-- || the tales of the cascades || rise || [do not post]

[MeltiTheDragon]

one lone owl

A creamy white she-cat sat at the edge of a cliff, the waterfall concealing the camp of a clan of warriors not a whisker-length away from her face. She yawned ; it was the middle of day, when she should've been partaking in the well needed activity of sleeping. But she couldn't keep her eyes closed. No matter how tired she was, she couldn't stop thinking of one thing.

Another day had past without any sign of another cat.

She sighed and licked at the fur of her right shoulder. It was scraped, red, and almost bald from how much she'd groomed that spot over the past two moons. In fact, she had several spots on her that looked the same. She gazed upwards, squinting at the bright sun-filled sky.

"Please Starclan, let me find another cat. Any one. I don't give a mouse's tail if they're some kittypet or something. Just guide a cat our way."

Great Starclan, she felt like her pain-in-the-tail medicine cat for a moment there.

Hoping that Starclan heard the silent prayer, she slowly made her way down the steep cliff-side. The coldness of the stone against her callused paw-pads made her shiver. Leaf-fall was coming early this year. The young leader hoped that this didn't mean leaf-bare was coming early too. The brittle wind-damaged grass rustled under her paws as she leaped off the lowest ledge. Ears perked, she scanned the nearby area first for signs of other cats. Much to her disappointment, there weren't any cats. She hadn't explored by the south border though. Trying to keep herself hidden by the underbrush, she started wandering in that direction.

The wind was brutal. So brutal that she was honestly surprised that she still had a pelt on her. No matter how far she went from camp, the forest yielded no cats. Even without her maintaining the borders. She was starting to doubt that she'd find anyone today either. It just wasn't worth it to move any further. Head held low, she slowly started walking back to camp.

"Lost someone by any chance?"

Looking straight up, her bright orange eyes widened. On the pine branch directly above her sat a lithe loner with long warm brown fur and a pale ruff. She purred, delighted that she wasn't the only cat in the forest.

"Not quite. Cascadeclan's been a bit short on cats as of late, but I've had no luck finding anyone," she yowled.

He narrowed his golden eyes. "What in the world did you just say?" he yowled back.

She hadn't meowed in so long, she almost forgot her accent was a bit on the posh side. She repeated herself slower, hoping it was clearer. But all she'd succeeded in was confusing the poor tom further.

"What's a cascading clan?"

"It's kind of complicated. Come down here and I'll give you a simple, quick explanation. We might be able to go over it in more detail later," she replied, beckoning him with her fluffy tail.

The young cat quickly jumped down a couple branches, until he was on a branch almost at ground level.

"A clan is group of cats that live together to share resources and protect each other. It's a very honorable way of life. We all have different jobs within the clan and we all work hard to help each other to survive. We have our own way of naming each other too. The first name describes our fur's color, the second name is given to honor a special trait or skill a cat has. We don't usually take in loner types like you, but the clan's hit rough times. I'm the current leader of my clan. It was named Cascadeclan by our founder, because we live in the caves behind the largest cascade." The word leader still felt weird to her. She felt like she got the role far, far too early.

His ears twitched, then flicked back forward. "Interesting. You said you were short on members. If you're so desperate to find cats, how little cats are there."

She looked away, a grim look on her features. It was too soon, she hoped she'd be able to avoid that topic. Unforunately, he'd read her expression well.

The tom looked shocked. "You're the only cat?!"

"Thank a terrible disease outbreak for that. Actually, I'm not the only one alive. I'm one of the only two cats who made it out unscathed. The only other cat who is still alive is one of the medics. So it's just me and her," she said.

"That's gotta be rough," he meowed with sympathy. She nodded sadly.

"I'll join."

Now it was her turn to be shocked. "Really?"

"It's the least I can do. A loner's life is, well, kind of lonely. I'd be okay hunting to feed some extra mouths," he replied then added, "Under one condition ; I don't even know your name. What is it?"

"Campionstar, but you can just call me Campion. Your's?"

"Hoot."

"Nice to meet you. I'll show you the way to camp," she said. The two cats walked back to camp together, Campion sending a silent thanks to Starclan for her good fortune. Today was something special for Cascadeclan. It was a new beginning.

[875 words]



And that my friends, is the story of how Campionstar met Owletfur. Hope you enjoyed the tale. Now, fetch me a grackle.

[MeltiTheDragon]

show me a leader?

Fluffy white seeds filled the air like a thick fog. Bright amber eyes followed their path through the air, the corners of her mouth curling into a small grin.

"I need to tell Campionstar they're blooming already."

Mallow's dainty white paws kicked up more of the pretty dandelions that were just starting to bloom. Dandelions were a clear sign that new-leaf had begun. It meant only one thing ; time for their annual new-leaf feast. At the beginning of each new-leaf season, the whole clan had a feast to celebrate Starclan blessing their lands with a more plentiful supply of prey. She just had to tell them of the first bloom.

