"So, why do they call this place the Cavern of Whispers?" Naiyapaw asked Coralfrost, attempting to cheer up the ginger she-cat. Her voice echoed softly around the large cave.
Coralfrost's crest around her neck lit up again, and a joyful smile found its way to her muzzle.
"Well, during the full moon, the leader of our tribe, or its Healers, will come down into the cavern and sit beneath the moonlight. Do you see that hole in the rocks up there?" she asked, pointing her tail to the area in which the soft orange light was cascading into the gloom.
"Yeah," Naiyapaw replied, glancing over at her fellow apprentices. They were smirking, clearly already aware of the answer to her question.
"When the moon is in just the right place," her mentor continued, peering up at the tiny crevace, "it will shine into the cave with so much intensity, it makes this place look like the middle of leaf-bare. A cat can lay under the haunting light and talk to our ancestors if something has gone wrong, or if they need advice."
Naiyapaw nodded, her colorful eyes widening with awe.
"It's also important that a deputy comes into the cave once a leader has died, so that they can recieve their nine lives and become the next head of our tribe," Coralfrost added in with a purr.
"Voltfang will have to do that one day," Berylpaw meowed next to Naiyapaw, her fluffy calico tail bundled around her paws, "because even a leader as great as Hiddenstar has to join StarTribe!"
"Correct Berylpaw," Coralfrost praised, her crest blindingly red around her neck, "but if I'm not mistaken, the storm overhead is passing."
Naiyapaw listened in, perking her ears and waiting for a roll of thunder. It never came, and she sighed with relief. The apprentice loved the feeling of the cave, and the jewels around her, but she was beginning to miss the camp. What she wanted to do more than anything was visit her mother and tell her everything that had happened within the past few days. It would be a long and wonderful story to share with the queen.
"Shall we head back to camp, the four of you?" her mentor asked, glancing at each apprentice in turn.
"Please?" Naiyapaw squeaked.
"I'm hungry," Berylpaw trilled.
"I have to help Zirconsight sort out crystals today," Chromepaw muttered, referring to his mentor.
"And I.. am also hungry," Garnetpaw crowed, a loud rumble in his stomach confirming his statement.
"Good, then let's go," Coralfrost chuckled, getting to her paws and striding over to the entrance of the tunnel. The four apprentices followed eagerly, chatting to each other and sharing the stories of the day.
.................
Once they returned to camp, the storm had passed over the peaks of the western mountains, and the sun was making its way below the horizon. The orange light of dusk painted the sky with regal iridescent colors, splattering the lingering clouds with all the pigments of leaf-fall. The tribe was hussling and bustling around. Warriors were returning from border patrols, Hunters were collecting their baskets, getting ready to gather prey for the following morning, and the Jewel Collectors that had stayed back were giving stones to the Healers to crush into powder.
Naiyapaw was the last to burst through the thicket wall, letting out a soft huff and shaking out her tangled pelt. It would take her all night to groom out the twigs that had gotten caught in her neck fur. At least she would have company. A smile made its way to her face as she glanced after Berylpaw and the others, whom she would be sharing a den with for many moons to come. The thought eased her stress about the mess in her mane.
"Naiyapaw?" a voice suddenly rang out, belonging to Coralfrost. Naiyapaw peered over her shoulder and caught sight of the ginger she-cat making her way over to the new apprentice. She was greeted with a welcoming smile.
"Tomorrow we shall get you caught up on the gems that we have in our den," the Jewel Collector stated, the setting sun plotting against her fur like fire, "and then we'll go digging in the forest for summer stones. They only pop up during green-leaf, so this will be the other apprentice's first time seeing them too," she finished with a curt nod of the head.
"Okay Coralfrost," Naiyapaw agreed, dipping her head and holding back a fond giggle of excitement, "Will the other mentors be coming?"
"Yes they will," she replied, "Now, have a pleasant evening. You won't get to do much relaxing after tomorrow!"
Naiyapaw groaned inwardly, but agreed nonetheless. She knew life in the tribe would not be easy, but getting to serve it was already showering her with rewards. One day, she thought with determination, I'll be a real Jewel Collector, and prove to everyone that I can be a cat worthy of StoneTribe.
