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Post by ᴄᴏɴɪ﹣ғᴇʀᴏᴜs on Feb 13, 2019 6:16:07 GMT -5
Chapter 1: Clear Skies “Sharp!” A ticked blue-gray tabby pricks her ears, swiveling around at the sound of her name. “Hey, Warble!” she greets her fellow Guard. “What’s going on? Did Skywatcher get a sign?” The brown tom sighs. “As much as I wish it were that, no. We got some apprentices stuck on a ledge, and they can’t get down.” Sharp flattens her ears. “The same ones?” “The same ones,” Warble confirms. “Cloud and Pebble.” Sharp lashes her tail, a bit agitated. “Can’t we just leave the two on the ledge and let them be? It’s getting tiring for me to get them down all the time.” Warble shook his head. “Sorry, Sharp. They’re part of the clan too. Hey, if it makes you feel better, I’m going to help you,” the tomcat mews hurriedly. “Hoot and Kite are pitching in as well. So it’s probably going to be easier this time.” Sharp grumbles in annoyance. “I still want to leave them on the ledge.” Warble narrows his eye. “Well all do, Sharp. As Cloud’s mentor, I’m getting exasperated all the time. But it can’t be helped. As Guards, we have to do our duty and help our clanmates when they’re in need.” Must be nice to be a Hunter, Sharp thinks. Hunt prey and otherwise do nothing. Guard-work, on the other hand… Nevertheless, the she-cat and her fellow Guard bounded to the Amber Cliff. A crowd of cats had collected beneath the jagged stones, caterwauling loudly up to Cloud and Pebble. The two to-bes themselves appeared to very precariously balancing on the small ledge they were stuck on, letting out small wails and squeaks as their paws scrabbled on the smooth stone. And Cloud is supposed to be a Guard, Sharp thinks irritably, pushing her way through the crowd of rambunctious cats. If he keeps on getting caught on the cliffside, how does he expect himself to guard the camp? “Don’t worry, Cloud!” Sharp turns her head to see the black and white fur of Blaze, a prey-hunter. The she-cat is staring up at the ledge with wide eyes. “The Guards are here now, you’ll get down here quickly!” “I wonder why they don’t climb the cliff themselves,” a voice whispers in Sharp’s ear. The she-cat spins around, spitting in surprise. Her brother, Kite, looks down at her with amused eyes. “What? Did I scare you, Sharp?” he asks in amusement. “You’re getting jumpier by the day. Come on,” the brown tabby Guard adds, bounding toward the base of the cliff. “Let’s get to work, shall we?” Sharp follows his lead, padding toward the yellow rocks. She latches her front paws onto a large ridge, puts strength on her hind paws and pushes. After that, the climb up is a breeze. The cliff itself is steeper than most of those in the gorge, but with experience of many moons in her paws, Sharp and the other Guards can manage quite well. One ridge, then push. Another, then push. The point is to keep her eyes trained up and not down, and to keep moving. One stop and she’s a goner. The pitiful mewling of Cloud and Pebble are louder now. Sharp glances upward and notes that Kite is faster than her, leaping from rock to rock as if he were a hare and not a cat. “Slow down!” Sharp yowls. Stopping is bad, but being overconfident is worse. A Guard can place their paw on a wrong ridge – a crumbly one – and they could fall to their death in a moment. “Kite, stop leaping around! Focus!” “Sharp is right!” Sharp pricks her ears at the familiar voice. Hoot. And of course, Warble is coming behind the black and white she-cat. “Kite, stop! We’re here to rescue Cloud and Pebble, not show off our climbing skills!” “Do that… another… time!” Warble gasps out as the skinny brown tomcat clambers along his friends. “Catch you later, slowpokes!” the loud yowl of my brother echoes downward as he prances toward the mewling two to-bes. “Help us, Kite!” Cloud wails. “Not to worry, we’re here,” Hoot grunts as she pushes herself upwards. “Warble, are you sure you’ve been training your apprentice correctly? Because he keeps on getting stuck on random ledges.” “I’m sure I’m competent enough to teach an apprentice of my own,” Warble hisses back. “It’s not my fault that he doesn’t listen!” “Watch what you say to your own apprentice!” Sharp reprimands her friend quickly. “Alright, you two. Cloud, do you know how to get down to the ground?” “No?” the white tomcat’s mew ends with a questioning note. “Warble never taught me how to do that.” Hoot shoots her brother a nasty glare; Warble hisses back in retaliation. Sharp sighs, irritableness lacing her breath. “Cloud, turn around,” she orders. “And place your hind paws on two ridges.” The white tom shivers. “How?” Kite growls. “Warble, you