing patrolling the river?” Ghost asked. "We didn't scent any prey, so we went into the woods."
Frost gasped. They turned to her. “I showed her how to fish!”
“When?” Eclipse sounded shocked.
“She asked me to when I got up to make dirt. It was before the river really got so cold. I mean, it was starting to, but not enough for it to be a big deal. It made it even easier because the fish were coming up to the surface to feed on bugs.”
“Making for easy training…”
“Who ate the fish?”
“They were small, so Maya told me to share it with River. At the time, we weren’t a part of your group, though. I thought she was being nice.” Eclipse was thoughtful for a moment.
“Perhaps she was.” She decided. “Maya has accepted my leadership since I took control in the battle. I can do something she can’t; lead cats in a crisis, then turn around and heal your injuries.”
Raven purred “Without even blinking an eye.” She added; Eclipse looked at her with surprise, and something told Raven she really was stressed out.
She’s still remaining so calm, though. It must hurt to know Maya broke the laws. There’s no way Bramble and River’s wounds and the lack of herbs is helping, either. Yet still she calmly tells us what to do next.
While they spoke, River growled and struck out at Bramble, who barely got out of the way in time. He looked frustrated and embarrassed. Raven noticed he had green slime all over his paws.
“Hold still.” Bramble calmly told River, though he wasn’t as convincing as Eclipse. “It’ll only get worse if I don’t put horsetail on it.”
Eclipse rose and went over to River.
“What kind of warrior is afraid of a plant?” She asked mockingly. “Come on! If you can get that bite, you can put up with us healing it!”
She looked taken aback by the silver she-cat. Raven watched with interest as she took a jay and ate. Bramble grabbed a mouse. Pepper woke in the commotion and looked like he was about ready to leap out of his fur. He took her other jay. Ghost took the other mouse. Eclipse and River stared at each other until Bramble finished eating. Then River sighed.
“Fine. I have to admit, it surprised me. I’ll keep my claws sheathed.”
“Thank you.” Eclipse purred, grabbing the crow. She looked at Frost. “Want to share?”
“Sure.”
The two plucked the feathers and began to eat just as Raven and Ghost finished. Bramble returned to applying the pulp – more gently – as Maya came in with a huge fish in her jaws.
“Wow! You just started and already caught a trout!”
Maya gave it to her. Eclipse sniffed her and turned back to her crow. Raven noticed only her paws were wet.
“Lick those dry before you leave the den again.”
“Alright.” She meowed as she tucked into the fish with River – and even Pepper. She seemed to enjoy it, which surprised Raven; the old house cat seemed too stuck in her ways to eat a real fish.
After they’d eaten they groomed one another. Raven stretched, but winced at the pain from her leg. Glancing outside, she saw it was around high sun.
“We could rest until dusk…” She suggested.
“Hey, that’s an idea.” Maya agreed.
“I haven’t hunted yet.” Frost meowed. “I’ll go and get something.”
“No need. You and Ghost can go around twilight. If I know Ghost, she’ll do well. She’s good at night hunting.”
“I’m not too bad, so long as Pepper’s there.”
“Alright. I know where we can find a great place for cat fishing.”
“Cat fishing?”
“Yeah. They surface at this little spring not too far at night to feed; you’ll get your fur wet, but not as bad as when I go to the lake.”
“There’s a lake?” Ghost asked quietly.
“There’s one on the other side of the forest opposite the way you guys came. There’s a field, and then a lake. Just beyond that humans are in a huge camp. During the day they ride these large animals onto the lake that roar to help them fish. River and I stay away most of the time; the fish are hard to catch and mostly live too deep, and we’re likely to get caught by the humans.”
“What else is beyond the forests?” Eclipse asked, sounding interested. Honestly, so was Raven.
I can’t see Dragon chasing us after we leave the forest. He may try here if we linger, but why leave the trees?

“From the human’s camp you come to the base of some mountains. But those are dangerous – filled with wild dogs that howl and live in huge packs. A cat who came down to kit called them wolves. She said they’re vicious, and treat cats like prey.”
Ghost, Pepper and Maya shivered. Raven pricked her ears.
Those sound a lot more dangerous than the human’s mutts I’ve always dealt with.
“I don’t know what’s beyond them, though.” Frost finished her prey. Raven curled up to Eclipse and began to groom her. Bramble followed suit. Soon, the cats were grooming on another and drifting off to sleep. The last thing Eclipse remembered was Pepper slipping out, mentioning guarding the entrance.

