A Tale Of Stars Book 1, Weathering with you

Chapter 2, Mist

     Solar blinked open her eyes, she was in a unfamiliar place. She panicked for a moment before remembering the events of yesterday. Getting to her paws, she stretched out, letting out a silent yawn as she did. The she-cat sat up, smoothing out her pelt before padding outside of their temporary den.

As the sunlight hit her face, it seemed to bounce off her orange markings, giving her a slight glow. "Morning Solar!" Sun meowed, padding up to the she-cat. "Good morning sun," Solar responded. "So did you and Virgo make your minds up last night?" He asked, sitting down to warm himself.

"Yes, I think we're going to stay here." Solar meowed, sitting down as well. "That's great! We'll get to hang out more!" Sun purred proudly. Solar Star smiled at the Tom, she admired his extroverted personality. "Sun, come on we need to get moving!" A voice called. It was dream.

"Coming! Sorry Solar I have to go, need to stick up the prey pile for white tree!" Sun said as he got to his paws, racing towards the she-cat. "Cya sun!" She called after the Tom as he disappeared into the forest. Solar sat in the same spot for a moment, before getting to her paws and deciding to look for claw.

She padded around the camp until she happened to bump into the large she who looked down at her with her usual cold gaze. Claw's amber splotches glowed off her pelt, a complete opposite to her silky black pelt. In a way, she looked like Solar, like she was her king lost mother she'd needed her whole life.   "Hello Solar, did you need something?" Claw asked.

"Uh...oh uh, yes I did!" Solar meowed, snapping out of her trance. "Well?" Claw meowed expectantly. "Me and my brother want to join." Solar said firmly. Claw eyed the cat as if thinking about if she was serious.

"Very well then, gather your brother. We will hold a meeting at once." Claw meowed, leaping onto the large vine. Solar rushed off into the den, happy to see her brother already awake and groomed. "Come on, they're about to do our meeting!" Solar purred.

Virgo seemed shocked, but got to his paws and padded with his sister to sit in the clearing. Soon after, sun and dream appeared, each with prey in their jaws. "Gather around High vine claw, as it is time we welcome new cats to our group!" Claw yowled to the group. Solar watched the cats pad out, observing each one of them.

"Today these two little ones wish to join our group, Solar and Virgo please step forward." Claw yowled. Virgo wrapped his tail around his sister's as they walked in unison to the front of the group. "I welcome you to fight and hunt with us. Virgo, you shall train as a hunter under red." Claw meowed, motioning for the red hunter to step forward. Virgo looked a bit disgusted by the idea of being trained by this cat but he never said anything as the cat sat beside him.

"And Solar, you shall train as a fighter under FallenMist." Claw said, again motioning for a cat to come forward. Claw continued to speak to her group, but Solar wasn't listening. She was more interested in her new trainer. He was quite the large Tom, grey with black paws and a black mask like spot on his face outlining his bright blue eyes.

But that's not what she was curious about. He was the only cat here with a different name. Where as everyone else had the short names such as "Storm" or "Dream" he was "FallenMist". She blinked at the cat, wondering what it meant.

FallenMist looked at the she-cat, smiling slightly. Solar jumped, looking away from the Tom and back to claw. "Group dismissed." She muttered, leaping from the vine. "Come on then, we should start while we still have day light. I'll show you our territory." FallenMist said, rising to his paws.

"Alright then." Solar said with a nod, getting to her paws as well. The two padded side by side in a awkward silence, but FallenMist didn't seem to mind. "We're here." He meowed as a soft breeze ruffled his pelt. Solar had realized that they reached a place she'd never seen.

And it was beautiful. A shallow pond filled the area, by one of the valley sides a medium sized waterfall was pouring the water into the pond. In the middle of the pond, a small island with five large rocks. A few small fish swam in the pond, turning over pebbles as they did. "Welcome to sliver pond." FallenMist purred softly.

"It's beautiful...why is it called sliver?" She asked. "It's a strange thing, at night, when the moon hits the water just right. A sliver glow comes from the water." FallenMist explained, sitting down. "That's amazing..." Solar purred. FallenMist looked at the cat for a moment before returning his gaze to the water.

"Earlier, you where wondering about my name yes?" FallenMist asked. Solar was a bit shocked, but answered anyways. "Yes I was.." She meowed, sitting beside the Tom. "It's a bit of a long story, you willing to listen?" He said, looking back to Solar.

"Of course I am!" The she cat ruffled her paws excitedly. "Well then, I suppose I should start with the fact that this valley wasn't always our home." He muttered. "A while ago, we lived in a rich forest. But one day our clans where forced to move locations, and a group of us broke off." FallenMist continued. "Clans?" Solar asked, visible confusion on her face.

"Yes clans, they where these groups of cats, much like our own. With warriors that fought and hunted for the clan. Queens who provided young. Elders who where allowed to rest their final days. A leader and deputy, who lead the clan." FallenMist explained. Solar sat wide-eyed as he explained the clans. "But anyways, after we broke off we found this valley, Cat's peak. But by then, nobody wanted to be around different cats anymore. And so we divided into groups." He stopped for a moment to take a breath. "We named our groups after things we held dear, Claw for the strength of a cats swipe. Forest in honor of our home. Flow in memory of the once open field this valley was, carved away by water. And lastly wing to thank the birds that brought the plants and seeds to this valley which in return brought our prey." he sighed, taking a breath again.

It suddenly hit Solar that FallenMist wasn't exactly the youngest of cats, in fact he looked almost ancient. But as she realized that, she also realized something else, the tom should be resting right now, living out his final days in peace as the elders of the clans once did. And yet here he was, still fighting and fighting until his last breath. It wasn't fair. "So you would've been an elder by now huh..." She muttered.

"I would've, but unfortunately the clans ways are almost no more here." He said with a sigh before returning to his paws. "Come on, we should see the rest of the territory before Sun death." FallenMist called as he began to pad away. Solar got to her paws, following the cat. "So the names where different there to?" She asked, eager to know more.

"Very. There where different names for almost each rank." FallenMist meowed, his paws covering soft leaves on the ground. "Like what? Yours?" Solar asked. "Mines just one example, Kits we're given the name kit, so for example, when you where younger you'd be Solar kit." He explained, looking to the sky as if searching the clouds for the old stories. "And at the age of 6 moons, a kit would become an apprentice and would receive the name Paw." He said, finally finishing his thought.

"So I'd be SolarPaw in a clan?" She said deeply interested in the subject. "Exactly right, and once you finished training you'd lose the paw and be named after something the represent or something you accomplished." He meowed looking around for a new example. "Like how I'm FallenMist, I was given the name mist because of my ability to fight amazingly well I'm foggy or pitch black places." He said, finally finding his example. "So what do you think I'd be?" She asked excitedly.

FallenMist looked at the she for a moment, deep in thought. "I think you'd be SolarFlare, in honor of your pelts glow." He purred, gesturing to her pelt. She hadn't noticed, but as moon life began and the orange glow faded it was replaced by the soft glow of her black pelt. "That's a cool name!" She squealed, running around.

FallenMist let out a small laugh, amused by the cats kit-like nature. "Come on, we should head home." He decided, turning to pad away. "Alright!" Solar meowed, racing ahead of the Tom. Once home Solar was greeted by her brother and all the other trainees.

Looking around she'd realize she finally found her place. Yet something was off. This was simply a group, not a clan. And Solar, wanted the clan life FallenMist had described to her.

Even is the idea was so far out of her reach.