The morning sun was beginning to wake the world from slumber. Coal exited the tunnels to welcome dawn and the new day. The bright orange-yellow sun peeked above the horizon, cascading a radiant light across the forest.
Stretching, Coal left the entrance of the tunnel. She walked over to the palace to see if she could find Fire, the second in command of the Cats of the Majestic Ways, there.
*****
Meanwhile, in a shady clearing, the Cats of the Tunnels of No Escape gathered....
A cat stood in the darkness on a high ledge. His face was darkened by shadows. He began to speak to the cats gathered below him. "Greetings, fellow Cats of the Tunnels of No Escape. I have terrible news to bring to you. Your leader was found, dead, by me. I suspected that a rouge had killed him, but then--"
He was interrupted by meows of grief and sadness. The wails of his fellow cats echoed trough the shadowed clearing.
The cat raised his tail for silence. Though the cat could barley be seen through the darkness, the cats quieted quickly. Then, the cat spoke again, "Sniper's death saddens us all, but we must move on. I will try to be at least half the leader he was, and guide my cats to victory. I scented cat scent on Sniper's body, alright. The scent of a Cat of the Majestic Ways! We must avenge his death!"
"Avenge his death! Avenge his death! Avenge his death!" Angry meows rang through the clearing.
The cat jumped down from the ledge and slunk into the darkness. But for a moment, just a moment, you could see his face from the light of the sun. His pelt was tattered and dark brown. A thin scar was sketched lightly across his ear. His amber eyes glittered with menace. One eye almost unseen beneath two scars. That pelt, those scars, that single blind eye. All of these traits on a cat could only mean one thing. Jag.
"Avenge his death! Avenge his death! Avenge his death!"
*****
Coal meowed, "So no spy duties for me to do today?" She was a spy for the Cats of the Majestic Ways.
"Yes. No spy duties for today. You can help with hunting or delivering messages, though. Both of those jobs require stealth and agility, also," Fire meowed in reply.
"Okay. Thank you for the suggestions, Fire." Coal dipped her head and darted off.
Coal slipped into the shadows of the trees. She parted her jaws and lifted her head, scenting the air for prey. The warm smell of a mouse entered her nose, making her mouth water. She stalked through the undergrowth, following the smell of the small mammal. Soon, she spotted the little brown figure of a mouse, trembling as it nibbled on a seed.
Coal slithered through the cover of the shadows of the trees. Once she was three tail lengths away from the small creature, she lept.
Coal slithered through the cover of the shadows of the trees. Once she was three tail lengths away from the small creature, she lept.
*****
Coal came back to the camp of the Cats of the Majestic Ways, she had two mice and a sparrow dangling from her jaws. Her mother, Star, a hunter, walked up to her, her white tail flicking with pride.
"What wonderful catches, Coal! Oh, I'm so proud of my baby girl!" Star cried cheerfully, her green eyes brimming with happiness.
"Thank you, mother," Coal meowed, smiling.
"Your welcome!" Star replied enthusiastically. "You know where to leave the prey, right?"
"Yes," Coal nodded. "Into Phantoms Chambers and she'll tell me what to do from there."
"Wonderful! Good job!" Star chided happily. Then her mother waved her off with a dip of her muzzle. "Show off your catches and make me proud!"
Coal dashed into Phantom's water-carved palace. A thin blue stream snaked through the entrance of the palace. Coal followed the stream for some time. As she ran, it widened. Soon, it formed a pool. Coal darted onward, past questioning guards, hurrying severs, reporting messengers and spies, and gruff-looking warriors. Then, finally, she skidded to a stop in front of the two guards guarding the wooden doors that led to Phantom's Chamber.
"Why do you dare try to enter Phantom's, Leader of the Cats of the Majestic Ways, Chamber?" a guard asked in a gruff tone.
"I, Coal, a spy for the Cats of the Majestic Ways, have come to give my catches to our leader," Coal meowed back evenly, lifting her head to show her kills.
A guard gave them a sniff. "Fine," she said. "You may enter."
The female guard pushed a lever and the massive wooden doors swung open with a loud clang. Coal tried not to jump before stepping inside of the Chamber.
"Hello, Coal," Phantom meowed, not even opening her eyes. "Bring the mice to the store. Leave the sparrow here."
Coal did as she was told without a word, placing the sparrow down on the smooth stone floor and dashing out of the doorway, past the guards, and into the nearby store where prey was kept until it was eaten. She slid the fresh prey onto the bottom and took a rabbit from the top of the pile (the older prey) for her and her sister to share. Then she darted out of the palace.
As she was walking through the clearing, she saw Obsidian, her sister, washing beside the entrance of their cave.
"Hey! Obsidian!" Coal called, piking up her pace. "Look what I got from the store!"
Obsidian gasped when she saw the prey. "A rabbit! Where did you catch that?"
By now, Coal had set down the catch beside her sister and settled down to eat. "I didn't catch it," she meowed in between bites. "I just saw it on the pile. I know that it's your favorite."
"Thank you!" Obsidian purred quietly, giving Coal her first tiny smile scene that rainy night....
KittyLover8
© 2012
Coal dashed into Phantom's water-carved palace. A thin blue stream snaked through the entrance of the palace. Coal followed the stream for some time. As she ran, it widened. Soon, it formed a pool. Coal darted onward, past questioning guards, hurrying severs, reporting messengers and spies, and gruff-looking warriors. Then, finally, she skidded to a stop in front of the two guards guarding the wooden doors that led to Phantom's Chamber.
"Why do you dare try to enter Phantom's, Leader of the Cats of the Majestic Ways, Chamber?" a guard asked in a gruff tone.
"I, Coal, a spy for the Cats of the Majestic Ways, have come to give my catches to our leader," Coal meowed back evenly, lifting her head to show her kills.
A guard gave them a sniff. "Fine," she said. "You may enter."
The female guard pushed a lever and the massive wooden doors swung open with a loud clang. Coal tried not to jump before stepping inside of the Chamber.
"Hello, Coal," Phantom meowed, not even opening her eyes. "Bring the mice to the store. Leave the sparrow here."
Coal did as she was told without a word, placing the sparrow down on the smooth stone floor and dashing out of the doorway, past the guards, and into the nearby store where prey was kept until it was eaten. She slid the fresh prey onto the bottom and took a rabbit from the top of the pile (the older prey) for her and her sister to share. Then she darted out of the palace.
As she was walking through the clearing, she saw Obsidian, her sister, washing beside the entrance of their cave.
"Hey! Obsidian!" Coal called, piking up her pace. "Look what I got from the store!"
Obsidian gasped when she saw the prey. "A rabbit! Where did you catch that?"
By now, Coal had set down the catch beside her sister and settled down to eat. "I didn't catch it," she meowed in between bites. "I just saw it on the pile. I know that it's your favorite."
"Thank you!" Obsidian purred quietly, giving Coal her first tiny smile scene that rainy night....
KittyLover8
© 2012
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