Her pace slowed as she reached the mouth of the Great River. The largest river in their territory was fed by a small lake at the base of a cliff, which was in turn fed by the largest cascade in their territory. As she padded around the edge of the lake, she looked through the curtain of water. From this angle, she could hardly see the hole that wasn't much bigger than a cat in the side of the wall of jagged stone. At the base of the cliff face, she carefully leaped onto the first ledge. A couple bits of rock tumbled down as she landed. One by one, she jumped up the narrow platforms. Near the top, a shallow hole marked where there had been a small collapse last season. She dug her claws into any spot she could get a paw-hold until she could twist around and grasp the last ledge. Finally, she pulled herself up and jumped behind the waterfall.

Squeezing into the narrow entrance wasn't a problem for her ; she was the smallest in the clan, and fairly skinny too. She took one last jump, this time downwards. The tunnel opened up into a fairly large cavern with a maze of cave systems on every side. The logical place for Campionstar to be would've been straight ahead, in her den. She ducked under Highledge into the leader's den, but all she found was a nest of moss and twigs. Biting her lip, she walked back toward the cave mouth to see if she was taking a middle of the night nap on top of Highledge, which she sometimes did when she thought no one was looking. It didn't appear as if that were the case. The large white molly was nowhere to be seen.

She cocked her head and scratched behind her ear as she pondered for a moment. Where else could her leader be? First idea ; warriors' den. She made a quick right into the warrior's den, the nearest den to the entrance. A light colored flash of fur caught her eye. She dashed into the den, but her heart sank immediately. It wasn't Campionstar, but rather a dashing fellow warrior named Lightningfoot who was on new-leaf cleaning duty tonight. The scrawny warrior hacked and coughed as he dislodged a patch of dust. She felt a flush of heat in her cheeks. Even now, she still thought the cream pointed tom was really hot. Not sure if he'd ever get over her little stunt with the 'love potion' though. Her head hung low, she slunk back out of the den.

Before entirely leaving the den, she took another right and headed down. Almost directly below the warriors den was the apprentices' den. She poked her head around the corner. Still no Campionstar, but she saw someone who might know ; her mate Godwitflower. The stout tom stood lecturing a group of rowdy apprentices. She stayed back until he finished rambling. He yowled in surprise as he tried to walk out.

"Sorry for spooking you, Godwitflower. Have any idea where Campionstar is?" she asked.

"Last I remember," he replied, "she was on Highledge taking a nap. Please don't tell her I told you that."

She sighed. "Sorry, just checked that spot and she's definitely not there. Thanks for trying to help though."

The young warrior headed back into the camp's central space. Next to the warrior's den was the elder's den. She decided to check there next, to see if Campionstar was being forced to sit through another one of the Lorekeeper's long-winded stories. A quick scan of the den later and she was right back to where she started. The elders were asleep, and the leader wasn't there either. She quickly ran across to the other side of the camp and popped into the nursery to check there. The nursery was empty too, just as it had been throughout leaf-bare. She was starting to wonder if the leader had just gone out for a walk.

It suddenly struck her ; there was still one den she hadn't checked. The medicine cat's den. It was certainly a long shot, but still worth a check. Her long, prominent whiskers brushed the cave wall next to the leader's den. Sure enough, she found a little hole just barely large enough for a pair of cats to squeeze through. She slid down a steep slope into a much deeper part of the cave. The Silver River snaked around, forming a path for her to follow. Eventually, she came across a high arch that led over Moon Lake. As she carefully walked over the narrow stone, she remember the old legends of the clan that she was taught as a young kit. The arch was seen as sacred, for the waters below were said to be a gateway into the territory of Starclan. It's why burials of the dead were often held here.

"Campionstar, I think I can handle being leader for a couple days."

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine doing it myself."

As she walked into the obscure den, she found not the medicine cat, but Owletfur and Campionstar squabbling again. Probably over something trivial. She inquired, "Campionstar! I've been looking for you...what in Starclan are you doing back here?"

The leader sighed. "It appears I may have caught a late case of white-cough. The herbs certainly must still be good." It certainly looked as if she was ill. She looked more disheveled than usual, with streaming eyes and a runny nose. She meowed, "What do you need, Mallowwhisker?"

"I saw the dandelions blooming while I was out hunting tonight."

Her face lit up. "Dandelions already? Wow, new-leaf must be early this year. We shall have a feast as soon as I can actually taste it," she exclaimed before a fit of coughing and a fair amount of sniffling cut her off from adding more. "I'll announce the season's change at the morning light though." The deputy couldn't help but be pleased as well.

It's surprisingly hard to find cats in their camp. But it's safe, and it's home. That's what mattered.

[1132 words]



And that, is why Mallowwhisker is not Mallownose. Her tracking skills only seem to work on prey.

[MeltiTheDragon]

of owls and campion flowers

Several moons ago...