Coralfrost nodded and padded back in the direction of the Jewel Collector's Den. Her lithe form disappeared around the side of the boulder, and showering rocks could be heard as she dove into the tunnel.
Naiyapaw breathed in the air and turned around, admiring the camp for the hundredth time since she emerged from the Carrier's Den. That's when she remembered what she wanted to do.
Mother! she thought eagerly, her paws already thumping against the ground. I can't wait to tell her everything! I wonder how she'll react. I hope she likes my stories. I bet she's proud of me. Her mind was racing as she arrived at the entrance to her kithood hollow. She had spent six moons in the tiny burrow, sharing stories with her denmates and asking her mother questions about life in the tribe. All of her knowledge had led up to her position as a Jewel Collector's Apprentice. She'd never be able to thank the queen for that.
With a deep breath, Naiyapaw ducked her head and slithered beneath the overhanging boulder. Familiar darkness engulfed the apprentice, and all of the scents that had once surrounded her every day came flooding back into her nose. Tiny mewls squeaked from somewhere within the hollow. New kits? Already? she asked herself, snuffing in the odors of baby cats.
"Naiyapaw? Is that you?" a soft purr rumbled from behind her. She spun around and caught sight of a bright fiery crest around a set of four grey-blue legs. A kind pair of pale orange eyes blinked softly, flickering the tiny den with hues of citrus.
"Mother!" Naiyapaw replied excitedly, rushing over to the queen and nuzzling against her sleek fur. Biancafeather purred loudly in response, wrapping her tail around the caramel colored she-cat.
"Hello, my dear," Biancafeather giggled quietly, pulling back and observing her daughter with fondness sparkling in her eyes, "I've missed you these past few days. How do you like being an Jewel Collector's Apprentice?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, well it's been wonderful!" Naiyapaw replied enthusiastically, "Coralfrost took me and the others around the territory, and-"
Her recollection was cut off by a loud mewl right below her paws. The apprentice sprung back with surprise, shaking her head and flickering her eyes to the spot beside her mother.
Three little kits were buried into the queen's fur, barely old enough to move around on their own. They were all suckling vigorously, pawing at Biancafeather's belly and letting out tiny content purrs. The one that had complained was now shakily curling up into a puny ball of sleep.
"Oh, wow," Naiyapaw gasped, observing the little balls of fluff with wonderment, "Are these... are these yours??" she asked eagerly, snapping her head up, awaiting the queen's answer.
Biancafeather laughed softly and curled her tail around the kits, running a paw over the one that had fallen asleep, "Why, yes they are!" she crooned with a smile, her grey pelt fluffing up affectionately.
Naiyapaw tilted her head, desperately trying to recall a time when her mother had been pregnant and expecting. Even when she had resided in the Carrier's Den, she never paid attention to the swelling of the queen's belly. Looking back on it, Naiyapaw had remembered the lack of sleeping space in the final nights of her kithood. That made her smile. How could she not notice a thing such as that?
"They're beautiful," Naiyapaw whispered joyfully, "What are their names?"
Biancafeather's whiskers twitched with excitement, her muzzle opening to speak, "Zorrakit, Moorkit, and Netherkit," she responded quietly, glancing at each of them as she said their names.
Naiyapaw had to hold back a loud meow of pride. She had siblings, two sisters and a brother! She observed their pelts with a content sigh, watching the way they moved and bristled at the slightest touch. She also noticed that they all had similar colored fur as Biancafeather. One was black, whilst the other two were different shades of grey. The apprentice glanced down at her own fur, which was a light caramel color. Dark brown stripes ran across her body and flank. Her thick auborn mane fluttered when she moved. Why didn't she resemble her mother as much as her new siblings did?
Well... perhaps I get my pelt from my father, she reassured herself, nodding at no cat in particular. She had never met the tom who supposedly shared her blood, but Biancafeather always told her that he had died from illness. She was not going to pester the queen about a cat that was no longer alive. It didn't interest her all that much either. The apprentice brushed it off with a shrug.
