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

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"Rabbit fishing?" Judging by his expression, Tallmountain found the name of the technique rather amusing. His lips trembled, as if he was holding back laughter...but even so, he refused to even so much as grace her with a glance. He was far too focused on hunting. Rabbits were tricky prey. Tasty, but difficult to catch. Orchid aside, the cats in their old Tribe all possessed darker pelts, or pelts that blended in well with their surroundings. They were practically invisible in the right spot, mistaken for rocks, tree trunks, or dead grass by unsuspecting prey. This area was a bit too green for Tallmountain's style of hunting. He preferred to sneak up on rabbits and get as close as he possibly could...

...and then he would explode with speed, chasing the rabbit down as quickly as he could.

"Back home...we stalked like this." He kept his body still as could be and his front profile as limited as possible. "Rabbits would often mistake us for tree trunks, boulders, or dead bits of leaves from a distance. And once we drew close enough...we would strike." An ear twitched with disappointment as another rabbit spotted them approaching and took off like the wind. This technique would not work in this too-green area. They would have to find a more barren spot.

"Very well, then." Tallmountain sat back, idly rasping a tongue over one of his paws. "Show me your technique."

"Yes, a bad dream." Immediately, Whitefoot sounded defensive. She and her brother were terribly protective of each other. "For all you know, it could've been a dream about us burning alive or being ripped apart by eagles. So don't take it so lightly. I've never seen him act like that before. I'm his sister, so I'm worried about him." Not that Tallmountain really needed someone to worry about him. He was a strong and sturdy tom...but apparently, he wasn't quite as indestructible as he would like everyone to think.

Orchid emerged from the den a few short moments later, having not caught a lick of the brief spat between Whitefoot and Swift. She shook her pelt out and ambled off toward the woods. She wanted to see if she couldn't find a few healing herbs. She knew of several back home in the mountains...but there was no telling what the plants would be like here. Even so, she wanted to give it a shot. Even if she wasn't a healer in any sense of the word, there was no harm in being prepared at the very least.

The red she-cat completely ignored Orchid's sudden, but brief appearance, instead settling back down on her rock, fur still a bit fluffed out with annoyance. "I'm going to need hunting lessons," she admitted, basking in the sun's warm glow. "I was a cave guard back home. I have never hunted in my life. And I've only been fishing for a couple of days."
 
Amber waited for the tom to laugh, but he managed to hold it in well enough. She certainly wouldn't have minded - the name sounded rather ridiculous to her as well. Only a long time of using the technique and saying it kept her automatic reaction to the name down. She idly watched the tom attempt to show off his own techniques - not quite as different from her normal ones - as she kept an eye on various rabbit holes. If she could figure out which rabbit would come out of their hole next, it would make the whole process a lot easier.

The tabby didn't comment when Tallmountain returned to her, unsuccessful. Instead, she launched straight into explaining what to do. "First, since we are in a rabbit rich area, we see which rabbits come out of theit burrows more. For example, the two in that one," she nodded to a nearby hole where a rabbit's head quickly ducked back in, "come out far less often than that one." She used her tail this time to indicate the rabbit that hopped a few steps out of its hole before darting back in. "We'll use that one to start with."

Quietly, her paw steps light on the grass and mindful of her shadow, Amber stalked to the hole. Much like Gray would do when fishing, she kept her shadow from falling over the hole and waited with claws unsheathed. Ears cautiously twitched out of the hole and her paw struck out. It went deep into the hole before she was forced to pull back when she couldn't snag the rabbit. "It requires a lot of patience," she explained. "The rabbits will smell you and hear you a lot better than fish, so timing is absolutely critical."

With a mockingly grand sweep of her tail, she motioned the red tom to take her spot. "Since I just tried to unsuccessfully catch it, it will take a while to come back up. It will still be more predictable. Wait for the head to come up farther than I did before striking." Amber settled herself a couple of tail lengths away so she could watch.

Swift snorted at Whitefoot's admission. "Your Tribe did you a disservice," he spat. "While I can understand the need for guards, a cat who cannot hunt is a burden. What would have happened if you lost all of your hunters? You would not know the techniques needed to survive for long." He paused to let his words sink in, reaching the other paw into the spray of the waterfall. "At least Gray is teaching you how to fish. I'm sure Amber will try to teach you how to hunt rabbits, mice, and the like." He withdrew the paw, licking the water off of it as well. "And I'm sure your brother would be willing to show you what he knows if you ask."

Gray chose that moment to stumble tiredly out of the den and join them. He plopped down right beside Whitefoot with a yawn. "Everyone else gone?" he asked with a voice heavy from sleep.

"Amber dragged Tallmountain into hunting with her," Swift replied. "I'm not sure what Orchid is doing."
 
Tallmountain kept his distance while Amber approached the rabbit hole, though he wasn't so far away that he wouldn't be able to help if the rabbit slipped past her or a threat made itself known. He sat down lightly on the grass, enjoying the breeze whipping through his pelt, and watched her technique closely. When the rabbit's ears poked themselves up and out of the hole he leaned forward a bit, sharp gaze honed in on them. He hummed under his breath when the wily rabbit managed to escape her claws, flicking an ear. "Very well. I will try." He was used to hunting rabbits back home in the mountains. He was also used to chasing after them.