incompetent prick.” “It’s not my fault he doesn’t listen!” Warble defends himself. “Talk about that to Skywatcher, not us,” Sharp snaps. The blue-gray she-cat turns her attention back to Cloud. “There are two ledges you can step on, here and here.” She motions with her tail. “Trust me, they’re sturdy. We’ll guide you on your way down, so don’t worry too much, you two.” Cloud nods quickly before twisting around, careful not to knock Pebble out of her position, and puts a shaking hind paw on one of the narrow cracks in the cliff. Then comes another leg. Then his forepaws begin to move as well, one step at a time. “Good job!” Sharp mews encouragingly. “Hoot, Kite, can you two guide Pebble down?” “Got you covered!” her brother calls down. “Thanks!” Sharp returns her attention to the white to-be, who is going down in a quicker pace than she thought he would. “Slow down, Cloud,” she cautions, hastily moving down to him. “This isn’t a race. Now, you see that larger ledge?” She looks to Cloud, who nods rapidly. “We’re going to jump from there to the bushes down below. It won’t hurt, because they’re just leaves. No thorns, I promise.” Sharp manages to maneuver herself and the young tomcat to the large ledge, surprisingly with minimal trouble. Maybe Warble’s wrong and Cloud actually listens, she thinks to herself. Under a good mentor, he probably will thrive. “You ready?” she calls to Cloud. “Jump!” She springs from her perch, sailing down to the bushes down below. The wind in her ears belies the yowls and cries from the crowd. She lands in the bushes with a thump, followed by another as Snow, large tomcat he is, touches down on the ground. “Well done,” Sharp praises. “Next time, I’ll see if I can get Warble to actually teach you things without you not paying attention.” Cloud brightens, his eyes wide. “You mean it?” “Of course I do. We’ll help you with your training, understood?” “Yes!” Cloud leaps to his paws but is forced to sit down again when his mother, Fog, tackles him with frantic licks. “Oh, my kit, my kit! Are you alright?” she nuzzles the struggling white tom. “Are you hurt? Thank you so much for bringing him down!” This is addressed to Sharp. Sharp shrugs. “Not a problem,” she mews. She’s not particularly keen on accepting praise from any Prey-Hunter, to be honest. Now, to receive praise from Talon, that would be great… A piercing screech makes the three cats sharply turn their gaze to the cliff’s surface. A dark brown form tumbles down the cliff amidst horrified gasps, landing with a sickening crack on the ground. Sharp swiftly makes her way to the fallen to-be, nudging through the crowd to get to her. “Is she alright?” “Is she dead?” “Pebble! Wake up!” “Sharp!” Kite leaps down, his fur bristling. “Is she okay?” “Does she look okay to you?” Hoot growls, landing beside the brown tomcat. “Thank the Moon that she didn’t land on her head!” “Someone, get Skywatcher or Spider!” a cat yowls. A few felines break away from the crowd, running toward the wide stone plate that is camp. “What happened?” Sharp asks. “You guys didn’t just let her fall, did you?” “Of course not!” Hoot hisses. “This pollen-head – “ The black and white she-cat gives Kite a solid kick in the flank – “- thought it would be an incredibly good idea to argue with Warble on the way down!” “I mean, arguing doesn’t do much,” Sharp notes. “Did Warble or Kite get distracted, by any chance?” “No,” Warble announces as Hoot opens her mouth to reply. “Pebble did. She got so immersed in our argumentation that she forgot to put her paw on the next ridge. She slipped, and then she fell to the ground.” “Stop saying that so nonchalantly!” Sharp snarls, her own fur bushing up. “You’re in no position to talk like that, given how poorly you have taught your trainee!” “Calm down, all of you.” A calm, elderly voice cuts in before Warble can retort. “Move aside, will you, Sharp?” Sharp whips around to see the ginger tabby form of Skywatcher. The she-cat flicks her tail, clearly not in a very good mood. “Well?” she prompts. “My apologies,” Sharp mumbles, stepping over Pebble’s splayed hind paws. Skywatcher nods before nosing at the unconscious to-be. “I see. Hoot, Shadow. You two carry her to my den. The rest of you, go to Moss or Talon to see if there’s anything you need to do instead of standing here and gawking like a nest full of eagle chicks.” Skywatcher waves her tail, and Hoot and a large black tomcat step forward. Hoot carefully grasps Pebble’s scruff between her jaws, then drags the brown tabby over Shadow’s back. Pebble’s paws dangle aimlessly as Shadow slowly pads away. The crowd parts like a crack in a stone to let Shadow, the unconscious