Burn Them All

In a faraway land was the Silk Snowflake Mountain. Cats lived in the valley and the mountain itself. One day the mountain erupted, and the survivors’ lives were changed forever…

Owl sighed. It had been moons since her peaceful mountain home had exploded, throwing rock and liquid fire into the air. Her friends, mate, and kits had been killed. She traveled to find a place she could call home, among other cats. A rustle in the bushes jolted Owl out of her thoughts. She paused to taste the air. A meaty squirrel scent wafted out of the bush. Owl waited, her mouth watering. Tentatively, the squirrel walked out of its hiding place. The squirrel froze and stared at Owl. Snowflakes, it was dumb! Owl slowly crouched, so slow the squirrel didn’t notice and continued to stare at her. She pounced, and with a quick jab from her sharp claws, the squirrel was dead. Owl gobbled it up in quick, hungry gulps. She licked her lips and looked around. After Silk Snowflake Mountain exploded, she had headed toward a pale blue blur in the distance. Now that she was closer, she saw trees where she could make a home. Excitement gave her strength and she dashed towards them with such speed she really thought she’d get there that day. But she didn’t, and her hope faded. Owl was in a tiny clump of trees just outside many Twoleg dens. What were her hopes of not getting caught? Exhausted, she looked for a place to sleep. Curling up between the roots of a holly bush, Owl fell into a deep sleep. After a couple more days of travel, Owl scented mice. Lots of mice. Their scent flooded her nose, making her mouth water. She hadn’t eaten in days, and her belly rumbled. Owl tracked the scent to a wood building. A bitter scent arose, but Owl paid no heed to it. Just a few pawsteps away was her first mouse in days, a plump one, so rich and fat… Something washed over her in a mass wave of fur and tails and teeth. She scrabbled around to dislodge them, but they clung on tightly. Owl realized their bitter, rotting smell came from eating carrion, and that meant they were rats! Owl fought wildly, knowing that rat bites could get infected easily. The rats seemed impossible to get off. Just when she’d given up, a new weight was on her back, ripping rats from her pelt. Owl gasped with relief, and the newcomer hissed and advanced on the rats. He fought differently than Owl had ever seen, slashing with his claws and rolling around. Owl joined him, but stuck to her own fighting style, pouncing and sweeping her paws out to injure more rats. “Come on!” The cat sprinted towards the building and Owl followed, running faster than she ever had before. He dashed up a pile of dried grass just outside the building. “Up here!” he called down. “Climb the hay!” Owl scrambled up, but soon realized there was no need. The rats were staying where they had been, staring hungrily at the cats before turning away. The tom panted, and said, “Hi. I’m Ravenpaw.” He must have been a purely black cat in his youth, but now his fur was graying with white appearing around his muzzle. There was a touch of white on his tail that didn't seem to be connected with his age. “I’m Owl,” Owl said. “Thanks for saving me.” Ravenpaw shrugged. “It was a warrior’s duty. Come into my barn.” Warrior? Owl wondered. What’s he talking about? Ravenpaw led her inside the “barn”--the wood building. “This is my home,” Ravenpaw explained. “I live with Barley. You might not see him, he doesn’t like to be around other cats. And he’s pretty old now.” Now that the danger was over, Owl’s stomach groaned. Ravenpaw’s white tail tip twitched with amusement. “Go on, catch some mice,” Ravenpaw encouraged. “The rats are gone now.” Owl flicked her tail in acknowledgement, and spotted a mouse. From her distance, she could make it. Owl pounced, feeling her claws sink into flesh. She left the mouse there and stalked another three, and devoured all four quickly. An old gray tom watched her eat from the rafters above. When she had finished, he spoke up. “You can sleep here tonight.” “Thank you so much,” Owl figured he must be Barley. She curled up on a mound of hay, and fell asleep with her belly full and a comfortable place to sleep for once. When she awoke, Owl spotted Ravenpaw speaking to Barley. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Owl watched and realized the cat couldn’t be Barley. It was a dark gray-and white female. There was something familiar in the way her tail waved side to side unintentionally. Owl also spotted a familiar brown tabby pelt up in the rafters with gleaming green eyes. Owl did one last thing to confirm her suspicions. She listened to their conversation. “...and then it exploded,” the gray-and-white cat meowed. “Big chunks of rock and there was liquid fire leaking out. Hot ash filled the air; it was so hard to breathe! Only me and Mouse survived.” It was them! From Silk Snowflake Mountain! Scuffling Mouse, her in-training, and Shaft of Light, her friend. Owl raced down the hay and whooped joyously, “Shaft of Light! Scuffling Mouse!” Shaft’s eyes grew wide and then she bounded up to press her muzzle into Owl’s fur. Mouse jumped down to meet them, yowling. “Hooting Owl!” Mouse cried. “I never thought I’d see my trainer again!” “I never thought I’d see my in-training!” Owl yowled. There was much touching noses and brushing fur until the three cats stopped to stare at each other in wonder. “So you’ve met each other?” Ravenpaw asked. “I...kept you three apart because, well, sometimes a few rogues meet each other and fight. Shaft and Mouse have been here just the day before you came, Owl.” Hot rage welled up inside of her, but Owl knew that was unfair to Ravenpaw, who had helped so much. She managed to choke out, “I understand.” Owl told Mouse and Shaft that she planned on finding other cats to live with. Ravenpaw, overhearing, told them of a group of Clan cats who lived together. He filled them with stories of cats named Firestar, Bluestar, Brambleclaw, Tigerstar, and Feathertail the way a mother would tell her kit tales. “We should head there!” Shaft’s eyes gleamed. “How far is it, Ravenpaw?” “It’s really far. Over those mountains, and then...I don’t know if they made it to where they were headed.” Mouse looked crestfallen, but Shaft said eagerly, “We’ll find them!” Mouse, however, answered timidly, “I don’t want to go.” “What?” Owl screeched in surprise. “Why not?” “I...I’d rather stay with Twolegs,” he answered. “I already met a Twoleg who really likes me...and it’s too far to the mountains!” Mouse blurted. “And we don’t even know if there’ll be cats there! It could be a wild goose chase!” Shaft rested her tail lightly on Mouse’s shoulder; the in-training was shaking. Shaft explained to Owl, “While we were traveling, we met these Twolegs. They really liked Mouse, but they hated me so we had to leave.” “OK,” Owl said sadly. “Mouse, we can’t force you to come. We’ll search for these cats without you.” Mouse nodded. The three cats said their goodbyes to Ravenpaw and Barley. Ravenpaw called, “Tell Firestar that I miss him!” Then they headed their separate directions. Mouse went back to the Twoleg dens and Shaft and Owl headed towards the mountains in the distance. “So, what happened with you and those Twolegs Mouse went to?” Owl asked Shaft. “Well, we met these Twolegs,” Shaft began, “and they just didn’t like me.”

Shaft looked around. It was sunset, and they’d reached a gorge with a stream running through it. The scent of cats was strong and fresh. She could smell cats still there. “Hello?” Owl called out. A pale brown-and-cream tabby she-cat stepped out. “Welcome to SkyClan,” she meowed. “I’m Leafstar. I lead these cats, and we live together.” Owl’s eyes gleamed. “These must be the cats Ravenpaw was talking about! They’re a Clan!” Shaft shook her head. “No, Ravenpaw said they went over the mountains.” “Ravenpaw is an apprentice name,” Leafstar mewed. “But there’s no Ravenpaw here, other than one who will be: Ravenkit.” A black kit with a splash of white on her chest and proud amber eyes squealed when she heard her name. Shaft explained everything to Leafstar. Her eyes glowed with sympathy as she heard what had happened to Silk Snowflake Mountain. “You can join our Clan if you like,” Leafstar offered. “You’ve been searching for a home, and now you have one.” A crowd had gathered by now, and a cat called out, “What if they’re like Sol?” “We cannot turn away cats, Bumblebird,” Leafstar mewed, “just for fear they are what they aren’t.” Murmurs of agreement rose up. “Oh, I’d love to join!” Owl’s eyes sparkled. “I lost my kits, my mate, and many of my friends when Silk Snowflake Mountain went weird and exploded. Now I can start anew here!” “I don’t know,” Shaft felt a tugging in her paws that wanted to lead her over the mountains. “It doesn’t feel right.” Owl gaped at her. “But what if you have your kits in the mountains? Who will be there for you in the cold?” Shaft sighed. “Leafstar,” Owl announced, “I want to join SkyClan.” “What about you?” Leafstar’s amber gaze bore into Shaft, making her feel uncomfortable. “I want to continue on my journey,” Shaft replied. “But, ah, may I stay here a day or so? To rest and say goodbye to Hooting Owl.” “But what about your--” Owl began, but Shaft hissed for silence. Leafstar’s eyes were filled with curiosity, but she mewed, “Okay. Hooting Owl, I guess, is your name?” Owl nodded. “If you are to join the Clan, you must take on a warrior name. All cats meet under Skyrock for a Clan meeting!” “Spirits of StarClan,” Leafstar’s mew rang across the gorge. “You know every cat by name. It has come time for one cat to receive a name for you to recognize. I ask you now to know