As the red tom settled himself just behind the burrow, it became apparent that while he was using part of Amber's strategy, he was also employing part of the strategy he learned back home in the mountains. When the rabbit's ears poked out of the hole again he did not move to strike. Instead he remained perfectly still. Still cautious as ever, the rabbit crept slowly out of the hole, fur standing on end and legs tensed to spring. Just before its fluffy little tail was out of the hole, Tallmountain pounced. His pounce covered the hole, which the rabbit initially tried to bolt back into--its lapse in judgement earned it a gash across one of its legs. Now at half-speed it sprinted off, with Tallmountain in hot pursuit. Fast as it was, its injury knocked its maneuverability down a few pegs, and the big tom was able to ambush it by leaping onto a rock and then jumping down onto it, delivering a killing bite.

Looking quite pleased with himself, Tallmountain hauled his rabbit back to Amber with his tail held high. He deposited it in front of her, taking a seat in the soft grass. "Back home...when stalking rabbits that refused to move far away from their burrows, we would lie in wait behind them. Once they emerged just enough from the hole, we would immediately cover it. Nine times out of ten, the startled rabbits would instinctively whirl around and try to escape back into their burrow even with us there. It makes for an easy kill if you are not spotted."

Whitefoot's reaction was somewhat unexpected because of her genuinely sweet demeanor. Even with Gray beside her to defend her if he so wished, she instantly jumped to her feet and loomed over Swift, delivering a warning swipe (with her claws sheathed this time, at least) to the top of the cheeky tom's head. "How dare you insult our way of life!" she snarled, ears pulled back and sharp teeth on full display. "You, once a loner with no one else to rely on! No one who cared about you! You have no right to insult the way I lived my life, safe and sound with many cats to rely on! So I was never adept at hunting, and I was made a cave guard instead--so what? Does that make me any less of a cat?!" She hissed, tail standing straight up. "Don't let me catch you insulting the Tribe, and in turn me, ever again. Or rest assured, I will make you regret your words!"

A strange and low-pitched moooowwww came from the nearby woods. It was Orchid, and the white she-cat was apparently cracking up over Whitefoot's outburst. Out of the three mountain cats, Whitefoot was the one who still clung to her Tribe beliefs and customs the most. Just like a Clan cat, if a Tribe cat's way of life was insulted and the one doing the insulting just kept on going, fur would eventually fly. At least now Swift would know that Whitefoot was no pushover.

Now grumbling under her breath and with her ears still pulled back, Whitefoot made the tactical decision to switch spots so that Gray was between her and Swift. She was completely willing to throw down with Swift if he kept running his mouth, but at the same time she didn't like to fight if she didn't have to. Hopefully, it would all end here. Orchid emerged from the woods at this point with a mouthful of brightly-colored flowers. There were no herbs she recognized, so she decided to bring back some lovely flowers instead. She didn't say anything as she passed by the three cats, but even with the flowers muffling any noise coming out of her mouth, her amusement was obvious. She picked up the pace to avoid becoming the object of anyone's ire, disappearing into the large cave once again.
 
Amber watched curiously as Tallmountain waited. She was just gathering herself to chase after the rabbit when he struck. Settling, she waited for the red tom to return. "It is quite the strategy," she admitted. "I never would have thought to cover their escape like that." She nudged the rabbit with her nose before moving over to another rabbit hole. It took several moments for the rabbit itself to sneak its ears out, but it quickly returned a moment later. She kept herself still, absently noting another rabbit streak out of its burrow a few foxlengths away. All her attention was focused on the one in front of her when ears slowly came out again.

The tabby carefully shifted her weight to allow one paw free with claws unsheathed. The rabbit's body was nearly out when she launched herself forward, paw outstretched. Her claws hooked into the back of the neck. Her body weight shoved the rabbit to the ground, unable to move. She delivered a quick killing bite and waited for the last of the dying struggles to end before carrying it back to Tallmountain. Her ears were pricked, tail swishing happily. Her catch was smaller than the tom's, but considering she was smaller than him, it made it easier to carry.

"That," she said after spitting out the last of the rabbit's fur, "is how you are supposed to rabbit fish. I don't know why I struck too early before. The point is to catch it with your claws so, even if it gets away, it is hurt. Then you put your weight on it and deliver the killing bite." She licked some stray blood from off her lips. "It preserves energy when we need fresh-kill, but don't have enough energy to chase them or hunt other prey." A quick glance at the sun told her they should probably get moving if they wanted to visit the kittypet and return to the others before sun high. "We should bury these and bring them back with us when we return to the others."

Swift pinned his ears back, growling. He barely resisted the urge to launch himself at the white she-cat. Gray's panicked and pleading gaze kept him in place as the blue tom shifted to allow himself to be a shield between the two. "I can insult you if I wish," the small tom hissed. "I can insult your Tribe. I insult the Clans as well." He stood, tail lashing angrily as he moved away from the two. "Your decision to follow the ways of a Tribe that threw you out for whatever reason they had is as idiotic as your Tribe separating cats into guards and hunters." The black tom passed by the cave where Orchid was still chuckling before descending down to the shore again. This time, instead of pausing just at the line of sand, he kept walking until the water was lapping at his paws.

Gray awkwardly shifted in place. He didn't like feeling as if he was in the middle of two fighting cats. Amber and Swift used to be at each other's throats all the time, and it seemed like Whitefoot and Swift would be now. "I would apologize for him," he said hesitantly, "but he would never do so himself. I'm still sorry about his attitude."
 
