Land of the Misfit Clan [Mira and devyn-in-the-dark]

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Whitefoot was quick on the draw this time around. That poor fish didn't stand a chance. It swam straight into her chest and she quickly lashed out at it, killing it with a few sharp blows and a final snap of her jaws to put it out of its misery. With it clutched in her mouth, the red she-cat hopped out of the water and happily deposited it on their pile. She was proud of herself, that was for sure.

"Orchid can help. She's a natural when it comes to catching fish. I think she even caught a turtle once. But we couldn't really eat it." A frown curled her lips. "We couldn't figure out how to break the shell. It was way too hard." Still making an effort to keep her footsteps quiet, Whitefoot returned to the shallows, settling down there just like she did before. "Perhaps we should just stick to hunting one fish at a time? One or two more should be more than enough fresh-kill for us. Food is plentiful here. We can easily find more."

Tallmountain waited for Swift to make the first move, distracting the hawk and impeding its ability to beat a hasty retreat. Once it was thoroughly focused on Swift, the huge tom exploded out of cover, large feet pounding against the ground. He leaped through the air from a great distance away and collided with the flailing hawk. In an instant, his powerful jaws were clamped shut on the hawk's throat and his razor-sharp teeth dug into flesh. The hawk let loose an earsplitting screech, struggling increasing tenfold.

The massive bird put up one hell of a fight. It couldn't bend its legs enough in this position, with two strong cats hanging off of it, to slash at them with its talons. Instead it went at them with its sharp curved beak. Every once in a while the hawk managed to snag skin, but it was never for very long and the snaps of its beak did very little damage in that amount of time. Eventually, the predatory bird's movements began to slow. Some unusual sounds escaped it--the hawk was gasping for breath.

It didn't take very long for it to succumb to Tallmountain's practically unbreakable suffocation hold. The bird's movements slowed even further, and then at last it collapsed into a heap. Tallmountain released his hold immediately, spitting out feathers. Cautiously, he prowled around the bird in a circle, prodding it occasionally to make sure it was really dead. Only when he was certain did he allow himself to relax, breathing a sigh of relief as he sat down. "...And there you have it. One hawk."

"Some of the grass?" Prince Ali sounded surprised. His emerald gaze swept over the well-kept yard. "Mm...my Housefolk will notice if you take it from the middle. But perhaps..." He jumped to his feet, strolling casually across the lawn. Bacon waddled after him, apparently curious about what they were doing. "They grow plants here. Plants to eat." The red tom gestured to a smaller fenced-in area, where unusual towering plants were growing. "You are welcome to take grass from around this fence. And around any other plants here, actually. My Housefolk will think it is the plants' doing, you see." Eager to get started, Orchid trotted in a circle around this fenced-in area, looking for an easy spot to uproot the grass.

Prince Ali hummed after Amber continued on, raising a paw to bat a fly away from his ear. "I'm afraid I do not know of any cats with extensive knowledge of healing abilities. I'm sure there is one out there...but personally, I do not know one. But!" He nodded his head sagely. "If one of you ever falls ill or is gravely injured...you should come here. My Housefolk are good friends with another of their kind--a vet. A vet has extensive knowledge of how to treat and heal cats. And dogs--he takes care of Bacon, as well. It may not be ideal if you aren't fond of Housefolk...but if there is an emergency, please do not hesitate to come. And don't worry..." He glanced at Orchid, whose hair was standing slightly on end. "My Housefolk will not try to keep you here. They leave food out for many cats without Housefolk, and they also take many of these cats to the vet to be healed when they are sick...but they never try to keep them here."

This seemed to calm Orchid some, though she wasn't entirely certain if those words could be trusted. Prince Ali took a seat on the grass, turning his gaze skyward. "As far as other cats go...I could, ah..." His bushy tail swished back and forth. "I am well-known among the local cats. I could gather as many as I can for you for a meeting here, in my yard. You would just have to let me know a day beforehand so that I have enough time to gather cats."
 
"Wow! Really, a turtle?" Gray exclaimed when Whitefoot returned. "That's amazing. Maybe we can figure out how to break the shell and try it. I'm sure there's a lot of turtles somewhere around here." He waited until the she-cat returned to swim back out. "Might as well get some practice in with this."

He dove back under the water. It took a few tries before he spotted another semi-large group of fish heading towards him. He chased as many as possible back to Whitefoot. This time they were lucky; about five fish were trapped. Gray quickly chose one of the larger ones, catching it on his claws to bring it out of the water. He delievered the killing bite and made his way back to shore and their pile of fresh-kill.

"That was fun!" he panted. His was streaming with water. A mud puddle began to form under his feet. Water went flying everywhere when he attempted to shake his coat out. He still dripped, but it wasn't quite as bad as before. "We should head back now. We need to find a good place to stash the fish so they won't go bad fast or be picked up by a bird."

The hawk had managed to nip Swift a few times with its beak, but it didn't have much strength behind it to do more than possibly bruise. He clenched his teeth even tighter as it fought long and hard. As soon as it gave its last breath, he jumped off. Tallmountain made sure it was dead as Swift scanned their surroundings to make sure another wasn't about to come swooping in.

"Quite an impressive show," he remarked. "Not only will it provide good food, but the amount of feathers on it will allow us to have soft nests even if Amber and Orchid don't succeed." Certain that they weren't about to get attacked, he retrieved the bait bird and returned to where their moss was; he left the other rom to bring back the hawk. The bird was plopped down next to Swift's ball. He rolled his shoulders to get the lingering ache out. "Time to look for branches now, yes?" he inquired, watching as Tallmountain approached with the hawk.

The tabby followed Prince Ali to where the plants grew. She watched as Orchid began a hunt for good grass to uproot as the tom continued. It was quite smart to take the grass from here, if what he said was true. She gave a short growl at the mention of going to Twolegs for help. The thought was uncomfortable, but she knew that if they couldn't help a cat themselves, they would have no choice but to bring them here.