this cat not as what her name was before, Hooting Owl, for it no longer stands for her as a Clan cat. By my authority as the leader of SkyClan, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment she will be known as Owlwing.” “Owlwing! Owlwing!” SkyClan cheered. Owlwing gaped, then said, “Thank you, Leafstar.” Leafstar took Owlwing on a tour of the territory. Shaft was permitted to sleep inside camp, and planned to leave the next day. She was asleep before Owlwing came back. In the morning, Owlwing prodded Shaft awake. “Shaft,” Owlwing hissed, “Why are you leaving? This place has food, water, other cats, and a home.” “Hooting Owl,” Shaft mewed, and Owlwing flinched at her old name. “I must. The Snowflake spirits are leading me there. I feel a tugging in my paws, a need to make it to the mountains. Can’t you understand, Owl? I can’t live in a home that I really want to leave.” Owlwing looked down. “I lost my mate and my kits to the explosion,” Owlwing meowed. “Finally, I have a home here. There is a community here, almost like the one from the Silk Snowflake Mountain. We can live here peacefully. You’re my best friend.” “Owlwing,” Shaft restrained from spitting the name. “I also lost my mate, and my friends. But I have to go. Fighting the Snowflake spirits ends up in a bad turn of events. I’m leaving, and that’s that.” Owlwing’s huge eyes were somber. “Goodbye, Shaft of Light. May the Snowflake spirits bear you good fortune.” Shaft dipped her head. “And you, Owlwing.” Without another word, Shaft ate a vole and padded out of the SkyClan camp, towards the mountains. Shaft sighed. It was a cold, rainy night, and she couldn’t find any shelter in the maze of Twoleg dens. Exhausted, she walked to a tree and settled down in the driest spot she could find among the roots. Shaft curled up and fell asleep. Something poked her awake. Shaft breathed in the scent of fresh dew and cat before opening her eyes. Right in her face was a ginger muzzle. “AUGH!” Shaft jerked backwards and banged into the tree. “Do you have any manners?” “Sorry,” The ginger cat pulled away, and her blue eyes glowed. “What are you doing, sleeping there? Where are your housefolk?” “Housefolk?” What are housefolk? “You know, your owners,” she meowed. Then her eyes widened. “Are you saying you’re a wild cat? A feral cat?” “Who are you calling feral?” Shaft demanded. Then she paused. “What does feral mean?” “Well, it means,” The she-cat had a haughty look in her face, “that you once had housefolk, but now you have to fend for yourself.” “I’m not feral,” Shaft spat. “I was born wild. Who are you, anyways?” “My name’s Cracker,” She circled Shaft and sniffed her. “What’s your name?” “Shaft of Light,” Shaft answered, “but call me Shaft.” Shaft’s stomach growled. She ducked away, embarrassed, but Cracker called out, “If you’re hungry, you can share some food with me. Come on.” Cracker led her to a Twoleg den not far away and through a tiny cat-sized entrance in. Shaft wanted to run away, but was not going to show Cracker that she was afraid. She entered with her tail erect and her head held high. Inside, the den was warm and glowing with Twolegs’ fake lights. Cracker took her to the “kitchen” where he and his housefolk ate. Cracker nudged her toward a bowl of round brown nubs. “Go on, eat,” Cracker encouraged. “It’s food.” Shaft sniffed the food and tried it. The pellets crunched and tasted pathetic compared to a nice, freshly caught rabbit. They had a heavy fish flavor that was nothing like real fish. But food was food, and Shaft gulped down enough to fill her pitiful stomach. As much as she despised it, she polished off the bowl. Shaft heard loud footsteps and Twoleg mewing. Panicked, she dashed out the door. Cracker followed, mewing, “Wait!” She flung herself up the branches of a tree. Cracker was outside too. “They’re okay!” Cracker mewed. “They won’t hurt you! They might even give you some housefolk!” “NO!” Shaft screeched. “No housefolk! I am out here as a wild cat, and if you don’t leave me alone, I will react violently!” “You’re in no condition to ‘react violently’,” Cracker meowed, indicating her sore paws and matted fur. “So let me help you. This time, I promise to keep you a secret from my housefolk.” Eyeing her warily, Shaft jumped off the tree and landed with her four paws on the ground. “I’m going to those mountains.” She motioned with her tail to the tall mountains in the distance. “I need you to be my guide out of this messy place of Twoleg contraptions and dens.” Cracker’s eyes widened. “But--that’s far--” “I’ve heard that plenty of times, and my mind is made up,” Shaft hissed through gritted teeth, “so take me.” The she-cat dipped her head politely. “Okay, Shaft.” Towhee restlessly lifted his head. He had been taken in by Twolegs and forced to be a housecat. A mere housecat. Oh, to live like