Politely, the red tom kept his distance while Amber began to hunt. As he watched her technique, he was silently picking up pointers, and he would definitely employ some of her movements in his next rabbit hunt. If there was one singular thing that Tallmountain was truly adept at, it was hunting. He was a fantastic and versatile hunter, able to find food in even the most barren of wildernesses. He would be an asset to this group of cats once the colder moons and the snow rolled on in. The colder times lasted much, much longer on the mountains than they did in these lower elevations, which the mountain cats would soon find out, so they were more accustomed to snow and bitter cold.

"I can understand not wanting to expend energy if it is not necessary. I do enjoy chasing a rabbit down, however." His luminous green eyes flashed with a bit of mirth. "I revel in the chase and being able to let off some steam, so to speak." He was already scooping a sizable hole into the soft earth below with his sharp claws by the time Amber suggested that they bury their rabbits and pay the kittypet a visit. The mere mention of the kittypet was enough to put Tallmountain on-edge once again. He made no comment about it, but his hair fluffed out ever so slightly and his muscles rippled with tension. No, he had no desire whatsoever to speak about what his dream entailed!

"Very well. Let us go, then." The towering tom tamped the earth down over his rabbit with paws stretched out flat. "We ought to work out the time of the meeting and such, and get a general idea of how many cats will be attending. Perhaps we should offer to bring these cats some fresh-kill as a gesture of kindness?" Not to mention...it would allow those cats, some of whom he automatically assumed might be other kittypets, to get a taste of what they were missing by not living wild like they were meant to.

Whitefoot's tail violently lashed back and forth and she hissed loudly at Swift, pounding her front feet on the ground and arching her back upward as far as it would go. Had the small tom not up and left at that moment, a fight would have surely erupted. She angrily flopped back down onto the rock, ears still pinned flat against the top of her head. "I suspect he won't learn his lesson until he gets a proper thrashing from someone he definitely can't bully and push around," she grumbled, trying her best to relax her tension-riddled posture. "I can fight--oh yes, I certainly can. But strength-wise, I believe I am evenly matched with Swift."

"Let him square off with your brother, then." Orchid had decided to join them--she was strolling toward them in a leisurely fashion. "Tallmountain is not a tom to be trifled with. Why, I can say with confidence that he is one of the largest and strongest toms that I have ever seen." She stole the warm spot that Swift so carelessly abandoned, turning her back to the waterfall. "He won't be pleased to learn that Swift has been insulting you personally, Whitefoot. Perhaps a bit of punishment and cowing is just what a wily rogue like Swift needs." In Orchid's opinion, Tallmountain was well-suited to a position of leadership, where he would have to deal with spats like this each and every day. He was also an intimidating cat...he practically exuded dominance.

"You think so?" Whitefoot rolled over onto her back, relishing in the warmth of the sun on her belly fur. "Tallmountain is awfully protective of me, I know. But will that really have an impact on Swift?" Orchid hummed, resting her cheek against the hard stone. "It will be a blow to his pride. And to me, at the very least, that is worth it!" The striped she-cat sounded delighted at the prospect. If Tallmountain could make Swift submit, some of that cheeky insolence would be sure to dissipate, right? Would he think twice about picking on Whitefoot again?
 
Amber dug out her own hole to place her rabbit in. It was near Tallmountain's, but not so close that the smell of the rabbits would panic the ones still alive. She said nothing of the tension evident in the tom and instead led the way to the Twolegplace. "Sunhigh might be the best time to meet with them," she mused. "It would give us time to hunt a little for them, yet enough time to hunt for ourselves afterwards without worrying about nightfall."

She wondered what cats would arrive for the meeting. Prince Ali had said he knew of no cats that had medicinal knowledge, but this was perhaps their only chance to get a medicine cat before anything happened to one of them. It was even more important that they recruited a suitable cat for the job if their numbers were going to expand. The more cats there were, the higher the chances for infections and sicknesses to set in.

"Ah, here we are," the tabby announced. She jumped to the top of the fence and scanned the yard. Even if the dog hadn't harmed her last time, she would not take any chances. Once the coast was clear, she dropped down lightly and meowed loudly, hoping to catch the kittypet's attention.

Gray stayed silent as the two she-cats talked. He rested his head on his paws, tail tucked close to his body and ears slightly angled back. He didn't like Swift's attitude much either, but the ay they were talking made him uneasy. Surely the black tom didn't deserve whatever beating Orchid and Whitefoot thought Tallmountain would give him. Right?

He would have to talk to Amber about this. They were already fighting with each other, and Whitefoot seemed easily riled when it came to Tribe traditions. She didn't know that it was better to not give Swift any reaction.

Swift himself was staring out at the sea. His tail was stiff, fur still raised from the almost-fight with Whitefoot. His thoughts were not kind at that moment. They ceased when he noticed something not far in the distance. It looked almost like more land. There were tree-like silhouettes. "It isn't that far," he said to himself. "It would be easy to swim to, as long as there are no sharp-teeth around." The black tom debated with himself for several moments before shrugging. He could easily turn around if it became too difficult, and there were no signs of sharp-teeth in the water.

He walked along the shore until the island was right in front of him. From there, he simple waded into the water and began swimming. It didn't take him too long to reach the island, thought it was farther than he originally thought.
 
