Legacy (Book 1)

Chapter 21: Strange Cats and Dreams

Chapter 21: Strange Cats and Dreams

Water filled his mouth, its gritty, muddy taste foreign to him who was used to clear mountain streams. It tugged at his fur, whirled him around in is murky darkness, bashed him against rocks again and again until he felt broken.

Then it changed, more friend then foe, washing away his pain and enveloping him in a dark blanket of exhaustion, diminishing the last light which played in front of his eyes. Taking him to a place where there was nothing waiting but death.

Sun jerked awake from sheer fear, his breath coming in hoarse gasps. He sat in the middle of the hunters sleeping cave, darkness pressed all around him and he knew it was still the middle of the night. He'd been dreaming again.

He didn't lie back down though, but crept out and sat in the middle of the tunnel entrance, which he found by trailing his whiskers along the wall. He strained to see some moonlight behind the ivy curtain or through the narrow strip of opening.

He couldn't see anything, and guessed clouds had covered the sky again, though he could hear the quiet dribble of the stream. He let the cool air of the cave wash away the nightmarish dream, but he couldn't forget it.

It was the fourth time he'd had it in the past four nights, it sent tugs of wariness through him whenever he heard water. He closed his eyes and an image seared in front of his closed eyes. A dark gray she-cat whose fur looked blue in certain light, dark blue eyes glowing cold with anger and rebellion.

Rainstone... He missed his father's sister like he'd miss a close friend. They hadn't even had time to say goodbye properly, she'd left so fast. She'd been the only cat to encourage his spirit and kit-hood pranks. Her sharp mind and spirit had won his admiration. She'd conducted herself with more dignity then many more toms that had more power.

Speaking of power... He sighed to know he'd been given the right to leadership after it'd been stripped from his father and brother who deserved it more. His father's father had re-given him inheritance to leadership after his new kit son had died.

Eh, he'd have been a terrible leader anyways, in the kit's two moon life; he'd proved himself to be a disrespectful, arrogant, self-conceited cat. Granted if he'd lived he may have mellowed out, but he definitely wouldn't have worked with Night to fix things up for the she-cats.

The little kit had wandered out after a patrol a few days ago and had gotten himself caught by an eagle. The patrol he had followed had heard the commotion and come running, but had been too late to save the kit. And Sun had been once again given leadership; since Droplet's other kit was a she-kit.

"Are you okay?" the soft spoken voice shot fear through him until he recognized the voice as Pine, his she-cat. He winced; he hated calling the kit his she-cat. Pine was the three moon kit of Frost, who'd kitted when she was six moons old; the age in which she was supposed to be just old enough to mate.

Of course, Tangle hadn't gotten in trouble for mating with the too young she-cat. Cats had joked and laughed it off and Hawk had made a half-harsh statement about respecting the rules.

Sun drew the kit close to him by touch. Pine certainly was pretty, prettier than her other sister and more so than her brother. In fact, she was the only kit not deformed from the birth of the too young mother. Her brother just had stubbly ears and a stub for a tail, but her sister was missing half a leg.

Pine, however, with her dark brown, black, and sap colored calico pelt, was pretty and whole. And since he was going to be leader, he'd been given the best kit to be his mate. Not that he ever planned on mating with her until she was ready. And he promised himself he would only do it until he had kits to become leader after him, never again.