a real wild cat like I did at the Snowflake Mountain. His pelt burned from the boredom of being stuck in a house all day. Every time he scratched the fabric in front of the clear thing called a window, Towhee was scolded. When he’d ripped up the big soft thing filled with fluff, he’d been stuck in an even smaller room for a day as punishment. Towhee itched to be free like the bird of his name. One day they attached a Snowflake-forsaken collar on him. He yearned to take it off, but couldn’t touch it. He hissed in frustration. Then--all of a sudden--freedom! He was allowed outside of the den and began to run away when a voice mewed, “Oh no you don’t.” A white tom with amber eyes leaped gracefully out of a tree. Towhee looked up at him and meowed, “You aren’t stopping me.” “I’m not,” the tom agreed, “but your housefolk will.” “Them?” Towhee was incredulous. “They just let me go.” The cat started laughing. “Oh dear. You can’t seriously--” He laughed again, “think that.” “But they did!” “No they didn’t,” the tom mewed. “You’re expected back before sunset.” “What?” “You must be new to the world of housefolk. My name’s Jack. What’s yours?” “Towhee.” “That can’t be your name. What do your housefolk call you?” Gnashing his teeth, Towhee answered, “They call me Tom. As if Tom is a name and not a gender.” “Well, Tom--” Jack began, but Towhee cut him off. “My parents named me Singing Towhee and there is no way a silly Twoleg can name me otherwise!” Towhee yowled. “Okay, sheesh.” Jack muttered something under his breath. “Let me take you to meet some of my friends. Does that sound good to you?” Towhee thought a bit. He had nothing better to do. “Fine.” Jack took him through the labyrinth of Twoleg houses, and they ended up at a grassy place lined by flowers and bushes. Cement (Towhee had learned the word from a Jack) paths snaked their way through the place, and a few trees dotted the area. A sand-filled section had a funny sort of maze for Twolegs, which they the Twoleg kits seemed to consider fun. They squealed with joy as they slid down, climbed up, and swung around. “What is this place?” Towhee asked. “A park,” Jack answered. “But be careful around other parks. This is the only park that doesn’t allow dogs.” Towhee shuddered, remembering how, every now and then, dogs would come to the Silk Snowflake Mountain and terrorize the cats. Jack led them to a few cats perched on the lowest branches of a big tree. There was a ginger tabby, a silver tom, a brown she-cat, and a smoky gray. “Okay, introductions,” Jack meowed. “Towhee, this is Max, the gray cat, the brown one is Bell, and the ginger tabby is my...friend, Cracker.” “I thought you said they were all your--oh.” Towhee realized that Cracker was not Jack’s mate, but still much more than a friend. Jack jumped into the tree, and Towhee followed. “What a weird name,” Cracker commented. “I have another friend with a weird name. She’s called Shaft.” Towhee’s stomach lurched. Shaft of Light? I thought she was dead! “Wait, is her full name Shaft of Light?” Towhee asked. “How did you know?” Cracker looked surprised. Max grinned. “Is this like those shows on TV? Two human friends--or mates--separated, then find each other?” “We’re just friends,” Towhee replied. He guessed that “human” was another word for Twolegs or housefolk. “And, well, I thought she died when our home with everybody else went berserk. Cracker, did she mention anyone else surviving? And where is she now?” “She’s at my house, and actually, she did say that she met two cats she knew from before named Owl and Mouse,” Cracker mewed. “But she also said that Mouse went to go have housefolk, and Owl joined a group of cats.” Bell, who had been quiet, meowed, “What’s it like to be a feral cat?” Cracker began laughing as hard as Jack had before. “I had this conversation with Shaft. She said she isn’t feral, because she wasn’t born a housecat. I’m guessing that Towhee isn’t either. They’re wild.” Completely changing the subject, Max meowed, “I was taken to the vet yesterday, ‘cause I was throwing up.” “Good thing you aren’t sick now!” Towhee paid no attention to who was speaking. He’d heard a rustle in the bushes that was too loud to be a lizard. Silently, he hopped out of the tree and crept up to the bush, tasting the air. His ears were pricked up for any other noises. A rabbit stepped onto the cement. It seemed oblivious to the fact that a cat was creeping forward. Towhee was at its back, and he was making sure that he was downwind of the rabbit. He pounced, sinking his claws into the rabbit’s body. He batted it roughly, snapping its neck. Mouth watering, Towhee picked up his prey and headed back to the other cats. “How did you do that?” Bell asked. Her gray eyes were shining with excitement. “What does it taste like?” “If you’re wondering, just try it.” Towhee nudged the