|
Post by Gray Pool on Oct 29, 2018 17:18:58 GMT -5
Cave of Stars Set in the wooded marshes of New York State, a group of heavily religious cats makes their home.
They have been there as long as the marsh has existed, and they revere the forces of water and mud, moss and scale. Kits and apprentices are blessed in the light of the Sept-Mother, a mysterious figure who is said to sleep under the earth. When a cat dies, they are buried deep in the ground, said to turn into spirits who live in the roots of trees.
The marsh protects you, they say, until it doesn't. Elders tell tales of apprentices disappearing deep in the marsh, swallowed by a great snake who spits their corpses out into the sky, cursing them to eternal fire, lost from their Sept forever.
Then an apprentice finds something.
Something ancient, something powerful. Something that could release the souls from their bondage. But it poses a threat to everything the Sept has ever known, and as beliefs clash, Heaven and Earth collide.
Fans Phantomstar57
mintedstar/fur
reviews
Layout Credit: Brownie
|
|
|
Post by Gray Pool on Oct 29, 2018 17:19:34 GMT -5
πππ«π«π’π¨π«π¬: πππ―π π¨π ππππ«π¬
ALLEGIANCES Swamp-Sept Leader: Bracken Star (Light brown tabby tom with coarse, wiry fur, a lighter underside and pale green eyes)
Locum Leader: Leaf Scratch (Large, reddish brown tabby she cat with deep green eyes. Very muscular.) Apprentice; Pike Splash
Mud-Priest: Rambling Sparrow (Small, tortoiseshell and white she cat with pale blue eyes)
Locum Mud-Priest: Gosling Feather (Fluffy, young, pale cream-grey tabby tom with yellow eyes)
Warriors Marsh Flowers (Delicate, long haired rich brown tabby she cat with white paws)
Tawny Stripe (Long-furred dark ginger tabby tom with white paws) Apprentice; Otter Muzzle
Rosemary Tail (Pale ginger tom with light amber eyes and a long, fluffy tail)
Salt Breeze (Dark gray tabby tom with thick shoulder and dark eyes) Apprentice; Thundering Cloud
Racer (Thin dark ginger tom with long legs)
Mossy Branch (Brown and white tabby she cat with dark gray eyes)
Speckled Snake (Pale tortoiseshell she cat with light amber eyes)
Shallow Creek (Black furred tom with amber eyes) Apprentice; Rabbit Paw
Chattering Hen (Delicate, long-furred dark brown tabby she cat with amber eyes)
Shivering Dog (Black and white she cat with pale yellow eyes) Apprentice; Snow Shine
Long Whisker (Ragged old brown tabby tom with long, drooping whiskers and scarred ears)
Apprentices
Snow Shine (White she cat with gray tabby patches and light blue-grey eyes)
Thundering Cloud (Pale gray tabby she cat with intense yellow eyes)
Rabbit Paw (Skinny, short furred tortoiseshell and white she cat with yellow eyes and a twisted hind leg)
Otter Muzzle (Long-haired ginger tom with clouded stripes, pale amber eyes, and a distinctive large, round snout)
Pike Splash (Dark gray tabby tom with downy fur and a feathery tail)
Queens
Tansy Fur (Short-furred golden tabby and white she cat with leaf green eyes and a short tail)
|
|
|
Post by Gray Pool on Oct 31, 2018 0:47:54 GMT -5
CHAPTER ONE Snow Shine flexed her claws into the ground, watching the water well up around her paws. The rain had been going on for three days, and everything, including her fur, bled water. The sept had to move three times to higher ground in a fortnight, and each time, Bracken Star had put her on guard. She had considered talking to him about it, but when she told Thundering Cloud and Rabbit Paw, Thundering Cloud had seemed shocked. βWhy on earth would you tell Bracken Star about something so stupid?β
Snow Shineβs ears flattened in irritation. Rabbit Paw hadnβt even backed her up, and if Rabbit Paw wasnβt going to say she should, then there was no way in hell she was going to talk to Bracken Star. So now she was outside of the camp, the rain slicking her fur flat, and nobody had come to get her or offered to trade in what felt like hours. Her only company was Shivering Dog, her mentor, who was standing stoically a few feet away from her, whiskers alert and eyes forward. And to say Shivering Dog was company wasnβt saying much. Just a moon before her apprenticeship started, Thundering Cloud had strutted up to her, her round harvest-moon eyes shining, and told her that Shivering Dog had volunteered to be her mentor. Snow Shine cringed at the thought. It was custom for the leader to consult with a warrior they thought would be a suitable mentor to an apprentice to see if they wanted to be one and were ready. If Shivering Dog had volunteered, it meant nobody else wanted her. Snow Shine had wanted to whack Thundering Cloudβs encouraging smile off her face. Instead, she just forced a tight, grateful-enough smile, praying that the rumor wasnβt true.