to-be, and Hoot pass through. The four cats gradually become a silhouette, then a speck in the distance. After a few moments of silence, Sharp flicks her tail and pads away to Cloud and Fog. Fog is still continuously fussing over her son. “I’ll have Skywatcher check you over,” Fog insists. “There’s no need for that, Mom! I’m being serious!” “Well, Fog, you’re a bit too late for that,” Sharp interrupts. “I’m afraid Skywatcher already came and went, taking Pebble with her.” “…Oh.” Fog hesitates for a moment, then adds, “In that case, Sharp, would you mind taking Cloud to Spider? I really would like him to be looked over.” In her head, Sharp is thinking, That is unnecessary. Out loud, “Sure, Fog. I’ll take it from here. Could you possibly tell that mindless bunch what to do? They’re sitting around doing nothing and it’s starting to get on my nerves.” “Certainly!” Fog gives Cloud a final lick on his head before bounding away, yowling out orders. “Thank you so much, Sharp,” Cloud grunts, getting to his paws. “I was about to die! You’re not really going to send me to Spider, are you?” His amber eyes glint, slightly alarmed. Sharp exhales. “Unfortunately for you, a promise is a promise. I’ll take you to Spider and then we can talk to Skywatcher about your possible change of mentor.” She herds the fluffy, now disgruntled white tom towards camp.
Chapter 2: Slight Drizzle “Spider?” Sharp calls inside the stone cave. “Hey, we have a patient.” “A patient?” a gray tabby tom grumbles, slipping out of the shadows. “What is it this time? Did Warble drop from that cliff again?” “Close enough.” Sharp noses the reluctant Cloud forward. “Here, Fog demanded that you give this to-be a check.” “Fog, eh?” Spider twitches an ear, inspecting the white tom. “Why not Skywatcher, though? I’m fairly sure Fog trusts her more than she does me.” “Skywatcher’s looking over Pebble at the moment. She had a really nasty fall.” Spider grunts. “Alright, I’ll be giving a check for this ‘injured’ to-be right here. Sharp, you better go check with Talon or someone to see if there’s anything for you to do. You know how the Council hates dilly-dallying.” “Heading over to Talon to do just that.” Sharp flicks her tail as she trots out of Spider’s den. “Hang in there, Cloud. Maybe you’ll be lucky, find that something is wrong with you, and skip training,” she calls over her shoulder. “I hope not, for my sake!” Spider calls after the blue-gray Stone-guard. Sharp snorts in response and leaps towards the higher caves, careful to not slip on a ledge. Sharp lands in front of a lichen-covered stone cave. It looms the way a mountain lion can tower over a cat. This doesn’t help settle her nerves. Sharp inhales; there’s nothing to fear, as far as she knows. It’s just Talon. Her grandmother. Sharp bows her head and goes in, blinking to get used to the darkness that greets her. “Ah.” The sudden intrusion doesn’t appear to ruffle Talon’s fur. The elderly tortoiseshell narrows her eyes at her granddaughter. “Sharp. Tell me, what brings you here? Surely Fog or Moss must have assigned you to hunting patrol this morning.” “There were… some complications. Mostly involving the to-bes. I need another task. Have you got any in mind?” Sharp flicks her tail in anticipation. “A couple.” Talon stretches; a yawn accompanies this action of luxury. “From what I know, we need a few cats who need to check out the rockslide that occurred several days before to find out how dangerous the area is. And also… I need someone to fetch some new bedding.” Talon fixes her amber gaze on Sharp. “Be a good youngster and go get some while you’re out, will you? This bed has been getting too stiff for my tastes. A few feathers as well would be nice.” Sharp groans inwardly. Of course, Talon would send her on a to-be’s errand. She opens her mouth to protest, but before Sharp can utter even a single word, Talon cuts her off. “Sharp, if you don’t have a particular like for either one, you can always go entertain the kittens.” “Obviously not,” Sharp interrupts before Talon can speak any further. “I’ll just go with the patrol. I’ll take…uh, Soft, Shallows, and… maybe Bird.” “Take Cloud, too.” Talon lifts a lazy paw and licks it. “It’ll be good practice for that to-be. Who’s his mentor again… Warble? Right, it was Warble. Told Skywatcher many times that he’d be such a bad mentor, but obviously she decides to ignore me. I’ll have Skywatcher change his mentor to someone else the first chance I get.” “That would be nice,” Sharp mumbles as she pads out of the den. She leaps off the piles of boulders and makes a straight beeline for her mother, who is lying with her belly exposed on a large