rabbit towards the others. Tentatively, Jack took a bite of the stomach. Cracker went next. Then Max, and Bell. Max swiped his lips with his tongue. “It’s furry.” “It’s definitely different from kibble,” Jack mused. “I kind of like it.” Cracker eyed the rabbit hungrily. “I think it’s delicious!” Bell walked up to the rabbit and took another bite. “I’ll stick with kibble.” Max backed away. “Let’s share,” Towhee suggested. Cracker ripped a haunch off the rabbit. She settled down and began eating, and Jack lay next to her to share. Towhee padded forward and took a foreleg. Bell just continued to enjoy random parts. They ate and continued to talk about their housefolk. Towhee joined the conversation, getting laughs out of the others about the times he’d clawed at what they called a curtain. Max stretched luxuriously in the sun. He licked his lips, then meowed that he had to leave. “It’s lunch time for me.” He headed back towards the ton of houses. “Max is the only one who has an afternoon meal,” Bell explained. “But even if we had lunch, there would be no way I could fit more than a few mouthfuls.” “Do you hang out around here all day?” Towhee meowed. “No way!” Cracker exclaimed. “Human kits would want to pet us. Not that it’s bad, but a lot of them are too rough.” “Well, I have to go now.” Jack gave Cracker’s ear a lick. “I promised Tim that I would teach him how to climb a tree. Oh, Towhee, do you know the way back to your house?” Towhee, embarrassed, shook his head. “Okay, Cracker can show you the way.” To Cracker he said, “Towhee lives right next to where you used to live.” “First, can I see Shaft again?” Towhee asked. “Sure. I’ll take you to my place first, then.” Cracker meowed. “Thanks.” Towhee was so happy. He could finally see someone from his old home. “Cali!” Cali turned at the sound of her name. Her mother, Isabelle, was calling her. “What, Mommy?” Cali asked. She was a little older than two months, and it would soon be time for her to leave her mother and live with other housefolk. Isabelle took a deep breath, and mewed, “Our housefolk want to sell Phoebe to the mean human who...who seems to like collecting and neglecting pets.” Cali’s eyes widened. Her mother had told her that their housefolk named her Phoebe, but she had named her Calico after her calico fur. “No!” Cali wailed. “You mean the one who keeps getting reported but never stops?” “Yes,” Isabelle sighed. “That’s why I’m taking you and Berry on a trip. We’re leaving home and going to some other place. I will not let that man take any more of my kittens. He’s already got Puddle.” Cali’s heart suddenly stopped. “Umm...Mommy…” Cali paused, trying to find the right words. “While you were gone meeting with Cracker, Berry was given to some family.” Isabelle’s jaws clenched. Her eyes looked lost. “But--but the family was nice!” Cali added, hoping to make her mother’s mood brighter. “They gave Berry treats and petted his fur and said those nice housefolk words!” “What words?” Isabelle meowed. “‘Good boy’ and ‘cute’,” Cali reported. “Oh, and ‘silly,’ but in a kind way.” “Okay,” Isabelle mewed with a sigh, “we leave after dinner. First, we have to go to Cracker’s place. She knows some cats who are willing to help us save your other brother, Coco. Then we head out with those same cats.” Cali nodded, getting nervous. For the rest of the day, something odd was spreading through her. It was like nervousness, eagerness, and energy all blended into a single feeling. She was tense, waiting for the moment, more perceptive of the time than she usually was. Finally, her housefolk came by and filled her food bowl up with soft kibble and tasty meat. “Eat it all, then beg for more,” Isabelle instructed her. “We need to get as much food in us as we can.” Once she finished her dinner, Cali mewled pitifully and batted the male housefolk’s leg. Laughing, she dropped a few pieces of chicken onto the floor. Cali and Isabelle gulped it down. When their housefolk went to bed, Isabelle motioned for Cali to follow her out the cat door. The outside air was chilly, and her fur puffed up to block out the cold. Isabelle led them through the streets. Cali looked around, absorbing the sights and smells. She’d never been out of the house, and she hadn’t imagined the world could be so big. Wordlessly she followed her mother towards Cracker’s den. They reached a house with a big lawn dotted with flowers. A ginger tabby was waiting. “Cracker, this is my daughter, Cali,” Isabelle meowed. “Cali, this is Cracker.” “Hi,” Cali mewed timidly. Cracker beamed welcomingly. “Okay. Let’s take you to meet Shaft and Towhee.” Two cats were sleeping in the backyard. Cracker poked them with her claws. “Wake up,” she said. They opened their eyes. One was a smoky gray tom with yellowish eyes, the other a gray-and-white she cat with sharp gray eyes. “I’m Shaft, and