"Thank you," Amber meowed. "We will let you know when we are ready for more cats." She joined Orchid on the hunt for grass. Soon enough, the she-cats had a sizable pile that would be a bit of a struggle for the two of then to carry. The dog still made Amber uneasy, but he had apparently decided to leave then alone and give them space as they worked. "Thank you again," she said to Prince Ali. "Your help has been invaluable." Now they had to figure out how to return with the grass they had gathered.
 
Seeing as Gray seemed willing enough to do most of the physically taxing work, Whitefoot held back. She stuck to the shallows with a single paw raised. Obviously, she still needed some practice--she missed the first three fish she attempted to scoop out of the water. Just before Gray snagged himself a larger fish, Whitefoot managed to grab a small, but bright and colorful fish. Cheered by her own capture, she walked slightly behind the gray tom to drop her last fish onto the pile.

"You know..." She kept her distance from the tom when he shook his sopping wet pelt out, wanting to avoid getting splashed. Her legs and a bit of her belly fur were already dripping wet...she definitely didn't want to get as wet as her companion was! "There are a lot of caves. Perhaps there is one where we can store the fresh-kill pile and eat together, safe from predators and the weather?" A wistful longing flashed in Whitefoot's verdant eyes. "Back home...we ate one large meal per day. Everyone ate together, sharing prey and chattering the evening away. I think I would like for us all to eat together in a designated spot."

Now more eager than ever to get back to what she privately hoped would become their permanent home, Whitefoot bent down and scooped up as many of the fish as she could. Hopefully they could find a separate cave to store their prey! Maybe a cave that could be blocked off during the nighttime hours, like the potential kit-mother den, would be their best option.

Tallmountain dragged the hawk along with relative ease. He was one strong tom, that was for sure! Gently, he deposited the carcass next to his ball of moss. "If you wish to look for branches, and you are planning to stay in the immediate area...I can begin taking things back to our caves. I will need to make several trips." The bulky tom scooped up one ball of moss. Thankfully, their camp wasn't far, and it took Tallmountain almost no time at all to reach it. He dropped the ball of moss in front of the largest cave and quickly changed course, heading back to where Swift was.

He repeated this process for the second ball of moss, as well as the hawk. Hopefully, by the time he returned, Swift would have a decent number of branches collected and they could both head back to the camp together.

"You are very welcome." Prince Ali beamed, soaking up the praise. "The incentive of free food will be enough to entice a fair number of cats to attend the meeting. My Housefolk are always quite generous with food whenever my friends visit." Both he and Bacon watched with a degree of interest as the two she-cats worked. Orchid just had to add a few interesting and lovely-smelling flowers to her pile of grass. As such, her pile of grass ended up being considerably larger than Amber's. The white she-cat stared blankly at the massive combined piles, ears slightly pulled back. How in the world were they going to carry that...?

The tom watching them took immediate notice. "Ah! Wait here!" He hopped to his feet and sprinted across the yard, tail held up high. He disappeared into what looked like a smaller Twoleg nest beside the larger one. Moments later, Prince Ali emerged from the tiny Twoleg nest. He had a strange object in tow. It looked as if it was made of dried brown grass and it had a circular handle, which the tom gripped between his teeth. Careful not to break it, he set this object down before the two she-cats. "Take this basket. My Housefolk will not miss it--they have many more."

Orchid studied it suspiciously. It seemed harmless enough...and they could carry the soft grass easily if they accepted it.
 
"That's true." Gray picked up the remaining fish. His head as held as high as he could carry it, as some of the fish were long and the didn't want to drag them through the dirt. He followed Whitefoot back to the caves, where they placed the fish just inside the apprentice's den for the moment.

He called out a hello to Tallmountain when the other tom brought back a ball of moss. The blue tom turned to Whitefoot. "Let's see if we can find a good place to store these, okay?" The hunt for a new cave started near the Warriors' den. Gray tried several caves, pushing a rock over a couple of entrances, but nothing could be found that would work. He was beginning to think the fresh-kill would have to be stored permanently in the apprentices' den.

Swift's problem wasn't that there were no branches to find. It was that there were too many branches to carry. Eventually he decided to just make a large pile of them near the mossy rock. He spent the time it took Tallmountain to carry the hawk to the caves and back carefully sorting through what he had found. Branches that were too long for a nest were tossed in a pile of their own, and the brittle branches were simply discarded.

He had a sizable pile that the two toms could carry back together when Tallmountain returned. They were all shorter branches and somewhat bendy, which was perfect for nests. "I figured we could use those," a black tail was pointed in the direction of the large, sturdy branches, "for something back at the caves. Maybe as a barrier of sorts?" He shrugged, unconcerned if they used them or not, before picking up his smaller pile of branches and the bird he had caught.

Amber had to sigh at Orchid's flowers, but at least they didn't have the same suffocating scent that lingered around Prince Ali. The basket the tom brought back was odd, but the tabby could see how they would use it. "Thank you, for all of your help," she said, taking hold of the basket herself and carrying it to the pile.

She put the grass down first, then places Orchid's flowers in a corner so that the smell wouldn't get over all the flowers. She knew that she didn't want to smell them, and assumed the others would prefer not to when they slept. A test of the basket showed that it would definitely hold the grass well. Unfortunately, it was a bit too heavy and awkward for one cat to carry on their own now.

"We'll have to work together to bring this back," she told Orchid. "It'll be fun trying to get this over the fence."
 
Whitefoot flicked her tail in her brother's direction when she spotted him. Tallmountain returned the motion. Like all twins, they seemed to have a sort of unspoken language all their own. She placed her fish neatly aside of and on top of Gray's fish. The she-cat was mighty proud of herself for getting the hang of simple fishing...but fish would only go so far. Like a young to-be, she would need quite a bit of hunting instruction. She knew how to fight and defend--that was what cave-guards were trained all their lives to do!

