Heart of the Mountains

Prologue

The sun was low in the sky, its golden light rich and warm as it cast over the vast mountains, painting the slate cliffs a fiery amber. Thick, rolling fog, crawled up the soaring peaks, cloaking the majority of the mountain in a pale gray, disguising what lay beneath. Tucked away, hidden by sparse pine trees and hefty boulders, a ravine sat empty. Only the quiet trickling of a thin line of water that ran down the far cliff and deposited into a narrow stream echoed throughout the silent clearing. A small cave near the edge of the stone glade was hidden with woven gorse and ferns, leaving a narrow entrance into the darkness of the hollow.

A she-cat lie curled in a nest of moss and feathers, her sandy tabby pelt swollen and round with the promise of new life to come. She shifted slightly, wrapping a long striped tail to cover her pink nose, its long tufted tip shielding her eyes from the pale amber light that managed to filter through the fern fronds that guarded the entrance.

"Pssst," a hiss, thin and nearly silent echoed around the small cave, eliciting a flick of one ear from the sleeping she-cat.

"Snakedusk!" The voice was a bit louder this time, closer. Icy eyes fluttered open, heavy with the remnants of sleep. The previously sleeping she-cat's eyes slowly rose to meet the bright amber gaze that hung upside down in front of her. She drowsily lifted her head from her paws, blinking slowly to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim light. At the entrance, a broad figure hung upside down. Tufty fur silhouetted darkly against the bright dawn light. Immediately, the tabby she-cat visibly brightened, her large ears swiveling forward as her blue eyes lit up with warm recognition.

"Raggedwing!"

The large figure disappeared for a moment before leaping from above the cave and turning to pad inside. The tom was massive, his tufted ear tips nearly grazing the rocky ceiling as he padded softly to meet the she-cat at the edge of her nest. His amber eyes were round and soft as they met the queen's chilly blue gaze. "How are you feeling?" His low meow rumbled into a purr, deep in his chest as he leaned down to touch noses with her.

"Restless," came her reply. The tabby she-cat stiffly stood up to stretch, her swollen flanks rippled in response. The tom, Raggedwing, offered his shoulder in support as the heavily pregnant queen swayed slightly as her low-hanging belly struggled to clear the edge of the nest. Dawn light pooled at the entrance of the den and the she-cat revelled in its warmth as the two passed through it and out into the clearing. The two stood with their fur touching for a moment, breathing the cool morning air. The mountains seemed to hold an air of peace at dawn, crickets had stilled their nocturnal chirping and birds had yet to leave their nests and fill the air with their songs. It was at dawn and dusk when the sun touched the peaks that the formidable and unforgiving land seemed most at ease.

The queen broke the silence, pulling away from her mate to take a few steps forward, "Let's go for a walk." The narrow gap in the boulder wall appeared as salvation to the stiff legged she-cat. It had been several days since she had left the stone hollow, too exhausted or preoccupied with visits from the medicine cat to find time to slip away from camp and enjoy the world outside of the confining rock walls. She glanced back over her shoulder to Raggedwing, her eyes bright and hopeful.

"Are you sure the kits are up for that?" He meowed, now at her side where he gently caressed her rounded flank with a hefty gray tail tip. The queen purred, touching her pink nose to his briefly before leaping forward with a burst of energy.

"They'll be fine, besides the fresh air will do me good." With that, Snakedusk bounded out of camp, clearing the narrow stream nimbly, despite her heavy belly.

Outside, the horizon was alive with vibrant hues of gold and deep crimson, dotted with the black outlines of early rising birds and soaring pine trees that seemed to penetrate to endless sky. Raggedwing padded alongside his love, strolling peacefully down the ever-winding stone path that lead away from the camp high in the mountain tops, down to the fog cloaked crevasses of the mountain's foot. The steep winding path was lined with fresh blooming buttercup flowers, their soft pink petals shining with crystal dew drops, reflecting the dawn's sunlight like miniature stars. Snakedusk bowed, sniffing deeply into one of the fuchsia colored blossoms, humming softly as she drank in the sweet scent. "They're just as beautiful as you," Raggedwing rumbled from behind her.