TreeClan's Tellings | Please don't post

[Sabatea]

This is where I will be posting any stories or other works for my Rise Clan, TreeClan!

Directory:

Sweetwind and Maplestar
The Clan Reputation
Finchflight's Fear
The Clan Traditions
The Naming
Skylight's Regrets

[Sabatea]

~Sweetwind and Maplestar~

"Maplestar!"

I blearily cracked open my eyes. It must be barely dawn, it was still so dark in the den. I grumbled to myself for a moment, contemplating not answering, but it sounded like Sweetwind. Yes?"

"I'm sorry to wake you, but... Well, I was thinking about patrols this morning and I realized that I think we should let Lizardkit go out." Sweetwind murmured, stepping into the den and sitting in front of me.

"Lizardkit? Isn't he still too young?" I replied, sitting up and trying to wake up some.

"Normally, yes, but he's the only kit in the Clan, Maplestar. He's bored senseless! I think it'd be good for him to go out. We wouldn't have to leave a warrior behind to watch after him anymore either."

I deliberated for a moment on her words, but I knew she was right. It didn't make much sense to be down a warrior every day, especially when we could be sending out two cats instead. The more prey they had, the better off they would be.

"I agree with you." I said, "But then, who do you think should mentor him?"

Now Sweetwind had to take a moment to think. I knew when she had decided, because her entire demeanor brightened, and she replied excitedly, "The whole Clan will! He doesn't need a single mentor. He's our only apprentice right now, so he can learn from everyone."

"That's an excellent idea!" I purred, her enthusiasm spreading to me. "Why don't you go tell him? I'm sure he'll be very happy."

She raced off, and I was left looking after her. She was a wonderful deputy, and exactly what we needed. A kind, sweet soul who wanted to look after the Clan with all her might. I trusted her judgment on the other cat's, and I trusted her to be able to calm down any disagreements that we would inevitably face. And, of course, I would come to be right.

[Sabatea]

~Clan Reputation~

TreeClan is... quite an interesting sight to outsiders. They don't hold territory in the same way as other Clans. They tend to leave their borders open, and only chase out any cat that proves itself to be a threat. They don't mind the occasional kittypet wandering in to hunt, so long as they stay out of the trees, and they won't chase off many of the ground-dwelling predators. Instead of a well-protected border, with strong scent marks, cats find themselves in a seemingly barren forest, and yet the scent of many cats drifts down with the wind, and if you try to follow it, it goes... Up? As your eyes follow your nose, you see a cat sitting high up in the branches of a tree, staring down at you. The longer you look, the more eyes you see glinting from the treetops. You realize you are not alone, and though the cats here are said to be friendly, they will always be watching you.

[Sabatea]

~Finchflight's Fear~

I padded gingerly across the tree branch, my tail snapping to and fro in an attempt to keep me balanced. I was trying my absolute hardest to catch something for the Clan, and I'd woken up early to set out on my mission. I had left before any other cats were up, even Maplestar.

I knew for all my brave intentions that I had left that early so no one would see me leave, and no one would know that I'd failed. I knew before I even stepped a paw out of my nest that I wouldn't actually be able to catch anything. I'd tried many times before, and each time I would sabotage myself. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't dredge up the courage to catch a bird, let alone kill it. Even when I had them in my paws, I'd somehow slip or manage to release it.

I wanted to be useful to this Clan, and I wanted to help them. They'd taken me in, and given me a home to live in when I had none... I owed this Clan and Maplestar so much, and yet I couldn't do anything for them... The other cats had no issues catching prey and filling the bellies of the Clan, but I hesitated and I failed every time. How could I expect to be allowed to stay here, when I was so useless? What was I supposed to do to help them?

I hadn't even noticed that I'd stopped walking. My tail hung low, and my pelt felt heavy on my back. It all just seemed too much... As much as I truly wanted to do this, I was afraid... I was always so afraid...

"You're up quite early." A voice said behind me, almost making me jump out of my skin. A warm paw kept me from slipping off the edge of the branch, pulling me back up.

"Careful," Maplestar purred, "you wouldn't want to fall from all the way up here! Who knows what we'd do if you broke a leg!"

"O-oh, uh, yeah..." I replied, looking away from him. As much as I respected him, he made me nervous. I felt like he could see through me, as though all my fears and insecurities were laid bare before him just from his gaze.

"I was actually looking for you, Finchflight. There's someone I want you to meet."