"I agree." Tallmountain swished his tail back and forth as he walked. His strides were much longer than Amber's, so he made a point of walking slower than he typically did to keep himself behind her. "I recommend catching rabbits for them." Rabbit meat was some of the tastiest meat Tallmountain had ever eaten. He didn't want to expend too much energy taking down a hawk or an owl for a group of unknown cats who might not even join up with them. Since there were no kits back at their camp, nor were there any ill or elderly cats, all of them could attend the meeting. Tallmountain thought it would be rather neighborly for each cat in their group to bring a piece of prey along as a peace offering.

He walked in silence for the rest of the trek, stopping only when they reached the kittypet's domain. He fixed the fence with a critical stare, as if he didn't trust it not to crumple underneath his weight...but he eventually followed after Amber, scrambling his way onto the top of the fence before leaping nimbly onto the soft grass below. Prince Ali was in plain sight yet again, all curled up on his favorite soft purple perch by the window. Amber's meowing instantly garnered his attention--the luxuriously long-haired kittypet's head shot up. He swiveled his head around for a brief moment before locating Amber. Her loud meowing also attracted the attention of a Twoleg inside--a short one with a mop of night black hair. Thankfully enough for Amber, it seemed that Prince Ali's belief in his Twolegs not to steal cats from the wild was valid. This Twoleg peered curiously out of the window as Prince Ali hopped down from his perch, but even though she obviously spotted Amber and Tallmountain all she did was smile warmly and walk away.

Prince Ali pushed his way through the small opening, feet padding noiselessly on the grass. The flowery stench that saturated his fur was even more pronounced today. "Greetings, Amber." He bowed his head respectfully towards her, but then he spared a glance at Tallmountain, sizing the cat up. Strangely enough, the two of them had similar looks, though Tallmountain was a great deal larger than Prince Ali and Prince Ali's fur was longer and silkier. "And who is your friend?" Tallmountain grunted, tail lashing about with unease. "Tallmountain," he answered simply, holding his head high and unintentionally trying to intimidate the other tom. Prince Ali seemed unfazed. "What can I do for you today?" he inquired instead, wrapping his fluffy tail around his paws.

Orchid yawned, rolling over onto her other side and facing away from Whitefoot and Gray. "...I know this sort of talk may make you uncomfortable..." She was clearly addressing the tom now. "But if Swift doesn't learn respect, then he may never change. I don't know about you...but I feel as if we will be staying together. Permanently, as a group. And if we are going to become a group...we will need a leader. I believe Tallmountain should be in a leadership position, even if he isn't at the absolute top of the hierarchy. And if my instincts are right and he does end up in a leadership position...Swift will have to learn how to respect him, as well as everyone else in the group."

The thought of her brother in a leadership position seemed to greatly amuse Whitefoot. She sputtered and then giggled, finally losing those last lingering traces of anger. "I can't picture him being a leader, at least not all on his own. He can certainly throw his weight around if he has to, though. How will we choose a leader, anyway?" Confusion crept its way onto the red she-cat's face. "We...don't have anything like a Tribe of Endless Hunting to communicate with here." She paused. "...Do we...? I mean, if there were celestial cats around, surely they would have made themselves known to at least one of us by now!"
 
Amber stiffened when the Twolegplace peered out, only relaxing when she walked away. The boundaries she was testing with this kittypet would be the death of her. First the dog, then the Twoleg. It seemed like this nest was unique. She just didn't know if it would come back to haunt her and, by extension, the other cats she was with.

Tallmountain's unconscious intimidation tactic had her rolling her eyes. "Toms," she said, exasperated. The smile she directed towards the kittypet was friendly, though. "We wanted to talk to you about that meeting you mentioned yesterday. We figured it would be best to see who was interested, even if no one joins us for a while."

Gray shrugged at Whitefoot's question. "I don't know if Starclan has contacted Amber, but I certainly haven't received any visits myself. Amber would have told me, at the very least, if she had been contacted. It is a great honor." He took a moment longer to think over Orchid's words. She wasn't the only cat who felt like they were going to become a group permanently.

She also wasn't wrong about Swift, but she wasn't quite right, either. The black tom respected Amber. It was the only reason he had traveled with them for so long. The Tribe cats, though, he didn't know. It would take a lot for him to begin to respect them. Fortunately, it seemed that he was beginning to respect Tallmountain. The feathers he had gathered for the red tom's nest and his avoidance of confrontation since that forst day showed that.

This island amazed Swift. The trees were different than the forest, but he had a dim memory of trees like then from when he was younger. There was plenty of wildlife to be found. The prey didn't even seen afraid of him! They must have never seen a cat before. The tom stalked through the shadows as best he could, simply taking in the island. This could be very interesting. He decided it would be good to explore the area before heading back.
 
Both Prince Ali and Tallmountain seemed offended by Amber's not-quite-insult about toms, the fluffy kittypet more so. He fluffed his soft fur out even more, ears briefly pulling back before bouncing to their rightful places once more. Barely a second later, it was like he was never even annoyed at all. "Mm...you want me to gather as many cats as I can from far and wide, yes?" he pressed, sitting up a little straighter. Being in the presence of a tom as intimidating as Tallmountain had Prince Ali just dying to make himself look bigger and stronger. "How many cats I will be able to gather depends on how much time you allot me. So..." He pawed insistently at the ground. "When would you like this meeting to occur?"

