Prologue - Ghost
Silent black paws padded swiftly along the lush forest floor. Small puffs of fog appeared in front of him as he trotted along though the crisp air. All around him were shadows. Eyes burned into his pelt, but when he turned to look there was nothing. He didn't know where he was or why he was here, but he knew that it was his sister's doing.
His gait slowed to a walk, then to a standstill. Purple eyes swept over the clearing. He was in the middle of a small circle of grass surrounded by trees and low bushes. It would be all too easy for someone to be lurking nearby, but that didn't frighten the young cat. He had been aware of being followed, and he could sense that he wasn't in danger. At least, not for the moment.
The clouds parted to reveal a full moon, which shone down onto the earth, making everything look brighter. In front of him was a silver she-cat with violet eyes identical to his. She glowed with starlight, but her expression was sad. “I've been waiting for you,” she muttered, her voice distant.
“I'm sorry,” the tom meowed “Soul, please, I tried!” The she-cat known as Soul didn't answer, but her face full of sorrow spoke for her. Seeing as she wasn't answering, he went on. “If only I had known, if only I had listened!”
Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over, then rolled down his cheek and dropped onto the ground. “It's still not too late...” Soul rasped softly “Don't give up...” The light slowly faded from her eyes and pelt. She seemed to be melting into the shadows of which she had appeared so suddenly. “You know what to do...” she muttered before fading away completely.
“No! No, Soul, come back!” the silver gray tom yowled as his sister disappeared. “Don't leave me! I don't understand, I don't know what you want me to do!” He cried into the night, but his words seemed to be swallowed by a sea of black. The world began to spin around him. “No...”
Blue eyes darted back and forth across the clearing. Soundless ears swiveled, as though maybe if they listened hard enough, they would hear a sign to show he was still alive. The hazy black fog that hung over the moonless night smelled rank and musky. His tiny lungs struggled with each breath, and he felt as though he were drowning in a sea of black.
“Spirit...” a voice behind him called. Instinct made him whip around to face whatever it was. “Spirit...” The lonely voice called his name again.
It was so strange and different, he couldn't tell what it was. A voice, he thought, Is this how everyone else knows the world?
The voice kept repeating it's eerie call, getting louder each time. His ears started to hum, then ring, then ache with a dull pain he knew only in his dreams. The mist blackened until he couldn't see, feel, smell, or even taste anything but its cold, empty darkness that turned his snow white pelt black.
The only thing he could do was listen to his name being called. Was it his name? Yes, it had to be his name, what else could it be? All his senses dulled and the mist seemed to retreat, though everything remained just as black and lifeless.
Something sharp prodded Spirit in the side. He opened his eyes and found himself safe and sound in the New-Born's Tree. “Spirit.” the small white kit muttered, his blue eyes glowing with starlight.
“Yes, that's your name.” the calico queen replied, “Now, why don't you go and play with Storm and Flower?”
“Sunlight... I don't understand. Why am I different?” Spirit asked, having not understood any of what the she-cat he knew as his mother had said to him.
“Just... Just run along now.” Sunlight answered, then gave him a small nudge towards the door to show what she wanted. Spirit obeyed, but still remained confused. What was that strange hum he heard in his dream calling his name? And why did the other kits seem to know more than he did?
When Spirit had left, Sunlight remained alone in the den. “Oh Spirit,” she muttered to herself “Why did your mother have to die? Why do I have to keep pretending you're my kit when you aren't? How can you live without knowing your real mother, or about your deafness? I'm sure she would've been able to raise you better than I am. She was so good with her first litter.”
A cold feeling of dread washed over him. His body quivered with fear, and he felt smaller than ever. What else was in this horrible dark place? Were there monsters who would hunt him down and eat him forever? He hated to think of the cats who would also be here. A vivid image of huge felines covered in scars filled his mind. Their unsheathed claws and deadly fangs were dripping with blood that smelled of cat.
Just as he was picturing himself being ripped to shreds by terrifying beasts, a small cluster of sparkles appeared before him. They shone brightly and began to arrange themselves into the shape of a cat. Then then seemed to melt into one starry shape that was all too familiar to Storm. He let out an involuntary gasp, and as he did so he noticed that with the cat had come a sweet scent.
“Soul,” he said softly, his voice
filled with awe before he realized why she would be here. His eyes
grew wide and his voice was filled with fear and panic when he spoke,
“I-”
Before he could begin to explain the
she-cat flicked her tail for him to be silent, and he obeyed
immediately. Instead he looked at the she-cat, taking in her
appearance. She looked exactly as she had when they were alive, the
only difference being that her beautiful silver pelt, ebony paws, and
stunning purple eyes now glowed with starlight.