"Owletfur, we need to discuss this."

The wiry deputy glared at her. "Why? I know you're a stubborn old coot. You're not going to listen anyways. Tabbies don't change their stripes."

"Hey, you take that back mister! I'm the youngest leader this clan's ever had!" Campionstar hissed. Her fur bristled at the sly tom. Pausing a moment, she took some deep breaths to try and gain some sort of composure back. Through gritted teeth she added, "I'd gladly"

He chuckled and smirked at her. "Doesn't sound like it to me," he remarked, "But you insist. I honestly think Mallowpaw just isn't ready to become a warrior."

"We've been through this though. She's twelve moons old now. She's probably the best hunter we've had in moons. Better than both of us."

"Physically mature enough she may be, but mentally mature enough she is not."

He was so matter of fact about it, it was infuriating. "Back in the day, all full warriors were appointed at twelve moons as long as they pass their tests and weren't ill or injured during their training."

His ears shot back. "Campion, we're not talking about back then. We're talking about now. I've watched her train and I think I know where she's at. She's not ready for this."

"OWLET! It's worked for hundreds of moons. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And besides, the others her age aren't that much better. If there's any immature apprentice around it's your's," she snapped. He had finally pushed her over the edge. There was no calming her down now.

Owletfur gasped in horror. In a matter of a couple heartbeats, his expression went from that of pure shock to that of pure anger. "My apprentice doing just fine, thank you very much. She didn't stalk and poison a perfectly well-behaved fellow apprentice!"

"That was moons ago, and it was an honest to Starclan accident. You know full well how guilty she still feels about that. And yet Owlet, you leave out that your's is a lazy bee-brained dormouse who can't hunt as well as a Starclan-forsaken kittypet. Think of the clan for once and not your own narcissistic self!"

His paw swiped at her face, his unsheathed claws just barely scraping her cheek as she ducked out of the way. She suddenly shifted her weight forward. Her heavy paws came down hard on Owletfur's head. She thought he'd have backed off, but the livid tom glared and raked both of her shoulders. It was obvious that staying here was just inviting another attack. With a loud hiss, she stormed out of the den to avoid any further injury.

---------------

A brown tabby and white tom sat at the entrance to camp, fulfilling his turn at sentry duty. He turned around as a ragged looking white molly staggered over to him. Shallow gouges marked her cheek and shoulders.

"That's gonna leave a mark. Ow, great Starclan that hurts! That fox-heart....such a pain in the tail."

"Who ruffled your fur this time, honey?"

Campionstar sighed. "Take a guess, Godwit."

"Ah. Owletfur again." he replied.

"You know me so well."

He looked over her injuries and winced. Those looked like they'd be hurting for days, if not a quarter or even half a moon. It seemed like the more time went by, the more the leader and the deputy argued. The arguments weren't getting better ; they actually seemed to be getting worse. Much worse by the looks of his mate. "Why did you even pick him as a deputy anyways? I know there's other cats you'd have rathered. Remember what you've always told us ; it's better to scare away a mouse than to welcome a badger."

The exhausted leader explained. "I was desperate. I hadn't seen another cat in moons. He seemed kind, like he genuinely wanted to help. It's only been over several moons that his....true colors have shown themselves. It's not as if I can just demote him to plain ole` warrior though. The clan would be in an uproar that I'm against a strong capable deputy. And I can only imagine what could happen to me if I did that to his ego. I'd lose all nine lives in one go with how his temper is." She rubbed her scratched cheek.

"So, you're just going to leave him deputy?"

"Only thing I can do, Godwitflower. No matter how much I regret it, what's done is done and I don't have the divine power to change it. May Starclan light my own path."

[757 words]



This is why I'm always tired. Their yowling keeps me up well into the day.

[MeltiTheDragon]

speaking to the stars

"My ance-"

"AAAAIIIIIIIYEEEEEE!!!" Mallowwhisker shrieked, bolting out of the medicine cat's den so fast you'd think it was on fire.

Mottlenose winced. She turned her stiff neck around and waited a few moments to make sure no one else would intrude on her conversation. Why did her clanmates always have to interrupt her time with Starclan? Shaking her aching head, she turned her attention back to the sacred gateway.

"My ancestors, do you hav-"

The silvery water started to ripple. She slowly stood up and climbed up onto the arch. Her sigh came out almost as a growl. The nursery's occupants flooded into her den like a pack of rats, caterwauling and chasing a mossball down the slippery grey stone. The sudden din turned into sudden silence when Tipkit's throw overshot its mark and landed right in Silver River.

"Outta my den, ya vermin! Now!" she hissed, her mottled blue and cream tabby fur bristling as she leapt shakily from the top of the arch all the way to the space right next to Tipkit. The kits squealed in fright at the skinny molly and dashed back to the safety of their den. After a couple deep breathes, she walked back over to the spot that she was burning catmint as incense. She settled down and tried to cut right to the part she wanted to say.

