Blizzard Flake's Trail

Chapter 1

Blizzard Flake toiled up the snow-covered slope toward a ridge that bit into the sky like a row of snaggly teeth. She set each pad down carefully, to avoid breaking through the frozen surface and sinking into the powdery drifts underneath. Light flakes were falling, dappling her white pelt. She was so cold that she couldn't feel her pads anymore, and her belly yowled with hunger.
Ï̤ c̤̈ä̤n̤̈'ẗ̤ r̤̈ë̤m̤̈ë̤m̤̈b̤̈ë̤r̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ë̤ l̤̈ä̤s̤̈ẗ̤ ẗ̤ï̤m̤̈ë̤ Ï̤ f̤̈ë̤l̤̈ẗ̤ ẅ̤ä̤r̤̈m̤̈ ö̤r̤̈ f̤̈ṳ̈l̤̈l̤̈-f̤̈ë̤d̤̈.
In the last sunny season she had still been a kit, playing with her littermate, Petal Blow, around the edge of the pool outside the cave. Now that seemed like a lifetime ago. Blizzard Flake only had the vaguest memories of green leaves on the stubby mountain trees, and the sunshine bathing the rocks.
Pausing to taste the air for prey, she gazed across the snow-bound mountains, peak after peak stretching away into the distance. The heavy gray sky overhead promised yet more snow to come.
But the air carried no scent of her quarry, and Blizzard Flake plodded on. Petal Blow appeared from behind an outcrop of rock, her pale orange fur visible against the snow. Her jaws were empty, and as she spotted Blizzard Flake she shook her head.
"Not a sniff of prey anywhere!" She called. "Why don't we-"
A raucous cry from above cut off her words. A shadow flashed over Blizzard Flake. Looking up, she saw a hawk swoop low across the slope, it's talons hooked and cruel.
As the hawk passed, Petal Blow leaped high into the air, her forepaws outstretched. Her claws snagged the bird's feathers and she fell back, dragging it from the sky. It let out another harsh cry as it landed on the snow in a flurry of beating wings.
Blizzard Flake charged up the slope, her paws throwing up a fine spray of snow. Reaching her sister, she planted both forepaws on one thrashing wing. The hawk glared at her with hatred in its yellow eyes, and Blizzard Flake had to duck to avoid its slashing talons.
Petal Blow thrust her head forward and sank her teeth into the hawk's neck. It jerked once and went limp, its gaze growing instantly dull as blood seeped from its wound and stained the snow.
Panting, Blizzard Flake looked at her sister. "That was a great catch!" She exclaimed, warm triumph flooding through her.
Petal Blow shook her head. "But look how scrawny it is. There's nothing in these mountains fit to eat, and won't be until the snow clears."
She crouched beside the prey, ready to take the first bite. Blizzard Flake settled next to her littermate, her own jaws flooding as she thought of sinking her teeth into the hawk.
But then she remembered the starving cats back in the cave, squabbling over scraps. "We should take this prey back to the others," she meowed. "They need it to give them strength for their hunting."
"We need strength too," Petal Blow mumbled, tearing away a mouthful of the hawk's flesh.
"We'll be fine." Blizzard Flake gave her a prod in the side. "We're the best hunters in the Tribe. Nothing escapes us when we hunt together. We can catch something else easier than the others can."
Petal Blow rolled her eyes as she swallowed the prey. "Why must you always be so unselfish?" She grumbled. "Okay, let's go."
Together the two cats dragged the hawk down the slope and over the boulders at the bottom of a narrow gully until they reached the pool where the waterfall roared. Though it wasn't heavy, the bird was awkward to manage. It's flopping wings and claws caught on every hidden rock and buried thornbush.
"We wouldn't have to do this if you'd let us eat it," Petal Blow muttered as she struggled to maneuver the hawk along the path that led behind the waterfall. "I hope the others appreciate this."