She started her search in the direct middle of the rock piles, moving rocks here and there to search for an ideal place. After a few long minutes passed, Whitefoot suddenly began bounding toward Gray. "There's an overhang here! Close to the waterfall! It's not a proper cave...but it should keep fresh-kill out of sight. And it's a nice flat bit of land, too," she added, turning to lead Gray to the spot. "This is a place where we can all eat together." The large rock overhang hung over a flat spot of dirt. It was large enough for several cats to relax underneath. There was a bit of an indentation in the rock face behind it. Not large enough to warrant being called a cave, of course...but this spot seemed perfect for a fresh-kill pile.

"A barrier?" The red tom studied the larger branches with a critical eye. "Mm...or, perhaps, we could create a bridge. The river back in our mountains was wide and deep, with water rushing through dangerous rapids. Using large branches and even the downed trunks of very small trees, we created pathways to safely traverse over the river." Mind you, he didn't know precisely where they could construct a bridge...they would have to explore this territory a bit more, he supposed.

The pile of big branches was promptly scooped up. Tallmountain held the pile fast between his chin and his neck, using his powerful neck and chest muscles to keep it in place. He picked up the rear this time around, allowing Swift to lead the way back to their camp. He didn't want to admit it out loud, of course...but he was starting to grow tired. All Tallmountain really wanted to do now was create a cozy nest for himself, have a tasty meal, and then settle down for a nice long rest.

Orchid's golden gaze swept over the now-filled basket. "...It will be a challenge to hoist this over the fence..." She pulled a face before turning to the handsome kittypet. "Is there no other way to leave this place?" Prince Ali pursed his lips slightly, his eyes narrowing into minuscule slits. "...My Housefolk use the gate." He jerked his head to the left. There was a section of the fence that differed from the rest of it. "I can open it for you. But..." Prince Ali stared pointedly at Bacon, who wilted and whimpered under his gaze. "You had better not make a run for it like you did the last time I opened the gate. Promise me." Bacon nodded furiously. "Not go, not go! Promise, promise!"

For a few moments the red tom stared intensely at the rotund dog, as if he didn't believe his companion's words...but then he jumped to his feet again, prowling toward the gate. He stopped just below it, tensing the muscles in his hind legs. "Alley-oop!" In one graceful leap he jumped to the top of the fence. Balancing carefully, Prince Ali reached out with a single paw and began fiddling with a strange device near the top of the gate. It rattled and scraped against the wood before finally coming undone. The gate swung open slowly.

"And voila. There you are!" He hopped back down onto the soft grass, tail raised high in the air. "Do be safe..." His eyes flashed with interest. "Don't let any monsters of the wild snatch you up!" He paused briefly before shuffling his paws a bit. "There are monsters, yes? Foxes and such? I saw a fox once." He puffed his chest out, a merry expression on his face. "It looked a bit like me."
 
Gray trotted after Whitefoot as the she-cat led him to what she had found. He hadn't had much luck himself, so he was overjoyed to examine her discovery. The overhang was nice, and it had plenty of space for multiple cats. The little indent in the back was perfect for storing fresh-kill, just out of sight enough that birds wouldn't see it and attempt to steal any. "This is perfect!" he exclaimed, bumping shoulders with Whitefoot. "You find some really good places. Let's bring the fish here!"

He bounced back to the apprentices' den and picked up as many fish as he could. The return to the new fresh-kill place was much slower. The tom didn't want to risk dropping any of the fish down the cliff. Dropping the fish in the little indent, he waited for Whitefoot to rejoin him. "I can't wait until the others see this!"

A bridge didn't sound like a bad idea. The river was too wide for a proper one to used, at least where they had been using the river. Swift couldn't wait to return to the cliffs. He already had an idea in mind for a nest he could create with the materials he and Tallmountain had gathered. Since he had already eaten, he could pluck the feathers he wanted from both the bird and the hawk before the others had a chance. The sky was beginning to turn the colors it usually did before night set in when they returned.

Gray came towards the two with a happily swishing tail. "Whitefoot found a really good place for fresh-kill!" he reported. Swift dropped off the stick he was carrying in the cave they would be using before padding after the other, bird still in his mouth. It was dropped in the shade of the overhang, and yellow-green eyes appraised the space. "It is nice," he agreed. Settling down, he began to carefully pluck the bird he had brought. If Tallmountain didn't bring the hawk down, he would just pluck it where he had deposited it.

Unless Amber saw what he was doing and made him bring it to here, of course. But the black tom would rather do as little work as possible and get his nest set up before night truly set in.

Amber watched curiously as the tom opened a part of the fence. A gate, he had called it. It was quite the sight to see it swing open with enough space for a few cats. Or two she-cats with a basket. "Don't worry about us," she assured Prince Ali. "We know how to take care of ourselves." She carefully picked up the basket and walked slowly towards the gate. Orchid truly would have to help with carrying it, otherwise it would take them all night to return to the others!

"Make sure you stay away from foxes, no matter how much they look like you!" the tabby warned over her shoulder once she had made it outside the fence. "Ready to return to the others?" she asked her companion.
 
The red she-cat happily returned to the designated den for to-bes. She waited for Gray to grab as many fish as he could before stepping forward herself, hauling what was left of the fish. Like the gray tom, Whitefoot took her sweet old time descending toward the overhang...but her steps seemed a great deal more confident. She was used to sloping landscapes, after all. She lived in the mountains before this! After carefully dropping her fish onto the growing pile, Whitefoot sat down underneath the overhang. She heaved a great sigh, ears drooping somewhat.

"...This has been a trying day. I'm exhausted." Shortly afterward she shifted and settled down on her side, eyelids drifting closed. After spending most of the day hunting, traveling, and then cautiously exploring this myriad of rock piles, she was in the same state as her weary brother.