"Do you have any proph-"

"OW! Ow! Holy mother of Starclan that hurts!"

She growled and stormed over the arch to the mouth of her den. "WHAT NOW, Owletfur?"

"I must've dislocated my paw," he whined, grimacing as he tried and failed to put weight on the injured paw.

As the deputy started to limp toward her den, she grabbed him roughly by the scruff and relocated his paw. He hissed as it popped back into place, glaring at the molly as she walked away. She had neither bothered to give him poppy, nor bothered to give him a warning. A moment later, she came back with sticks and cobwebs to make a splint. While he started to grumble through gritted teeth about her lack of warning him, she put one bony white paw firmly on his muzzle to keep it shut. Once he relaxed, she took her paw off his muzzle to finish wrapping the splint. "Try to keep off it for at least a quarter moon," she meowed bluntly, shoving a couple poppy seeds toward him with her plumed tail.

Owletfur glared at her again, taking the poppy before hobbling back to his den. She rolled her eyes and wandered back over to her spot by the lake. Just as she was about to open her mouth though, a bunch of warriors came back into camp arguing their heads off. Her tattered ears flicked backwards in an instant. Mottlenose looked up and growled, her anger finally releasing itself all at once.

"My ANCESTORS, do you have any VISIONS you want me to SEEEEEE?!"

Her yowl was so loud that she made herself jump out of her fur, and the whole cave echoed so intensely that she was honestly shocked that no one came down to check on her. But it did shut up the rest of the clan. Satisfied, she grinned and went back to her conversation with the spiritual realm.

[550 words]



Dear Starclan, I certainly thought about going to check on her. Thankfully I'd rethought that. She doesn't have to see well to give me a concussion.

[MeltiTheDragon]

who knew?

On leaf-fall's eve...

"Leaf-fall has finally begun! Let us all feast, and pray for bountiful prey come the next season's change."

Campionstar looked down over the bustling central cavern. Every cat gathered `round to share tongues and let themselves eat `till they could hold no more. She frowned. All of the cats had showed up...

Except one. Their medicine cat.

She quietly slunk off Highledge and through the hidden tunnel. Cautiously, she approached the deathly thin dilute torbie. Her sickly green eyes were fixated on the moonlit lake, nervously shaking and rocking herself where she sat.

"Mottlenose, what's wrong?"

"Grave danger is nearing us. The mountain of smoke will crumble to ash. Follow the plight of the one with the pelt of fire and soot to safety," the medic fretted, struggling to force the words out. She didn't even look up from the water.

Campionstar sighed and rested a paw on her shoulder. "It's okay, Mot-"

"Don't touch me!" she yowled, swatting the leader's paw. "It is not alright, it will not be alright. Starclan has spoken."

She sat silently at her old friend's side until the abrupt panic attack had subsided most of the way, only once getting up in order to tell Owletfur what was happening so he could explain her temporary absence.

The ragged molly turned around. "Why are you still here?"

"The feast."

For a brief moment, the healer's eyes lit up. "The feast? It is tonight?"

"Indeed, it is."

"Well why did you not tell me that earlier? I would love a plump rabbit." Mottlenose purred shakily as they started walking back to the fresh kill pile.

---------------------------------
One quarter moon later...

"Mottlenose...what are you doing?"

"Preparing for our impending demise," she mumbled around a mouthful of anise and thyme.

Campionstar rolled her eyes and sighed as she watched the molly place the herbs in her den and run back out for more. This was the fifth time Mottlenose had come back with herbs tonight. Not to mention the past seven nights. The medic was paranoid as ever. And the clan was safe as always.

---------------------------------
Another quarter moon later...

"Campionstar! Campionstar, you've gotta see this!"

Campionstar opened a single orange eye. Plump little Sproutsight was no more than a whisker's length away from her face, frantically nudging her up. She sighed and rolled onto her stomach. "What? I'm busy doing...important business. Now, leave me be." After glaring at him for a moment, she rolled back onto her side and went back to sleep...until only a minute later when Sprout's nudging became more insistent.

"But Campionstar, you really need to see this! Now!" he caterwauled anxiously.

The leader sighed again. "Fine, fine," she replied as she reluctantly got up to follow him. She may as well go to see what he was so worried about. They briskly walked out to the cascade. Her jaw dropped at the sight.

"Holy mother of Starclan!"

---------------------------------

"Emergency clan meeting! Do not meet under Highledge, meet me on the ridge."

"Why?"

"Just trust me. You all need to see it to believe it."

One by one the cats made their way up to the top of the ridge in an unusual degree of heat for this time of year, their eyes widening as they realized the reason Campionstar was calling for them. A while away was a terrible and frightening sight ; a whole mountain had exploded. Flames shot in spurts from the broken top of it, a dense cloud of ash and soot clouding the skies.

"The mountain exploded!" Mallowwhisker exclaimed.