P̤̈ë̤ẗ̤ä̤l̤̈ B̤̈l̤̈ö̤ẅ̤ g̤̈r̤̈ṳ̈m̤̈b̤̈l̤̈ë̤s̤̈, Blizzard Flake thought, b̤̈ṳ̈ẗ̤ s̤̈ḧ̤ë̤ k̤̈n̤̈ö̤ẅ̤s̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ï̤s̤̈ ï̤s̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ë̤ r̤̈ï̤g̤̈ḧ̤ẗ̤ ẗ̤ḧ̤ï̤n̤̈g̤̈ ẗ̤ö̤ d̤̈ö̤.
Yowls of surprise greeted the sisters when they returned to the cave. Several cats ran to meet them, gathering around to gaze at the prey.
"It's HUGE!" Berry Bush exclaimed, his green eyes shining as he bounded up to Blizzard Flake. "I can't believe you brought it back to us."
Blizzard Flake dipped her head, feeling slightly embarrassed at his enthusiasm. "It won't feed every cat," she meowed.
Glow Light, an orange she-cat, shouldered her way to the front of the crowd. "Which cats are going out to hunt?" She asked. "They should be the first ones to eat."
Murmurs came from among the assembled, broken by a shrill wail: "But I'm HUNGRY! Why can't I have some? I could go out and hunt."
Blizzard Flake recognized the voice as being her younger sister, Rose Prickle. Their mother, Lily Float, padded up and gently nudged her kit back toward the sleeping hollows. "You're too young to hunt," she murmured. "And if the older cats don't eat, there'll be no prey for any cat."
"Not fair!" Rose Prickle muttered as her mother guided her away.
Meanwhile the hunters, including Glow Light and Berry Bush, lined up beside the body of the hawk. Each of them took one mouthful, then stepped back for the next cat to take their turn. By the time they had finished, and filed out along the path behind the waterfall, there was very little meat left.
Petal Blow, watching beside Blizzard Flake, let out an irritated snort. "I wish WE could have eaten it."
Privately Blizzard Flake agreed with her, but she knew there was no point in complaining. T̤̈ḧ̤ë̤r̤̈ë̤ ï̤s̤̈n̤̈'ẗ̤ ë̤n̤̈ö̤ṳ̈g̤̈ḧ̤ f̤̈ö̤ö̤d̤̈. Ë̤v̤̈ë̤r̤̈ÿ̤ c̤̈ä̤t ï̤s̤̈ ẅ̤ë̤ä̤k̤̈, ḧ̤ṳ̈n̤̈g̤̈r̤̈ÿ̤-j̤̈ṳ̈s̤̈ẗ̤ c̤̈l̤̈ï̤n̤̈g̤̈ï̤n̤̈g̤̈ ö̤n̤̈ ṳ̈n̤̈ẗ̤ï̤l̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ë̤ s̤̈ṳ̈n̤̈ c̤̈ö̤m̤̈ë̤s̤̈ b̤̈ä̤c̤̈k̤̈.
The pattering of paws sounded behind her; she glanced around to see Web Catch trotting over to Petal Blow. "Is it true that you caught that huge hawk all by yourself?"
Petal Blow hesitated, basking in the handsome tom's admiration. Blizzard Flake gave a meaningful purr.
"No," Petal Blow admitted. "Blizzard Flake helped."
Web Catch gave Blizzard Flake a nod, but his gaze immediately returned to Petal Blow. Blizzard Flake took a couple of paces back and left them alone.
"They look good together." A voice spoke at her shoulder; Blizzard Flake turned to see the elder Toad Croak standing beside her. "There'll be kits come the warmest moon."
Blizzard Flake nodded. Any cat with half an eye could see how friendly her sister and Web Catch had become as they stood with their heads together murmuring to each other.
"More than one litter, maybe," Toad Croak went on, giving Blizzard Flake a nudge. "That Berry Bush is certainly a handsome cat."