stone. “Shallows!” Sharp calls. “Mom! Are you up for a patrol?” Her mother blinks, her pose stiffening in alarm. The tabby unsheathes her claws and bristles slightly as her daughter comes closer. Sharp feels her heart tighten a bit at the sight. She’s beginning to see that Shallows’ sight is not as good as it was before. The blue-gray she-cat pads over to the other, touching her nose to Shallows’ as a sign of greeting. “Ah, Sharp,” Shallows purrs, relaxing at the scent of her daughter. “Of course. I’d be delighted to go on a walk with you.” Sharp breathes a sigh of relief. “Okay. Could you possibly get Bird for me? I’ll go find Soft.” “Alright, Sweetie.” Shallows turns over and with elegance, leaps off the rock. “Where are we headed, by the way? The cliffs? The Sky Plate?” “Talon wants us to check out the state of the rockslide,” Sharp replies, marching in front of her mother. “She… uh, also wanted us to… collect her moss for her.” Sharp hangs her head. “To-be work,” she mutters in disgust. Shallows inhales deeply, her nose wrinkling. “Typical for my mother,” she meows. “Have us do to-be work. Where’s Pebble and Tangle and Cloud?” “Uh.” Sharp pauses. “Pebble fell of the cliff and Cloud’s being checked-up by Spider, but I’m going to collect him in a moment.” The she-cat racks her head a bit before adding, “I think Tangle’s on patrol or something. Not in camp.” “Ah.” Shallows lets out a deep sigh. “Youngsters these days. Never around when you need them. Well, let’s get on to it, shall we? I’ll get Bird.” The blue-gray tabby leaps to the next stone, calling loudly for her tribemate. Sharp watches her mother go for a moment, before launching herself in the other direction. “Soft!” she yowls. “Get your lazy butt down here and get on patrol!” “Coming!” a voice replies over a large pile of stones. Moments later, a white she-cat gracefully emerges on top of the mound. “I’m not lazy, for your information,” Soft snipes at her fellow Stone-guard. “I’m just relaxing. I had a big day yesterday, mind you.” “If you call climbing a few cougar-lengths up the cliff a ‘big day’, sure,” Sharp jokes. “I’ll explain what we need to do on our way. We have to go collect Cloud right now.” “He’s lazier than I am; why are you going to take him on the patrol?” Soft hisses, leaping down to join Sharp. “Warble says that he doesn’t listen to him. It’s not exactly worth taking him anywhere, if you ask me.” “He’s pretty good at climbing, from what I’ve seen today,” Sharp retorts. “As leader of this patrol, assigned by Talon herself, we’re taking him and that’s final.” Soft shrugs her shoulders, falling behind. “Talon’s orders,” she mocks. “If you say so, Sharpie. But don’t blame me if he gets stuck anywhere.” “Right. We’ll blame Warble. It’s easier.” Sharp heads back into the musty cave of Spider’s. “Hey, Spider! Is Cloud done with his check-up yet? Talon assigned him on a scouting patrol to check out the rockslide!” “Talon did what, now?” Spider pokes his head out of a corner. The tomcat shakes his head a bit. “Don’t yell, for Skywatcher’s sake. It echoes in that cave. Cloud’s gone. He’s gone hunting in that direction from what he told me.” Sharp flattens her ears. “Great,” she mutters. “Without supervision?” “Without supervision,” Spider confirms. “You better go quickly.” “And you let him?” Sharp lets out a large groan. Stalking out of the den, she sees Soft tipping her head at the sight of the angry Stone-guard. “What’s wrong?” “We’re going to have to leave immediately. Forget Shallows and Bird, they’re going to have to follow our scent.” “Did Spider let Cloud go somewhere without supervision or something?” Soft asks, flicking her tail. “Yes.” Without waiting for an answer, Sharp quickens her pace. Springing from rock to rock, she heads towards the two large stones that mark the camp’s entrance. “We’re heading out towards the rockslide site!” she calls towards two Stone-Guards beside the entrance. “Tell that to Bird and Shallows if you see them!” Sharp streaks towards the cliffside, Soft hard on her heels. If Cloud is hurt in any way or form, Fog will have my ears off and so will Warble! the Stone-Guard thinks furiously, charging up the rocky slope. She skids to a halt at the edge of the Gray Valley, pricking her ears for any sounds of distress. As if on cue, a large wail echoes across the large gorge, and Sharp looks down to see a vague white form of a feline clinging desperately on a thin ridge. “Cloud!” Sharp leaps towards the nearest boulder. “Hold it right there, we’re coming!” “I told you he would be trouble!” Soft shrieks back. Nevertheless, the stone-guard charges across the edge of the gorge, leaping nimbly over rock and