this is Towhee,” the she-cat mewed. “We’re going to travel with you two, and help retrieve your brother.” Cali yawned, and Isabelle looked worriedly at her. “We have to hurry, or this she’ll will be too tired to do anything,” Isabelle meowed. “Let’s go right now.” They said their goodbyes to Cracker, and set off to the dreary gray house. “There!” Isabelle yowled. Cali took in the sight. Drab walls with peeling paint stared back at her. Gloomy, colorless shrubs dotted the yard. She shuddered. What a horrible place to live, Cali thought.a A cream she-cat slunk out from behind a bush. “Hello,” she meowed. Cali blinked. Her voice was like a blanket straight out of the dryer, warm and soft. Cali wanted to hear her voice again. “Have you seen a calico tomkit like me?” Izzy padded forward. “A bit of a softer calico color, though? What housefolk call a ‘dilute calico?’” The she-cat blinked slowly as if the movement was covered in thick cobwebs. “Oh, you mean Puddle.” She was like a spider, spinning silk in Cali’s mind, weaving a web in between her thoughts. Cali shook her head, trying in vain to clear it. “I’m Lily, by the way.” “Speak again,” Towhee blinked as slowly as Lily did. He seemed to be in a trance. “And your eyes...they’re like deep blue springs.” Is he infatuated with her? Cali wondered. She soon realized that it might not be that. The she-cat’s eyes really were like the water that pooled in big holes in the ground after a rain. And her coat was mesmerizing, looking plush, downy. The webs in her brain grew thicker. Cali’s reasoning began to slowly slip away. She began to feel that if she could hear that voice again, the bugging fogginess pressing against her mind would disappear. A white tom with gray tabby markings seemed to materialize next to the she-cat. When he spoke, he had the same effect as Lily’s voice. “Pleasure to meet you.” The fog grew ever thicker, becoming almost mental solid. “My name is Mack.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mack.” Towhee’s words came out so slowly, Cali itched to smack him and force him to speed up. The slight aggression created a shaft of light in the heavy clouds in her mind. A beam of hope, a spark of clarity. The words rolled through her head again. Shaft of light…could Shaft’s name be Shaft of Light? “Stop it.” Shaft’s meow was a claw penetrating the enchantment. “Mack, Lily, stop.” “Stop what?” Lily’s eyes twinkled with anger and amusement. “We’re just talking.” “Don’t hypnotize these cats,” Shaft mewed. Anger put a sharp edge into her voice. “They don’t have the defenses I do.” Shaft was battling for their freedom from the charm. “Finally, one with our ability,” Mack purred. “Join us,” Lily meowed ever so softly. “You’re the only one here with a strong will. Except the kitten. She is strong…for her age.” “No.” Shaft spoke as clear as a bell. “You’re evil.” “Correct,” Mack hissed cruelly. For once, his voice didn’t enchant them. “If you won’t join...there’s no reason for you to live and be our enemy.” Mack nodded to Lily. A blur of motion, and they darted to Shaft, Mack swiping his claws wildly. Towhee raced to her side and yanked Lily off her back. Freed, she hissed and rolled into the mayhem, slashing and spinning. Izzy stood still, looking stunned. But when Cali charged into the fray she cried, “Cali! A fight is not safe for a kit!” Cali ignored her, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Every pawstep she took got her closer to being able to tear those monsters to pieces with her tiny claws and jaws. She scanned the battlegrounds. Towhee and Shaft were busy fighting a screeching Lily. So where was Mack? She found him running to Lily’s aid. She sprinted to catch up with him and pounced on his tail. Cali bit like it was a toy. There wasn’t much fur to get through, and her teeth met flesh easily. Yowling in pain, Mack wrenched his tail away and turned to her. He leaped and Cali rolled away, barely managing to escape being pinned down by a full-grown tom. Cali’s claws sank into the ground for support. Time seemed to slow down, Mack looming closer and closer. His eyes glinted with a hungry, bloodthirsty light. A blur of fur and Izzy was clawing at Mack’s back. He writhed in pain as her claws tore out fur and the wounds spurted blood. Cali slashed at his muzzle, satisfaction filling her up as those tiny claws rained blow after blow. “Aim for the nose!” Izzy suggested. “That will hurt a lot more!” Cali did as she was instructed and Mack screeched in agony. He broke away from Izzy and ran away with his tail tucked in terror. A few tail-lengths away, Shaft and Towhee watched as Lily lay bleeding from a throat wound. “You will…never…be as successful…as Mack and I…” Her chest heaved with the effort to breathe and speak. “You…could…have been…great…” Lily never uttered a single word after that.