*****

River had spent the day sleeping, so it was no wonder she couldn’t sleep now. She walked out and sat with Pepper. He was a handsome enough cat, but very jumpy – so jumpy she was shocked he had fought so well and so hard against the large toms their group had been running from. She sat quietly at first. But she wanted to know more about the group.
“What’s your story, Pepper?” She asked quietly. It still made him jump. Her whiskers twitched. At least she knew why they had him guard; a wind-blown leaf wouldn’t get past his senses, let alone a large, menacing tom hiding in the shadows or a prowling fox. But he answered in a soft, young voice she didn’t expect; he looked older than he sounded. He was far past his kit years.
“Ghost and I are siblings, though we’re from different litters; Maya is our mother. We were house cats for our entire lives, but Maya’s mother and father were both feral cats who grew up outside both the human camp and the tribal laws. She taught Maya to hunt and fight. Maya taught all of her kittens, but only Ghost and I really stayed with her. My sister can fight, but she’s so nervous and ill she isn’t too good at it. I, on the other hand, can fight much better than I can hunt. Hunting is tedious and takes patience. I’ve never had much of that.”
She listened quietly. He scanned the bushes and river banks. She even saw him scan the trees of the forest they came from. She had a feeling the tom and his groupies were persistent and planning something interesting. His eyes landed on something and his fur stood up along his spine.
“Fox.” He whispered.
River followed his gaze to see a sleek red dog with a badger-dog scent drinking from the swollen river. “He’s getting a drink. I don’t think he’s noticed us.”
As she’d suspected, he drank and left back into the underbrush. Even if he’d noticed them, he was well-fed and strong; there was no reason to attack two healthy cats when there were rabbits and squirrels abound in the forest.
“Foxes around here don’t bother us as long as we’re both well-fed and healthy.”
Pepper looked worried.
“What?”
“You said they don’t when you’re both well-fed and healthy. We’ve got five injured cats – one of which is out here and chilled – and the frost has set in. Raven can’t hunt very well with that shoulder, and she’s the best at climbing trees. We’re low on herbs to help with the cold-weather illnesses and injuries. Two of cats can’t hunt or fight. Raven’s injuries may get infected like yours is. What happens when things go south?”
She stared at him, astounded by his intelligence.
“How are you so aware of this, Pepper? You were raised by humans!”
He purred and meowed “I’ve got feral in my blood, and my mother was taught by hers. With her and Raven there to teach me, I’ve learned.”
He was starting to rub off on her. She stretched. Her neck was sore and stung still from the pulp Bramble had applied.
“You should go inside.” He meowed with concern. He was looking at her neck.
“It’s no big deal.”
“The cold will make your neck stiff, and who says the frigid air won’t bring back you chill? If you get a fever, how are we going to heal you with an herb shortage?”
She sighed. Toms. But she got up and retreated into the den either way. Frost had noticed her absence.
“What are you doing outside, River? You’ve not fully recovered!”
“I feel fine!” She insisted. She didn’t feel like being fussed over. Eclipse had given her herbs. “The only thing I need to recover from now is being kept in this den all day!”
“It’s not even past high sun!” She growled. “Now lay down!”
River’s whiskers twitched. Sometimes living with Frost was like living with her mother! But she settled down next to her anyway. She still wasn’t sure who was more important between these cats. Eclipse and Bramble seemed to lead them overall, but since they knew nothing about fighting or hunting…who directed hunting and training for fighting? She understood what put Eclipse in charge – and therefore Bramble – but how did the rest of them decide what to do away from their Shamans, who knew nothing about getting food and warding off enemies? Ghost shifted in her sleep.
“Hey…Frost?”
“Yeah?” She asked, half asleep.
“Tonight…when Ghost goes hunting with you…I want you to tell me something.”
“Hm?”
“I want you to figure out how they work together. Tell me if she tries to discuss things, push the decisions onto you or makes them right away.”
“Why?”
“I want to know if they have a social standing. Next time you hunt with Raven or Maya, do the same thing. I don’t want to ask too many prying questions. I’m sure we’ll be expected to know our place and figure out everybody else’s on our own.”
“Alright.”
“Thanks.” And then the warm den and sounds of sleeping put her to sleep as well.