"Tomorrow, preferably." Tallmountain seemed awfully interested in scrutinizing Prince Ali, even if the kittypet didn't realize it. He felt a strange prickling near the back of his head, and he silently blamed the outcasts from the Tribe of Endless Hunting for causing it. What did they think they were accomplishing by acknowledging his observation of Prince Ali? Were they trying to tell him that the kittypet was meant to join them or something? Ha! What a ridiculous thought that was! This kittypet was clearly pampered beyond belief, soft and pretty with his flower-scented silky fur and shiny gem-encrusted collar. He wouldn't last five seconds in the wild! "At sunhigh," he continued, putting the prickling sensation at the back of his mind. Prince Ali nodded slowly, squinting his bright verdant eyes.

"...That does not give me much time. My Housefolk do not worry about my absence as long as I am back for meals. I can guarantee that at least four cats will be there. More, perhaps, if I can reach certain spots before the designated time."

"I don't believe in the Tribe of Endless Hunting...so if they are keeping tabs on us, they certainly wouldn't choose to confide in me." Orchid ignored the uneasy glance she received from Whitefoot. Whitefoot would never completely abandon her belief in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. "I...I haven't been contacted, either," the red she-cat admitted. "I would have said something at once if I was contacted. As for Tallmountain..." She rolled over, nestling her head comfortably on her paws. "He's...a bit private, to be honest. I don't think he'd tell us if he was contacted like that." "And don't forget..." Orchid peered over her shoulder at the other two cats. "Tallmountain has lost all faith in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. If they choose to contact him...then chances are good that he may not take all of their advice to heart."

That was...troublesome, to say the least. What if they did contact Tallmountain and he simply refused to listen?
 
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring Tallmountain. He and Prince Ali seemed to be wary of one another, both trying to seem the most intimidating. Amber amended that thought. It was actually rather funny. This pampered, flower-drenched, fluffy kittypet trying to prove he was more dominant and intimidating than the tall, strong, and, most importantly, wild former Tribe-cat? Hilarious, at least to the she-cat. "Whatever you can manage for us," she said. "We don't expect many to be interested at first, so don't worry yourself too much."

She thought for a moment, tail tapping a back paw. "I know you said they would be tempted by the food your Twolegs would offer," she recalled. "But do you think they would be interested in some fresh-kill? Sunhigh would give us enough time to hunt a few things for those who show up. We were planning on bringing rabbit, maybe a bird, fish, and a mouse or two."

Gray rose to his feet, arching his back in a stretch. "I would like to believe our ancestors watch over us," he hesitantly joined the conversation with. "Whether you believe in them or not," the last was directed toward Orchid. "They would never truly abandon their decedents... would they?" Uncomfortable now with the direction his thoughts had turned, the blue tom began to wash his chest. Might as well get some grooming done while they waited for Amber and Tallmountain to return.
 
"What is fresh-kill?" The kittypet leaned forward a bit, his interest immediately snagged. "Oh. Oh! You mean prey that you have actually hunted and killed yourself? I have killed mice before. They sometimes invade my Housefolks' nest, you see, and my Housefolk do not want them there...so I get rid of them for them." Tallmountain's ears twitched somewhat. So he had hunted and killed for himself already? Even though, with the Twolegs feeding him, he didn't have to? That was more than most kittypets could say.

"The allure of food will keep whatever cats I can convince to come around a bit longer," Prince Ali confirmed, nodding his head a few short times. "I believe they already hunt for themselves from time to time. Some of their food also comes from Housefolk they don't live with. A good meal will keep them lingering here, and thus give you more time to explain your way of life to them." Tallmountain hummed to himself, tilting his head slightly to the right. "Bring as many cats as you possibly can," was all he grunted in response. Hopefully those troublesome Tribe of Endless Hunting cats were right and the potential medicine cat would be among the visitors.

But again, how in the world was he just going to know which one it was...? He scowled slightly, though he tried not to make it noticeable to the other two cats. He sincerely hoped they weren't planning on giving him some ridiculous omen the second he laid eyes on the healer candidate, because that would just be irritating.

"I don't know..." Unlike Gray, Whitefoot stayed put. She was intent on getting some shut-eye here, on this nice toasty rock, before Amber returned with her brother in tow. "Our Stoneteller claimed that the Tribe of Endless Hunting agreed with her--that we no longer had a place in the Tribe. But I don't know if I believe that. Our parents...they would have never driven us out, no matter what we did. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe...they left the mountain skies and followed us."

Orchid huffed, eyes slowly drifting shut. "I don't put much stock into our ancestors watching over us. I would rather live in the present, not the past. I think we should all band together and choose a suitable leader ourselves. Who cares if there aren't cats in the sky watching us? We can make these sorts of decisions for ourselves. We don't need some celestial cats to guide us. We're perfectly capable of doing such things on our own. Are we not?" Whitefoot scowled and flipped so that she was no longer facing Orchid, eager to drop this conversation as soon as possible. Orchid's blatant disbelief in anything having to do with their ancestors watching over them clearly disturbed the red she-cat.
 
It was good to hear that maybe these kittypets weren't as lazy as the ones she had met. Hunting for themselves even when they were provided food by their Twolegs? It was something to be comended. It was good to hear that the offer of fresh-kill would keep them around for longe . The more time they were able to speak with the cats Prince Ali gathered, the better their chances were of adding to their group.