Unfortunately, when next moon came, and Snow Shine heard Bracken Star call Shivering Dogβs name out, the apprehension in her gut was realized. And when the black and white she cat rested her chin on Shivering Dogβs forehead, vowing to make her a great warrior and bring her closer into the light of the Sept-Mother, Snow Shine couldnβt help but wince at the pity she could practically feel rolling off her fur.
The next two moons had been even worse. Every morning, just before the dawn broke, Shivering Dog managed to clamber up to the apprenticeβs den, push her way into the bracken, and yowl at Snow Shine to get up loud enough to wake a dying star. Even worse, she expected Snow Shine to be cheerful; not only that but she treated any patrol or training like some kitβs bonding activity, complete with friendly paw cuffs and attempted banter. Once, she tried to confide in Snow Shine about a crush on Shallow Creek, a thought that made her fur stand on end.
What she wanted was a mentor, not a sister.
βYou guys ready to trade out?β A black-furred cat meowed as he skidded down from the slick outcropping of rocks, followed by another smaller, more careful tortoiseshell figure.
Snow Shine jumped up in delight. βRabbit Paw!β At the same time, Shivering Dog rose to her feet, a flustered purr rising from her soaked pelt. βOh, Shallow Creek! Hey! Whatβre you doing here?β
The black tom bounced over to Shivering Dog, weaving around her with excitement. He always seemed to have a spark of energy about him, a quality Snow Shine had observed since she was a kit. Once, just as the dawn patrol was leaving, he had cheerfully padded into the den with a muddy-looking sparrow and offered it to her mother. Mossy Branch blearily accepted, and quickly tried to shoo him out, but it was too late. Snow Shine still rued after that extra hour and a half of sleep, although she missed the days when she thought the dawn patrol was early.
βI just said,β he purred, never slowing. Snow Shine watched in amusement as Shivering Dogβs eyes widened and she dropped her ears in embarrassment. βYeah, of course. Sorry.β She quickly looked away from him towards Snow Shine, her eyes pleading. Snow Shine trotted over, exchanging an amused glance with Rabbit Paw, whoβs mottled tail was twitching.
βSee you later,β she whispered under her breath as she passed the tortoiseshell she cat. Rabbit Pawβs eyes glittered. Snow Shine pushed in between Shallow Creek and Shivering Dog, bundling her mentor towards the rock steps. Shivering Dog chokingly whispered a goodbye to Shallow Creek, who had already taken his place next to a dripping bush.
βWow,β Shivering Dog breathed as they clambered to the top of the top of the outcropping. βHeβs just so great. Yesterday Leaf Scratch told us to go on border patrol together.β She lowered her voice conspiratorially. βI think she knows.β
Snow Shine crumpled her face as a raindrop splashed on her nose. βThatβs dumb. Leaf Scratch doesnβt care.β She padded forward, feeling her steps inclining upward onto a drier, pine dappled hill. The feeling was unusual, and the fallen pine needles pricked her paws uncomfortably.
βArenβt apprentices supposed to respect and agree with their mentors?β Shivering Dog mewed, catching up to Snow Shine, her pawsteps quick and short. Yes, but most apprentices have their training being taken seriously.
βMaybe I donβt respect you,β Snow Shine mewed rebelliously. Shivering Dog gave her an unreadable look.
βGosling Feather says the rain will let up soon,β she finally mewed.
βErβ¦ Yeah, I guess,β Snow Shine mewed quietly. She angled her nose up to the darkened sky, a hazy drizzle shuddering into her eyes, and she screwed them shut. βDoesnβt feel like it.β
βAnd he also said that Tansy Fur will be having her kits soon.β
Snow Shineβs gray and white pelt fluffed up, a cold chill suddenly running through her, and didnβt respond. βHave you ever seen a birth, Snow Shine?β Shivering Dog asked absentmindedly. They were almost at the top of the hill and Snow Shine knew that the camp was but fifty paw-steps away, though it was hard to see. The undergrowth was getting denser.
βNo, but it sounds nice, having medicine cats running around and fussing over you for ages, and then you donβt have to do anything for moons.β Snow Shine remembered her days in the nursery. Rambling Sparrow had constantly been around, and her earliest memory was of her waking in the night, the tortoiseshell she cat watching her intently. It was strange, and it made her uncomfortable, but Rambling Sparrow eventually became a comforting presence, always ready with fresh-kill or sweet-smelling herbs for her mother.
βI wish it was like that all the time,β Shivering Dog murmured.
Snow Shine tilted her head. βWhat do you mean?β
βI saw a cat give birth once, you know. It was so scary. She was yowling in so much pain I almost vomited. And then when the kitsβ¦ you know, came out, it was in this little sack, covered in blood and stringy stuff.β Shivering Dog grimaced.
βRambling Sparrow goes on and on about the miracle of birth. I guess it is a miracle, growing cats inside you. But when you see it it just seems so much less. Like watching a cat make dirt.β
Snow Shine snorted. βYouβre telling me itβs like watching a cat make dirt? What, have you been watching Shallow Creek?β
Shivering Dog swung her head around, eyes blazing with indignance. βI- I have not! Thatβs so gross!β
βWhatβs gross?β A voice peeped out from behind a rotten log. Snow Shine hopped onto it, looking down at a dark ginger tom calmly grooming his fur, though it was as damp as the log she was on.