grass. Sharp drops downward instead, ignoring the shock of hitting the stone floor. The gray she-cat makes another jump and lands on another rock; this time she has to scrabble fiercely with her claws to get a hold. Moon Goddesses and Skywatchers, give me strength! “Help me!” Cloud’s wails sound even more plaintive and petrified now. Sharp bunches her paws beneath her and make another leap; even as she does, Cloud is slipping lower. His terrified flails make the descent quicker – and it makes the chances of saving that darned white to-be lower, Sharp thinks. Cloud lets out a scream as his strength lets out. Sharp lunges. Time slows down around the two as the stone-guard and the to-be freeze in action; one leaping, the other falling into the sharp-floored gorge. Sharp is a moment too late. Her teeth snap at empty air as Cloud’s paws churn, as if he’s trying to swim in the winds. Soft isn’t late, however. The white she-cat charges headfirst into the other white cat, knocking Cloud sideways. They both manage crash into another, wider ledge; hopefully sturdy enough to hold two cats. Sharp lets out a sigh of relief. But she isn’t out of danger just yet; she herself is teetering precariously on a narrow, peaked ledge. At most she doesn’t need saving. “You two alright?” she yowls. With the wind and the echo, it’s doubtful that the message got across. So, what Sharp hears is this: “…alright… batt…ered… get down…so…on” “Got it!” Sharp shouts at the top of her lungs. She hurls herself down the peak, her paws skidding on the rough surface of the rocks. She barely manages to time her jump properly to the grassier part of the ground. Sharp lets out a small squeak as her paws hit the sharp blades of the grass. Hopefully not cut, or I’ll have to make a visit to Spider myself, Sharp thinks, rather rueful. “Holy Moon and Skywatchers!” Sharp lets a groan fly out of her mouth when she hears that voice. She really doesn’t need to deal with this cat today. “Why the heck are Cloud and Soft down there?” “Hush up, Blaze.” Shallows’ firm voice drifts down to the Stone-Guard. “Sharp and Soft saved Cloud. He’s safe now. Go take a walk around the perimeter of the rockslide. And don’t cause trouble!” The last bit is a call. “Sharp? Sharp, honey? Are you down there?” “I’m here!” Sharp yowls again. “Gonna go up now!” Sharp latches onto the nearest cliff and begins climbing – for the third time today. I need a break. After a few grueling moments, a couple where Sharp nearly loses her balance, the blue-gray molly makes her way onto the top of the cliff. “Augh,” she moans, flopping down. “I want a break.” “Sorry, Sharp.” Shallows’ coarse tongue brushes against Sharp’s cheek. “There’s also the… well, ceremony today.” “Not today!” “Unfortunately, yes, it’s today. Now get up. I didn’t give birth to you just to have you flop around!”
Chapter 3: Gray Skies
Sharp’s body feels unnaturally heavy today as she heaves herself from rock to rock. It’s a good thing her paw pads have toughened over the moons for the job - the she-cat stifles a laugh when Blaze tries (and fails) to imitate Soft by jumping to a large ledge, then screaming her heart out about how she’s going to die up there. Pretty pathetic, Sharp thinks smugly. “Well, that’s a wrap,” she calls to Soft. “There’s significantly large boulders that have been dislodged here and there, but they’re not going to drop on cats patrolling down in the gorge anytime soon.” “l saw a couple of ‘hanging’ ones,” Soft remarks as she rejoins her partner. “They’re worth reporting.” “Noted.” Sharp lunges for the edge of the cliff, balancing precariously for a moment - Blaze gives a gasp - before latching on firmly to solid ground. “That’s a wrap, we’re going back,” she announces. “In time for the Offering, too,” Shallows meows in satisfaction. “Quick work you did there, Honey.” Sharp flicks her tail in response. There’s something about that statement that nags her without stopping. “That’s just usual work for us, nothing much,” she replies. It’s not a bragging statement, honestly. Stone-Guards always have the necessity to do this - regular checks on the stony environment surrounding the tribe, making sure there’s no harm for the patrols. It’s tedious work, and dangerous, too. “Oh, I’m sure you’re the best in the tribe - there’s no need to be modest,” Shallows purrs. “As the granddaughter of Talon-of-the-Council, of course you are the greatest Stone-Guard -” “Mother,” Sharp cuts off. At the same time, Blaze blurts, “Please, Prey-Hunters are way better!” Sharp vaguely hears Soft let out an exasperated sigh as the white she-cat barges forward to the front of the patrol. Blaze lets out a soft hiss behind the mother and daughter. “Well, that wasn’t very nice!” Shallows calls after Soft’s form, which was getting smaller and smaller as the molly pads away. “Sharp, Honey, I tell you to not mix with cats as rude as she is. What a nerve, barging past Talon’s own relatives!” Sharp resists the urge to snap at both Prey-Hunters - even though one is her mother. The she-cat quickens her pace, ignoring the rebuke, deliberately heading over to her fellow Stone-Guard. “Apologies for my mother,” Sharp mutters to Soft. The white she-cat only flicks her ear as an indication that she heard. The two Stone-Guards return to camp in silence.