Shaft looked up from Lily’s dead body. A shadow lurked at the entrance to the Snowflake-cursed Twoleg’s den. “Hello?” she called out. “Who’s there?” A kit with pale ginger, cream, and gray fur stepped out. He fixed his eyes on Izzy. “Mommy?” He dashed towards her, burying his nose in her fur. He huddled in between her forelegs. “Cali!” “It’s okay, Puddle.” Izzy licked his tangled fur. “We’re here.” Puddle was trembling, but it soon stopped. “The cats were scary.” Puddle whimpered. “Except one. He was very nice.” “Who was it?” Izzy asked. “Is he still here?” “H-his name is Mouse, and he-he’s still here.” Shaft’s ears pricked. Mouse… as far as she knew, housecats weren’t named like this. Except Puddle, but Shaft had the feeling that Izzy had named him puddle, not the Twolegs. A pair of eyes gleamed from the shadows. A familiar scent touched Shaft’s nose. “Scuffling Mouse!” Shaft pranced to her friend, burying her nose in his fur. She began to purr. She’d missed this cat, her sister’s best friend. “Mouse!” Towhee joined the purrs and ear-licks. “Who knew you’d be here?” Mouse pulled away. “My housefolk…they had to get rid of me.” Shaft’s gaze hardened. “So they didn’t love you.” “No, no,” Mouse corrected, “They were crying and stuff, and the little one was just wailing and wailing. After they left me, I got to this man.” “Maybe your housefolk moved,” Izzy suggested. “I hear about it all the time.” “Probably.” Mouse sighed. “There goes my life as a housecat. Do you...do you think I could join you in your journey?” Shaft’s heart bloomed. Another cat she knew joining them. “Of course.” Then Mouse meowed, “Where’s Hooting Owl?” “She...she’s Owlpelt now,” Shaft choked. She remembered her friend, going off to join SkyClan. “She’s with SkyClan.” “SkyClan?” Mouse was shocked. “When my Twolegs moved, there was a time when I was alone, before this owner. I went to SkyClan and found Ravenpaw there.” “You did?” So he’s left Barley. “Yeah. I didn’t stay there. I just watched them from afar, one time only. I talked to a cat named Echosong. She treated me for sore paws and a few scratches, then sent me off.” “Wow.” Everything is connected. SkyClan, the Silk Snowflake cats, Ravenpaw, and wherever we’re headed. “Let’s go,” Cali mewed. Shaft nodded. They’d spent too much time dawdling, talking about things they could discuss as they walked. The group of cats began making their way to the mountains in the distance. It wasn’t that far. The trip would probably take ten days, maybe. And every pawstep they took got them closer and closer to a new life. One Shaft was looking forward to.

“We’re here!” Shaft watched as Puddle bounced around joyfully. “The mountains! We’re here! Here! Finally!” The kit had absorbed the cats’ feel for adventure and travel. Mouse, however, didn’t radiate the same excited energy, instead he had more neutral thoughts on the journey. He wasn’t happy about it, but he wasn’t unhappy either. “There’s snow.” Mouse perked up. “Like at our old home.” “Of course there’s snow.” Shaft cuffed his ear softly, with her claws sheathed. “It’s a really high mountain, so even if I was blind I’d guess there was snow.” “And Snowflake spirits.” Towhee’s words resonated with the three cats from the Silk Snowflake Mountain. “They have to be here, with us.” Just then Shaft spotted something in the corner of her eye. It was a dark gray pelt, smeared with mud. Amber eyes glowed and caught Shaft’s gaze. The cat held the stare for a little while, before it began walking towards her. “Who are you?” It was a tom. “What are you here for?” Shaft’s companions noticed for the first time the stranger talking to them. Two more cats appeared, one a brown tabby she-cat and another a young white she-cat. “We’re looking for a home, among other cats,” Towhee replied, eyeing the cats warily. “We mean no harm.” “This isn’t a place for you,” the white cat hissed. “Get out.” “Snow, stop.” The older she-cat gently cuffed her ear. “I’m Brook. This, as you can guess, is Snow, and the other one’s my mate, Stormfur.” “I’m Shaft,” Shaft introduced, “and this is Towhee, Puddle, Cali, Izzy, and Mouse. We didn’t know anyone lived here. We’re looking for some Clans. A cat named Ravenpaw told us we’d find some past here.” Stormfur tensed, and he trembled just a bit as he asked, “You were sent by Ravenpaw?” “Yes,” Shaft answered. “Do you know him?” “From the stories,” Stormfur answered. “And...why don’t you stay with our Tribe before you leave? You need your rest, I can see.” “Thank you,” Izzy meowed. “My kits are exhausted. The only energy they got was from actually reaching these mountains.” Stormfur nodded, then led the group on a path that led to a rushing waterfall. “Follow me,” he mewed. Shaft did, though she was scared of the strength of the waterfall. Behind her, she heard Cali whimper, and Puddle squeaked in fright. Mouse shrunk away from the waterfall, pressing close against the wall on the path. The path led into a huge cave. Shaft noticed eyes following them, murmuring at these new arrivals. “Stoneteller,” Snow mewed, “We found some