Amber was confused at Tallmountain's scowl, though she was careful to not let it show. They needed to provide a united front to Prince Ali. "Thank you for all of your help. It truly has made settling in in the area a lot smoother." The tabby turned to Tallmountain. "Let's not keep the others waiting." She waved a goodbye with her tail to the kittypet, hopping up onto and then off on the other side of the fence. She wondered what the next day would bring them.

Gray looked helplessly back and forth between the two she-cats. He eventually sighed, allowing the matter to settle. Whitefoot seemed as eager as him to not discuss any further. He had moved on to washing his side when the silence finally became unbearable. "How do you think Amber and Tallmountain are faring?" he asked, eager to fill the uncomfortable silence. At this point he wouldn't even mind arguing with Swift over Clan traditions. Anything so that he felt less awkward.
 
"I am happy to be of assistance." Graceful as ever, Prince Ali rose to his feet once more. "If there is anything more I can do, please let me know. I shall wake early tomorrow so that I may begin gathering cats. As well..." The long-haired tom flicked an ear. "If you wish, I can always gather more cats another time. Just let me know." Tallmountain's tail whipped back and forth a couple of times. So...it seemed as if Prince Ali was a rather well-known cat among the other cats in this area. If they were to schedule another meeting and give him even more time to gather cats...perhaps they could embellish their numbers even further!

Prince Ali bowed as a goodbye to them before turning and heading back into the Twoleg nest. Tallmountain quietly trailed after Amber, struggling a bit to balance himself on the thin top of the fence before leaping back down to the ground. "...He smells funny," was what he finally said, nose still scrunched up from having to cope with the kittypet's outrageously powerful flowery scent. "Do all kittypets smell like that?"

"I hope they're doing well." Whitefoot sounded concerned. "What is this kittypet like anyway, Orchid? I don't think you or Amber elaborated on his demeanor...just that he was nice." Orchid cracked one golden eye open. "He is pampered. Soft. He also smells fantastic. Like a field of strong-smelling flowers. Also, he is friends with a dog who speaks cat."

"I think I'd very much like to hear a dog trying to speak cat," the red she-cat piped up, a smile curling the corners of her lips. "I bet it's terrible at it." "Oh, his speech is jumbled, all right...but it's still astounding, isn't it?" Orchid flicked her banded tail. "That a dog can learn to speak cat?" "Hm...I wonder if dogs have anything like a Tribe of Endless Hunting..." Whitefoot mused, ears standing straight up. "Better yet, do you think Twolegs have something like that?" Orchid squinted at her, actually looking thoughtful about the subject for once. "...I have no idea. It would be interesting to find out, though. How similar are we to dogs and Twolegs, truly?"
 
Amber scrunched her nose as well. "Some do, some don't. I think it depends on their Twolegs." She finally gave in to the urge to sneeze. It didn't help with the smell lingering in her nose, but at least she didn't feel like she was suffocating any longer. "He still smells the strongest of that flowery scent of any kittypet I have met." Her voice was amused as she said, "Orchid like it, though. I don't understand how she can stand it."

They returned to the field where they had left their rabbits from earlier. A quick glance told her that no predator had messed with their fresh-kill. It was quite a relief; there were plenty of hawks around, and some foxes if Prince Ali had said he saw one once. Either the foxes didn't want to mess with their kills, or there were none in this area in the first place. "Let's rejoin the others with these rabbits and tell them about tomorrow." She dug up her rabbit, picked it up, then made her way back towards the caves.

"A dog who speaks cat!" That bewildered Gray enough that he paused in his washing. "Seriously? That's so weird." Whitefoot's question made him think, though. Clans and Tribes had their ancestors to watch over them, and it would be likely that rogues and loners would have the same. But dogs and Twolegs? "If dogs can learn to speak cat, it would make sense they have something similar to a Tribe of Endless Hunting or Starclan. I don't know about Twolegs, though."

Swift had finally decided he had explored the island enough on his own. He made the swim back to shore and plopped down on one of the rocks, now warmed by the sun. His fur was soaked and he could feel himself tiring. He hadn't swum that much in a long time, and it was clearly showing. Rolling onto his back, he enjoyed the sun beating down on his fur, slowly drying it. If only he didn't have to return to the others. This place would have been perfect if it was just him.
 
"What do they do to make them smell like that, though?" Tallmountain had to sneeze, as well...but he held out much longer than Amber, making a valiant attempt at keeping it in. "Does he enjoy reeking of strange and exotic flowers?" At last, the red tom could hold it no longer. He had to stop, and a moment afterward, his body was wracked with sneezes. Four sneezes later he scrunched his nose back up, sniffing loudly. "...Ugh. It doesn't surprise me that Orchid finds that scent appealing," he admitted, picking up the pace once more. "She enjoys strong-smelling things. Especially flowers or other plants. She was banished when I was still a to-be back in the mountains...but I distinctly remember her spending quite a bit of time assisting our old Stoneteller with healing herbs and such. She loved the way they smelled."

Tallmountain paused before they entered the clear meadow, ears pricked upward suspiciously. When he neither heard nor smelled anything, he casually strolled forward, eventually reaching the spot where he safely buried his rabbit. He found the dirt undisturbed. It didn't take him very long to uncover the prey, and it went straight into his mouth. "Perhaps..." He spoke through the rabbit, his voice soft to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. The last thing they needed was unwelcome predators stopping by and challenging them for their food. "...Perhaps we ought to search for some healing herbs while we have time today. If we bring new cats into the fold tomorrow, we may be bringing in sickness. We have no healer, but we should at least have some herbs stocked up in case we need them...or in case we manage to locate a healer tomorrow." His eyes flashed. "Orchid knows a bit about healing herbs...but the herbs around here are likely different. She should not go alone."