I cocked my head at him. I'd met everyone in the Clan already, hadn't I? Just as I was about to ask him though, he started walking off through the trees. I rushed to catch up to him, suddenly afraid to be left alone out here.

Maplestar continued, seemingly not noticing my scrambling to catch up, "This cat isn't technically a part of our Clan, but he's very important to me. Well, to us actually. The whole Clan owes him a lot, whether they know it or not. You see, he's actually the one who encouraged me to make the Clan. He lead me to our home, to the Heart Tree itself!"

I listened silently as Maplestar spoke. He seemed content to tell his story, and he continued until the sun was high in the air, and we'd reached the edge of our forest, where it met a large outcropping of rock.

Maplestar turned to look at me, "This is Eagle Peak, Finchflight. It's very dangerous here, and you must stay vigilant. We'll have to be quick, it's not much farther." He then leaped out of the safety of our tree, and onto the ground. I rushed to follow him, my eyes locked on the sky. High in the air, I saw the circling shape of several large birds.

Maplestar walked fast, clinging to the rocks and other areas of cover. He swayed slightly as he moved, which I knew was a result of living in the trees for so long. I experienced the same balance issues, though to a much smaller degree. I still hadn't lived with the Clan for that long. I shook my head, dispelling my thoughts and focusing on the task at hand. I rushed after Maplestar, my spine bristling, but none of the eagles seemed to notice us.

Suddenly, Maplestar skidded to a halt, just outside of a small den beneath the roots of a tree. It smelled ancient, and there weren't any scents of what animal might have created it left now. It smelled of dirt, and what the forest smelled like in the dead of night when a warm breeze sent the trees swaying in the moonlight.

"I was the first cat to enter here, and you will be the second. This is a very special cave, Finchflight. It is called the Whispering Den, and it is where you will meet a very special cat."

"I-I don't smell any c-cats in there though..."

"No." Maplestar whispered, "He can't be smelled anymore..."

I squinted at him, my spine bristling at the sudden change in tone. I was beginning to grow nervous of this cave and its secrets.

Maplestar took a deep breath and turned to me and said, "Come." Then, he disappeared into the darkness of the cave. I hesitated for just a moment, but then the cry of an eagle made me dart forward, into the depths of the unknown.

The tunnel twisted and winded for just a moment before opening up into a larger cave. I could see faintly within the cave, as several cracks and breaks in the ceiling let small amounts of light through. I could see Maplestar's form through the dim light as he padded to the center of the cave. The floor there was smooth and cold to the touch.

"Usually I come here at night, but I believe he's willing to meet with us once the sun hits its peak. It shouldn't be long now..." Maplestar murmured, his gaze glued to the light raining down from the ceiling.

I could feel the light changing, growing more intense and warmer. After another minute or two, light seemed to suddenly erupt from everywhere at once. The perfect angle was met, allowing the light to cascade into the cave and illuminate it strongly. It wasn't the light that caught my attention though, instead it was the figure that seemed to morph itself out of the light.

His coat was black, with small patches of white, I could tell that much, but I could see through him. He was transparent, and he seemed to glow with a faint aura of stars. His light green eyes met mine and smiled, "Hello, Finchflight."

I was frozen, so scared was I. The figure had no scent, but suddenly the entire cave smelt of a far-away place. I again had the distinct feeling that this was what moonlight would smell like. As the figure approached me, my spine bristled. This was no cat.

"My name is Crowtail, and as I'm sure you suspect, I am no longer part of your world. I belong to StarClan, where all the Clan cats who have passed on live. You don't know me, and I have no right to ask this of you, but please hear me out... Maplestar," He glanced at the ruddy tabby and his eyes softened, "asked me to meet with you here. He believes I can help you. Or, well, perhaps I should say that you can help the Clan.

"You see, while Maplestar has done a wonderful job of leading TreeClan, he's missing a vital part of Clan life. Every Clan requires a special cat who is willing to forego the usual duties of the Clan. This cat does not fight or hunt for the Clan, and they generally abhor violence. Every Clan requires a healer, who is willing to give up the status and duties of being a warrior in order to accept the daunting position of caring for the sick and injured cats. It's an important and difficult task, which requires a heart of steel and a great deal of courage.