Tallmountain said nothing when Gray approached them and loudly declared that Whitefoot had found a nice place to store prey. Instead he dropped the pile of bigger branches beside Swift's pile of smaller and bendier branches. He stood there for a moment, tail twitching, and idly watched exactly where Gray was leading Swift. Once he realized where they were going, the tall red tom turned and made a beeline for the carcass of the hawk. He scooped it up by its neck. He was tall enough, and strong enough, that as he walked along with the huge bird it didn't even drag on the ground!

He arrived a few short seconds after Swift did. He carelessly plopped the hawk down onto the top of the newly-formed fresh-kill pile--thankfully, the hard drop didn't send any of the fish flying. Tallmountain trudged his way to his resting sister and collapsed into a heap beside her, not even bothering to snag a piece of prey for himself. "...Once Amber and Orchid return with the grass..." His voice was a low mumble. "...Then we can properly construct nests. I believe we should eat afterward and then call it a night." "I second that." Whitefoot sounded just as tired as her brother. "We've been traveling for many moons, and the thought of sleeping in a semi-permanent nest again just makes me feel even more tired."

The striped she-cat immediately flounced forward and snapped her teeth shut on another part of the handle, helping to lift the weighted-down basket. It was heavy, and she felt her neck muscles straining to keep it upright...but it was manageable with Amber's assistance. She didn't speak a single word to Prince Ali as she and Amber hauled the basket through the open section of the gate, but she was quick to nod in response to Amber's question. Oh, yes...she wanted to head back to their camp, chow down, and then settle down for a well-deserved rest!

"Oh, I'm well aware that foxes are dangerous..." Prince Ali's fluffy tail swooshed through the air as he watched them from his place astride the fence. "I would never approach one outright. Even if they are as beautiful as I am." Orchid snorted through the handle of the basket. While the two she-cats departed, the long-haired tom hopped off of the fence and trotted hurriedly toward the Twoleg nest, meowing loudly to get the attention of his Housefolk. He could not close the gate on his own, it seemed.
 
Gray watched on in amusement as the twins tiredly lay down under the overlang. He was tired, too, muscles beginning to ache from being used to much today, but he still felt pretty awake. A quick glance at Swift showed the black tom perfectly fine and not tired at all. He was meticulously picking feathers from the bird and creating a small pile.

Shrugging, Gray decided to leave the others to their own devices. He grabbed one of the fish he had caught himself, dragging it out from underneath the hawk Tallmountain had brought. He settled himself less than a tail length from Whitefoot and tucked into the fish.

He didn't notice the look Swift shot him, oblivious as he was. The other tom looked back and forth between Gray and Whitefoot, only his eyes moving, before returning his full attention to the bird. Slowly, he began dropping feathers in a separate pile. The bird had about half its feathers left when he stood to carefully drag the hawk off the fresh-kill pile. The bird was deposited on top.

Swift began to pluck the hawk next. Feathers joined the first pile the black tom had started before some began to be added to the second one on his other side. He was only satisfied when the feathers made two decent piles. Careful once more, he dragged the hawk to the fresh-kill pile. He was unable to put it on the top, but made sure it was as close to inside the indent as possible.

Using his tail, Swift pushed the second pile jn front of Tallmountain's nose. He didn't say a word as he turned to his own pile and carefully picked it up to bring to the Warriors den. Just inside the entrance was where he began to shape his nest, conciously making certain he didn't take more than his fair share.

Amber was amused as Prince Ali meowed to get his Twolegs' attention. Luckily, the two she-cats were a fair ways away before they came out of the house to close the gate. It was a long journey to the caves, but they eventually made it back. Amber was sweating slightly from the sheer effort it took to keep the basket from dragging, even with Orchid's assistance, and was more than happy to drop it inside the Warriors den with Swift. He ignored her after flicking his tail down the path to show where the others were.

Shrugging, and breathing harder than normal, she trudged down to the overhang where Gray was finishing her fish. She eagerly grabbed one of her own, settling down against the stone next to the indent. The fish was devoured in quick bites. Amber licked her lips to get the last of the taste of fish. She snatched the bird from the top of the pile and began plucking the rest of the feathers for everyone else.
 
If the look Swift flashed in Gray's direction could have been considered subtle, the defensive glower Tallmountain fixed on the other tom was anything but. From his spot situated on Whitefoot's free side the massive tom lifted his head from the soft ground underfoot and made a point of staring down at Gray, his cinnamon-colored pelt bristling with annoyance. He was extremely protective of his little sister. The gray tom's behavior had not gone unnoticed. From now on, the hefty tom would be keeping a close eye on Gray.

The weary red tom flicked an ear in acknowledgement when suddenly he felt feathers tickling the tip of nose. He cracked a bright green eye open to find that it was Swift who pushed the modest pile of feathers in his direction. His tail whipped back and forth just once, in a way silently thanking the other tom. At least he wouldn't have to do that now. He was fairly exhausted from the day's activities. Taking down that hawk was what truly sapped most of his energy away. After stretching his front legs out, Tallmountain finally rose from his spot. He padded toward the pile of fresh-kill and snagged two fish, one larger and one smaller. He dropped the smaller one in front of Whitefoot, who immediately sniffed the air and shimmied forward to grab it.

The twins silently ate their fish. Tallmountain finished his first. He was apparently still hungry--after swiping his tongue across his lips to gather up the remaining bits of fish, he stared profusely at the hawk at the top of the pile...but he didn't snatch it up right away. It still had some feathers on it, and een though he wanted it right now he would wait for the others to pluck their fair share of feathers from it before digging into it.