STARLESS When they return, it’s near night. The sun has disappeared. But where stars should be, there is only pitch-black darkness. Only the moon graciously grants the clan her light, illuminating the returning patrol with a silvery shine. Sharp jostles her way through the crowd. It’s clearly not very satisfied - the felines around her mutter and whisper, rumors without bases flying through here and there: “I hear Skywatcher has talked to the stars.” “How can she? They have gone silent, like the sky.” “I think I’ve heard that the Council isn’t going to sacrifice anyone today. It’s not worth it, in my opinion.” “How can you say that? The Moon Goddess and the Skywatchers before are all watching over us. It’s just that we haven’t been devoted enough.” “Or maybe one of us is a criminal and we have to find them out.” Sharp is trailing behind Soft as the pair pad past all of the felines. Soon enough, a familiar pair of pelts show up: one black and white and another blue tabby. Kite perks up when he meets his sister’s gaze. “Sharp! Soft! Over here!” Hoot immediately nudges him hard. “Shut up, you’re too loud,” she chides. The black and white she-cat nods to the other two Stone-Guards. “You alright? I heard that you were on patrol with… well, your mom, Sharp. And Blaze.” Kite coughs - it sounds vaguely like stone-brain. Sharp open her mouth to retort, but Soft beats her to it: “Well, let’s just say it wasn’t entirely positive in our case,” she meows dryly. “Don’t we all know what Shallows is like?” Sharp and Kite exchange pained glances. Their mother. Their old, quickly-becoming-frail mother. She can be kind and lax one moment and she can be sharp in another. “Oh, don’t we.” Hoot gives a low hiss. “What kind of jibe did she throw your way this time, Softie?” Soft opens her jaws to reply - Sharp imagines that the white molly is about to say Don’t call me Softie, you big Hooter - when a sharp caterwaul interrupts all the discussion in the stone field. As if they are one being, all the heads simultaneously turn to face the towering pillar of stone. Smack in the middle of the clearing and teetering precariously on the edge of the slate-gray plate the cats are standing on, there exists the Moon Peak; practically glowing in the night as the lunar light splashes on it. Sharp doesn’t think it’s tall enough to be called a peak, though. That’s half the reason why she narrows her eyes at the ginger tabby cat clambering to the top of the rock. The Skywatcher is in perfect condition tonight. Her long fur is sleek, unlike the ruffled old bat Sharp is pretty sure she saw at sunhigh. She raises her chin and lets out yet another caterwaul. The piercing shriek rings through the empty, wide expanse of night. The Clan rises in unison, howling as well. Sharp forces herself to join in, dry-throated as she is. Skywatcher finally stops her rally, closing her mouth but still raising her chin. “Clanmates!” Her voice crackles, as rocks do when they crumple to the ground in sheets. “Tonight we have assembled to participate in a ritual, honored by generations and generations in this clan!” A dramatic pause. “The Offering!” The Clan cries out again, a cacophony of whispers, murmurs, mutters. “The Offering” is spread to neighbor to neighbor, like it’s some kind of secret code, a rustle of leaves in the wind that no one was supposed to see or hear. “I’m sure that we have had our doubts -” the ginger she-cat pauses to cough. The sharp hacks are equally loud as her voice. “- phenomena such as the dark nights and rockslides may have caused us to momentarily pause and wonder, if truly our ancestors are beside us as they did eons ago. But,” she continues, “we are still strong in the face of these hard times – we will continue to survive, and the stars will come back!” Her last announcement is met with cheers. Multitudinous voices call out encouragement for the clan, defying the blackness of the sky. “So Clanmates!” Skywatcher’s voice is much stronger now, Sharp can’t help but note. “We now begin the sacred ritual – the