"Yes. For a dog he spoke rather fluently." Orchid climbed to her feet, stretching herself out. She started with her hind legs. "I suppose whoever comes into contact with him next can ask him. And maybe Prince Ali would know the answer to whether Twolegs have such beliefs. The dog's name is Bacon, by the by." "Bacon?" Whitefoot echoed, idly washing her front paws and legs. "What are these outlandish names Twolegs give to the creatures they keep as pets? What is Bacon supposed to mean?" Orchid shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps we can ask him that, as well."

Whitefoot moved on from her legs to her ears, swiping a paw over each one twice over. "Should we be hunting? I know we have at leas half of a hawk left. And there is plenty of prey to be found. Of course...I, ah..." She bowed her head sheepishly. "I am not the most adept of hunters. I will need lessons, sad as it is to say, just like a to-be." She seemed skilled enough when it came to fishing, but would that same rookie skill carry over to hunting smarter and faster prey? "I can teach you a bit of hunting," Orchid offered, swishing her tail around. "I wouldn't mind teaching the equivalent of a to-be again. I only had the opportunity to do so once in my life."
 
"True," Amber agreed, voice muffled because of the rabbit. "I don't know much about herbs. As I said once before, most of my knowledge is for pregnant cats. I could see about poppy seeds, though." Her eyes never ceased war hung their surroundings, focusing the most on the sky. Hawks were probably their biggest problem now. "I could join her, or maybe Gray. I'm certain he has seen poppy seeds before. It would give us time to rest while Swift and Whitefoot hunted." The mention of hunting brought her back to their earlier conversation with Prince Ali.

"Speaking of hunting," she said, pausing and dropping the rabbit. It was simply easier to speak without it in her mouth. "Who will hunt for what tomorrow? Swift is best at birds, Gray at fishing. I could either get a rabbit or some mice. What would you and yours bring?" The tabby stiffened when she heard paw steps, relaxing when it turned out to be a rabbit. The rabbit bounded away quickly at the sight of the two cats with their fresh-kill.

"Hm," Gray hummed. "It wouldn't be too bad of an idea to hunt. Even if Tallmountain and Amber return with fresh-kill, it would be good to have a small pile going. That way we won't have to worry so much tomorrow." He turned to Orchid. "You wouldn't mind teaching her how to hunt other animals? I can go with Swift, try that technique I showed you yesterday." He was, of course, referring to the fish herding. With another good swimmer, they would both be able to chase the fish into the rocks Whitefoot had used yesterday. It would increase the amount of fish they collected as well, even if the black tom didn't know how to properly fish.

Swift paused, keeping distance between himself and Whitefoot. He ignored the she-cats, instead focusing on Gray. "What am I being volunteered for?" he asked warily.

The blue tom merely grinned at him. "We're going fishing! Come on!" He didn't give the other tom a chance to argue, instead hurrying him away from the others and up to the river where he and Whitefoot had hunted yesterday. "All you need to do is help me chase some fish into here. Then we can kill them and begin a fresh-kill pile," he explained, already wading into the water.
 
"Poppy seeds..." Tallmountain squinted his green eyes. "I believe we had poppies back in the mountains. They are flowers, yes? But we never used their seeds for anything. Not that I can remember, anyway..." An ear twitched. He briefly dropped his rabbit beside Amber's so that he could speak freely once more. "I am best at hunting larger prey, and prey that nests high up in trees. I suppose I could catch an owlet. Or a squirrel. Whitefoot may have to stick to fish. She was never a prey-hunter back home--she truly does not know how to hunt anything else. Orchid is also skilled at catching fish...but you may be able to wheedle her into hunting rabbits or mice."

Tallmountain scooped his rabbit up again and began the walk back toward their camp. The big red tom was intent on keeping himself busy for the rest of the day. If he didn't...well, the prophetic dream from the previous night would inevitably come back to haunt him. He was in no mood to dwell on such things. "Perhaps we ought to do a full sweep of the camp today, as well...in case we do acquire more members tomorrow. Clean out the different caves and such. We have no way of knowing what sorts of cats the kittypet will bring us. Old, young, heavy with kits...perhaps even a kit-mother with kits already." If he wasn't mistaken, there was still some grass and moss leftover from their nest-building activities the previous night...that would make nice bedding for a communal nest.

"Eh..." Orchid peered odiously in Gray's direction. "While I wouldn't mind teaching Whitefoot the basics...I would prefer not to do so now. I'm eager to see what Amber and Tallmountain have to say about their meeting with the kittypet." "Actually..." Whitefoot's ears bounced a bit. She completely ignored Swift when he made his grand return--she wouldn't even so much as look at him. "I think it would be better for at least two of us to stay behind and wait for Amber and my brother. There's no telling how much prey they caught while they were out. It wouldn't be good for us to overload our fresh-kill pile while we have so few cats."

"...Good timing." The striped she-cat lifted her nose more into the air, nostrils flaring. "I can smell the two of them approaching. They'll be here in a couple of minutes, at best." She wasn't nearly as excited as Whitefoot about the inevitable return of their companions. She didn't really care much about what the kittypet had to say. Whitefoot, on the opposite end of the spectrum, could barely contain her excitement. The prospect of adding more cats to their group had her walking on sunshine! It would feel more like a Tribe...but were they really a Tribe? A Tribe lived in the mountains. What sort of group did Amber and Gray claim lived in this territory? A Clan, was it?
 