After helping Amber place the basket in the largest cave, Orchid hurriedly trotted toward the other cats. She grabbed a large fish for herself and settled down in her own little corner, happily tucking into it. Whitefoot finished before the other she-cat did. She stretched herself out and then rolled over onto her back, purring contently. That didn't last very long. When Tallmountain rose to his feet his sister followed him. The tom hauled the hawk off of the pile, and once he brought it back to their spot the two of them worked in tandem to rid it of as many feathers as they possibly could. Tallmountain already had a decent pile of feathers and Swift was in the process of constructing his own nest, so as his sister plucked Tallmountain sorted them into separate piles for everyone else.

By the time Orchid was finished with her fish, they were finally finished. Whitefoot happily distributed the hawk feathers between herself and her companions while Tallmountain hungrily tore into the hawk, tail whipping back around contently. They could afford to eat like there was no tomorrow while they had so few cats, and it would be better for them to regain the strength they likely all lost while they were traveling for so many moons. Orchid snatched up her pile of feathers and quietly made her way back to the largest cave, eager to get started on her nest. Tallmountain and Whitefoot, on the other hand, waited politely for Gray and Amber to finish before setting off.

"I assume you fetched enough soft grass for all of us?" Tallmountain washed his front paws as he addressed Amber. "As you can see, we acquired many feathers...and we also gathered a couple of balls of moss and some branches. We even located much larger branches, perhaps to use as a barrier or to construct a bridge to cross the river."
 
Gray finished his fish and joined Amber in taking the feathers off the bird Swift had caught. They made short work of it together, but as the others were either still eating, in Tallmountain's case, or simply waiting, as Whitefoot was, they decided to fill their stomach's more with the bird. After long moons sharing fresh-kill, there was no fighting over who got what piece. They simply ate what they wanted. Amber delicately washed the paw that had been holding down the bird as she ate before answering the red tom.

"Yes. We even gathered too much for us to carry on our own," she replied as Gray added the feathers to the others' piles. He had extra in his own, which he planned on giving to Orchid since the she-cat had left before they were finished.

"How did you bring it all back, then?" the tom asked curiously, gathering his pile and leading the way back to the den.

Amber followed, directing her words slightly back so that Tallmountain and Whitefoot could hear. "The kittypet we met, Prince Ali, gave us something called a basket. It held all the grass we had collected. It was a bit awkward to carry, but Orchid and I managed by working together."

The group arrived just as Swift was putting the finishing touches on his nest. He had moved away from Orchid with his pile of materials when the she-cat had entered, and was now in the back left corner of the cave. He glanced up when they entered before dismissing them with a flick of his tail.

Gray plopped his feathers down to the left side of the cave, closer to the entrance than the black tom. He quickly gathered up Orchid's portion of the bird feathers and gave then to the white she-cat. Amber had already separated the nesting branches into equal piles; Gray joined her in passing out the remaining moss before settling down to construct his own nest. He could wait for the grass until it was nearly done.

Amber was setting her materials just to the side of the entrance where Swift had been before. Her protective instincts wouldn't allow her to not be the first line of defense for these cats she was already beginning to consider friends. "We can all rest for tonight," she meowed, shaping her nest with deft paws. "It's been a long day. Tomorrow, however, we should think about setting up a watch during the night so that nothing takes us by surprise. Maybe three shifts of two cats each?"

Swift made a face at his nest at her words. While a watch wouldn't be a bad idea, he didn't like the thought of having an interrupted sleep. Especially since with his luck, he would end up with the watch in the middle of the night. Oh well. The small tom pressed down on the moss/grass mixture along the edges of his nest to make sure it wouldn't shift and have a branch poke him during the night. He left out a soft, happy sigh as he crawled into it, curling up with his head resting on his paws. It was a good thing he had finished his nest first; the sounds of the other cats lulled him to sleep with the promise of safety for the night.
 
Tallmountain scoffed as they walked along, trying his best to stifle the deluge of laughter that wanted to escape him. He didn't want to disrespect the kittypet too much. He did help Amber and Orchid out, after all. But amusingly enough, Whitefoot decided to voice her mirth in his stead. "What kind of ridiculous name is Prince Ali?" she demanded, voice brimming with laughter. "What is a Prince? Better yet, what is an Ali?"

Tallmountain snickered loudly. It seemed that both twins were getting a kick out of Prince Ali's name. Tallmountain thought it sounded completely ridiculous. Whitefoot found the name funny, yet intriguing. What did both of those words mean...?

By the time the other cats arrived, Orchid had moved away from the entrance of the cave and was about halfway finished with her nest-building. Unlike Swift, the white-she cat was only using two branches to shape her nest. She very much preferred a soft nest over a structurally sound one. She rolled around in her sleep anyway, so it was going to get destroyed either way. "Mm...my thanks," was what she murmured when Gray dropped a bundle of feathers in front of her. The flowers stood out starkly in her nest--two white ones, a red one, and three vibrant yellow ones. They smelled rather sweet. Very appealing, indeed.

Tallmountain and Whitefoot constructed extremely different nests. Whitefoot's nest was small and cozy, lined with more soft grass and moss than feathers. She also politely requested one of the flowers Orchid decided not to use--a cute pink one--and wound that into the front of her nest. She used only a couple of branches, but she bent them so that they were tight against the rest of the materials. Tallmountain's nest was exceptionally large to encompass his big frame--chock full of hawk feathers and lined with soft grass. He didn't use any moss. The outside of the nest was completely covered with branches and very much resembled a bird's nest.

"Two cats?" Orchid was at last finished with her flowery nest, and now she was all curled up within. She was used to being alone, much like Swift was...but she simply could not fall asleep while other cats were still up and conversing. "Why not just one? With so few cats in our group, we can afford to have a single guard for now, I believe."

Tallmountain grunted, putting the finishing touches on his huge branch-laden nest. "I volunteer to be first tomorrow evening." He was the largest tom in the group, and he felt that he would be a great defense against threats.