"I'll visit them often," Naiyapaw whispered, and laid down beside her mother to share the exciting stories of her first couple days as an apprentice.
...................................
After a few hours with her mother, the queen had fallen asleep. Naiyapaw had finished telling her about all the splendors she had encountered throughout the day. So, the she-cat slowly crept out of the den and leapt into the crisp air of early night.
The partial full moon was low in the sky, but high enough to throw its silver light around the sleeping camp. The lustrous glow cascaded dark shadows among the trees like slithering snakes, sneaking lithely into nothingness. Naiyapaw shivered when the chilly air met her nose. She had not yet experienced such a cold night without the warmth of other cats around her.
With a raise of the head and an intake of breath, her instincts told her that a new season was on the way. The apprentice realized that green-leaf could not last forever, and leaf-fall would eventually have to consume the forest with its yellow mouth.
Perhaps I should get back to the Apprentice's Den, she mused to herself, perking her ears and listening for any signs of talking cats or quiet chatter. She heard nothing. The camp was eerily silent, and it frightened her.
Naiyapaw shuddered again, and began to pad off towards her new den. Her footsteps among the stillness around her were like tiny earthquakes, one after the other making more noise than the last. The new apprentice would have to remind herself to never go out alone at night again. She already disliked the way the shadows played with her vision and manipulated the ground to look like it was moving.
The sooner I get to sleep, the better, Naiyapaw thought, I have a long day tomorrow. I wonder what Coralfrost will teach me? I bet at the end of the day, I'll know every gem by sight, smell, and taste! I'll be the best Jewel Collector ever, and I'm going to make sure that the tribe notices!
A loud crackle in the bushes beside her made her freeze. The fur on the back of her neck rose with fright. Titanpaw, the Hunter's Apprentices, and the Hunters were still away gathering prey for the tribe, so it couldn't be them... not at this hour. Her body was stiff and her legs were locked, so attemps to run away would be meaningless.
What could be moving the leaves? Something big enough.... Naiyapaw fretted, slowly swiveling her ears to hear the ruckus more clearly. The figure that was shaking the gorse wall was getting closer. She turned her head to peer into the gloom.
"Sh-show yourself!" the apprentice stuttered, forcing the blood back into her limbs so that she could move, "I'll fight you if I have to!"
Another tiny rustle greeted her statement, followed by a blackened silhouette darting around in the foliage. The creature clearly heard her, for its head snapped around with frightening speed. Two massive blue eyes shone into the night, feline by the looks of it. They were wide and alert, observing the cat who had threatened it. A few rapid blinks, and the strange figure sped off, leaving behind its scent trail.
"Wait! Come back, you intruder!" Naiyapaw called after it, rocketing into the thicket as fast as her thawing legs would carry her.
The prickly branches of the bramble wall immediately met her skin and fur, snapping and clinging to every inch of her body. She ignored the pain and smashed through the twigs, emerging into a particularily dark portion of the forest behind the camp. The bushes and trees surrounding the area blocked out much out the moonlight, and the grasses were tall enough to conceal even the burliest of cats. Good place to hide, intruder, Naiyapaw thought as she darted off in the direction where the grass split into a path, but you're no good at concealing where you've been.
The frightened scent of the trespasser soaked the blades and leaves where it had been, making pursuing it much easier on Naiyapaw. The ground beneath the she-cat's paws thumped and crackled with every leap she took. The chase was growing frantic, for the sound of the invader's labored breathing could be heard not too far ahead. Her sense of smell was needed now more than ever. A thick cloud had wisped in front of the moon, blocking out even more desired light.
The grass was thinning out, and not too long after it receded completely, the dark shadow that Naiyapaw was hunting down skidded into a small clearing. It had led them directly to the river, water crashing and spraying wildly in the night.
"I've got you now!" Naiyapaw yowled out, watching the figure that could now be identified as a cat trembling at the base of the rushing creek. Its big blue eyes widened fearfully, long ragged tail tucking around its beaten paws.