“I am not here to punish you,” she
said. Storm felt so much relief at her words that his legs felt as
though they would collapse under his weight.
“You're not mad at me?” he asked,
knowing he must look bewildered. Soul smiled and shook her head.
“Go back, Storm,” her voice
suddenly seemed distant, as though it wasn't really her who was
speaking, “Your time hasn't come yet. Go back and finish your
life.”
She's giving me another chance, he
thought miserably. I don't deserve it, especially not from her. It must've shown on his face, because she gave him a small smile
before slowly fading and separating into many stars, which flew away
swiftly.
The tom then looked at the sky and noticed that it was going to get dark soon. He stood up and carefully picked his way through the branches of the tree. Using an expert paw to test the strength of each considered nest, he finally found one that was just right. The branch was strong enough to hold him, but not so hard that it would be uncomfortable. Surrounding it were several small branches full of bushy leaves. Storm pulled down one of them, then stepped on it and used his teeth to break it off.
After laying the branch down he circled his nest carefully. It was thrown together quickly, so he had to be sure it wouldn't collapse under his weight. Once he was satisfied that it would hold him he curled up into a tight ball and closed his eyes, but he couldn't sleep.
His blue eyes opened just in time to see the sunset. The sun wasn't visible, but its warm rays still stretched over the horizon, bathing the scene in an orange light. A few thick, lumpy clouds drifted lazily at the horizon. They glowed bright orange near the bottom, then faded into light peach at the top before blending into the pink sky.
Storm took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Back home all the trees were so tall they never got to see the sunset very well, but here the foliage was shorter and more sparse. A shame that he couldn't stay here because of the monster. I should go farther from my Tribe before trying to settle down, he decided. After all, I've only been traveling for a day.
Or maybe he had been traveling for more than one day. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious between when he was knocked out and when he was moved to the monster's den. But that time didn't really count, because he hadn't been making any progress.
As he thought he continued to watch the sunset. Once it was over he closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep. One moment he was watching the sunset, the next he found himself face to face with those small, beady eyes. He would then wake up, realize that it was only a dream, then slowly go back to sleep. He wasn't sure which was worse: being awake in the darkness knowing that a monster was out there or dreaming about being chased by that very same thing. The night seemed drag on forever. He constantly looked toward where he knew the sunrise would be, but no sun came.
Chapter 10
“Caw! Caw!”
Storm was jerked awake to see a large black crow bending over him. He lifted his paw and batted feebly in its direction, but it didn't even flinch, just kept staring at him with those beady black eyes. After several minutes of struggling, Storm managed to heave himself into a sitting position. His whole body felt like it was made out of lead.
“Caw!” Storm glared at the crow. This time his attempt at grabbing it was enough to make it flutter away to the safety of another higher branch. “Caw!” It said mockingly, clearly knowing how helpless he was.
“Oh, shut up, stupid crow,” Storm said lazily, wincing as he twisted to groom his ruffled and muddy fur. It cawed indignantly, like it could understand him, then fluttered away. For some strange reason Storm felt like his only hope had just flown away. He almost shouted after it, “No, come back, I didn't mean it!” but stopped himself just in time, realizing how stupid he would sound. Was he going crazy?
A high-pitched giggle came from behind him. Storm turned towards its source as quickly as he could with his stiffness and stared. A pair of emerald eyes with cat-like pupils stared back at him from the leaves of a branch. “What's so funny?” he demanded, feeling both irritated and alarmed. His fur puffed out defensively, and he wondered if he would be able to get his aching paws to unsheathe their claws should he be attacked. A slim, bracken-colored tabby slid out into view. Unlike the she-cats from back home, Storm saw no muscles under her pelt and she had a dainty air to her. Confidence seemed to radiate from her, though Storm couldn't see why; even in this state he could probably win a fight against her. Her nose wrinkled in disgust, undoubtedly her reaction to his matted fur, which still had clumps of dried blood clinging to it.
“Oh, it's nothing,” she said, giggling again. Something about her squeaky laugh made Storm want to lash out at her, but he restrained himself. “I just heard you talking to that crow like it could actually understand you, and I wanted to know if you were... You know, special.” Her green eyes glittered with fake concern. Storm felt rage bubbling up inside him. “Or just plain stupid,” she spoke in a tauntingly sweet voice filled with sarcasm, like he was too dumb to know she wasn't concerned, but making fun of him.