"Maplestar sensed the difficulty you were having with assimilating to Clan life and asked me for advice. Truthfully, I'm very grateful to see a cat who seems to have the aptitude to be a medicine cat in the Clan already. It's a great relief, because medicine cats are a rare treasure for a Clan, despite how necessary they are. I believe that you have the ability to become a great medicine cat, Finchflight."

I stared at the spectral cat, my gaze flicking between him and Maplestar. Both gazed at me earnestly, waiting to see my response. I felt my fear melting away a little as I considered the prospect. I could be of use to the Clan, even without having to fight and kill? I could do this for Maplestar and for TreeClan? I felt a great warmth swell up from within me, and I choke a little over a lump in my throat as I murmured, "I will be TreeClan's medicine cat!"

[Sabatea]

~The Clan Traditions~

TreeClan has a few interesting traditions and ways of life that set it apart from many other Clans. Every new-leaf, the first nest that is spotted with eggs gives rise to a special time for the Clan. The Sighting is what the Clan calls the tradition, and the entire Clan will gather at the Heart Tree for the ceremony. It is a joyous time for the Clan, and the cats spend that evening giving thanks to the forest and to StarClan for ensuring their survival and the re-birth of the forest. The cats will climb to the highest branches of the Heart Tree, and they will each recount something they are thankful for beneath silverpelt, and for all of the forest to hear.

TreeClan gathers for Clan meetings beneath the Highbranch, which is a branch slightly higher and parallel to the branch that meets the typical entrance and exit from the Heart Tree. The Clan leader sits in a fork of the branches, where he can easily be seen and heard by his Clan. He summons them with "May all the cats whose claws are sharp enough gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting!". Elders and queens sit just inside the tree, where they can still hear the news without risking the winds blowing them or their kits off the tree.

Leaves and feathers are the typical bedding material of this Clan, though some cats may choose to gather lichens or mosses as well. Cats often eat out under the sky, rather than within the tree. Elders and queens are exempt from this, and apprentices are in charge of cleaning up their prey bones.

[Sabatea]

~The Naming~

Maplestar woke, excitement surging through him. He had met with Crowtail in his dreams again, and the cat had explained how he should go about a special ceremony for his Clan. So far he only had 3 cats living with him, though he was hoping to see a large gray tom return eventually as well. A fiery young she-cat who had been drawn in by the tree's magnificence, a young kit they'd found wandering in the woods, and a darkly-striped pointed she-cat. Today, he was going to make them full-fledged members of his Clan.

He padded out of his den, stretching his long legs as he went and reveling in the strength in his limbs. He picked his way down the winding trail of the tree, pausing beside the warriors den. He could see the two she-cat's form within, curled on a bed of feathers and lichen. Beside the orange and white one, the kit they'd named Lizardkit slept. They had recently found him alone and scared in the woods, and he had quickly accepted them and their Clan ways.

Just as he was about to call out to the three of them, Lizardkit breathed in deep and a feather tickled his nose. He sneezed violently, waking himself up with a start, and the she-cats jerked awake as well. Maplestar let out a mrow of laughter at the three, ignoring the she-cat's cold glare. After a moment, the patched cat snorted and laughed for a moment too, followed by the pointed cats gentle purrs.

"Crowtail visited me last night." Maplestar began, ignoring the patched she-cat's look of uncertainty. She had yet to see the starry warrior, and she was skeptical about the idea of the warrior ancestors. The pointed cat just blinked at him warmly, not seeming to mind his beliefs. "He taught me of a special ceremony, now that we've started to create a little Clan. Today, I'm going to give you all Clan names."

Her ears flicked, "Oh, am I not a warrior without the proper name?" she mewed, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she stood up. Maplestar knew her well enough now that it was obvious she was at least a little excited about that prospect. She had been a rogue until recently, and a new name would signify the beginning to her new life.

"I'll give you an official name too, Lizardkit." Maplestar promised, and the young cat suddenly perked up, leaping to his paws.

"I bet my warrior name will be better than yours!" He boasted to the she-cat.

She cuffed him over the ears, "You won't be getting a warrior name for quite a while more. You think you could defend and hunt for this Clan with how tiny you are?" She retorted, smirking down at the young cat.

Maplestar smiled to himself as he lead the two bickering cats and the quiet she-cat out onto the branch. After a moment of looking around, he leaped up onto a higher position and sat on a forked branch there, and called down to them, "May all the cats whose claws are sharp enough gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting!". The she-cat was beginning to walk with more confidence out into the swaying trees, and she kept a close eye on Lizardkit, who despite his bravery was not nearly as practiced. They sat on the branch below Maplestar, looking slightly uncertain.