Ghost woke to somebody prodding her side. She looked up to see Raven. The tiny hunter looked questionably at the young black cat.
“It’s twilight.” She meowed. Ghost looked at her dully. Raven growled “Eclipse wanted you and Frost to go out hunting. Frost was already up – she’s waiting outside on the rock bridge.”
Ghost got up and gave herself a lick. Eclipse was looking at River’s neck bite, while Bramble looked over Pepper’s shoulder injury.
“How is it?” She asked.
“Healing. But it needs some marigold.”
Eclipse didn’t correct him, so Ghost assumed he was right.
He’s a fast learner. Since she trusts him, I can. And hey…Raven ordered me around and she didn’t say anything. Wait…she’d already told me to do it.
She finished grooming and left the den, sure Pepper didn’t want her embarrassing him in front of so many she-cats.
Especially River. He really wants to impress her!

“Oh! There you are!” Frost meowed from the rocks. “Are we ready to go, then?”
Ghost bounded over to the white cat, barely able to see her from the snow and white rock. Ghost nodded and crossed the river with her. As they reached the other side, she realized Raven always came up with a game plan.
Who’s patrol is it now that we’re all together, though? She said something about fishing, so I’ll go with that. I’m sure if Eclipse or Raven told her I wasn’t in charge, she’ll correct me.

“You said catfish live in this river?”
“Yeah. Some are really big. They don’t surface like trout, but there is a dam around here that they are easily caught at night this time of year.”
“Then we’ll start there.”
She took the lead, but she was more thoughtful than Ghost was used to. She seemed to be trying to work something puzzling out. Ghost didn’t mind; she was trying work out the rout. Frost was listening to her, so it must be seniority. The white-calico only managed to think of the next step of the journey after they came to the dam.
Rocks blockaded the river to create a shallow pool in the center of the stream. There were lilies, which drew bugs, and the bugs drew fish as well as frogs. The frogs, however, would certainly bring snakes. Interestingly enough, there was no snow and only a slight glisten on the rocks where there should be ice.
“There are snakes here, right?”
Frost looked surprised, but nodded. “They’re all over the water during the day, and the rocks, but by now they’ll be sleeping.”
“Be careful anyway. We’ll hunt the frogs here as well as the catfish.”
The she-cat looked impressed enough.
Am I doing this right? Raven seemed so sure of everything!

Ghost sat down and watched Frost as if it were part of her daily routine to sit on a rock above snake-infested waters to learn a way to usefully get her paws wet. The white cat sat in a way that her shadow didn’t lay on the water. Then she waited for a large fish to come across the water – it was huge! That one fish would feed three or four cats! Frost tensed, getting her paw ready. She seemed to take aim. Then, suddenly, her paw shot into the water, hooked the fish by the gills, and hulled it onto the shore. She whirled around and bit its neck, sunk her claws in and held onto it tightly until it stopped thrashing. Ghost wasn’t sure if it suffocated or bled to death first.
“Wow.” Was all she could manage, amazed. “That was amazing.”
Frost purred, glowing with pride. She was soaked.
Ghost hated water.
“You see if you can get one more of those while I hunt some frogs and water voles.”
“Sometimes predators come to the pool to drink, so be careful.”
“I’ll stay in sight. Don’t fall in.”
“I won’t.” She looked amused in Ghost’s concern. The patrol leader circled the rocks and sank instantly into a crouch, seeing a frog. She crept up onto it until she was close enough to pounce before giving an enormous leap, landing on top of it, killing it with her extended claws. Ghost caught two more frogs and even a snake that was suffocating a vole. When the she-cat glanced up, her eyes were drawn to tall purple flowers with wavy leaves.
Doesn’t Eclipse use that a lot? Enough for me to know they use it on stinky wounds!