Sleetstorm blinked a few times before adding, "Well, that's never happened before."

They sat in silence for a couple moments just staring at the eruption. The noise was almost deafening.

"Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so." Mottlenose meowed. "Starclan never lies."

The last one in the clan finally pulled himself up onto the ridge, the cream pointed tom coughing and wheezing as he collapsed into the fallen leaves next to Sleetstorm.

The ghoulish medic added, "Lightningfoot's gonna thank me for the herbs."

....

One question remained. And it worried Campionstar to absolutely no end.

"Mottlenose. You said there was danger to lives...." Her sentence trailed off. She wasn't sure she wanted to pose the question. But Mottlenose knew what she was trying to ask.

"Yes, there is still grave danger. But not to us. The dream I had last night, I saw flashes of fur that were unfamiliar to me. And one that give me a sense of deja vu. It must be another clan."

The rest of the clan gasped and looked at them with shocked expressions. "There's another clan here? Campionstar, I thought you said we were the only clan."

Campionstar frowned as she told them something she'd kept to herself for too long. " But there hasn't been another clan here in many moons. All of a sudden, they'd disappeared without a trace. Not a whiff of their scent on our borders in a solid three moons. When we went to check their camp, it was no longer there. The cave in must've drove them out."

"You know, when my mother once told me tales of the wild cats, I do distinctly remember there being two." Owletfur meowed sympathetically. "I feel like you have something else on your mind though."

For a moment, she was silent. It was the first time in a long time that she'd seen that sweeter side of him. The side of him that gave him his deputy position in the first place. She'd completely lost her trail of thought. A heart-beat later, she said in a hushed voice, "I can't help the feeling that the cats by the volcano might've been them."

He wrapped his tail around hers, much to the surprise of their clanmates. "We'll know soon. For now though, lets make sure Lightningfoot's alright."

They'd almost forgotten about the coughing tom. Mottlenose and Sleetstorm were at his side, giving him herbs and trying to keep him calm while he struggled to get a breath in. Owletfur and Shadowfang helped him onto Godwitflower's back and the clan started to make their way back to camp, unable to keep their eyes off the volcano's eruption.

[1035 words]



I was the last one on the ridge, stayed there right until the sun broke over the horizon and the hawks started pondering turning me into bird food. Campionstar was worried sick about the cats Mottlenose had seen.

[MeltiTheDragon]

who's the father?

Shadowfang took a deep breath before calling into the leader's den. "Campionstar, can we talk?"

The stocky white molly sauntered over as if she'd just been taking a nap. "Is there something wrong, Shadow?" she asked.

"No, but it is kind of important."

"Here?"

Shadow pondered it for a moment. "You know, I'd rather talk about it on the ridge."

As they climbed up the cliff, she carefully dropped the question.

"Campionstar, can I take a few moons off my duties?"

The leader looked more than a little worried. "Why?" As she was about to open her mouth to reply, someone else cut her off from behind.

"Let's just say, the clan's gonna get a lot noisier in a moon. That's her due date."

They both turned to stare at Mottlenose. When did she get here? And how in Starclan's name had she heard them talking? Campionstar gaped at her, finally noticing that she was a little on the plump side. "D-due date? Since when were you pregnant?"

She smiled. "It's been about a moon now. I'm really excited."

"You weren't when you first yowled for me," the medic added.

"Shut up, Mottlenose. I was surprised, that's all."

Campionstar was completely silent and utterly shocked. Kits? They hadn't had a litter since before the Great Plague! It was something to be proud of. Something to celebrate. So why hadn't she been told earlier? They had finally reached the top of the ridge. Sitting on the edge was an elegant cinnamon smoke tom. Owletfur. "So, who's the lucky father Shadow?"

The deputy whirled around, his eyes bright as the stars. He cheerfully strolled over to sit by the former rogue's side. "Hi Lexi! How are the kits doing?"

Mottlenose and Campionstar both gaped at them this time. They finally understood why she hadn't said who the kits' father was. Owletfur certainly wasn't the easiest cat to be friends with. Let alone being his mate. "HIM? HE'S your MATE?!" The leader practically spat the last word, like it was something taboo. Maybe it was just that they didn't get along very well. But the molly black as the night sky simply smiled even wider.

"Yep! Hoot's a sweetheart isn't he?" she purred.

"That certainly isn't the first thing that comes to mind, but sure, lets roll with that. Another question...Hoot? Lexi?"

They both rolled around laughing for a solid minute. Owletfur, less prickly than he usually is toward his leader, explained, "We used to hunt together west of the twolegplace."

"And we shared dens too!" Shadowfang added. "When we started to run out of prey, we couldn't agree which way to go. I went south and found the rogues, Hoot, er, Owlet went east and found you guys."

Well, that explained everything. Maybe Owletfur had a good side after all. The four cats leapt carefully down to the camp, some more cautiously than others. Mottlenose swiped her tail across the wall, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. The medic started hacking and coughing. "Dear Starclan, this den hasn't been used in moons!" she wheezed. The leader and deputy looked at each other for a moment.

