Tales from Mysterious Lands #1: The Descent

Chapter I. - The Plan

As the weak beams of lights reached his snow white fur, White snow stirred. Slowly he got up and stretched his tired muzzles. He looked around the cave; it was slightly illuminated by the dawn light and most of the tom's tribemates were still asleep.

White snow turned his head in the way of the fresh-kill pile - or what remained of it anyway. Only one tattered, water soaked eagle was lying there. The prey was running so poorly that the tribe had to resort to hunting smaller bird-prey too; two shrews covered in mud were lying next to it.

"Don't even think about it," a sharp mew rang close to White Snow's ear. The white warrior turned to face a tabby she-cat. A low growl ringed from his throat.

The she-cat rolled her eyes. "It was just a joke, mouse-brain."

"Well your jokes make as much use as a dead fox," White Snow snapped back, "why don't you go and try to hunt for the starving tribe instead of 'jokingly' accusing me of disloyalty?"

"I was actually planning to. Wanna go with me?"

"Sure. I'll just wake Snow-"

"Without Snow Fur or any other tribemates. Just me, you Deep Dark and Loud Rumble."

It's admittedly been a while since White Snow spent time with his siblings alone. He nodded. "How are you anyway?"

"Better than you by the looks of it," replied his sister. She was a little more well fed than White Snow. One of her followers probably gave her their fresh-kill. She was one of the more popular siblings.

They padded closer to the cave's entrance - their sister, Loud Rumble, was asleep in a small den on top of a flat rock close to it. White Snow jumped onto the flat rock and pawed her face; Loud Rumble yelped with surprise and tumbled her brother down, jumping onto him and pinning him to the ground. White Snow shrieked in surprise.

"White... Snow?" Loud Rumble seemed confused and bewildered. She got off her brother and looked around, noticing her sister. "Silent Wind? You two scared me to death! I thought we've been attacked by badgers!"

"I only pawed you with claws sheathed, for the Ancients' sake!" White Snow retorted.

"You two stop rumbling or you'll wake the Tribe in no time," Silent Wind remarked playfully, "now lemme fetch Deep Dark so another disaster doesn't happen." The light brown she-cat disappeared into the depth of the cave.

Loud Rumble questioningly looked at her brother. "Why wake me so early? Does Stoneteller have a new omen?"

"You wish," White Snow replied, "but we're just taking you hunting. Deep Dark's coming too."

"We should take Shining Star as well," Loud Rumble prompted. Their mother's been busy helping Stoneteller and Silent Wind lately.

"Then we might take Stoneteller as well," White Snow retorted dryly. Are there bees in Loud Rumble's brain? Does she want to take all our kin on a hunting patrol?

"You two done chatting?" Silent Wind padded towards the sibling, along with Deep Dark. "Time to hunt."

White Snow padded on the rough, uncomfortable stone next to his brother. The patrol, led by Silent Wind, has already visited the usual hunting places - no prey anywhere. If the hunger goes on like this, we'll all die in no time. There isn't fresh-kill for anyone - warriors, elders nor the kits!

Silent Wind abruptly stopped and turned around to face her siblings.

"Silent Wind? Are you alright?" Deep Dark asked, baffled.

The light brown tabby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Hunting isn't the real reason I brought you here," she finally meowed.

White Snow twitched his ears curiously while Loud Rumble looked puzzled and exchanged a worried glance with Deep Dark.

"What is it, then? Did Stoneteller fall ill?" Deep Dark asked while the tip of his tail started twitching anxiously.

Silent Wind looked at her brother, sorrow seeping from her eyes. "Indeed."

Shock pierced White Snow's belly like a badger's claws. "What kind of sickness is it? Can she recover?"

The tabby she-cat shook her head. "We don't think so. However, in one of what easily could be her last days, Stoneteller received an omen."

White Snow's grief-stricken eyes shone with curiosity once more. "An omen?"

Silent Wind nodded. "It may shock you, but it is necessary for you to know. The Ancients came to her and told her we need to leave our territory and find a new home, far from here, beyond the Twin Mountains."

White Snow's heart skipped a beat, Deep Dark folded his ears backward and Loud Rumble jumped from surprise.

"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! How could we leave our home? Could the elders and kits even make it?" She retorted skeptically.

"Maybe there's something to it," Deep Dark whispered anxiously, "Silent Wind is training to be the next Stoneteller after all."

"Perhaps it's for the better," White Snow added, "what we call our home is becoming unlivable. The prey is dying and I haven't seen green in ages. Anything would be better than this at this point."

Loud Rumble let out a long sigh. "I guess you're right, the two of you."

"Go on, Silent Wind," White Snow prompted.

The tabby she-cat nodded a thanks and continued. "As Stoneteller's kin, we're expected to lead the Tribe to its new home. I've got a plan - during today you tell every warrior you meet to come here at dawn. Then I will break the news to the Tribe."

Nervous murmurs of agreement came from the siblings.

As the patrol set off back to the camp, White Snow and Deep Dark exchanged worried glances.

Something isn't right.