Hot embarrassment flooded through Blizzard Flake from ears to tail-tip. She had no idea what to say, and was grateful when she saw Stoneteller approaching them. He took a winding path among his cats, pausing to talk to each one. Though Stoneteller's paws were unsteady because of his great age, Blizzard Flake could see the depth of experience in his brown gaze and the care he felt for every one of his Tribe.
"There's still a bit of the hawk left," Blizzard Flake heard him murmur to Oak Root, who was stretched out in one of the sleeping hollows, washing his belly. "You should eat something."
Oak Root paused in his tongue-strokes. "I'm leaving the food for the young ones," he replied. "They need their strength for hunting."
Stoneteller bent his head and touched the elder's ear with his nose. "You have earned your food many times over."
"Perhaps the mountains have fed us for long enough." It was Sorrel Root who had spoken from where she sat, a tail-length away.
Stoneteller gave her a swift glance, full of meaning.
Ẅ̤ḧ̤ä̤ẗ̤'s̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ä̤ẗ̤ ä̤l̤̈l̤̈ ä̤b̤̈ö̤ṳ̈ẗ̤? Blizzard Flake asked herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Lily Float, who came to sit beside her. "Have you eaten anything?" She asked.
Ä̤l̤̈l̤̈ ẅ̤ë̤ ë̤v̤̈ë̤r̤̈ ẗ̤ä̤l̤̈k̤̈ ä̤b̤̈ö̤ṳ̈ẗ̤ ï̤s̤̈ f̤̈ö̤ö̤d̤̈. Ö̤r̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ë̤ l̤̈ä̤c̤̈k̤̈ ö̤f̤̈ ï̤ẗ̤. Trying to curb her impatience, Blizzard Flake replied, "I'll have something before I go out again."
To her relief, her mother didn't insist. "You did very well to catch that hawk," she meowed. "It wasn't only me," Blizzard Flake told her. "Petal Blow made this amazing leap to bring it down."
"You BOTH did well," Lily Float purred. She turned to look at her young kits, who were scuffling together close by. "I hope that Rose Prickle and Light Dawn will be just as skillful when they're old enough to hunt."
At that moment, Rose Prickle swiped her sister's paws out from underneath her. Light Dawn let out a wail as she fell over, hitting her head on a rock. Instead of getting up again, she lay still, whimpering.
"You're such a silly kit!" Rose Prickle exclaimed.
As Lily Float padded over to give her daughter a comforting lick, Blizzard Flake noticed how small and fragile Light Dawn looked. Her head seemed to big for her body, and when she scrambled to her paws again her legs wobbled. Rose Prickle, on the other hand, was strong and well muscled, her calico fur thick and healthy.
While Lily Float took care of her sister, Rose Prickle scampered to Blizzard Flake. "Tell me about the hawk," she demanded. "How did you catch it? I bet I could catch one if I was allowed out of this stupid cave!"
Blizzard Flake purred excitedly. "You should have seen Petal Blow's leap-"
A loud yowl cut off Blizzard Flake's story. "Let all cats be silent! Stoneteller will speak!"
The cat who made the announcement was Leaf Plant, a tortoiseshell she-cat who was one of the strongest and most respected cats of the Tribe. She stood on a boulder at the far end of the cavern, with Stoneteller beside her. The old cat looked even more fragile next to this powerful creature.
As she wriggled her way toward the front of the crowd gathered around the boulder, Blizzard Flake heard murmurs of curiosity from the others.
"Maybe Stoneteller is going to appoint Leaf Plant as his replacement," Toad Croak suggested. "It's time he appointed some cat," Oak Root agreed. "It's what we've all been expecting for moons."
Blizzard Flake found herself a place to sit next to Petal Blow and Web Catch, and looked up at Stoneteller and Leaf Plant. Stoneteller rose to his paws and let his gaze travel over his Tribe until the murmuring died away into silence.
"I am grateful to all of you for working so hard to survive here," he began, his voice so faint that it could scarcely be heard above the sound of the waterfall. "I am proud to be your Healer, but I have to accept that there are things that even I cannot put right. Lack of space and lack of food are beyond my control."
