Cruel Season

~~~~~~~~PROLOGUE~~~~~~~~

Underneath the light of the moon, Blueshine hurried through the flowers. She crouched down low, her fur brushing the frosted grass. Her pelt shone like silver as she slipped quietly towards the Unaligned Dirt-field. This was a special meeting place that all the colonies met at every month or so.

Her breath billowed as she stopped finally, wincing as her paw struck a sharp stone. She gingerly licked at it and settled down in a small bush, the frost leaves softly crackling above her head.

"What will we do?" a voice called. Blueshine peered closer at the Dirt-Field, trying to see which cat said that. It was Nightstreak, the chief of Mist Colony. Blueshine's chief, Goldenshine, sat quietly on the large rock, her ears pricking nervously. "What can we do? This winter is terribly hard and cold, but even we can't change the weather," said Rednight, sighing and looking at her paws. "The cats with ice magic are few and untrained, and the air magic cats died out long ago, when the last of them was killed in that terrible battle against the dogs."

Suddenly, Brackensong, the chief of Pine Colony, perked up her ears and stood up. Her fur bristled with excitement. "We might not be able to get rid of the snow and ice, but the gods can!" she exclaimed, her tail bushing in excitement.

Blueshine looked at her in surprise. The gods? How was anyone to find them? Besides, that journey would take so long by the time anyone got back from talking to the gods, it would be summer.

"Are you suggesting we send a cat from each colony on a mission to...Make the gods send away the winter? I suppose it might work, but it would be a long and treacherous journey, and after months of aching bones, freezing and practically starving, I'm not sure any cats would be up for that. Also, where are the gods anyways?" Rednight mewed, shaking her head and then licking her chest fur. Blueshine watched as her chief rose to her paws. "I think I might know."

~.~

Blueshine raced across the crunchy grass, long-frozen flowers creaking underneath her paws as she thrummed across the field, towards her hollow. Flower Colony's camp was a deep hollow in the ground, mostly sheltered from the wind and rain by a roof weaved from fern leaves, grass stems and sap. She skidded to a halt and trotted silently through the secret tunnel that led into the hollow, instead of taking the main one. She wasn't supposed to go to the meeting if she wasn't invited, so others might question where she had been. Blueshine ran towards the caretaker's den and thrust inside. She curled up comfortably in her nest. It was a shallow scoop dug into the ground, filled with soft rabbit's ear moss and lined with feathers and flowers. She purred as she warmed her aching cold paws in the warmth of the moss and curled her tail over her nose, breathing deeply. The air always smelled of kits and plants in the caretaker's den.

Frostcry, the other caretaker peeped open one eye and looked at her from his nest. "Where have you been tonight, sneaking off through the tunnel? Don't tell me you were meeting a cat from a different colony," he said gruffly, his chin fur ungroomed. He was a shabby cat, and he always looked like a rogue cat. He never groomed, because no matter how much he did it, his fur would just tangle and stick up again in a few moments.

"I-i... went to the meeting," she said, her brain too tired to think of a good lie. She closed her eyes, her words slurring as she spoke. Frostcry scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Typical young cat. Well anyways, I'll bother you about it in the morning. Let's both get some sleep." The leaves rustled as he curled up again, and soon soft snores emitted from his mouth.

Meanwhile, Blueshine's mind wandered. Would she be a cat that was picked for the mission to find the gods? Only time would tell. Her breathing deepened and her heartbeat lowered as she fell asleep.