Offering to our beloved First Skywatcher, and the cats who came after to lead this clan!” Sharp pricks her ears and stretches up her head, peering through the sea of cats to see who was the honored one to be offered to the Skywatchers. She feels cats pushing around her, craning their heads, curious, intrigued. Then the front line of cats utters loud hisses of surprise. This just frenzies the ones in the back. The blue-gray Stone-Guard hears Kite snarl in pain; she turns to find that the to-be Tangle has trodden on Kite’s tail. The gray tom, whose fur is as ruffled as his name, only manages a short “Sorry” before he rejoins the mass of eyes straining to see what’s in the front. Sharp’s eyes pick up on the vague outlines of Spider and Moss carrying a small body – someone’s body. A half-grown kit? “Is it really…?” “No way!” “Let us bless her a painless death.” “Yeah, she already went through a lot.” “Who is it?” That’s Soft, pressing down on Sharp’s head as an attempt to look at the Offered. “I would know if you’d get off!” Sharp snaps, pushing the she-cat’s paw off her nose bridge. “You’re heavy!” Before Soft can cook up a retort, a cry splits the night. “No! No, no, no!” The sobbing wails come from Flower. The Kit-Mother bursts forward, blocking the two Council Members from going any farther. “I will not let you take my daughter,” she snarls. With a start, Sharp realizes that the unconscious cat the two Council members are carrying is not a half-grown kit at all. It’s apprentice-size: large enough to call a Prey-Hunter or Stone-Guard but not muscled enough to actually… well, be one. Sharp recognizes, or, more appropriately, understands who it is. The pelt coloration isn’t discernable at this distance, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who the Offered is now. “Pebble,” Sharp murmurs to no one in particular. “It’s Pebble.” Hoot lets out a squeak from behind her. Kite is frozen, like a hanging boulder. “Pebble?” Kite finally asks. “The Pebble we tried to save earlier today?” Sharp nods, eyes fixated on Skywatcher and Flower. But her vision keeps on straying to where Talon is sitting. Her grandmother is like a stone, sitting tall, still, and proud next to the Skywatcher. She refuses to look at the Kit-Mother, even though the ginger and white molly is glaring at Talon. Instead, the elderly tortoiseshell looks at Pebble’s lifeless body as if she expects the to-be to spring back to life any moment. Skywatcher puts out one paw, as if she expects someone to come up and lick it. “Flower, be reasonable,” she chastises the bristling cat. “It’s for the betterment of the clan. Pebble’s leg is permanently mangled. She cannot hunt, nor climb for prey in her state.” The ginger tabby turns to the clan. They are holding their breath, waiting for an order, any order. “My dear friends, family, and clanmates,” Skywatcher trills, “won’t it be far more merciful – and more honorable – for Pebble to be an Offered, to be sitting forever by the previous Skywatchers’ sides, instead of living on? Even if she does survive this wound, she will be in pain – physically and mentally. Physical pain from her leg, mental pain for being unable to serve her clan as a healthy Prey-Hunter can.” The clan rises as one: “Mercy! Mercy for Pebble! Pebble, the Honorable Offered!” Flower spins around, her eyes wild. Sharp swears that she sees froth bubbling on the Kit-Mother’s lips. “Mad. You’re all mad!” she sputters. “You can’t let my daughter die just because of one silly injury!” She stops, searches through the crowd until her eyes land on a target. Sharp can’t help but pity the poor soul Flower has selected to bring out pity for her side. “Wind! Please, you can’t let our kit-” The tabby tomcat slowly cuts through the crowd, holding himself with the usual stoniness. As Sharp and the rest of the clan watches, he comes to his mate and puts his paw on top of hers. Then he shakes his head once: a clear no. Flower leans into her mate, shoulders tremoring. Her shuddering breaths rattle through the empty air. “Come now,” he whispers into her ear. “Tumble and Rush are waiting in the nursery.” Flower shakes her head with vehemence. “No,” she snarls. “They can’t take her! Not my baby, not my-” She cuts off with a wail. Wind carefully nudges his mate, urging her softly back into the den. At least they have another litter to take care of, Sharp thinks, wrapping her tail around her front paws. As Flower passes by the small group in the middle, Flower snaps her head around to curl her lip at the Stone-Guards. “You should have saved Pebble, not a to-be Stone-Guard apprentice who can’t even climb,” she snarls. Sharp winces, understanding