"I, ah..." Whitefoot sounded sheepish, at best. "I'm no good at being observant at night. Nighttime kind of scares me." "Coward," Orchid taunted playfully from her own nest. "I actually prefer the darker hours. I will volunteer to take the darkest hours." Strange as it was, Orchid was actually more adept at hunting in the dark than she was at hunting during the daytime.
 
"One cat is possible," she agreed with Orchid. "I was thinking more along the lines of having multiple eyes. But you are right; with so few of us we should probably do one cat per shift." Gray twitched his whiskers in amusement at Whitefoot's admission, but didn't say anything. Amber merely nodded her head at the others. "So tomorrow it can be Tallmountain, Orchid, then myself. I don't mind it."

"Plus you're up early at ridiculous hours anyway," Gray snorted. His nest was more like Orchid's in design, with three branches - two for the sides, and the one in the front raised a bit high. He liked sleeping on his back, and having his head raised made it easier to get good rest. The back was flatter to allow his tail to stretch out.

Amber merely hummed in agreement. Hers was far more like Swift's in design, but she used little of the grass. The sides of the nest were packed with moss, the bottom completely filled with her share of feathers. The grass was used to fill in any gaps left. She was the last to finish, but it was well worth it. The feathers provided enough cushioning that the floor was evened out, but not too thick that she couldn't feel the hardness underneath. The moss would help capture her body heat, with the grass ensuring it wouldn't escape.

The tabby curled into her nest, purring in contentment. Gray was drifting off slowly. His sleeping posture never ceased to amaze her; she certainly could never sleep that way. "Safe and good dreams," she wished the others. Her eyes were focused on the darkening sky. The sun had nearly disappeared by that time. It was a good thing that they had managed to finish everything before nightfall. She fell asleep only when the others stopped their awake movement and fell into sleep. Gray's soft snores carried her into her dreams.
 
Whitefoot was asleep long before the other two mountain cats, curled up into a warm little ball with her tail covering her muzzle. Orchid seemed unsettled, especially when she noticed that Tallmountain and Amber were still awake, but she was the next to lose the battle, slipping off into a fitful sleep. Tallmountain was visibly uneasy. His fur stood on end and he occasionally glanced upward, over his shoulder, and toward the mouth of the cave. His flesh prickled underneath his pelt, as if a million bugs were crawling around underneath it. He had this unsettling feeling that something, or someone, was watching him. For many long minutes this unusual feeling kept him awake despite his exhaustion...but eventually, his weary body gave in and he began nodding off. It wasn't much longer before he finally fell asleep, sprawled out on his side.

~~~​

The first thing Tallmountain was aware of was that he wasn't in his feathery nest anymore. Beneath his body was nothing but rock-hard stone. Startled by the cold hard rock underneath him, the large tom practically scrambled to his feet, fur bristling and back arched aggressively. A loud hiss greeted him, but the cat that hissed was quick to fall silent, instead grumbling under its breath. It took a few moments for Tallmountain to shake the lingering bits of sleep off, but when he did...well, he certainly wasn't in the cave with his sister, Orchid, and their three new companions any longer.

Instead he stood on a flat rock in an unfamiliar green field, which was covered with flowers of all shapes and sizes. Directly in front of him, on a taller but equally flat-topped rock, sat four cats. Or, at least...they looked like cats. They were all transparent and wispy, like mist, a fog, or some smoke. He did not recognize the elegant white-haired tom, nor did he recognize the bony old calico she-cat. But he most definitely did recognize the two cats seated between the unfamiliar ones.

"Father...?" His ears pricked upward and his eyes widened. Right now, at this very moment, this hulking tom very much resembled a tiny kit. "Mother...?" The two cats in the middle shared an uncomfortable glance. As much as they wanted to catch up with their wayward son, they simply didn't have the time. There were more important matters to attend to.

"Tall Mountain Where Eagles Screech." The elderly she-cat was the one to speak. She had the most authority among this group of cats. "We are former members of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. I am Grove Where Small Sparrow Sings. Sparrow, for short." The white tom lifted his tail. "I am Mountain Where Soft Snow Falls. Snow, if you wish to shorten it." The tall brown tom, who very much resembled his son, bowed his head a bit. "I am Peak Where Fierce Eagle Soars. Or Eagle." The hefty red and white she-cat beside him wrapped her tail around her front paws, her sharp minty green eyes honed in on the starstruck Tallmountain. "And I am River Where Beautiful Willow Thrives. Willow."

The calico she-cat rose to her feet, staring down at Tallmountain. "You and your sister, River Where White Rapids Race, were driven out of the Tribe of Rushing Water. Cave Where White Orchid Blooms stood up for the two of you, and thus she was banished as well. The Tribe of Endless Hunting chose to side with the new Teller of Pointed Stones, who decided to drive you out." "Yes..." Willow's features twisted into an infuriated grimace. "Our celestial Tribemates took no issue with driving cats with so-called unnatural tendencies away. But the four of us did not agree." "We stood up to the other cats of the Tribe of Endless Hunting," Snow explained, calm and collected as ever. "They refused to listen to reason. And so...we left those tainted skies. We followed you. And now you have settled here. With much more welcoming cats."

"But there is a dilemma." Eagle spoke this time. He had a remarkably deep voice. "You cannot be a Tribe. You have not chosen to live in the mountains, as a Tribe must. So you must be a Clan. A Clan must have a leader. A leader appointed by their StarClan, which we will become part of." "Yes..." Snow's large ears twitched. "And the only cat who is supposed to commune directly with StarClan is a medicine cat. Your group lacks a medicine cat. We have not chosen to join StarClan yet, and we will not until a medicine cat is located and appointed."

Tallmountain scraped his claws against the rock he stood on, apparently overwhelmed by this flood of information. "...And where would we find a medicine cat?" He finally managed to ask, sounding mystified. "And why are you telling me this?" The four cats shared a knowing glance, which thoroughly annoyed Tallmountain. When they at last turned back to the red tom, they disregarded his second question altogether. "You must use the kittypet Prince Ali to find your medicine cat," Sparrow informed him, swishing her raggedy tail back and forth. "The candidate is a tom. That is all we can tell you up front. The kittypet knows this tom. He can lead you to him."

"Hold on!" He stood up even straighter, noticing that the cats were beginning to fade. "How am I supposed to just know which tom is the right tom?!" Snow had enough time to gesture to the sky before all four cats completely faded. The false meadow around him began to fade as well. Startled by the sudden crumbling of the vision, Tallmountain huddled down on the rock, squeezing his eyes shut.