"Don't worry, we'll dust it for you," they both said at once. The two cats started dusting the den with their tails. Mottlenose promptly vanished back into her den, still coughing her head off. A couple of the other warriors stood behind Shadowfang, sneezing and staring into the long vacant den.

"Um, guys. Campionstar. Hoot. Owlet. Whatever your clan name is."

They stopped for a moment.

"You really don't need to go crazy right now. I'm the only queen in the clan. I'd rather wait until I actually have the kits so I'm not as lonely in there."

They looked at each other for a minute and shrugged. "Eh, the more we dust now hon, the less we have to dust later," Owletfur replied.

She sighed and started laughing at them. This wasn't normal, seeing her mate and her leader getting along for once. What lies in shadows is not to be afraid of. For light cannot exist, without the darkness.

Once a prophecy cat, always a prophecy cat. Maybe she had a little more light to show than she'd thought.

[705 words]



You know, this green-leaf's been really peaceful. Maybe this is why.

[MeltiTheDragon]

an every quarter-moon's talk

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather `round underneath Highledge for a clan meeting."

Campionstar sat perched on the ledge as all the cats gathered around. There was a slight delay while Shadowfang herded her two little ones back into the nursery with the suggestion that they play catch with a moss ball. The leader cleared her throat and introduced the meeting.

"This is our quarter moon meeting. As always, if you have a question or concern, raise your paw and....yes Owlet?"

Owletfur had already stepped forward with his paw raised. "I've been noticing that over the past week our food has been spoiling abnormally quick. I think the heat wave might be doing this. My proposal is that we move the pile back two cat-lengths so it's out of the sun."

"Thanks for reminding me, I'd noticed that as well." Campionstar quickly leaped off of her ledge and put a twig from her nest down in the middle of camp. She climbed back up to her spot and added, "That shall be the new spot for prey. Please put all of it there from now on." She spotted one of Sproutsight's paws lifted. "Sproutsight?"

The tiny cream tabby squeaked, "I keep tripping on the rock right at the bottom of the cliff. Can we move that too?"

Campionstar rolled her eyes and sighed. "No Sprout, we can't move the rock. Just be more careful." The tom looked a little crestfallen.

"Can we join in too?"

Shadowfang yowled, "Back in the nursery Acornkit! You too Ivykit." She gently nudged both of them back toward the nursery. Sleetstorm waved her paw in the air.

"Urgent question, Sleetstorm?"

She head jerked up in surprise. "I was just itching!" she caterwauled, trying desperately to relieve the itch. "My fur's so itchy right now, I'd swear there was three clans worth of fleas living in there!"

Lightningfoot and Mallowwhisker took four huge steps away from her. The medic padded over and took a good look at her scruff. "Looks more like five clans worth of fleas," she meowed. Sleetstorm gasped and hissed, "Surely you must be kidding!"

"I'm not kidding, and don't call me Shirley. I'm a clan cat, not a loner."

Now the whole clan reeled away from her. Mottlenose added, "Ya know, I did tell everyone two meetings ago that it would be wise to avoid the rapids area for a while and I thought y`all heard me. Guess ya didn't."

While Mottlenose retreated into her den for herbs, Lightningfoot raised his paw and coughed into it. "You got a question or are you just coughing? Campionstar inquired.

He chuckled. "Kinda both. Any word on the 'other clan'?"

Campionstar fell silent. Despite the volcano and the ensuing heat wave, she was trying her best to not think about it. "Not yet."

Thankfully for her, Mottlenose had come back with a bundle of comfrey and chamomile in her mouth. She mixed them into a paste and instructed Sleetstorm to rub it over the itchy spots. She climbed up next to Campionstar. "Starclan says something horrible will happen to you next quarter moon Campionstar. You too Mallowwhisker. You both need to be really careful for a long whi-"

Campionstar clapped a paw over the medicine cat's mouth and sighed. "I think the meeting's just about over. Owletfur, assign some patrols."

Mottlenose glowered at her and slunk back into the solitude of her den. The other cats simply started going about their nightly business.

[582 words]



This happens every week. Same old talk, different week.

[MeltiTheDragon]

a whisker away

"Darn it!"

Mallowwhisker scowled at the gently waving, slightly brown grass. A white mouse with various spots of black munched on a berry a few paces away from where she pounced. She put a paw forward, and it moved a step further. Another paw forward, and it moved even further.

"Any luck, Mallow?" Shadowfang asked.

She sighed frustratedly. "No, not yet. This mouse is a slippery little thing."

The calico molly got back into her hunter's crouch. She leaped and this time the mouse took off running. Her running start turned into a running landing as she chased after it. It tried to shake her off its trail. It ran in zigzags, through logs, even straight through that infamous patch of wild garlic. But she still had both sight and smell of it.