that statement is meant for her to listen. Flower whips her head around to look at Kite and Hoot. “And you two – it’s your fault!” The last part comes out at a screech. “Your fault! It’s your fault that my kit is going to die!” Flower shakes her head to left and right, spittle flying from her jaws. “And the rest of you! You’re all going to lose someone one day, mark my words!” The cats around them are silent, watching the Kit-Mother with undisguised interest. Sharp can almost hear their minds speaking: what will this poor, poor, grief-stricken cat do next? Frustration and irritation shoots through the Stone-Guard. It’s not our fault, she insists in her head. They shouldn’t have been up there in the first place! She glances around at the circle around her friends. Someone, say something – do something – anything – Of course, that’s in vain. Wind saves them. He practically herds his mate up the stones, back into the cavernous nursery, as the clan watches. Distinct sobs can be heard from the shadows. There’s a silent understanding: she’s grieving. Skywatcher breaks the silence with a harrumph. “Well, now that that’s over,” she remarks. “Let us begin.” Moss and Spider haul Pebble to the edge of the stone plateau. Sharps knows perfectly well what it’s like at The Edge. She’s looked over once, as a to-be, on a whim – and nearly tumbled over. Dizzyingly high heights. Jagged peaks jutting out like teeth. Fog densely covering the bottom in the mornings so that the rest of the fall is up to imagination. Sharp imagines that the bottom doesn’t exist: the fall is endless. The Maw of the First Skywatcher. Pebble is silent during all this. Poppy seeds, Sharp guesses. Or some kind of concoction Spider made. The to-be probably weighs nothing, or the rumors say that she doesn’t. But the way the body’s just gone with a heavy push from both Council members – Pebble most likely did weigh quite a bit. Did. The she-cat has to force down the nausea rising up her throat. Pebble is gone. She has been offered. “The Offering is complete!” Talon, who has been silent until now, is standing up. “Long live Pebble, the Great Offered, sitting beside the First Skywatcher! Long live Pebble! Long live the Skywatchers!” Silence only lasts a moment here. The clan explodes into caterwauls of approval. “Long live the Skywatchers! Long live Pebble!” Eventually, the clan tires of yowling entire sentences and it just shortens down to: “Pebble! Pebble! Pebble!” Skywatcher surveys all this for a moment. The clamor. The cats. Then she raises her tail: silence. “Pebble will be remembered with honor and love as she should be,” she purrs. “With her life – and many others – the stars will return, and the Skywatchers shall be content!” The she-cat raises her head, closing her eyes. Then she looks back down at the gathered clan. “The Skywatchers are with us. Some of us are speculating otherwise, or so I’ve heard – but they are with us. We must believe in them. Wash away our sins.” The large ginger tabby leaps off the boulder. “Meeting dismissed.” Talon, Spider, and Moss follow the molly’s lead into the higher parts of the camp. The clan disperses into smaller groups. There’s noticeably less talking than before, as most cats are padding up to their respective dens, muttering low goodnights to one another. “Well,” Soft mews. “That was quite eventful.” Only then does the blue Stone-Guard turn to look at Kite and Hoot. Hoot is frozen. Her eyes are dilated and fixed on the ground. Her fur is ruffled and matted all of a sudden. Her paws are strained – the black and white she-cat is drawing large gouges into the stone in… agitation, maybe? Kite… he looks at his sister, broken-eyed. “It’s our fault, isn’t it?” he says. With hunched shoulders and drooping tail, he looks defeated. “Isn’t it?” he repeats. Sharp looks to Soft for an answer, but the she-cat shakes her head. Sharp herself can’t speak. She barely manages to shake her head as well before turning around and running away to her den. Wash away our sins. Skywatcher’s words ring in her head. But what sins did they have? Sharp plunges into the shade of the Stone-Guard’s den, finally away from the glaring moonlight. She plows into her nest. Far away, there’s the murmurs of her denmates. “We’ve been doing this for moons…ages…generations.” “Nothing’s happened yet, hasn’t it?” “Pebble has been offered for an honorable cause – to bring back the stars, ad to serve the Skywatchers before. Show some respect." “But nothing’s happened.” Sharp shuts out all these voices. Her last thought: I need to tell Cloud that I’m going to mentor him instead of Warble.
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