"It's not your fault!" Toad Croak called out. "Don't give up!"
Stoneteller dipped his head in acknowledgement of the elder's support. "Our home cannot support us all," he continued. "But there is another place for some of us, full of sunlight and warmth and prey for all seasons. I have seen it...in my dreams."
Utter silence greeted his announcement. Blizzard Flake couldn't make sense of what the Healer had just said. Ẅ̤ḧ̤ä̤ẗ̤'s̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ë̤ p̤̈ö̤ï̤n̤̈ẗ̤ ö̤f̤̈ ẗ̤ḧ̤ä̤ẗ̤? Ï̤ d̤̈r̤̈ë̤ä̤m̤̈ë̤d̤̈ Ï̤ k̤̈ï̤l̤̈l̤̈ë̤d̤̈ ä̤ ḧ̤ṳ̈g̤̈ë̤ ë̤ä̤g̤̈l̤̈ë̤ ä̤n̤̈d̤̈ ä̤ẗ̤ë̤ ï̤ẗ̤ ä̤l̤̈l̤̈ m̤̈ÿ̤s̤̈ë̤l̤̈f̤̈, b̤̈ṳ̈ẗ̤ Ï̤ ẅ̤ä̤s̤̈ s̤̈ẗ̤ï̤l̤̈l̤̈ ḧ̤ṳ̈n̤̈g̤̈r̤̈ÿ̤ ẅ̤ḧ̤ë̤n̤̈ Ï̤ ẅ̤ö̤k̤̈ë̤ ṳ̈p̤̈!
She noticed that Sorrel Root sat bolt upright as Stoneteller spoke, and was staring at him, her eyes wide with astonishment.
"I believe in my heart that the other place is waiting for those of you who are brave enough to make the journey," Stoneteller went on. "Leaf Plant will lead you there, with my blessing."
The old tabby tom glanced once more around his Tribe, his gaze full of sadness and pain. Then he slid down from the top of the boulder and vanished into the tunnel at the back of the cave, which led to his own den.
A flood of shocked speculation passed through the rest of the cats. After a couple of heartbeats, Leaf Plant stepped forward and raised her tail for silence.
"This has been my home all my life," she began when she could make herself be heard. Her voice was solemn. "I always expected to die here. But if Stoneteller believes that some of us must leave to find the place of her dream, then I will go, and do my best to keep you safe."
Swan Feather sprang to her paws, her blue eyes shining. "I'll go!"
"So will I!" Green Leaf added, her sleek black fur tense with excitement.
"Are you flea-brained?" Leopard Pelt, a scraggy brown and black spotted tom, stared incredulously at the two she-cats. "Wandering off with no idea where you're heading?"
Blizzard Flake remained silent, but she couldn't help agreeing with Leopard Pelt. The mountains were her home: she knew every rock, every bush, every trickling stream. Ï̤ẗ̤ ẅ̤ö̤ṳ̈l̤̈d̤̈ ẗ̤ë̤ä̤r̤̈ m̤̈ÿ̤ ḧ̤ë̤ä̤r̤̈ẗ̤ ï̤n̤̈ ẗ̤ẅ̤ö̤ ï̤f̤̈ Ï̤ ḧ̤ä̤d̤̈ ẗ̤ö̤ l̤̈ë̤ä̤v̤̈ë̤ j̤̈ṳ̈s̤̈ẗ̤ b̤̈ë̤c̤̈ä̤ṳ̈s̤̈ë̤ S̤̈ẗ̤ö̤n̤̈ë̤ẗ̤ë̤l̤̈l̤̈ë̤r̤̈ ḧ̤ä̤d̤̈ ä̤ d̤̈r̤̈ë̤ä̤m̤̈.
Turning to Petal Blow, she was amazed to see excitement gleaming in her sister's eyes. "You're not seriously considering this?" She asked.
"Why not?" Petal Blow demanded in return. "This could be the answer to all our problems. What's the point of struggling to feed every mouth if there's an alternative?" Her whiskers quivered eagerly. "It will be an adventure!" She called out to Leaf Plant: "I'll go!" Glancing at Web Catch, she added, "You'll come too, won't you?"