travellers.” A dark gray tom appeared at the mouth of what looked like a den. He went to them, and Shaft cringed a bit. He had a welcoming look, but had an aura of authority. “Welcome to the Tribe of Rushing Water.” He flicked his tail and called, “Blue! Flower! I need you to make nests for our guests.” Stoneteller sat down. “Please, tell me your story.” “Crag, can I--” Brook began, but then cut herself off. “Oh, I forgot again. Stoneteller, can I go check on Lark? She had a bad mouse earlier, and you were sleeping. She feels fine but…” Stoneteller nodded, then motioned for Shaft and her group to come to his den, and sent Stormfur and Snow away. Shaft told her story of the Silk Snowflake Mountain, SkyClan and Owlpelt, Cracker and Jake, Izzy and her kits, and finally coming here. As she meowed on, Stoneteller softened up, understanding and warmth in his gaze. “You’ve had a rough time,” Stoneteller commented. “Stay here for a few days, then continue on your journey. Your nests should be ready by now. Rest up, it’s almost sundown. Oh, and Towhee, would you mind staying? That scrape you’ve got could get infected.” Pine and Lark were sitting next to some fresh nests in the corner of the cave. As the cats settled down Pine asked, “What’re your names?” “Towhee, Shaft, Izzy, Cali, Puddle, and Mouse.” Mouse yawned. “Well, Shaft, Towhee and I have longer names but we go by the more defining word in those names.” “That’s like us,” Lark mewed. “I’m Lark That Sings at Dawn, and my brother here is Pine That Clings to Rock.” “Nice,” Shaft mewed. “Our names aren’t that long. I’m Shaft of Light, Towhee is Singing Towhee, and Mouse is Scuffling Mouse.” “Puddle and I are sort of like that!” Cali chirped. “My Twolegs named me Phoebe, but Mommy named me Calico, or Cali for short. And Puddle’s Twoleg name is Rocky.” “Well, we’ll leave you to get some sleep,” Pine meowed. “See you later!” The two cats bounded off to some other cats. Shaft yawned and let sleep wrap its soft tail around her.

Shaft woke up in the middle of the night. The cave was dark and filled with the sound of sleeping cats. Cali rustled in the nest she shared with Puddle and Izzy. Shaft looked outside. It was snowing gently, the snowflakes swirling a bit in the wind. The Snowflake spirits. In a trance, Shaft padded quietly out of the cave on the waterfall path. It began to snow more heavily, and the winds picked up. In the sudden strength of the snowfall, Shaft thought she saw a silvery shape in a swirl of snowflakes. Then she knew she saw it for sure, as the shape took the form of a cat with snowflakes dusting her fur. Recognition seared her mind and sent it whirling. It was her sister, her littermate, Moon Rising, or Moonrise. “Moonrise?” Shaft breathed. Moonrise beckoned for her to follow, and she did until they were at a cliff overlooking another a vast field of snow and snow-covered rocks. “See this place?” Moonrise asked. She sat down beside Shaft. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” “It is, Moonrise.” Then Shaft began to choke up. “Why did you have to die? Why’d you have to join the Snowflake spirits?” “It happened so you can follow your destiny.” Moonrise gazed sympathetically at her sister. She’d become a very wise cat by joining the dead, but her love for Shaft hadn’t changed. “I don’t want this destiny,” Shaft meowed. “I want our home back. I want my old friends back. And I want you to be with me all the time, like you were back then.” “That wasn’t meant to be,” Moonrise meowed. “We have to accept it and move on. And before I go, I have a message for you.” “Please take a while before you deliver it,” Shaft begged. “Please don’t leave me again.” Moonrise looked at Shaft with sorrowful eyes. “One of your group will die, and another will stay here forever. Don’t be sad about it. It’s out of your control, and out of mine. Have faith that everything will be alright.” Then she began to fade and swirl upwards at the same time like a snowflake in reverse. “Wait! Moonrise!” Shaft yowled, but her sister was gone. And she didn’t know the way back to the cave. “Moonrise! I don’t know where you took me!” “Shaft?” Shaft turned at the sound of her name. It was Stoneteller. “What are you doing out here? Come on, let’s go back to the cave.” Shaft followed the tom back to the waterfall. They were both silent until he meowed, “You were out there with the spirits, weren’t you?” Shaft nodded, stunned that he knew. Stoneteller sighed. “Was it some cat you knew?” “My sister, Moonrise.” “Did she tell you anything?” Shaft’s voice shook as she mewed, “She told me that one of my friends are going to die. And one is going to stay here.” Stoneteller’s voice was grave. “Don’t be afraid. Just go back to sleep. And try to avoid the spirits and their ominous foretellings of the future, or else you might end up a duck,” he joked. Shaft went back to her nest, and fell fast asleep.

Puddle woke up and found Cali munching on a fat, large mouse. “I want some!” he whined. “I was going to share when you woke up,” Cali explained. “And lower your voice, Shaft is sleeping.”