Unfortunately, he was too weak to risk attacking her. Instead he glared at her icily, then turned and jumped down from branch to branch with grace that surprised even himself. He landed softly on the forest floor, the morning dew freezing his pads, then began to walk away.
Chapter 11
“Hey, wait!” she called after him. Storm closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing himself to be patient, before turning around. What he saw made him grin before quickly stopping himself. She was perched unsteadily atop one branch, hesitantly lowering one paw down to the next.
“Shouldn't have climbed it if you couldn't get back down,” he chided, quite happy to see her struggling. He sat down, this time not even bothering to hide his grin as he licked his fur clean, watching her between strokes. She progressed slowly, whining for him to help her every now and then; a couple of times she tried to guilt him into helping her, accusing him of being “unkind,” “rude,” and “barbaric.” When Storm had finally gotten all of the tangles out of his coat she was almost at the bottom.
“How could you do that to me?” she demanded when she reached him, her grassy eyes wide with disbelief. Storm noted that they were also teary, as though climbing down unassisted had been something truly difficult and traumatizing.
“I don't know,” he said, shrugging with fake indifference. “I guess I'm just... special.” At his words her eyes grew even wider. She seemed lost for words, obviously not used to eating her own words. Without waiting for her to get her voice back, Storm turned and began to walk away again, thinking that the crow had been better company than this sad excuse for a cat.
“Oh, come on,” she said, trotting after him. “You know I didn't mean it.” Storm snorted disbelievingly, knowing that she had meant every word of it. “Come on,” she repeated, “We can go back to where I live. My dad'll probably have some food by now.” Storm's ears perked up at the mention of food. He couldn't deny that he was hungry, and maybe her father would be better than her. She seemed to notice his reaction, because she added an extra bounce to her step and said, “It's this way,” then lead the way.
She lead the way surprisingly quickly. Either that or it just seemed like it because of his aching side. Determined not to show weakness, he kept up with her and kept his face straight. Walking there didn't take long.
“Here we are,” she said, pushing aside a branch and stepping through. Storm followed, then stopped to stare. He now stood at the edge of a stream surrounded by ferns. The water was crystal clear, much clearer than anything he'd found back home. No, that's not my home now, he reminded himself. The she-cat now stood beside a particularly large clump of ferns at the base of a rock. Curious, Storm walked over to where she was and saw that it concealed the entrance to a small cave. What a wonderful place to live, he thought, Too bad she's already here. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to live near her. As soon as he had healed, he was leaving.
Chapter 12
Storm pushed the ferns aside and squeezed through the narrow entrance. When he had made it through he was surprised to see that it was much bigger than he had thought. It looked big enough for a mother, father, and large litter of kits to sleep in. It had obviously been dug out for more room. In one corner was a large pile of grass, moss, and feathers, which was shaped into three nests, though there seemed to be plenty of extra. The wonderful scent of caught-prey filled the cave, and Storm saw that it came from a small indent in the stone wall on the right. Next to it was another shelf filled with a few herbs that Storm recognized from the one time he'd been in Shadeteller's den. Light filtered through a small opening in the roof.
“Zera?” a tom's voice called from the back of the cave. Storm's fur bristled. He wouldn't put it past her to lead him into a trap; he guessed she would've found it very amusing to get revenge. “Who's with you?” A silver tom with green eyes stepped into the light.
“Oh, just a crazy tom I met in a tree talking to a crow,” the she-cat, who Storm guessed was named Zera, answered. She shrugged, then turned to him. “So, what is your name? I'm Zera, in case you hadn't already guessed,” she gave him a meaningful look, like she understood that he was too clueless to have figured it out on his own, “and this is my brother, Tak.” Tak nodded as his name was mentioned.
Storm hesitated, wondering if it was safe to say his name. If they knew of the Tribe of Whispering Winds, he could be in big trouble. But then he remembered that he hhad changed his name, and smiled as he said, “I'm Storm. Nice to meet you.” Storm saw Tak's eyes narrow at the sound of his name, and made a note to keep a careful eye on him. At least Zera, though annoying, seemed safe.
“Well, I told you you could have food. It's over there,” she nodded to the caught-prey sitting in plain view in the rocky wall. Storm didn't have to be asked twice; he padded over, glancing at Tak as he passed, and took a mouse. In two gulps it was gone. Storm licked his lips and turned back to the two siblings. Just then the light from the entrance was blocked as the large figure of a dark brown tabby with emerald eyes entered.