Web Catch leaned closer to Petal Blow. "I don't know... would you really go without me?"
Before Petal Blow could reply, little Rose Prickle wormed her way between her two older sisters, followed by Light Dawn. "I want to go!" She announced loudly.
Light Dawn nodded enthusiastically. "Me too!" She squeaked.
Lily Float followed them, and drew both kits closer to her with a sweep of her tail. "Certainly not!" She meowed. "You two are staying right here."
"You could come with us," Rose Prickle suggested. Her mother shook her head. "This is my home," she said. "We've survived before. When the warm season returns, we'll have enough to eat."
Blizzard Flake dipped her head in agreement. Ḧ̤ö̤ẅ̤ c̤̈ä̤n̤̈ Ï̤ f̤̈ö̤r̤̈g̤̈ë̤ẗ̤ ẅ̤ḧ̤ä̤ẗ̤ L̤̈ï̤l̤̈ÿ̤ F̤̈l̤̈ö̤ä̤ẗ̤ ẗ̤ö̤l̤̈d̤̈ m̤̈ë̤ ẅ̤ḧ̤ë̤n̤̈ Ï̤ ẅ̤ä̤s̤̈ ä̤ k̤̈ï̤ẗ̤? T̤̈ḧ̤ï̤s̤̈ p̤̈l̤̈ä̤c̤̈ë̤ ẅ̤ä̤s̤̈ p̤̈r̤̈ö̤m̤̈ï̤s̤̈ë̤d̤̈ ẗ̤ö̤ ṳ̈s̤̈ b̤̈ÿ̤ ä̤ c̤̈ä̤ẗ̤ ẅ̤ḧ̤ö̤ l̤̈ë̤d̤̈ ṳ̈s̤̈ ḧ̤ë̤r̤̈ë̤ f̤̈r̤̈ö̤m̤̈ ä̤ f̤̈ä̤r̤̈ä̤ẅ̤ä̤ÿ̤ l̤̈ä̤k̤̈ë̤. Ḧ̤ö̤ẅ̤ c̤̈ä̤n̤̈ ẅ̤ë̤ ẗ̤ḧ̤ï̤n̤̈k̤̈ ö̤f̤̈ l̤̈ë̤ä̤v̤̈ï̤n̤̈g̤̈?
Leaf Plant's powerful voice rose up again over the clamor. "No cat needs to decide yet," she announced. "Give some thought to what you want to do. The half-moon is just past; I will leave at the next full-moon along with any-"
She broke off, her gaze fixed on the far end of the cave. Turning her head, Blizzard Flake saw the hunting party making their way inside. Their pelts were clotted with snow and their heads drooped.
Not one was carrying prey.
"We're sorry," Glow Light called out. "The snow is heavier than ever, and there wasn't a single-"
"We're leaving!" some cat yowled from the crowd around Leaf Plant.
The hunting party stood still for a moment, glancing at one another in confusion and dismay. Then they pelted down the length of the cavern to listen as their Tribemates explained what Stoneteller had told them, and what Leaf Plant intended to do.
Berry Bush made his way to where Blizzard Flake was sitting and plopped down beside her, beginning to clean the melting snow from his pelt. "Isn't this great?" he asked between licks. "A warm place, where there's plenty of prey, just waiting for us? Are you going, Blizzard Flake?"
"I am," Petal Blow responded, before Blizzard Flake could answer. "And so is Web Catch." The young tom gave her an uncertain look, but Petal Blow didn't notice. "It'll be a hard journey, but I think it'll be worth it."
"It'll be WONDERFUL!" Berry Bush blinked happily. "Come on, Blizzard Flake! How about it?"
Blizzard Flake couldn't give him the answer he wanted. As she looked around the cave at the cats she had known all her life, she couldn't imagine abandoning them for a place that might only exist in Stoneteller's dreams.