βNothing,β she said. βCan I go in, Racer?β The tom swiveled his head around.
βI mean, itβs just a big, open circle, we donβt really have a barrier. Soβ¦ yeah. But you gotta give me the password.β
Snow Shine watched as dismay washed over Shivering Dogβs face. βPassword? I donβt remember there being a password when we left!β
βWell, Bracken Star said thereβs gotta be a password now, soβ¦β He looked apologetically at the two cats.
βThey missed the meeting, Racer. Donβt be dense.β A pretty tabby she cat padded over, her long fur brushing the ground.
βMarsh Flowers!β Shivering Dog exclaimed excitedly, rushing forward to brush noses with the tabby queen. Racer looked annoyed.
βI was just messing with them, right kit? You knew?β
Snow Shine glared at him. βCall me kit again and Iβll nip your ankles.β
Racerβs pale yellow eyes widened. βShivering Dog, your apprentice is rabid.β
βNot even Gosling Feather can help with that, Iβm afraid,β Shivering Dog mewed good-naturedly.
Marsh Flowers flicked her ear, the long, jagged chunk of it missing not having impeded its mobility. βSnow Shine, go get some fresh kill. The airβs turning cold, and sitting outside all day isnβt good for you. I heard your sister killed a swamp rabbit.β
Snow Shine perked her ears up. βOooh, really?β
βYeah, go ahead,β murmured Shivering Dog.
βI donβt think I need permission to eat, but thanks anyway.β Snow Shine didnβt waste any more time then, swiftly trotting to a pile of prey lying on top of a crushed fern. On top lay Thundering Cloudβs rabbit. It smelled like earth and damp. Home. Snow Shine sniffed it a little more. Maybe a little too damp- Rambling Sparrow had always said that the only pieces of prey that would keep when wet were frogs and lizards, because they lived their whole life like that, and if you could live wet you could be dead wet.
But just to be nice, she grabbed a hold of it in her jaws, feeling the wet fur slide around in her mouth. Bringing it to the apprentices den, which was just a currently empty patch of needled shrubbery, or what looked to be a miniature pine tree. The leaderβs den, on the other hand, was a long, flat rock that was shaded with taller branches, a fact that Snow Shine was hugely envious of. Must be nice to be able to sit up in your own den.
She crouched down and took her first bite. For a second, the bite was cold, full of fur and muscle, but then warm blood filled Snow Shineβs mouth, and for the first time in hours, a trickle of energy crept back into her.
Sheβd need it. After all, there was more work to be done.
CHAPTER TWO The tabby she-catβs paws flew over the ground, slapped down hard, and sent a spray of water up behind her. Fear oozed through her body, trembling from her outstretched claws to her tail-tip.
She stumbled.
The ground rocketed toward her, and she crashed hard. For a second, everything spun, and she gasped for breath, the wind knocked out of her chest. The world spun and pain arced through her right paw. She couldnβt see what was wrong. It was too dark.
A low vibration coursed through the warm air, and she raised her head up in fear, struggling to stand. Water had splashed into her wide, panicked eyes, but it didnβt matter, nothing mattered, she just needed to run. She had to make up the time she had lost.
Deeper she went, down further, and the air grew staler, and warmer still. Her whiskers brushed against the walls and she could feel the vibration, feeling it grow closer. She wanted to whimper, but she had no breath, and everything was closing in.
Thoughts drifted through her brain, slow like the swamp-turtleβs gait, but her paws picked up speed.
She would never be joined with a mate. Never have kits.
Never see her first apprentice become a warrior, never get to become a warrior herself.
At least her body would be buried underneath the surface. Like the song her father used to sing, deep in the Earth, safe and sound where the roots were bound, andβ¦ she couldnβt remember the rest.
What was the path she took, the path that took her here? She wished she could take it all back. She wanted to be home, to listen to the trees again, to hear the screaming of the wind, rustling over her fur and into the canyon.
It was so open there, wide and free. If you were at the top of the canyon it was dizzying, and a little scary, the kind of place elders told you to avoid. Mole Toothβs kit had died there, perhaps in the same spot she had been in, staring over the edge to the valley below. They never told her his name.
Would they say her name, when they realized she was gone? Or would she be forgotten, a warning not to venture out into the swamps?
There was no breath left in her body now, but she couldnβt feel anything, just the heavy feeling of going deeper into the ground. Why was it so warm?
The vibrations had stopped, but she kept going, fear and desperation making her fight forward. That, and something else. A cryptic, irrational feeling. Could she call it curiosity?
No, it wasnβt that. But something drew her forward, just like the feeling that drew her to the top of the canyon, that some great outcome would be on the other side. There would be. There had to be. Maybe it was a quick death. And if that was all she could get, she would take it.
Maybe she didnβt deserve anything else.
|
|