"You better be scared!" the apprentice reassured, more so towards herself, "I-I've got you cornered at this... t-this cornerless river!" she crowed. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she was frightened.
The unknown feline nodded with defeat, glowing cerulean eyes blinking shut. It crouched in a way that seemed familiar. Naiyapaw cocked her head and took a step forward. At that moment, the moon untangled itself from the clouds above, revealing a blonde pelt that bore splotches of caramel white. Naiyapaw knew this cat. Coralfrost had called her....
"Vixen?" the apprentice asked, getting closer to the shivering she-cat.
Her bony frame flinched, "H-how do you know my name?" she asked fearfully, her tone meek and dry from exhaustion. Naiyapaw was surprised a cat that skinny could move at all, let alone run for the amount of time she had.
"Well, my mentor told me," Naiyapaw replied, taking a few more steps towards the thin Slave, "What were you doing by the camp wall? Can't you just come and go as you please?"
"We're n-not allowed to speak to each other," Vixen replied sharply, ducking her head and avoiding all eye contact. Her baby blues were dull and full of submission. Naiyapaw was only six moons old, why would this she-cat be so frightened of her?
"Well I think that's silly," Naiyapaw meowed with a frown, "I asked you stuff."
Vixen shook her head, still fixated on the ground, "N-no, you don't understand.. we could both get in huge trouble for even looking at each other," she insisted, her tiny mew cracking mid-sentence.
"I don't understand why," the apprentice retorted with a flick of her tail, "You're a cat like everyone else, right?"
The blonde Slave furrowed her brow, and hesitantly glanced up at Naiyapaw. Her sky blue eyes were now slightly curious, and not as scared as they once were.
"Well yes, but..." Vixen muttered, trying to find a way to explain her situation.
"Exactly!" Naiyapaw huffed with a smile, cutting her off before she could finish, "You said yes, which means we should be able to talk."
Vixen's eyes widened. Naiyapaw could tell that the young she-cat had not had any verbal contact with another tribe member in a very long time. She didn't understand why this Slave, who looked, sounded, and behaved like any other StoneTribe cat was not allowed to exchange even the simplest of words with her.
"No cat has ever.... told me such a thing before," Vixen whispered, gazing into the young cats' eyes. Naiyapaw observed the Slave's reaction after the shared glance.
"My.... what bizarre eyes. I've never seen anything like them!" she crooned after a moment, rising to her shaky paws and analyzing the spectral phenomenon that Naiyapaw had always been asked about. "It looks as if a rainbow has settled inside of you!"
Naiyapaw laughed and blinked a few times, reveling in the fact that Vixen was starting to come out of her shell. Perhaps the two could get to know each other. The apprentice loved making new friends, and the spindly she-cat looked as if she could use one.
"Are they from birth?" the blonde feline asked, taking a few steps around Naiyapaw, sniffing and inspecting her.
"Yes, I've had them all my life," the apprentice replied, "Everyone always tells me how weird they are, or how magical they seem."
"They're wonderful," Vixen whispered with awe, sitting down in front of the soon-to-be Jewel Collector.
Naiyapaw noticed that the Slave was only slightly taller than herself. She didn't appear to be much older either, perhaps by a few moons or so. Why was such a young and useful member of StoneTribe being treated so horribly? If given the chance, Vixen could serve the tribe wonderfully and faithfully, but not like this.
"You're so skinny," Naiyapaw observed out loud, gesturing to the way her ribs jutted out of her sides. Vixen's eyes went dull with sadness, a loud rumble emanating from her stomach to confirm the statement.
"Yes... the Hunters don't gather prey for us like they do for you. I never learned to hunt, so I'm no good at it. I don't eat often," she admitted with a meek shrug, scraping her claws across the stones around the river.
"Us?" Naiyapaw noted with an astonished gasp, "You mean, there's more of you??"
Vixen nodded quietly, "Yes, two others. They are good friends of mine, but I haven't seen them for the past couple of days. They said they were looking for prey... but I'm afraid they might've become prey themselves."