~~~​

He hissed like an angry snake when he jolted out of sleep, nearly stumbling over his nest in an attempt to escape the vision that was already gone. He terrified Whitefoot, who constructed her nest right next to his, out of her slumber, and she actually did fall out of her nest. "Ouch!" She crawled to her feet, fur standing on end and ears pulled back. Irritably, she swatted at her larger brother--Tallmountain nimbly dodged the strike, still cowering like a startled fawn deer. That unexpected vision truly rattled him.

"What was that for?" the red she-cat demanded in a harsh whisper, trying not to wake a sleeping Orchid (who was close by) up. Orchid could be extremely cranky when she was awoken in the morning hours. Tallmountain turned his back on her, trying his hardest to calm his racing heartbeat and force his dense velvety fur to lie flat. "Bad dream," was all he could manage to grunt. With a bamboozled Whitefoot watching him, Tallmountain quietly slipped past Amber's nest and out of the cave. She sat down on the cave floor, wetting a paw and then washing each ear carefully.

Something seemed off about her brother this morning...
 
Amber jerked awake at the hissing. Since it came from inside the cave, she quickly stilled herself and tried to calm her racing heart. Claws slowly sheathed themselves as the twins spoke to one another. She watched as he left, debating with herself on whether or not to follow. The tabby decided it would do more harm than good. She left Tallmountain to his thoughts, instead stretching in her nest and sitting up to look at Whitefoot. "Will he be okay?" she asked, concerned. She followed Whitefoot's example and began to carefully wash her face and ears. Today she would need to truly bathe herself.

Perhaps she could share tongues with Gray or Swift later?

Speaking of, Swift's yellow-green eyed peered at the two she-cats from his nest. They were slitted, glaring at them for waking him up. Amber didn't blame him. While this was the normal time for her to be awake, the two toms she had traveled with preferred to sleep until they sky turned blue. With a grumble, Swift turned around in his nest and curled up tighter. Within seconds he was asleep once more.
 
"I...don't know." Whitefoot pursed her lips, staring out after the retreating form of her much larger brother. "I've never seen him behave like that after waking up. Not even when we were kits!" She frowned, settling down and twisting her neck so that she could give herself a good and proper grooming. "I wonder if he really did have a bad dream...?"

"I'll give you bad dreams if you don't shut up or get lost." Oh yes. Orchid was certainly all sunshine and rainbows in the early hours of the morning! The white-she cat's fur stood on end and the intensity of her glower was nothing to sneeze at. Whitefoot took a step away, clearly intimidated. Orchid was not a she-cat to be messed with, especially at this hour! "Maybe, ah..." She backed away even further, quietly making her way out of the cave. "...Maybe we should leave and let everyone else sleep." Pleased that Whitefoot clearly got the message, the white tabby flopped back over into her nest, facing the cave wall and curling her tail tightly around her body.

Outside, at the very top of the waterfall, sat Tallmountain, who was kneading the grass underfoot with unsheathed claws and glaring bitterly at the barely-rising sun in the distance. He truly despised the way the Tribe of Endless Hunting worked. All of these omens, signs, and seemingly useless bits of information just seemed pointless to him. If they knew who this 'candidate tom' truly was, then why didn't they just give him a name and description? Why did they have to give him some ridiculous omen instead? The red tom bristled at the very thought and used one of his paws to kick a small rock over the waterfall. With a mild air of curiosity, he watched as it plummeted into the churning water below.

Though he was still achy from yesterday's activities, the visit from his ancestors had him severely rattled, and there was absolutely no way he would be able to fall back asleep now.
 
"Perhaps we should," Amber agreed with amusement. She reluctantly left her warm nest and padded free Whitefoot. Gray's snores had run uninterrupted during the entire thing and trailed after the she-cats as they left. The tabby's sharp eyes caught a small rock hurtling down the waterfall. She looked up and saw Tallmountain's silhouette. "I'm going to go hunting," she told Whitefoot. "Then perhaps see if Prince Ali could gather some cats for tomorrow that we could speak with."

She left the she-cat with a flick of the tail over her ear and bounded up towards Tallmountain. Sitting down next to the tom, she stared out at the sea in front of them. "I'm assuming you won't be able to get back to sleep after whatever startled you last night." One ear flicked as an insect buzzed near it. "Would you like go go hunting with me? This is my favorite time of the day."

Even if the tom did not wish to join her, she would be able to hunt some for the others as well. The forest certainly did not lack in prey. In fact, it was making her wonder how plentiful it would be come leaf-bare. Would there still be enough for a full sized Clan? How much would the river freeze over?
 
"I think I'm going to lay in the sun for a while," Whitefoot replied, her voice still thick with sleep. Basking in the warm sunlight was the next best thing to curling up in her nest again. When Amber left her, the red she-cat plodded slowly toward a flat bit of rock that bordered the waterfall on one side. She proceeded to practically fall over onto this rock, exposing one of her sides to the gradually rising sun. There were supposedly no eagles here, the vast majority of hawks were too small to take a fully-grown cat, and owls only came out at night, so she felt fairly safe here. The gushing waterfall beside her was also a deterrent for predatory birds--they would be too wary to swoop, afraid of getting caught in the powerful deluge.