She looked around and saw other plants Eclipse used. The stuff that she had brought for River, the green heart-shaped plant that Bramble said was good for stomach problems.
“Frost!” She meowed. Frost appeared dragging two large catfish by their tails. Ghost purred.
“Yes?” She asked, looking unsure about something again.
“Look at all these plants that Eclipse and Bramble bring to the den!”
“Wow!” She dropped the fish. “Let’s tell them there’s a supply that lived through the frost!”
“I wonder how they managed to do that…”
“This water is always really warm for some reason – catfish can’t live in too cold of water, or they die. Trout live here too, and they are really picky about temperature.”
“Well, whatever the reason, I think we should get back to the den and tell everybody about our find!”
“Now?”
“I caught three frogs, a snake and a vole. We have plenty. We even have a little extra, I think.”
“Well, good. That means we won’t have to hunt as much tomorrow.”
Ghost picked up her catch and even a couple of the leaves of each plant; she almost gagged with how nasty they tasted. But she knew Eclipse and Bramble did it all the time, so forced herself to carry them all back. They had some trouble crossing the stream with Frost’s large load, but eventually Ghost crossed and set down the herbs and her catch and went back so they could carry the prey back together. Each fish was nearly as big as them.
“Eclipse! Bramble!” Ghost called. The two raced out, hearing her panting. Both looked confused for a moment; nothing was wrong. Then, Eclipse meowed with obvious relief “Comfrey! Ironweed! Even mint!” She took it in her jaws and disappeared into the den. She came back out with Raven and Maya to collect the prey.
“Where did you find those? Is that all of it?” Eclipse asked eagerly, the relief clear in her green eyes.
“We found it by the eddy where we caught the prey.” Ghost answered promptly, sure now she had been in charge of the patrol and it was therefore her job to inform them. “The water stays warmer there.”
“Good! Then we’ll collect as much as we can!”
They went in and began to eat. Frost, Ghost and Maya ate the first fish caught. Eclipse, Bramble and Raven – as usual, eating together – ate the second. River and Pepper ate two of the frogs. Tomorrow, though they would have to hunt, somebody would have breakfast.
“Alright, cats, listen up!” Eclipse meowed happily. Bramble purred as she went on with so much excitement it frightened Ghost a little bit. “We can go there at dawn tomorrow and spend the day gathering herbs! Ghost and Maya can come to hunt! I’m sure there will be even more prey there during the day. Pepper, Raven, Frost and River are on rest. You’re to remain here at the den. You guys don’t have to stay inside of it, now, but don’t go much farther than the rock bridge. I want River on guard tonight, and Pepper tomorrow while she sleeps. Understood?”
Her orders were clear. They all agreed. Then River got up and slipped out of the den to guard for the night. Pepper looked relieved he had some time to sleep tonight. It didn’t take long for everybody else to drift off.


Eclipse, Raven and Maya came to the dam just before high sun. It had snowed the night before, and all three of them were in a quiet, determined mood not to return with empty paws. Maya went straight to the dam to catch fish while Ghost headed toward the trees for anything there. Misty prowled with the older hunter.
Let no cat come back injured this time!