Panicked, the mouse dove into a burrow. She leaned down and put her ear to the hole. A smile spread across her muzzle. The burrow was full of mice. She eagerly got to work digging. Soil and dry crumpled leaves flew at all angles, her paws saturated with mud. All of a sudden, a whole clan's worth of mice scurried out of holes that she didn't notice were there. In the span of a couple minutes, she took down about fifteen mice.

Although the white and black one still eluded her, and gave her a look so intense she swore it had a conscience, she still amassed a very good haul of prey. She cheerfully returned to camp with her share of food. Combined with what Shadowfang and Lightningfoot had caught, it was enough to feed the whole clan a whole quarter moon.

However, when she brought Campionstar and Owletfur to the spot, the mice were no longer there. "I think you scared them off Mallow," Campionstar remarked.

Mallowwhisker grinned and mewed, "That's okay! It was great while it lasted!"

[313 words]



Mallowwhisker may be young but she's the best huntress our clan has.

[MeltiTheDragon]

first time in a long time

Sunhigh daylight shone surprisingly harshly on one chilly late leaf-fall day. Two warriors squinted ; "It's awfully hard to do sentry duties when you can't even see past the tree line," Sleetstorm thought. Cats' eyes just weren't made for seeing in bright lights. It made her question why Campionstar even bothered stationing them out here. A close friend of her's, Lightningfoot, sat on the opposite side of the ledge, intently staring out into the horizon.

"Hey, Sleet?"

She looked over to the right side of the ledge, meeting his brilliant blue eyes. "Yeah?"

"I'm bored. You probably are too. Why don't we head down to the bridge, catch some trout?" he inquired, his mouth stretching into a very wide yawn.

She flashed him an incredulous look. Straight-laced and eternally dutiful Lightningfoot, suggesting that they leave their posts? Something had to be up. She needed to see what it was.

"Why not?"

He gave a mischievous grin that she didn't think she'd ever seen before. "Great! Race you there! Last one there's crow food!"

The skinny tom took off so fast that he turned into a blur before her shocked eyes. Actually, with the sun how it was, he was pretty much invisible until he was on the leaves that lined the forest floor. "Hey! Wait for me!" she yowled, her paws slamming against first cold hard stone, then soft soil and leaves.

No matter how hard she pushed herself, he remained at least three cat-lengths ahead of her at all times. He deftly maneuvered around every obstacle, the layout of the clan's territory embedded deep in the furthest depths of his mind. Finally, he skidded to a stop on the peak of the bridge, coughing and wheezing until he managed to catch his breath.

A few heartbeats later, Sleetstorm halted right next to him. She was about to ask him why she was brought here. But a stunning sight distracted her.

"Lightning! Look at the waterfall!"

One of the smallest cascades in the territory was illuminated in a rainbow of colors. It'd never looked like that before, at least not in their lifetimes.

"Wow! I always thought this spot was beautiful...but this is even better." he marveled. "It's actually...kinda fitting considering..."

"Considering what?

He took a deep breath. "We've known each other for a while, we've gotten kinda close in the past few moons, and I'm not sure if you share the same feelings at all but...will you be my mate, Sleetstorm?"

She had to admit, she was surprised. But not in the way he'd think. "Honestly...I've been thinking of when to ask you for two whole moons now. It's just that I kept fretting over whether you had any feelings for me and I never had the nerve to do it. Absolutely," she purred, leaning forward to give him a quick lick on the nose. The corners of her mouth curled into a shape that they hadn't taken in so long that it almost felt unnatural.

"Sleetstorm, I haven't seen you smile in ages!" Lightningfoot meowed.

She smiled even wider, feeling a rush of heat in her cheeks. "I-I know. There's just something about you that makes me, well, happy."

"I'm really glad you feel the same way," he said, pausing a moment before yowling, "First one back gets that rabbit you caught yesterday!"

She laughed and took off after him. This time though, he seemed be running a little slower, as she could easily keep up with him. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the wind in her fur ; either way, she felt much happier than she'd felt in a good many moons.

Or maybe....

it was true love.

[612 words]



And that was the first time I saw Sleetstorm smiling in a very, very long time.

[MeltiTheDragon]

something's fishy on the east border

"Sproutsight, you'll lead a border patrol along the east border. Shadowfang, Mallowhisker, Tipheart, head out with him. Report back if you see anything unusual."

"Really? I'm leading a patrol?" Sprout squeaked. Owletfur nodded, motioning out of the camp. He grinned widely, bouncing out of the camp with three cats in tow. "Thank you, it's an honor sir."

He was ecstastic ; Owletfur had never assigned him as patrol leader before. They kept standard formation, one in front and in back with the middle two on the sides, scanning the wooded landscape thoroughly for intruders and unwanted pests. He regretted putting Mallowwhisker and Tipheart next to each other though. Apparently the young`un had developed a bit of a crush on the equally young huntress. And she certainly had some feelings back. Exactly when this all developed, he didn't know.