Too excited to wait, Maplestar began the ceremony promptly, remembering the words as Crowtail had told them. "I, Maplestar, call upon StarClan to look down on this cat. She has trained hard to learn how to support and care for her Clan, and I ask that you see and approve of her new name. From this moment on, she will be known as Kestrelwing, in honor of her quick wit and tongue, and her ability to soar through the trees."

I leaped down onto her branch, padding forward and touching my nose to her forehead. She bowed her head slightly, looking awed and slightly misty-eyed as she accepted her new name. Lizardkit looked ready to burst with excitement as Maplestar stepped back and he yelled "Kestrelwing!" to the sky, as though he were trying to ensure that StarClan had heard it, and the other she-cat echoed him fondly.

After a moment, the young tom turned to Maplestar, "What about me?" he cried.

"I haven't forgotten." Maplestar purred, and he gazed down at the tom warmly. "I, Maplestar, call upon StarClan to look down on this cat. He wishes to learn the ways of Clan life and how he can serve under your noble code, and I ask that you see and approve of his warrior spirit. From this moment on, he will be known as Lizardpaw, and he will train as an apprentice of TreeClan until he shall earn his warrior name."

Kestrelwing and Maplestar then called his name, and Maplestar repeated the ceremony for the pointed she-cat, naming her Sweetwind. As they all called the names loudly, he glanced upward, hoping that Crowtail actually was able to hear them, wherever he was now.

[Sabatea]

~Skylight's Regrets~
645 words

I had thought at one time that I loved him. Before I'd seen what I had, I believed we could have been mates. Eventually, it was clear enough that he thought the same as well. I could still clearly recall the flash of pain in his eyes as he cast me out from my home with the city cats. Every time I thought of him, that scene was the first to come to mind. The agony of watching the cat I wanted, the cat who I had yet to tell was a father, tell me to leave or he'd kill me...

If I sat and thought further back though, I could recall better times, before he had killed one of my fellow cats. I could recall the time we sat beneath the stars, laying atop one of the twoleg nests, speaking of all kinds of things...

"Do you think anyone is up there?" He asked, his gray tail swishing back and forth as he gazed up at the night sky.

I blinked at him, "Are you looking for someone?"

"No, I just wonder... Where do we go?"

I turned my eyes on the sky then too, blinking at the hundreds of tiny cold lights. "I think we must go somewhere... Hopefully, not so far away as the stars though."

"Maybe it's better if they are far away. Then they might not be able to watch us..." He mused, though at the time I didn't realize what that might have meant.

I snorted, "Surely it'd be better to have their guidance."

He shrugged, "Maybe. I prefer to make my own decisions though, and I don't need some dead cats judging me for them."

I turned back to him then, puzzled. Just as I was about to open my mouth and ask what he might be judged for, he changed the subject.

"Brr, it's chilly out here." He suddenly pressed against me, and warmth flooded through my pelt, though I wasn't sure if it was from him or from my embarrassment. I didn't pull away though.



By the time I truly understood him, it was too late. I was left to wander by myself, alone except for the growing life in my stomach. He was gone, and I'd realized just how much I'd wanted it to work. Despite myself, my heart ached with the misery of leaving him behind. Despite all he'd done, I had wanted it to be a lie. I had tried to deceive myself, to tell myself that surely he couldn't have been the one to poison our leader. But I had seen it. I had seen the poisonous berries, the sparrow, him, all of it. I couldn't run from it anymore.

But not that I'd accepted what I had seen, it didn't matter. I had been forced to leave it all behind, and been cursed to wander. I wanted nothing more than to return to him, for him to tell me it was all a mistake and he hadn't murdered to become the new leader, but that wouldn't happen. I regretted falling in love with him. I regretted following him onto the rooftop, hoping to speak to spend time with him...

But I wouldn't regret our kits. They were innocent, and my mistakes would not be theirs. That was why, despite the pain of losing who I thought was my mate, I kept walking. I was determined to find a place to raise them, where they would be safe and far away from the murderous city cats. They would never know my pain, I would be sure of that.

Finding TreeClan was a miracle, and I was reminded of the time I sat on twoleg nest, and mused about the stars. Perhaps there were ancestors up there after all, and if there were, then they were kind to me, and my broken heart.