“Hello!” he called merrily, a grin plastered onto his face. Then, noticing Storm, he added, “Who's this? A friend of yours?” The friendly smile remained on his face; Storm liked him at once.
“This is Storm,” Zera answered. Tak continued to look at him suspiciously.
“Nice to meet you, Storm!” the tom said, more loudly than necessary but cheerfully. “My name's Certz. And these,” he nodded at Zera and Tak, “are my son and daughter. But you've already met them, right?” Storm nodded. Certz crossed the den and took a piece of caught-prey, then sat down in the largest nest to eat. “So, what brings you here?”
“I... er...” Storm hesitated again, not sure how much to say. That he had shamed his Tribe by failing to climb The Great Tree, and had promptly disgraced himself and his family by fleeing rather than accepting his fate? “I left home for an adventure. None of my family wanted to come along; they tried to stop me, so I snuck out.” He then told his story, starting from the hawk chasing him, lifting him off the ground, and waking up in the nest. Then how he jumped out of the nest without looking and fell off a cliff, then found himself waking up face to face with the monster. He chose to leave out how he had dreamed about Soul.
“So now you've got nowhere to go?” Certz asked, looking at him with interest. Storm had the feeling he knew that he wasn't being told everything. When Storm nodded, he added, “Well, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like.”
“Thank you,” Storm said gratefully.
“I've been waiting for you,” Soul's voice came from behind him. Spirit spun around to face her and sat down. He was having dreams like this more often, and was finally getting used to hearing. Voices didn't make his head ring as they once had, and he could make sense of voices when he heard them now. Also, he was getting better while he was awake too. He could read lips now, and could tell from the way other cats were acting that his speech was clearer than before.
“Hello, Soul,” he said, his whiskers twitching with anticipation. “What are we going to learn today? Or should I say, tonight?”
“Nothing,” she replied, her voice sounding different than usual. “I've watched you during the day, and you get along fine. There's no more need for our speech drills.”
Spirit's normally deaf ears twitched in surprise. “Then why did you call me?”
“Because I can reach you easier than the rest of the cats of your tribe. You're something special; I can sense that, and I need your help,” her piercing purple eyes stared straight at him, sending a shiver down Spirit's spine. They were cold and hard, unlike their usual calm kindness. “Will you help me?” She raised one eyebrow, and Spirit knew that after all she had done for him, he couldn't say no.
“I'll do anything I can,” he said, swallowing nervously. What exactly did she have in mind?
“Tomorrow afternoon you will be made a To-Be,” Soul began.
“I will? Really?” Spirit said eagerly, cutting her off. “How do you know?”
The only reply he received at first was a sharp stare, which silenced him. “I can see some things. You and I are both special,” she then continued. “I want you to leave the Tribe of Whispering Winds before then. Go south and slightly to the west. Get as far away as you can by nightfall. I'll give you more instructions then.”
“What? But what about-”
“There are more important things than your ceremony,” Soul said gently. “Don't worry. You will return, and when you do, you will have done a great service to your Tribe.”
“A great service?” Spirit echoed.
“Yes. It involves your brother,” a murderous look suddenly crossed her beautiful features. “You will leave tonight.”
Squish, squash, squish, squash. Dainty paws plunged through the muck. Long vinelike branches hung down, barely brushing the muddy ground. Sunlight filtered eerily through their branches, illuminating slivers of the thick mist that loomed on the forest floor. Squash, squirp! Was it getting deeper? No, she must be imagining it. Squish, squish! Moving was getting harder. Maybe she should stop and take a break... No! She had to find Cloud. He could be out here somewhere.
The fog grew thicker. Lily fidgeted uneasily; maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Despite her anxiousness, she moved forward.
Croak! The tabby she-cat cried out in alarm, stumbling as she turned to face whatever it was. Only a toad. She sighed with relief and started to stand up. Something wasn't right. She couldn't move. Panic began to sweep over her. What if she never got out of here?
“Help!” she shrieked, lashing out at the sludge. She writhed desperately, but if anything only sank in deeper. “Somebody, anybody! Please! Help!” she cried out again, not knowing or caring who would hear her, as long as it would get her out.
From somewhere overhead, an answering shriek rung out. Before she could even look up, she felt razor sharp claws digging into her back. They sunk through her coat and penetrated her skin, drawing blood. Weight pressed down on her, then began to lift. A throaty cry that sounded nothing like her own came from her mouth as she felt herself being wrenched from her muddy prison. She twisted and struggled, desperate to get free, but the sharp talons only dug into her pelt deeper. Another shriek came from the huge bird. It was going to eat her, she was sure!