Leaves crackled and popped like those little sparks his housefolk played with in the peak of green-leaf as he trounced through the undergrowth. Shadowfang shot him a glare. "Who taught you stealth?" she chuckled. He turned back to the rear end of their group. "Who needs stealth though? We're not looking to hunt after all!"

The molly rolled her eyes, shaking her head in exasperation. She looked longingly at the river as she neared it. The former rogue had always had an affinity for trout. He meowed with a laugh and a grin, "There's no time to stop for trout, Shadow! It's almost sun-up!", as he playfully nudged her back toward Mallow and Tip, who still hadn't stopped flirting each other. She glared at him again.

As of then, nothing seemed off. That was, until he caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. He took a deeper sniff. It smelled fishy, but not a familiar kind of fishy, and also a little salty, like those little fish his housefolk used to make for themselves. He looked over to sharp-nosed Mallowwhisker. Her ears were pricked in the same direction has him. Yep, she'd smelled the same thing. As did the other two with them.

Immediately, they headed off eastbound, the smell of salt and fish getting thicker. All of a sudden, a rustle sounded from the bushes ahead. Sprout stopped dead in his tracks, the three behind him nearly colliding with him. He motioned his tail toward his mouth to shush them, before crouching to pounce. The tiny tom made a surprisingly powerful leap and landed in the bush.

"Ow! What in Starclan's name did you do that for."

He wriggled out of the bush and looked up. In front of him stood a beautiful grey tabby with stunning blue eyes. She flicked her tail. "Ahem!"

What was he thinking? "Get your head out of the stars," he thought to himself. "I regret to inform you that you're on the territory of Cascadeclan. Please state your business or leave in peace." Shadowfang muttered "Or pieces" from somewhere behind him. He shot her a disapproving look.

The molly thought for a moment, two cats slinking out from the bushes behind her. "A clan huh? Didn't think that there were any others nearby. A third of our clan has fallen ill with green-cough. My medic saw visions of herbs that could heal it, but said vision spoke of mountains."

"That's....understandable," Sproutsight meowed. Mallowwhisker butted in. "We could take you to Mottlenose! She'll certainly have what you're looking for."

"Mallow, we're not allowed to take outsiders to camp unless it's an emergency!"

"Oh. Thanks Shadow, forgot about that for a moment." She revised. "Or we can bring Mottlenose to you."

--------

"Come on Mottlenose!"

The three cats stared at the cat that was being practically dragged to them. A frail, ragged looking molly who's eyes and ears looked too big for the rest of her and fur that looked as if it hadn't been groomed in over a moon. "You're Mottlenose, I suppose?"

The medic was quite literally shaking, and her words were strained to say the least. "Y-yes. I hhh- I have anise and- fox-dung....th-thyme. Yes, thyme." She sighed, her eyes drifting aimlessly from her bundle of herbs to the river rushing beside them.

"And what do we do with them?" the pretty grey molly inquired. She was about to push further, but a quick tail gesture from Cascadeclan's patrol leader shut her up.

Sproutsight gave her a stern look. Pretty as she was, she was also rather pushy and he wasn't so crazy about that. "Please be patient. Mottlenose gets really anxious around strange cats and sometimes she has a really hard time talking. We'd have brought the herbs ourselves but I doubt that Mallow would've remembered Mottlenose's instructions on how to use them. After all, she was the one who once made a love potion out of herbs and nearly poisoned her crush with it."

The warriors all roared with laughter, as Mallowwhisker's ears swiveled back against her head. "It was an accident, and I was just an apprentice!" she hissed, her teeth bared. Not that she looked threatening that way. She definitely had a case of kit-face.

Mottlenose spoke again, more clearly this time. "Give a pawful of each by mouth three times a day, crush well. Always take with food, or face the consequences. Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

The three dipped their heads in gratitude. "Thank you very much, Cascadeclan. We promise not to bother you again."

Just as they sent them off, Sproutsight suddenly remembered two things he forgot to ask earlier. "Wait a moment. You said you didn't realize there was another clan. You're part of a clan? We thought there were only two here ; us and Calderaclan. I also forgot to ask your name."

She smiled. "Indeed. We are of Currentclan, along place where the land meets the Sun Drown Place. I am their leader, Salmonstar."

"It's been a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Salmonstar. Farewell, and may Starclan continue lighting your pawsteps."

"It's been nice meeting you too. We wish the same your way." She strode off with her escorting warriors in tow. He again felt the heat rush in his cheeks.

"Sproutsight, head out of the stars. We have to finish patrolling the border."

Shadowfang snapped him out of his thoughts. With one last look toward the east, he led his patrol away as the first rays of sun brushed the skies in touches of pale blue.

[1062 words]



So, if you ever smell salt, keep your eyes out for the rare sight of a cat of the salt and the currents.