"Sounds like we will have plenty of fresh-kill to bring for tomorrow." Amber picked up her rabbit. She was the one who trailed after Tallmountain this time, instead of leading. "Yes, clearing out the caves would be a good idea," she agreed. If they could even gather a little more nesting material, they would be ready for some cats to join them the next day. And if one of them would be able to take on the role of medicine cat... "Herb gathering would be a good idea. If we find a cat who can be a medicine cat, then good. If not, then we will have some supplies we know how to use in case of an emergency.

Amber finally took the lead and directed their course more towards the river. She couldn't stand smelling of the flowery stench that hovered around Prince Ali any more. She was treated to the sight of Swift and Gray swimming together, however. "Are they... Fishing?" the tabby asked in shock, dropping the rabbit. Indeed, the two had just reached some rocks and were quick to snag three fish from between them. Gray was obviously more comfortable, scooping the fish up before he delivered the killing bite. Swift, on the other hand, simply chased the fish into a corner before using the rocks to lift it out of the water.

Shaking her head, the she-cat simply waded into the water for a quick second before rejoining Tallmountain and her rabbit. "I wonder what Orchid and Whitefoot are up to."

The two toms watched the other cats leave them to the river. "We probably have enough fresh-kill for everyone," Gray decided. "Especially since those two caught rabbits. Wanna head back?"

Swift snorted, shaking his head. The three fish they had caught were resting just out of the shallows of the river. "I'm going to rest here more. You can bring back the fish, though." The blue tom thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"If you're going to be that way..." He scooped up two of the fish in his mouth and trotted after Amber and Tallmountain, leaving Swift to rest on the grass and dry off.
 
Tallmountain didn't bother trying to wash himself off in the river. Instead he kept his distance, rabbit still clutched between his strong jaws. "The rock where we procured the moss may not be the only one in the area. I'm certain there are other rocks just like it in the immediate area. The area is littered with branches and foliage, as well. I know we have a bit of material left over, too." He kneaded his claws into the soft ground underfoot while he waited for Amber to return. Once she did he was happy to fall into a following position.

As they were walking and heading back toward their cave-riddled camp, a shadow passed over them from overhead. Tallmountain instinctively ducked, opening his mouth in a wide hiss and glancing upward. As he suspected, it was a bird. Not an eagle, from the looks of it. No, it was definitely a hawk. It seemed to know better than to dive-bomb them at once. Tallmountain's sheer size apparently made it think twice about doing that. Instead it was following them to see where they were going, hoping for an easy meal. The red tom picked up the pace, pelt bristling as a threat to the huge bird. They were at an impasse. The bird would not strike as long as Tallmountain was around.

Being so big had its benefits.

"They they are!" Whitefoot was the first of the two she-cats to spot Amber and Tallmountain returning to camp. Tallmountain bypassed her and Orchid completely so that he could hide his rabbit in the indentation beneath the rocky overhang, but once he was finished he trotted back toward them, tail swishing around happily. He affectionately brushed cheeks with his sister. Orchid had herself all sprawled out on her back, catching the sun's warm rays on her belly fur. A content purr rumbled out from deep within her chest cavity.

"So...?" Whitefoot presssed, flopping back over onto her side. "What did the kittypet say?" Tallmountain settled himself down beside her, dropping his head down onto his paws. "He will gather as many cats as he can. We will meet them tomorrow. We should gather extra nesting materials and such to prepare for new additions." "What a bother..." Orchid yawned, showing off her many sharp teeth. "I was hoping we could take it easy today." The tom scoffed, but didn't comment. Orchid's volatile temper was a dangerous thing to provoke.
 
Amber tensed at the shadow that passed over the two cats, but it seemed to be too intimidated by Tallmountain's size to attempt anything. Good, the she-cat didn't want to get in a fight with a hawk over prey. Although with the tom on her side, it would probably end favorably for them. She felt something brush against her tail and glanced back to see Gray with two fish hanging out of his mouth. It was an amusing sight. With three cats, they definitely would win against the hawk if it was reckless enough to attack them.

She nodded to Whitefoot as the she-cat spotted them, but followed Tallmountain's example and hid the fresh-kill in the indent under the overhang. Gray was quick to place his own catch with it before greeting Whitefoot with the tabby. "Once we get the new cats settled in, we should go back and talk with him again. He said if we gave him more time he could gather more cats," she explained for the others' benefit.

"Even more cats!" Gray's eyes shone with excitement at the prospect. He settled not too far from Whitefoot, completely oblivious to Amber's warning look. The she-cat shot her next look at Tallmountain, warning the tom that, if he tried to do anything rude to Gray, she would defend him. Seems like she would have to talk to the blue tom sooner than she would have liked about his crush. It couldn't be helped, unfortunately. At least Swift wasn't around to say anything about it.

The black tom eyed the hawk that he could see circling back to where he rested with the last fish. He hissed, unhappy that his relaxing time was being ruined by the predator. Unhappy, he snatched up the fish and raced swiftly for the safety of the others. The fish was deposited with the rest of the fresh-kill, then Swift picked a comfy spot in the sunlight. He was close enough to overhear whatever their conversation was about, but far enough that he wouldn't be expected to participate.
 
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