“Put me down! Let go of me!” she called up, but the bird only pulled harder. Black spots began to form around the edges of her vision, then gradually became larger until she could see nothing. She felt her strength drain away from her, and was vaguely aware of her paws leaving the ground before she spiraled into nothingness. Sorry... I tried...
Before reading on, you should probably know a bit about what to expect. This sub-story begins just after Part 1 of Whispering Winds, where I randomly decided to write a very spontaneous story about two misfits-- a bear and a chipmunk --who, oddly enough, speak the same language as Storm. As with my other stories, this one has its own mini allegiances to intruduce the main characters.
Chipper is a young brown chipmunk. Like most chipmunks, he has black and white stripes going down his body. He's very good at climbing and leaping from branch to branch. In nearly every way he's just an average chipmunk: Smart, quick, persistent, loves to talk, and annoying. But Chipper has one thing that sets him apart from his friends and family, making him an outcast. His best friend is a bear.
Berry is an adolescent bear. Most of his body is dark brown, except for his muzzle, tail, ears, and the tip of his paws, which are black. His underbelly is also a slightly lighter brown than the rest of him. He's fun loving and is easily bored with the same everyday routine, and often gets into mischief. However, he hates surprises and can become aggressive easily. His best friend is a chipmunk named Chipper, which the other bears find odd and thus try to avoid him.
Prologue
"I know it doesn't sound like I play an important role, but the truth is that I do!" the small chipmunk squeaked.
"Uh-Huh." A deep voice rumbled an uncertain response "And I'm a porcupine." The large, grizzled creature grumbled. His front claw dug into
the ground in boredom. Today was just another day, which would be just like the last and tomorrow would be just the same as today. Good thing he had Chipper to amuse him.
"Exactly!" the small furry creature exclaimed, tail lashing back and forth with excitement "I think you're finally catching on, Berry!"
"You do know that I could eat you when ever I feel like it, don't you?"
"Yes, but you wouldn't." he sounded very sure of himself, like it was just an obvious fact that he wouldn't get eaten.
"Of course not! Do you have any idea how bad you guys taste?" he asked, cringing and sticking out his tongue to show how disgusted he was at the mere thought.
"No, and I don't plan on finding out." His whiskers twitched as though he were offended "Unlike you, I don't kill. Much less eat my own kind. You know, many of my family members frown upon that kind of behavior."
The bear shrugged. "Anything can happen. You never know, maybe you'll find you like it."
Chipper snorted, "Maybe a cat will fall from the sky!"
"Everyone knows cats aren't real. They're just old fairy tales. A cub's story used to scare the wits out of them and get them to go to bed." he chuckled quietly "If you stay up too late, the cat will come to get you! They lurk through the shadows at night. They may be small, but don't be fooled by their size. They're vicious creatures."
After a pause both of them burst out laughing so hard they cried. The bear let out a roar as something hit his exposed belly, hard. "That's not funny!" he snapped at Chipper, teeth bared aggressively. His anger changed to confusion when he saw the small critter huddling in a corner, a look of sheer terror on his face. His lips moved and he pointed, but he only made small gagging noises.
Berry whipped around, fur bristling. "It's a... a... a cat?!?" he cried, not believing his eyes.
Chapter 1
Chipper and Berry looked at each other, then at the cat. It lifted its head and stood up.
"Aaaaah!" they screamed in unison. It hissed at them.
"Back!" Berry snarled, lashing out in fear with a paw. It dodged and snarled even more viciously.
"It's coming to get us!" Chipper screamed, covering his eyes. When he said that it seemed to calm down.
"Wha- What?" it said in a strange accent. "You talk?"
"Of course we talk," Chipper sneered. "You're the one who's not supposed to talk."
It stared at the chipmunk, looking baffled. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not polite to stare?" he demanded, frowning.
"I'm sorry," he said. An awkward silence followed, until it asked. "Do you... Live here?"
Berry nodded. "Are you... a cat?" The strange creature gave him an odd look and nodded slowly. "And you're not going to eat me, right?"
When he said that, the cat burst out laughing. "Do I look like I could eat you?" he asked, still giggling. "I was more worried about you eating me."
"I'm a vegetarian," Berry admitted, waiting for it to laugh again, just like everyone else did.
"That's fine with me!" it said approvingly. "I'm Storm. What's your name?"
"Berry."
Chipper cleared his throat loudly. "Hey, what about me? I'm still here!" he grinned. "I'm Chipper. Nice to meet'cha."