Feeling a little better about them being semi alone, Eclipse scoured the banks and found what remained of the comfrey, mint and ironweed. Then, dissatisfied, she turned to the trees. There she found marigold and cobwebs. To her absolute delight, she even found the miracle herb catmint. It would help a cat recover from even the worst repertory diseases.
She returned to the mouth of the dam to wait. Ghost came back first with a scrawny squirrel and a puny jay bird. Misty dropped two shrews. Maya surprised her by coming from the river with a two tiny mice. She blinked questionably at the she-cat.
“No fish.” She meowed around the mouse tails.
Eclipse shook her head. They would have to hunt on the way back – it was high sun, and they were expected back by dusk. River was under the order to search for them after that. By then, she would have had enough sleep. Eclipse rose and flicked her tail, leading them back to the den. Raven caught a vole that practically jumped into her jaws on the way back, but otherwise there was no more luck for the rest of the trip.
“They’re back!” Pepper called as they came to the rock bridge. Ghost and Frost came out of the den, but there was no sign of Bramble or River. Eclipse smelled fear.
“What’s wrong?” Eclipse asked around her leaf-wrapped herbs.
“You know how it snowed last night, right?” Ghost asked shakily.
“Yes.”
“Well…River came in shivering and sneezing. She was asleep by the time you and Bramble woke, so we thought she’d just been cold. She felt hot. So I gave her some room and Ghost told Pepper to go guard early, just in case.”
“And?”
Frost took over. “Bramble said she had a fever and gave her feverfew. But now she’s coughing. Her eyes and nose are running with green fluid. Bramble said he’s not seen this before, and didn’t know what to do. He gave her a yellow flower for the cough, but…it didn’t work.”
Eclipse’s heart racing, she shot into the den to sniff the she-cat. Bramble backed off, looking distraught. Eclipse put down her bundle and tore off some catmint leaves. She had to get this out of her before not even catmint would take care of it! Frost exploded through the entrance to dance around the cats anxiously. Pepper followed her to begin kneading the soil.
“Eat these.” She told River briskly, not daring to show any more concern – especially around Frost. Pepper looked almost hysterical. River ate them, looking exhausted. She already looked a little weak. Eclipse turned to Frost.
“Do you want her to get better, Frost?”
She nodded.
“Go get a mouse from Maya. Tell her I told you to if she wants it for herself.”
She raced out.
“Go get some moss and soak it, Pepper. She’ll need something to drink.”
He sped out of the den almost as fast as Frost. Eclipse had a feeling he liked River in a way Frost never could.
Eclipse spoke quietly to Bramble.
“Tribe cats called it green cough, though my humans called it cat flu. The tribe cats called it green cough because of the fluid that is running down her nose and eyes is green. She may also cough up the same green fluid. The symptoms most noticeable are cough, fever and fatigue. I don’t think she’ll be able to eat much, and the couching will cause her throat to be very sore, so we’ll need tansy – that was a good call, just not for the reason you gave it to her. River remains in this den, away from the other cats. Green cough is very contagious. It’s treatable in this stage with catmint, but we can’t let it progress – there’s no way I could help her if it does.”
“This is bad, then?”
“If she doesn’t respond to the catmint, it’s fatal. But most cats do; I’ve treated them in my human camp when the humans couldn’t get them vet medicine. They recovered quickly enough.”
“Have you ever had a cat not respond?”
“Only one. He died because he was old and sickly anyway. There was something wrong with him that even humans couldn’t fix before he got the cough.” She replied. “But our biggest issue is how we’re going to care for a sickly cat with so little prey. Especially if we’re attacked by a fox or another cat.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure she always eats first and that we’re extra careful whenever fighting.”
Eclipse sighed. “I suppose that’s all we can do.”
Frost appeared.
“Here’s that mouse. Sure this will be enough?”
Eclipse nodded. Frost dropped the mouse at River’s paws.
“Alright. I have something very important to tell the cats. Gather at the rocks to cross the river.”
Frost bowed her head and left.
“Oh, Pepper. Hey. She wants everybody at the rocks after you’re finished, alright?”
“Alright. Thanks, Frost.”
“Wait out there, Pepper.” Eclipse meowed.
Eclipse came out, took the sopping moss and went back in, flicking her tail for both thanks and dismissal. She set the dripping bundle at the grey warrior’s paws. The sick cat was picking at the mouse.
“Let’s leave her to her meal, Bramble, and explain how contagious this is.” They left her in peace. “I don’t want even you coming in until she’s well again. I’ll come in only to bring her food, water and catmint. Otherwise, I’ll make it clear she’s to be left alone. We can’t afford another sick cat.” She meowed on their way to the gathered cats.
She hurdled herself onto the largest rock. The cats were subdued.
“What’s wrong with her?” Pepper demanded.
“Why did you have us gather together? Is she bad?” Frost asked.
She waited a moment, as much to allow other questions as to gather her thoughts. No more questions came.
“First; River has an infection called green cough by the tribe cats, and cat flu by humans. She’s very ill, and is contagious – she will spread the disease to others very easily. River will be fed the first piece of freshly caught prey, and it will be our job to protect her. She cannot leave that den, and nobody but me is allowed in there. This isn’t to hurt or isolate her; it’s to make sure the sickness doesn’t spread. It could quickly kill each and every one of us. I will provide her something to eat every time something is brought back, and will give her the proper herbs to cure this green cough. There will be water provided for her at all times; I may even need to request cats to fetch it while they’re out hunting. I also need Maya and Pepper to patrol and guard the area for animals like foxes, raccoons and badgers.”
“What about Otters?”
The other cats looked at her with curiosity.
“Oh…otters are large furry creatures that live along the river. They eat our fish and will sometimes attack us. River leaves them alone during the hot weather, but when the frost comes in they take too much, so she makes sure they know this piece of river and land is ours. She has to remind them every year.”
“Alright. Watch out for them, too, then. Bramble, every time they go out to hunt I want you to ac

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 25.01.2012

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This is dedicated to Ghost and Smokey, who both died all too early.