Naiyapaw dropped her head and let out a tiny "oh" of sympathy. Vixen was suffering very badly, by the looks of things. The apprentice wanted nothing more than to fix it. In that moment, she didn't care if she got in trouble, the Slave needed her help.
"Well.... I think you need food," Naiyapaw stated after a moment, nodding her head and getting to her paws, "I can't hunt very well either, but I have more practice than you do. I'll catch you something!"
Vixen's eyes bugged out of her head, which had begun to shake with indifference, "No no! If you hunt for me, you'll risk getting yourself punished! I can't let you!"
Naiyapaw took a step towards the blonde she-cat and placed her tail on her shoulder, "At least let me try. You'll die if you don't eat."
Vixen considered her options for a moment, squinting her big blue eyes thoughtfully, carefully.
"W-well... I am very hungry..." she mewed after a few seconds, glancing back down at the river. Tiny minnows were gathering at the edge of the water to sleep for the night, the moon glistening off of their scales.
"Then it shall be done!" Naiyapaw confirmed with a massive smile, "Do you know how to fish?"
Vixen smiled shyly and shook her head, "No, my paws are too clumsy for that!"
"Then I'll try my luck," Naiyapaw whispered, fixing her attention on the rushing creek.
The apprentice narrowed her eyes with determination and prowled towards the water, placing each paw carefully on the stones, shoulders bunching with each step. Her mother had always told her that the Hunters were silent on their feet, and never put all of their weight on one limb. Naiyapaw kept that in mind as she reached the edge of the river. The fish hadn't stirred, which she took as a good sign. Vixen observed the tenacious she-cat and every move she took, learning and admiring from a safe distance.
"The mark of a good Hunter is silence, patience, and focus," Biancafeather had told her during one of their stories, "And even if you're not a tom, you can still be an excellent Hunter if you follow your instincts."
Naiyapaw smiled fondly at the memory, and with a slow intake of air swept a single paw into the water, closing her eyes and using her sense of touch as a guide.
"You'll always see things better with your heart, not your eyes," the queen's words echoed in her mind.
Four or five minnows showered into the air when her paw emerged, the untouched fish darting back to the deep end of the river in retreat. The wriggling creatures flopped onto the stones around the cats, thrashing around and soon after, laying still.
"Wow!" Vixen mewed, trotting over to the fresh-kill and sitting down beside the apprentice, "That was amazing! You're a natural!"
The Slave dipped her head and took one of the fish in her jaws, gobbling down the scaly critter in just a matter of seconds. Not much time had passed before she was working on her second.
"Great StarTribe, how long has it been since you've eaten?" Naiyapaw asked nervously, watching the starving she-cat stuff her muzzle with fish.
"Mmm, aboot ferv days er so," Vixen mumbled in reply, allowing just enough sense to seep through so that the apprentice could understand what she was saying.
"Five days?! That's awful!" Naiyapaw exclaimed, shaking her head angrily. How could the tribe allow such a thing to happen?
"Yeah, but thanks to you, I'm full and happy again!" Vixen reassured after the last fish was eaten. The gratitude in the blonde she-cat's eyes was not something that could be measured through anything. Naiyapaw was saddened, but horridly curious.
"So, why are you a Slave anyways? What did you do to be treated so badly by everyone?" Naiyapaw asked, and laid down in the thin grass. The moon shone brightly overhead, now at its highest point in the sky. Some of the stars in Silverpelt twinkled. Perhaps the ancestors wanted to know too. No, StarTribe knows everything, Naiyapaw remembered with a roll of her eyes.
Vixen dropped her head and flopped down onto the ground, laying it on her dainty paws. Her eyes were so full of sorrow and regret. Naiyapaw had never seen such sadness in a cat before, and even though her curiosity was itching at her pelt, she wanted nothing more than to console the tired Slave.
"Well," Vixen whispered after what seemed like forever, "Come in closer, and I'll tell you."
.............................
Sorry for the wait! This chappy was a lot longer than I had intended it to be. Sometimes authors can get carried away when the story they're writing gets really good! I hope you enjoy it, because I certainly love seeing those reads and votes. Thank you!