Tallmountain flicked one ear in Amber's direction to acknowledge her presence. He grunted at the she-cat's words, pointedly avoiding her gaze. He didn't want to talk about the omen he received in his dream. Not with anyone, even his own sister! "...I can hunt. Just not another hawk." He rolled his shoulders, wincing a bit. "It would not be wise to strain my muscles further." There was still meat from the hawk left over. It would probably stay until the end of the day, but after that it would become nothing but crowfood.

He rose to his feet, stretching himself out and yawning widely as he did so. "I would prefer to hunt in a more open area. There was only pine forest back home in the mountains, and it was never that thick to begin with. I am much more used to hunting in open spaces. A field or a meadow would serve that purpose nicely." Sometime soon, especially if they were going to permanently settle here, they would have to send some cats out to fully examine the area and establish territory boundaries. Tallmountain was hoping that there were some wide-open spaces. The constant cover from the trees was a bit disorientating for a cat from the mountains, who was used to always seeing the sky up above.

He wouldn't admit it out loud, of course, but he was very much interested in meeting this 'Prince Ali' Amber and Orchid consorted with the previous day. If that kittypet could lead them to a proper medicine cat through the gathering of cats that Amber spoke of, then Tallmountain would have to make absolutely certain that the kittypet would gather as many cats as he possibly could for that meeting. If he failed to lure the right tom in...that was a serious problem.
 
"Fair enough," Amber replied. "I don't want to try my chances with a hawk goo much any way." She stood and stretched, claws extending to lightly scratch at the grass beneath her. The sun was beginning to warm the air, and soon would be fully visible. The others should be awake then. "I would hunt in the forest occasionally back in Snowclan, but our territory was mostly flat. I got comfortable hunting in the woods in the times since."

The tabby led them away from the waterfall. She angled away from the forest and Twolegplace for once, towards the flat lands beside the two. Even just scanning the area, she could see signs of life. With luck, they would be able to catch a rabbit or two.

Swift rolled awake in his nest as the sun cleared the horizon. He rolled his eyes at Gray's snoring and carefully padded out of the den. Amber and Tallmountain could not be found, but that wasn't unusual for the she-cat. He eventually found Whitefoot lounging near the waterfall. Hesitant in his approach, he picked another flat rock near the red she-cat. This was closer to the waterfall, and he was able to feel some of the spray hit his fur. It was a nice, cooling feeling that he enjoyed before speaking to the other. "Am I right in asuming Amber dragged Tallmountain off to hunt?" he asked.
 
Tallmountain was happy to allow Amber to take the lead. He was far too distracted by the troublesome dream he had last night to even think of leading the charge today. The hulking tom probably wouldn't be in his right mind until this issue with the potential medicine cat was resolved. And with that in mind...would Orchid and Whitefoot be content with being part of a Clan and not a Tribe? The cats from the Tribe of Endless Hunting claimed being a Clan would be best for them, especially in this foreign environment...but Tallmountain wasn't about to put too much stock into that.

The cats that celestial tribe consisted of were simply that. Cats. Deceased cats, mind you, but other than that...nothing special. Unlike the other cats in his Tribe back home, Tallmountain never truly believed that the Tribe of Endless Hunting had otherworldly powers, nor did he believe that they could do too many extraordinary things. They were cats, just like their flesh and blood descendants. There wasn't much anyone, even the outcast cats of Tribe of Endless Hunting themselves, could do to convince him that they were automatically deserving of respect, and that their word was absolute law.

There was a visible change in the big tom once he and Amber stepped out into flatter and considerably more open territory. He stood up as tall as he possibly could, relishing in the feeling of the wind whipping through his rusty red fur. Now this was territory he was accustomed to! Tallmountain fell into familiar motions as he now took the lead. He walked strangely, keeping his legs close together and his tail straight out behind him. He was attempting to make himself look as skinny as possible, providing prey less of a frontal profile. That way, it would be harder for them to identify him, especially if he was farther away. They might mistake him for a tree stump with his pelt color.

Whitefoot whipped her tail as a silent greeting to Swift. She kept her eyes closed when the tom broke the silence, but she shifted a smidgen where she was sprawled out. "I believe she did. It's a good thing, I suppose." She idly scratched her claws against the rock's flat surface. "I've never seen Tallmountain react to a bad dream like that before. He actually looked scared."
 
Amber wasn't very shocked to see Tallmountain automatically assume the lead once they reached the flatter territory. The tom was more comfortable here, and she was content to follow; it wouldn't harm her, and she had no desire to forcefully take back the lead. The change in his walking did surprise her. She hadn't expected something like that but then again hunting in the mountains had to have given birth to different techniques. The tabby studied him for a moment before attempting to imitate his movements.

It was quite strange, and it took a great deal of effort to get used to it. But, eventually, she did, and just in time to catch a glimpse of two rabbits streaking across the ground. They both dove into a burrow, but one farther away popped it's head up and stared at the two cats. A moment later, however, it retreated into its hole once more.

"I know of a technique we could use here," she murmured quietly to Tallmountain. "We used to call it rabbit fishing. It requires the same amount of patience as actual fishing, and if was only used when we were desperate for prey, but I can teach you. It's not like we don't have the time."

"He had a bad dream?" Swift's whiskers twitched in amusement that he was careful to not show too much of. It wouldn't do to get in a fight with Whitefoot, and he was sure Amber would blame it on him.

That, and he figured if they woke Orchid up, the other she-cat would join in. He didn't fancy his chances against two pissed off she-cats. Gray would most likely either sleep through it or not join in, especially with his little crush on Whitefoot.

"If you ever have the misfortune of being awake with Amber, she will always try to drag you into hunting." Swift held a paw out into the spray. His body was leaned forward. The tom kept himself completely still and balanced so there was no chance of tipping over the rock he was on. After a moment, he drew the paw back and licked the water droplets off.
 
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